Michael Moore offers some encouragement.
Bernie got 43% of the 1.6M allowed to vote. The 3.2M independents though, couldn’t vote. Bernie usually gets 65 – 70% of them.
I composed a thoroughly cynical remark in answer to that. It assumed Clinton is utterly compromised and corrupt. Instead, I’ll be charitable: President Clinton has no chance of reforming a USA with a centre-right congress: they work for money, and you can’t afford it.
No problem – Just highlight the url (thats the bit at with the web name and all the other stuff at the top of ur browser) copy it and paste in the comment box. 🙂
National want to data share personal and private information between government agencies. To do this they will need to repeal parts of the Privacy Act. Obvious targets are people on benefits. This is another step of protofascism and the creation a pariah class.
No Anne perfectly believable for this crowd of “panty sniffers”.
Just another way to attack the poor and divert attention away from the shoveling of wealth into his own pocket.
Do you support the kind of data sharing that English is talking about? Or would you agree that the existing agencies could just be more functional and that would solve the problem?
More functionality won’t solve the problem of agencies tasked with protection losing contact with kids being dragged from pillar to post around the country by supposed carers with several identities. Sometimes kids are handed around like a piece of luggage leaving agencies with absolutely no idea about where they are or who they’re actually with.
In a year some kids will shift a dozen times or more and have interactions with agencies all over the shop, WINZ, the law, schools, Kohanga Reo, hospitals, general practices, and other than chipping them, real and proper data sharing is the only way to keep track of them.
btw: the big fucking elephant – transient adults, often with unmet mental health needs/substance abuse/difficulty looking after themselves, can go wherever they like
He told the hui that the Government planned to have a system in place for sharing data with NGOs by the end of the year.
…
Creating a data-sharing system, which Mr English described as a “data supermarket”, would require careful decisions about privacy and security.
…
“We are talking about getting really clear about the rules and enabling a range of organisations to use the data when it’s safe.”
When I read the word “supermarket” I immediately thought what an odd word to use in this context.
The other issue the sharing outside government’s reach, which could (and will) easily include private organisations and companies with or without a profit motive (e.g. charter schools).
The way that I would do it is to make the data that the government has on a person a single file (I’m simplifying for convenience) and then give each government agency access to the parts of the file that they need access to.
The police and other protection agencies would need to have a warrant to get access that isn’t volunteered. All other access would need written permission from the person that the file relates to.
Or alternatively, leave the existing systems in place – with stringent requirements for access, and create an index for NZers that links all relevant identifiers.
ie. birth certificate number, citizenship number, with National Health number, IRD number/s, associated trusts, companies, driver’s licences etc.
This ensures that each set of data remains separate, and cannot be accessed by internal security failures from one department, and privacy rights and restrictions remain intact.
Or alternatively, leave the existing systems in place – with stringent requirements for access, and create an index for NZers that links all relevant identifiers.
That works but isn’t the most efficient method or the most secure as the added complexity would likely leave holes in the security.
This ensures that each set of data remains separate, and cannot be accessed by internal security failures from one department, and privacy rights and restrictions remain intact.
That’s what you’d like to believe but what we’d have is massive data duplication requiring an increase in hardware required and a probable increase in security vulnerabilities.
One system is great, right up until you lose 15 million personal files, sony emails, credit card numbers, whatever.
And that’s before you get into the problems (expensive, expensive problems) of integrating the different information systems into one behemoth.
My approach would be to have one organisation to manage access privileges and maintain a distinct tool that can expand to interrogate the different databases as they’re added incrementally. It will also audit the access protocols regularly, actively asking X number of users a day why they accessed a particular file – particularly anomalous access.
This distributes load across different organisations and minimises disruption to those organisations, because the tool is built to fit the data and not the other way around. Then each organisation has levels of data classification, so that not just court orders but also things like getting manual signoff from the department concerned that the user is authorised to have and needs the information.
One system is great, right up until you lose 15 million personal files, sony emails, credit card numbers, whatever.
Why would you have it connected to the internet?
Far better to have it on it’s own WAN. Sure, somewhat more expensive but worth it for the increased security. The actual internet portals which give out information to the public would be seriously fire-walled.
And that’s before you get into the problems (expensive, expensive problems) of integrating the different information systems into one behemoth.
That’s going to have to happen anyway. Might as well get it over and done with.
My approach would be to have one organisation to manage access privileges and maintain a distinct tool that can expand to interrogate the different databases as they’re added incrementally.
I’ve been advocating for a government IT department that did all of governments IT for some time.
No, I didn’t mean that the organisation does all the government’s IT. Just one unit to manage the access and sharing between systems.
And of course you’ll need some manner of internet access, otherwise all your plunket nurses, cops, and social workers will have to come into the office during their rounds, rather than working largely from their cars during the day.
But if the people overseeing Novopay and winz/justice kiosks ensure it’s all “seriously firewalled”, that’s alright then…
No, I didn’t mean that the organisation does all the government’s IT. Just one unit to manage the access and sharing between systems.
Waste of time. Bring it all inhouse so that the fuckups such as Novapay and the
And of course you’ll need some manner of internet access, otherwise all your plunket nurses, cops, and social workers will have to come into the office during their rounds, rather than working largely from their cars during the day.
I pointed out that there would be internet but not of the main server/systems. They would be on their own network with only limited portals to the internet. Each government office would be on that WAN so the information is securely available.
But if the people overseeing Novopay and winz/justice kiosks ensure it’s all “seriously firewalled”, that’s alright then…
That was the private enterprise hired to do the job. The problem was a) the people in the office not knowing anything and b) outsourcing to people who would only do as they’re told. A government department dedicated to to government IT would ensure that that type of bollocks wouldn’t happen again.
“and then give each government agency access to the parts of the file that they need access to.”
The way privacy laws work at the moment is that any individual has the right to control who gets to see information about them. It’s not about what information a govt agency needs access to, it’s about whether they have permission. The kind of data sharing that English is talking about will remove those rights, especially for vulnerable groups like beneficiaries.
I haven’t seen a list yet of the ten departments English is planning this for, but am betting a bit part of the underlying ethos is targetting the underclass.
It’s not about what information a govt agency needs access to, it’s about whether they have permission.
This is incorrect. There’s two aspects to it, not just one.
1. The government needs to have information about you so that they can provide services to you
2. They need to be able to detect and prosecute crime
The first they get your permission to look, the second they get the judges permission to look. In both of these they also get limits to what they can look at. I’m looking to strengthen peoples rights in regards to government access to data.
The kind of data sharing that English is talking about will remove those rights, especially for vulnerable groups like beneficiaries.
I’m not supportive of the data sharing model. It’s inefficient and susceptible to poor programming which in turn makes it more insecure.
Of course. Leaving aside the rights of the govt to access anything they want if it’s an issue of crime or safety, the rest of the rights aren’t govt rights, they’re citizen rights.
Yes the govt needs information to provide services, but historically they don’t have automatic access (that’s why we have the Privacy Act), and service provisions is not what English is talking about at all. We were quite capable of providing all the things covered by those depts before the advent of computers. What he is doing is removing privacy rights in order to give more power the govt to control what people do. This is nothing to do with service. It’s a very direct and bold move whereby the rights of people are subsumed under the government’s need to exist. It shifts use further away from the core principle that the govt serves the people, and positions the govt as an end to itself and the people are there as a subset of that. Very very dangerous.
I get the attraction of efficent and competent ICT services. But at this stage of the game I think information should be firewalled until we are sufficiently ethical and respectful to design systems that don’t entrench power in the hands of the few. We are a very long way from being that ethical or competent around rights and information sharing.
Yep. But even sharing between departments is hugely problematic. NRT,
English says this is about helping people by “sharing” their confidential, private data – but we all know that it will really be about shitting on them, cutting their benefits, throwing them out of state houses, making it more difficult to access government services. Because National sees everything as a way of cutting costs and reducing government services. So, they’ll give ACC access to your medical records, WINZ access to your police file, Housing NZ access to your kid’s school reports, your kid’s school teacher access to your sexual history, and the SIS and their foreign “allies” access to everything, all in the hope that someone, somewhere, will find a reason to cut your funding or jail you (or, in the SIS’s case, finally find the “terrorists” their budget is predicated on).
Yes the govt needs information to provide services, but historically they don’t have automatic access
I’m not talking about giving them automatic access.
We were quite capable of providing all the things covered by those depts before the advent of computers.
No we weren’t.
What he is doing is removing privacy rights in order to give more power the govt to control what people do.
Possibly. If he was truly about doing it right then there would be no way that rich people would continue to avoid paying the taxes that they should. But there’s no way he’s going to touch that rort.
Bill English maybe but I’m not. That was fairly obvious from my first comment – the one that you responded to that made this thread.
Yes we were.
No we weren’t. Much information was missed due to not having the capability of processing it.
Just to clarify, are you saying that you support removal of citizen’s privacy rights so long as it’s done properly from a tech perspective?
No. If Blinglish did it right the IRD would easily pick up the tax avoidance. That’s not a citizens right but a crime and a crime would necessitate a warrant.
“Much information was missed due to not having the capability of processing it.”
Can you give some examples?
“No. If Blinglish did it right the IRD would easily pick up the tax avoidance. That’s not a citizens right but a crime and a crime would necessitate a warrant.”
Sorry, I don’t know what you are talking about. This conversation is about privacy rights and how English is wanting to introduce data sharing in a way that will remove those rights. If you want to make a case for the kind of data sharing that English is talking about in order to catch tax dodgers, please do, I’d be interested to see what you would sacrifice.
Taxes. Did you know the reason why the IRD stopped asking for tax returns from everyone every year? It’s because they couldn’t process them all. So now we’re in the position of thousands of people, usually poor people, paying too much tax.
Sorry, I don’t know what you are talking about.
Really? Amazing, I’ve been very clear about my position all along.
This conversation is about privacy rights and how English is wanting to introduce data sharing in a way that will remove those rights.
No, this conversation is about how I would set up government servers to consolidate the information that the government needs while giving limited access to different government departments according to what they needed of the information.
If you want to make a case for the kind of data sharing that English is talking about in order to catch tax dodgers, please do, I’d be interested to see what you would sacrifice.
“Taxes. Did you know the reason why the IRD stopped asking for tax returns from everyone every year? It’s because they couldn’t process them all. So now we’re in the position of thousands of people, usually poor people, paying too much tax.”
How does that relate to English’s data sharing plan?
TPP Jane Kelsey Why is the US TPPA ‘Implementation Team’ Meddling in NZ?
The US Trade Representative Michael Froman has revealed his office is sending teams of officials to the other the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) countries, including New Zealand, to vet their implementation of the intellectual property chapter and other parts of the agreement.[1]
‘ “Implementation” is code for the US making sure it gets what it wants, backed by its power to veto the TPPA’s entry into force if it doesn’t’, said Auckland University law professor Jane Kelsey.
‘This is an outrageous assault on the sovereign right of nations to decide their own laws without interference from other states.’
‘The US is notorious for rewriting the script after negotiations are ‘concluded’ to secure their version of the text when other countries insist they have done what is required.[2]
‘This will come in two stages’, Professor Kelsey explained. ‘The first we are seeing now. The US says “we can’t possibly get this to the floor of Congress without these changes to what you are doing”.’
‘If Congress votes in favour of its implementing legislation – which at present can’t be assumed – the US comes back again and says “we won’t certify you have complied with your obligations until you do these additional things”.’ The TPPA can’t come into force without US certification.
The USTR is currently trying to ‘fix’ problems that mean the TPPA doesn’t have support in Congress. Froman cites intellectual property as a major point of discussion with other governments, making particular mention of New Zealand’s proposed legislation on patent term extensions.
Ominously, Republican chair of the Senate Finance Committee Orrin Hatch, who decides if and when implementing legislation proceeds, has hardened his stance on monopoly rights for biologics medicines. He announced today that 8 years’ is not enough. He requires 12.[3] But the New Zealand government says the TPPA lets us keep our current 5 years plus some process delays.
Several speakers from Ngāpuhi have told a hui on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that they are worried the deal could nullify New Zealand’s sovereignty.
About 70 people attended the event, and 30 protesters lined the roadside outside the venue.
The iwi speakers also expressed their concern about the Crown’s ability to resolve outstanding treaty issues under the TPP.
Mr Finlayson said at the meeting the TPP would not impinge on New Zealand’s sovereignty.
I am so sick of the BS excreted by this Government! Having sovereignty means having the “right to regulate” without the threat of being sued by a foreign investor. A threat to sue would impinge on our sovereignty Mr Finlayson, because we would have to check our pockets to see if we had the $5.5million to cover the average legal costs for the respondent in front of an unaccountable, extrajudicial tribunal! impinge :Have an effect, especially a negative one:
This is the US government taking full control of our laws – just as Jane Kelsey said they would. We are no longer an independent state but a subject state of the US.
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Wansolwara The news media’s crucial role in climate change and environment journalism was the focus of The University of the South Pacific’s Journalism Programme 2024 World Press Freedom Day celebrations. The European Union Ambassador to the Pacific, Barbara Plinkert, and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna were the chief ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Adams, Professor of Corporate Law & Academic Director of UNE Sydney campus, University of New England Last August, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched legal proceedings against Qantas. The consumer watchdog accused the airline of selling thousands of tickets ...
This episode of A View From Afar was recorded LIVE on May 6, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, May 5, 2024 at 8:30pm (USEST). In an analytical essay titled ‘A moment of friction’ political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan wrote how we are living within a decisive moment ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Taylor, Assistant Professor, Bond University Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures At the crux of the critical response to Luca Guadagnino’s new movie Challengers is one word: “sexy”. The film charts a love triangle between three up-and-coming tennis players: Tashi (Zendaya), ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Stewart, Professor of Public Policy, ADFA Canberra, UNSW Sydney For years, First Nations people have been telling governments they want to be listened to. In particular, they want more ownership of the programs and services that are supposed to help them. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Why do trees have bark? Julien, age 6, Melbourne. This is a great question, Julien. We are so familiar with bark on trees, that most of us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Nasser, Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy, University of Technology Sydney PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an important ligament in the knee. It runs from the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia) and helps stabilise ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne I covered the May 2 United Kingdom local government elections for The Poll Bludger. The Blackpool South parliamentary byelection was also held, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanna Grant-Smith, Professor of Management, University of the Sunshine Coast The federal government has announced a “Commonwealth Prac Payment” to support selected groups of students doing mandatory work placements. Those who are studying to be a teacher, nurse, midwife or social ...
We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+. If you love a dark comedy: Bodkin (Netflix, May 9)An English podcaster, an Irish podcaster and American podcaster walk into a pub and…make a TV show? ...
By Eleisha Foon, RNZ Pacific senior journalist A Pacific regionalism academic has called out New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS and says the security deal “raises serious questions for the Pacific region”. Auckland University of Technology academic Dr Marco de Jong ...
How worried should we be about the cloud? This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. I currently have a few thousand unread emails languishing in my inbox, mostly old marketing newsletters and piles of unread science journal press releases. I have a similar number ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nuurrianti Jalli, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies College of Arts and Sciences Department of Languages, Literature, and Communication Studies, Northern State University Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Southeast Asian governments not only have to deal with the virus but also with the false ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Murakami Wood, Professor of Critical Surveillance and Securities Studies, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa The skyline of Riyadh, the capital and largest city of the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia.(Shutterstock) There is a long history of planned city building by both governments ...
The LIVE Recording of A View from Afar podcast will begin today at 12:45pm May 6, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, 8:30pm (USEST). In an analytical essay titled ‘A moment of friction’ political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan wrote how we are living within a decisive moment of ...
The Boil Up’s Lucinda Bennett considers the oyster – from freshness to pearls to the joy of shucking your own. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. In Carmen Maria Machado’s short story ‘Eight Bites’, a woman begins her last supper before bariatric surgery with “a cavalcade ...
Asia Pacific Report A group of 65 Auckland University academics have written an open letter to vice-chancellor Dawn Freshwater criticising the institution’s stance over students protesting in solidarity with Palestine. They have called on her administration to “support” the students who were denied permission to establish an “overnight encampment” by ...
The Student Volunteer Army is on the march, generating approximately 1.6 million hours of volunteering from roughly 35,000 secondary school students in just five years. For Rebekah Brown, the pathway to volunteering started with her singing coach. With a passion for the arts, the suggestion to volunteer at Acting Antics, ...
Keeping up with online communication can be exhausting, so Fran Barclay enlisted the help of Meta’s new ‘intelligent assistant’ to respond to all her messages. Could her mates tell the difference? For centuries, technology has ruled the ways in which we communicate. From the dawn of written language, to the ...
Jamie Arbuckle, a councillor who has become an member of parliament, says he has settled into having two roles so comfortably he's going to keep both pay cheques. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luis Gómez Romero, Senior Lecturer in Human Rights, Constitutional Law and Legal Theory, University of Wollongong Fifty years ago, Australian feminist Anne Summers denounced “the ideology of sexism” governing over so many women’s lives. Unfortunately, sexism is as lethal today as it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jose Antonio Lara-Hernandez, Senior Researcher in Architecture, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images The COVID-19 pandemic and the hybrid work patterns it fostered have changed the way we think about office space, and central business districts in general. While fears ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dale Boccabella, Associate Professor of Taxation Law, UNSW Sydney There’s a good reason your local volunteer-run netball club doesn’t pay tax. In Australia, various nonprofit organisations are exempt from paying income tax, including those that do charitable work, such as churches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marina Deller, Casual Academic, Creative Writing and English Literature, Flinders University NetflixComedy is opening up spaces for silences to be broken and trauma stories to be told. In 2018, Hannah Gadsby started a revolution with Nanette, asking audiences to rethink ...
The workplace can be a minefield of bad comms and passive aggression. Kinksters can help you navigate it. A friend and colleague recently gave me a compliment I loved. They told me I’d always been good at emotional communication and making people feel comfortable. “But I feel like it’s really ...
Even if some students are now just texting on their laptops. Stewart Sowman-Lund writes in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Councils from Horowhenua, Kāpiti, Wairarapa, the Hutt Valley, Porirua and Wellington City will meet this Friday to work together on a plan for a Greater Wellington region water deal. ...
Renowned musician, advocate, and proud born and raised daughter of Tauranga, Ria Hall, is announcing her candidacy for Mayor of Tauranga and Pāpāmoa Ward for the upcoming election on July 20th. ...
The new Aotearoa histories curriculum is rich with potential. There’s still work to be done, but the education minister’s criticisms about ‘balance’ miss the mark, argues primary school teacher Jessie Moss. In 2015, Ōtorohanga College students presented to parliament a petition signed by more than 10,000 people calling for a ...
For too long our so-called national bird has maintained its stranglehold on the economy of regional New Zealand. Thanks to the fast track legislation, we will have our revenge. Theories abound on what ails New Zealand’s economy. National leader Chris Luxon has posited that we’re negative, wet, whiny, and inward-looking; ...
Comment: The debate over the future relationship between news and social media is bringing us closer to a long-overdue reckoning. Social media isn’t trying to kill journalism, because social media has never really cared about journalism. Social media is resolutely in the attention business. News propels some attention — perhaps ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 6 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
For the past 12 years, Georgia-Rose Brown has balanced on the brink of making an Olympic Games – but always landed gracefully on the wrong side. Reaching the Olympics is a dream the gymnast has harboured since she was a six-year-old; a dream that would dwindle every four years, yet ...
Late one afternoon in March 1860 a man in a thin green velveteen jacket and a wide-awake hat arrived on foot at a sheep station named Glenmark, about 65 kilometres north of Christchurch. The man was in his mid-fifties but he looked older. Several people who met him that day ...
If building one of Auckland’s possible waterfront stadiums was funded privately, it would need to hold a sold-out Ed Sherran concert every weekday for 25 years. That’s Rob Hamlin’s finding – he’s a senior marketing lecturer at the University of Otago. “It’s not going to happen; forget about it,” he ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A new Commonwealth Prac Payment will provide students with $319.50 a week when they are on clinical and professional placements. The payment will be means tested and start from July 1 next year, which ...
Asia Pacific Report About 500 people honoured Palestinian journalists in the heart of the New Zealand city of Auckland today for their brave coverage of Israel’s War on Gaza, now in its seventh month with almost 35,000 people killed, mostly women and children. Marking the annual May 3 World Press ...
The Government Communications Security Bureau denies hosting a foreign spying capability flagged by the watchdog, differentiating it from the system recently criticised. ...
RNZ News A group of academic staff at New Zealand’s largest university have expressed concern at the administration’s move to block a protest encampment that was planned to take place on campus calling for support for the rights of Palestinians. This week, the University of Auckland warned that while it ...
Genterwocky After a hard days marching, Sir Doocey calls in at the Village Tavern For a pint of ale and a pork pie. The grim villagers stare at him. “Do not be travelling on the forest road,” warns a crusty old beak. “And why is that, antique peasant?” Grins Sir ...
Political conferences after a party returns to power are usually a chance for some healthy, even unhealthy backslapping. Yet National Party president Sylvia Wood’s address to its mainland representatives on Saturday hardly contained the unalloyed delight that one might have expected following National’s escape from the wilderness of opposition. Yes, ...
Comment: Almost half the world is voting in national elections this year and artificial intelligence is the elephant in the room. There are genuine fears AI-generated or AI-edited deepfakes will potentially manipulate election outcomes not just in the US and UK, but critically in countries such as India. For that ...
Ahead of the reality franchise’s return to New Zealand, allow us to introduce the eight brides and grooms. Chuck on a veil and tie back your man bun, because it’s time to say “I do” to a new season of Married at First Sight NZ. The reality TV “social experiment” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University Every year on June 1, student debt in Australia is indexed to inflation. In 2023, high inflation pushed the indexation rate to 7.1%, the highest since 1990. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Changes in the May 14 budget will cut the student debt of more than three million people, wiping more than $3 billion from what people owe. The government will cap the HELP indexation rate ...
Asia Pacific Report The prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has appealed for an end to what it calls intimidation of its staff, saying such threats could constitute an offence against the “administration of justice” by the world’s permanent war crimes court. The Hague-based office of ICC Prosecutor ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A women’s union in New Caledonia has staged a sit-in protest this week to support senior Kanak indigenous journalist Thérèse Waia, who works for public broadcaster Nouvelle-Calédonie la Première, after a smear attack by critics. The peaceful demonstration was held on ...
New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring overseas recalls of Indian packaged spice products manufactured by MDH and Everest due to concerns over a cancer-causing pesticide. ...
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Fiji’s ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs. Fiji’s improvement ...
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. That’s where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
Can’t figure out which one will be worse if either win…… The one who doesn’t know what they are doing….or the one who does….. Sad
A Voter’s Guide to Hillary Clinton’s Policies in Latin America
Michael Moore offers some encouragement.
Bernie got 43% of the 1.6M allowed to vote. The 3.2M independents though, couldn’t vote. Bernie usually gets 65 – 70% of them.
Sad comment Nick , sexism still exists.
I have faith that enough good American voters
will vote for an experienced woman to make a contribution.
I composed a thoroughly cynical remark in answer to that. It assumed Clinton is utterly compromised and corrupt. Instead, I’ll be charitable: President Clinton has no chance of reforming a USA with a centre-right congress: they work for money, and you can’t afford it.
+1
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1604/S00278/why-is-the-us-tppa-implementation-team-meddling-in-nz.htm
Abby Martin Exposes What Hillary Clinton Really Represents
Dot I don’t know how to link, but you should look that up on youtube.
Here you go
Apologies. Got to almost halfway and could not stomach that anymore.
So stopped the streaming and will need to step away for a few minutes break.
Cheers Macro
No problem – Just highlight the url (thats the bit at with the web name and all the other stuff at the top of ur browser) copy it and paste in the comment box. 🙂
National want to data share personal and private information between government agencies. To do this they will need to repeal parts of the Privacy Act. Obvious targets are people on benefits. This is another step of protofascism and the creation a pariah class.
NRT’s take http://bit.ly/23YsQRp
“We’re not looking at reducing privacy or confidentiality,” [English] says. “We’re looking at sharing it.”
https://mobile.twitter.com/Carolyn_nth/status/722595437610344448
Unbelievable.
No Anne perfectly believable for this crowd of “panty sniffers”.
Just another way to attack the poor and divert attention away from the shoveling of wealth into his own pocket.
Unbelievable that English believes we will fall for that piece of contradictory tripe.
My SO says someone always knows – nearly every child killed in NZ is unknown to agencies tasked with their protection, but well known to others.
by ‘others’ do you mean other agencies or other people in general?
Agencies.
Is that an argument for data sharing?
To protect vulnerable members of our society, yes.
Do you support the kind of data sharing that English is talking about? Or would you agree that the existing agencies could just be more functional and that would solve the problem?
More functionality won’t solve the problem of agencies tasked with protection losing contact with kids being dragged from pillar to post around the country by supposed carers with several identities. Sometimes kids are handed around like a piece of luggage leaving agencies with absolutely no idea about where they are or who they’re actually with.
In a year some kids will shift a dozen times or more and have interactions with agencies all over the shop, WINZ, the law, schools, Kohanga Reo, hospitals, general practices, and other than chipping them, real and proper data sharing is the only way to keep track of them.
Are you talking about children in care or children at home or both?
Both, I think.
btw: the big fucking elephant – transient adults, often with unmet mental health needs/substance abuse/difficulty looking after themselves, can go wherever they like
Lyndon Hood captures Bill English’s hubris perfectly in his satirical “Information Shearing” on Scoop:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1604/S00062/lyndon-hood-satire-information-shearing.htm
[bold emphasis is mine]
From the article by Isaac Davison in the NZ Herald Finance Minister Bill English promotes data supermarket to help at-risk New Zealanders.
When I read the word “supermarket” I immediately thought what an odd word to use in this context.
The other issue the sharing outside government’s reach, which could (and will) easily include private organisations and companies with or without a profit motive (e.g. charter schools).
The way that I would do it is to make the data that the government has on a person a single file (I’m simplifying for convenience) and then give each government agency access to the parts of the file that they need access to.
The police and other protection agencies would need to have a warrant to get access that isn’t volunteered. All other access would need written permission from the person that the file relates to.
Or alternatively, leave the existing systems in place – with stringent requirements for access, and create an index for NZers that links all relevant identifiers.
ie. birth certificate number, citizenship number, with National Health number, IRD number/s, associated trusts, companies, driver’s licences etc.
This ensures that each set of data remains separate, and cannot be accessed by internal security failures from one department, and privacy rights and restrictions remain intact.
That works but isn’t the most efficient method or the most secure as the added complexity would likely leave holes in the security.
That’s what you’d like to believe but what we’d have is massive data duplication requiring an increase in hardware required and a probable increase in security vulnerabilities.
One system is great, right up until you lose 15 million personal files, sony emails, credit card numbers, whatever.
And that’s before you get into the problems (expensive, expensive problems) of integrating the different information systems into one behemoth.
My approach would be to have one organisation to manage access privileges and maintain a distinct tool that can expand to interrogate the different databases as they’re added incrementally. It will also audit the access protocols regularly, actively asking X number of users a day why they accessed a particular file – particularly anomalous access.
This distributes load across different organisations and minimises disruption to those organisations, because the tool is built to fit the data and not the other way around. Then each organisation has levels of data classification, so that not just court orders but also things like getting manual signoff from the department concerned that the user is authorised to have and needs the information.
Why would you have it connected to the internet?
Far better to have it on it’s own WAN. Sure, somewhat more expensive but worth it for the increased security. The actual internet portals which give out information to the public would be seriously fire-walled.
That’s going to have to happen anyway. Might as well get it over and done with.
I’ve been advocating for a government IT department that did all of governments IT for some time.
No, I didn’t mean that the organisation does all the government’s IT. Just one unit to manage the access and sharing between systems.
And of course you’ll need some manner of internet access, otherwise all your plunket nurses, cops, and social workers will have to come into the office during their rounds, rather than working largely from their cars during the day.
But if the people overseeing Novopay and winz/justice kiosks ensure it’s all “seriously firewalled”, that’s alright then…
Waste of time. Bring it all inhouse so that the fuckups such as Novapay and the
I pointed out that there would be internet but not of the main server/systems. They would be on their own network with only limited portals to the internet. Each government office would be on that WAN so the information is securely available.
That was the private enterprise hired to do the job. The problem was a) the people in the office not knowing anything and b) outsourcing to people who would only do as they’re told. A government department dedicated to to government IT would ensure that that type of bollocks wouldn’t happen again.
Yeah Nah.
Separation of functions is never a waste of time. And departments work to spec rather than need just as much as the private sector.
“and then give each government agency access to the parts of the file that they need access to.”
The way privacy laws work at the moment is that any individual has the right to control who gets to see information about them. It’s not about what information a govt agency needs access to, it’s about whether they have permission. The kind of data sharing that English is talking about will remove those rights, especially for vulnerable groups like beneficiaries.
I haven’t seen a list yet of the ten departments English is planning this for, but am betting a bit part of the underlying ethos is targetting the underclass.
This is incorrect. There’s two aspects to it, not just one.
1. The government needs to have information about you so that they can provide services to you
2. They need to be able to detect and prosecute crime
The first they get your permission to look, the second they get the judges permission to look. In both of these they also get limits to what they can look at. I’m looking to strengthen peoples rights in regards to government access to data.
I’m not supportive of the data sharing model. It’s inefficient and susceptible to poor programming which in turn makes it more insecure.
Of course. Leaving aside the rights of the govt to access anything they want if it’s an issue of crime or safety, the rest of the rights aren’t govt rights, they’re citizen rights.
Yes the govt needs information to provide services, but historically they don’t have automatic access (that’s why we have the Privacy Act), and service provisions is not what English is talking about at all. We were quite capable of providing all the things covered by those depts before the advent of computers. What he is doing is removing privacy rights in order to give more power the govt to control what people do. This is nothing to do with service. It’s a very direct and bold move whereby the rights of people are subsumed under the government’s need to exist. It shifts use further away from the core principle that the govt serves the people, and positions the govt as an end to itself and the people are there as a subset of that. Very very dangerous.
I get the attraction of efficent and competent ICT services. But at this stage of the game I think information should be firewalled until we are sufficiently ethical and respectful to design systems that don’t entrench power in the hands of the few. We are a very long way from being that ethical or competent around rights and information sharing.
I just noticed the bit saying that they want to be sharing with NGOs by the end of the year… that sort of timeline is a recipe for failure, IMO.
Yep. But even sharing between departments is hugely problematic. NRT,
English says this is about helping people by “sharing” their confidential, private data – but we all know that it will really be about shitting on them, cutting their benefits, throwing them out of state houses, making it more difficult to access government services. Because National sees everything as a way of cutting costs and reducing government services. So, they’ll give ACC access to your medical records, WINZ access to your police file, Housing NZ access to your kid’s school reports, your kid’s school teacher access to your sexual history, and the SIS and their foreign “allies” access to everything, all in the hope that someone, somewhere, will find a reason to cut your funding or jail you (or, in the SIS’s case, finally find the “terrorists” their budget is predicated on).
I’m not talking about giving them automatic access.
No we weren’t.
Possibly. If he was truly about doing it right then there would be no way that rich people would continue to avoid paying the taxes that they should. But there’s no way he’s going to touch that rort.
“I’m not talking about giving them automatic access.”
But Bill English and this thread are.
“No we weren’t.”
Yes we were.
“If he was truly about doing it right”
Just to clarify, are you saying that you support removal of citizen’s privacy rights so long as it’s done properly from a tech perspective?
there are quite a few that would.
QFT.
Bill English maybe but I’m not. That was fairly obvious from my first comment – the one that you responded to that made this thread.
No we weren’t. Much information was missed due to not having the capability of processing it.
No. If Blinglish did it right the IRD would easily pick up the tax avoidance. That’s not a citizens right but a crime and a crime would necessitate a warrant.
“Much information was missed due to not having the capability of processing it.”
Can you give some examples?
“No. If Blinglish did it right the IRD would easily pick up the tax avoidance. That’s not a citizens right but a crime and a crime would necessitate a warrant.”
Sorry, I don’t know what you are talking about. This conversation is about privacy rights and how English is wanting to introduce data sharing in a way that will remove those rights. If you want to make a case for the kind of data sharing that English is talking about in order to catch tax dodgers, please do, I’d be interested to see what you would sacrifice.
Taxes. Did you know the reason why the IRD stopped asking for tax returns from everyone every year? It’s because they couldn’t process them all. So now we’re in the position of thousands of people, usually poor people, paying too much tax.
Really? Amazing, I’ve been very clear about my position all along.
No, this conversation is about how I would set up government servers to consolidate the information that the government needs while giving limited access to different government departments according to what they needed of the information.
I already have and the sacrifice was nothing.
Try reading LPrent’s Secrecy Uprising again.
“Taxes. Did you know the reason why the IRD stopped asking for tax returns from everyone every year? It’s because they couldn’t process them all. So now we’re in the position of thousands of people, usually poor people, paying too much tax.”
How does that relate to English’s data sharing plan?
Protest outside Dunedin hospital on 29th regarding the ongoing problems with the meals contract,
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/380399/food-worries-prompt-protest#pq=ylodH9
TPP Jane Kelsey
Why is the US TPPA ‘Implementation Team’ Meddling in NZ?
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1604/S00278/why-is-the-us-tppa-implementation-team-meddling-in-nz.htm
Hui told govt ignored NZers on TPP
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/301970/hui-told-govt-ignored-nzers-on-tpp
I am so sick of the BS excreted by this Government! Having sovereignty means having the “right to regulate” without the threat of being sued by a foreign investor.
A threat to sue would impinge on our sovereignty Mr Finlayson, because we would have to check our pockets to see if we had the $5.5million to cover the average legal costs for the respondent in front of an unaccountable, extrajudicial tribunal!
impinge :Have an effect, especially a negative one:
No of corporations that have lodged ISDS cases
United States of America 138
Canada 39
No risk for NZ??????
If you are suggesting that Mr Finlayson is just another lying prick you will get no argument from me.
This is the US government taking full control of our laws – just as Jane Kelsey said they would. We are no longer an independent state but a subject state of the US.