Daily review 22/12/2021
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5:30 pm, December 22nd, 2021 - 10 comments
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Daily review is also your post.
This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.
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Quite a bit! This Government was elected to take on the toughest issues facing Aotearoa – and that’s what we’re doing. Since the start of the pandemic, protecting lives and livelihoods has been a priority, but we’ve also made progress on long-term challenges, to deliver a future the next generation ...6 days ago - Tackling the big issues in 2022This year, keeping Kiwis safe from COVID will remain a key priority of the Government – but we’re also pushing ahead on some of New Zealand’s biggest long-term challenges. In 2022, we’re working to get more Kiwis into homes, reduce emissions, lift children out of poverty, and ensure people get ...1 week ago
- Happy new year, Aotearoa!Welcome to 2022! As we look ahead to another year of progress on the big issues facing our country, we’re taking a look back at the year that’s been and everything the team of five million achieved together in 2021. ...3 weeks ago
- New Zealand prepared to send support to Tonga
New Zealand is ready to assist Tonga in its recovery from Saturday night’s undersea eruption and tsunami, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Defence Minister Peeni Henare said today. “Following the successful surveillance and reconnaissance flight of a New Zealand P-3K2 Orion on Monday, imagery and details have been sent ...2 days ago - Aotearoa New Zealand stands ready to assist people of TongaThe thoughts of New Zealanders are with the people of Tonga following yesterday’s undersea volcanic eruption and subsequent tsunami waves, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta says. “Damage assessments are under way and New Zealand has formally offered to provide assistance to Tonga,” said Nanaia Mahuta. New Zealand has made an ...4 days ago
- Record high of new homes consented continuesIn the year ended November 2021, 48,522 new homes were consented, up 26 per cent from the November 2020 year. In November 2021, 4,688 new dwellings were consented. Auckland’s new homes consented numbers rose 25 per cent in the last year. Annual figures for the last nine months show more ...7 days ago
- Report trumpets scope for ice cream exportsLatest research into our premium ice cream industry suggests exporters could find new buyers in valuable overseas markets as consumers increasingly look for tip top quality in food. Economic Development Minister Stuart Nash has released a new report for the Food and Beverage Information Project. The project is run by ...1 week ago
- Honouring the legacy of legendary kaumātua Muriwai IhakaraAssociate Minister for Arts, Culture, and Heritage Kiri Allan expressed her great sadness and deepest condolences at the passing of esteemed kaumātua, Muriwai Ihakara. “Muriwai’s passing is not only a loss for the wider creative sector but for all of Aotearoa New Zealand. The country has lost a much beloved ...1 week ago
- Have your say on proposed changes to make drinking water saferAssociate Minister for the Environment Kiri Allan is urging all New Zealanders to give feedback on proposed changes aimed at making drinking water safer. “The current regulations are not fit for purpose and don’t offer enough protection, particularly for those whose water comes from smaller supplies,” Kiri Allan said. “This ...1 week ago
- Planting the seeds for rewarding careersA boost in funding for a number of Jobs for Nature initiatives across Canterbury will provide sustainable employment opportunities for more than 70 people, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. “The six projects are diverse, ranging from establishing coastline trapping in Kaikōura, to setting up a native plant nursery, restoration planting ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand congratulates Tonga's new Prime Minister on appointmentMinister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta today congratulated Hon Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni on being appointed Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga. “Aotearoa New Zealand and Tonga have an enduring bond and the Kingdom is one of our closest neighbours in the Pacific. We look forward to working with Prime ...2 weeks ago
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- Support for fire-hit Waiharara communityThe government will contribute $20,000 towards a Mayoral Relief Fund to support those most affected by the fires in Waiharara in the Far North, Minister for Emergency Management Kiri Allan says. “I have spoken to Far North Mayor John Carter about the effect the fires continue to have, on residents ...2 weeks ago
- Manawatū’s ‘oases of nature’ receive conservation boostThe Government is throwing its support behind projects aimed at restoring a cluster of eco-islands and habitats in the Manawatū which were once home to kiwi and whio. “The projects, which stretch from the Ruahine Ranges to the Horowhenua coastline, will build on conservation efforts already underway and contribute ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand to continue Solomon Islands supportA New Zealand Defence Force and Police deployment to help restore peace and stability to Solomon Islands is being scaled down and extended. The initial deployment followed a request for support from Solomon Islands Government after riots and looting in capital Honiara late last month. They joined personnel from Australia, ...2 weeks ago
- Our Pacific community shares in New Year’s HonoursProminent Pacific health champion Faumuina Professor Fa’afetai Sopoaga has been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year’s Honours list. Professor Sopoaga has been a champion for Pacific Health at Otago University, said Minister of Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. “She’s overseen changes in ...3 weeks ago
- Congratulations to Māori New Year’s Honours stars of 2022Kei aku rangatira kua whakawhiwhia koutou ki ngā tohu ā tō tātou kuīni hei whakanui nui i ā koutou mahi rangatira i hāpai i te manotini puta noa i a Aotearoa. Ko koutou ngā tino tauira. I whanake i ngā hapori, iwi, hapū, whānau me te motu anō hoki. Mauri ...3 weeks ago
- Top honours for women in sportMinister of Sport and Recreation Grant Robertson has congratulated Olympian Lisa Carrington and Paralympian Sophie Pascoe on being made Dames Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (DNZM) in the 2022 New Year Honours. Lisa Carrington is New Zealand’s most successful Olympian, having won five gold and one bronze ...3 weeks ago
- PM congratulates 2022 New Year Honours recipientsThe New Zealanders recognised in the New Year 2022 Honours List represent the determination and service exemplified by so many New Zealanders during what has been another tough year due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. “I never fail to be amazed by the outstanding things ...3 weeks ago
- First impressions count, and have an impact on the decisions we make later on
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Turner, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Picture yourself standing at the edge of a road, trying to decide if it’s safe to cross. It’s night time and rain is falling, making it difficult to see what’s ...19 mins ago - ‘Welcome to our world’: families of children with cancer say the pandemic has helped them feel s...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Davies, PhD researcher, Curtin University Shutterstock For billions of people across the world, life as we knew it stopped in 2020. Families and friends were separated. Masks mandated. Hand washing essential. Every trip outside became risky. As news ...19 mins ago
- How long to midnight? The Doomsday Clock measures more than nuclear risk – and it’s about to be ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jack Heinemann, Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of Canterbury In less than 24 hours the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists will update the Doomsday Clock. It’s currently at 100 seconds from midnight – the metaphorical time when the human race ...19 mins ago
- Confusion, financial pressure, discomfort: older people can struggle with sustainable living, despit...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Xin Hu, Lecturer, School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University Shutterstock Improving the sustainability of Australia’s housing stock is crucial to meeting national emissions reduction goals. But for older adults, such changes can bring both benefits and challenges. My ...19 mins ago
- Border opening spurs rebound in demand from international studentsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Anderson. Palawa, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Student and University Experience, Australian National University Australia’s position in the international higher education market weakened significantly while our border was closed over the past two years. But recent demand and application data suggest our position may ...19 mins ago
- What a disaster: federal government slashes COVID payment when people need it mostSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cassandra Goldie, Adjunct Professor and UNSW Law Advisory Council Member, UNSW With Australia’s official COVID-19 infection numbers topping 100,000 a day, the federal government has slashed its last remaining pandemic support payment. The decision is ill-timed, irresponsible and heartless. It is ...19 mins ago
- From fear to connection, dynamic MENTAL exhibition explores a colourful spectrum of experiencesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Haslam, Professor of Psychology, The University of Melbourne Wheel by Hiromi Tango and Dr Emma Burrows (2021) Science Gallery/Alan Weedon Review: MENTAL: Head Inside, curated by Tilly Boleyn. After three false starts due to lockdown, the Science Gallery’s inaugural exhibition, MENTAL: ...19 mins ago
- Northland's traffic light setting future to be revealed after Cabinet makes Covid-19 settings d...
Cabinet ministers met yesterday to decide whether it is tweaking settings that have all regions at orange except Te Tai Tokerau - it has remained in red over the summer break. ...1 hour ago - Screen time: How much is too much?
A healthy digital diet is different for different people. We need to learn to listen for what our body and brain are telling us. How much screen time is too much? It's a question we all want the answer to. But it's like asking, how much sugar is too much? ...2 hours ago - Book of the Week: No sex, please, we're LGBTQIA+
Sexlessness and Wellington wokeness mark an otherwise substantial anthology of LGBTQIA+ writing Out Here: An Anthology of Takatāpui and LGBTQIA+ writers from Aotearoa is a substantial hardback in gay pinks and lesbian lavenders – the magenta/cyan combination known as “bisexual lighting” in YouTuber circles – in a motif of wet ...2 hours ago - Moment of truth for Waiheke marine reserve
A citizens’ group is pushing for expanded environmental protection in the Hauraki Gulf. Matthew Scott reports The submission period begins today for a proposed marine reserve in the Hauraki Gulf that would be the first new reserve in the area in 20 years. The Hākaimangaō-Matiatia (Northwest Waiheke) marine reserve ...2 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 20 January3 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Thursday 20 January
...3 hours ago - Covid fades Waitangi’s spotlight on Māori inequities
Waitangi commemorations have marked the beginning of the political year for successive Parliaments – a place to shine a light on Māori inequities and put pressure on politicians to do more. This year there will be no spotlight in the Far North and one Cabinet Minister worries about what that means for Māori kaupapa. Peeni ...3 hours ago - Tonga eruption: Images appear to show most of Atatā island wiped outRNZ News New images appear to show the majority of structures on the Tongan island of Atatā have been wiped out after a volcanic eruption and tsunami last weekend. The Tongan government has so far confirmed three deaths from Saturday’s eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, and all houses on the ...7 hours ago
- Tongan community welcomes official word from Tongan governmentBy Eleisha Foon, RNZ Pacific journalist Tongan communities in New Zealand feel relieved to hear official information from the government of Tonga for the first time since Saturday’s eruption and resulting tsunami. The Office of Tonga’s Prime Minister was able to send initial detail of search and rescue efforts and ...7 hours ago
- Repairing Tonga cable no simple process – cable company
*This story was first published on RNZ and is republished with permission* The exact damage to the Tonga undersea cable won't be known until the cable repair ship, the Reliance, arrives in Tonga and pulls the cable up out of the sea. Tonga Cable Limited chairperson Samuiela Fonua said "There ...12 hours ago - Leaf oysters: the unsung heroes of estuaries are disappearing, and we know almost nothing about themSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kirsten Benkendorff, Associate Professor in Marine Biology, Southern Cross University Charlotte Jenkins , Author provided Am I not pretty enough? This article is part of The Conversation’s series introducing you to Australia’s unloved animals that need our help. Camouflaged ...13 hours ago
Rino Tirikatane, Labour MP for the Maori seat of Te Tai Tonga, had the job – just before Christmas – of championing a retreat from democracy in his home patch by moving that the Canterbury Regional Council (Ngāi Tahu Representation) Bill be read a first time in Parliament. He ...14 hours ago- Call For Political Donation Reform & Consider Fully Funding Elections To Avoid Corruption
The chair of the National Maori Authority has told the Ministry of Justice that it is time to overhaul donations to political parties and to ensure that the New Zealand electoral system withstands the scrutiny of voters by ensuring they are protected ...17 hours ago - Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins defends MIQ hold announcementCovid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins fronted to media after a decision yesterday to delay the next MIQ release due to an increase in Omicron cases at the border. ...17 hours ago
- Tongan Government approves arrival of two New Zealand navy vessels with suppliesTwo naval ships with supplies have been approved for arrival in Tonga, an updated statement from the New Zealand government, with more details on the situation, says. ...17 hours ago
- Watch live: Chris Hipkins speaks after MIQ rooms release put on holdCovid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins is fronting to the media after a decision yesterday to delay the next MIQ release due to an increase in Omicron cases at the border. ...17 hours ago
- Lessons To Be Learnt...18 hours ago
- Open Letter To Government From Non-bank Lenders: The Path Forward On CCCFA ChangesResponsible lenders are not interested in telling the Government “I told you so” when it comes to unintended consequences of changes to lending laws that are now causing grief for everyday Kiwis seeking finance. The Financial Services Federation ...20 hours ago
- Former Minister Of Finance Joins Taxpayers’ Union BoardThe New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming Hon Ruth Richardson onto its Board of Directors. “The quantity and quality of public expenditure again rears its head – it’s time to reapply the discipline of fiscal responsibility.” -Hon Ruth ...20 hours ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – January 19 2022Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. You can sign up to NZ Politics Daily as well as New Zealand Political Roundup columns for free here. Today’s content Covid, MIQ, border RNZ: Government postpones next MIQ lottery ...21 hours ago
- A huge project is underway to sequence the genome of every complex species on EarthSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Graves, Distinguished Professor of Genetics and Vice Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Shutterstock The Earth Biogenome Project, a global consortium that aims to sequence the genomes of all complex life on earth (some 1.8 million described species) in ten ...21 hours ago
- Tongan government confirms all homes on Mango destroyed, fears death toll of 3 may riseRNZ News The Tongan government has confirmed that all houses on the island of Mango were wiped out in the tsunami that followed Saturday’s volcanic eruption. It confirmed that three people are now known to have died: a 65-year-old woman in Mango and a 49-year-old man in Nomuka, both in ...22 hours ago
- How NZ is responding to Tonga’s call for help …Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta issued a press release on Sunday headed “Aotearoa New Zealand stands ready to assist people of Tonga”. Yesterday she and Defence Minister Peeni Henare issued fresh news headed “New Zealand prepared to send support to Tonga”. We shall report on the update today, as soon ...22 hours ago
- Research confirms men with older brothers are more likely to be gay, suggesting same-sex attraction ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Francisco Perales, Associate Professor, School of Social Science, The University of Queensland Shutterstock New research shows having a greater number of older brothers increases the probability of a person entering a same-sex union at some point in their lives. ...1 day ago
- The republic debate is back (again) but we need more than a model to capture Australians’ imaginat...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dennis Altman, VC Fellow LaTrobe University, La Trobe University Chris Jackson/AP/AAP The Australian Republic Movement has just released their preferred model for a republic. It would see Australia’s parliaments nominate candidates for head of state, who would be put ...1 day ago
- How to look after your mental health if you’re at home with COVIDSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Stone, General practitioner; Associate Professor, ANU Medical School, Australian National University Shutterstock For many of us, catching COVID and isolating at home can be a lonely, scary and distressing experience. For those with a pre-existing mental illness, it can ...1 day ago
- 4 ways to stop Australia’s surge in rooftop solar from destabilising electricity pricesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christina Nikitopoulos, Associate professor, Finance Discipline Group, University of Technology Sydney Shutterstock Last year saw Australians install rooftop solar like never before, with 40% more installed in 2021 than in 2020. Solar system installations now make up 7% of the ...1 day ago
- COVID and schools: Australia is about to feel the full brunt of its teacher shortageSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Wilson, Associate Professor in Education, University of Sydney Shutterstock The Omicron wave is likely to exacerbate Australia’s existing teacher shortages and demanding workloads. As school starts at the end of January and beginning of February across the country, many ...1 day ago
- 63.5% of Australia’s performing artists reported worsening mental health during COVIDSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Rusak, Senior Lecturer, Arts Management, Edith Cowan University Hailey Kean/Unsplash 92% of performing artists experienced significant changes to their work during early stages of the pandemic – and at least half experienced depression. These shocking figures comes from new ...1 day ago
- Concern raised over new Oranga Tamariki legislation: 'I don't trust the government to deli...As an advocacy group urges the government to pump the brakes on new Oranga Tamariki legislation, political parties raise concerns. ...1 day ago
- Cabinet ministers to assess Covid-19 traffic light settings, border reopening and testingAs well as the regional traffic light restrictions, ministers are likely to also discuss the traffic light system's broader parameters, the planned border reopening, and testing requirements. ...1 day ago
- Horizon Poll Reveals Nearly 80% Of NZers Want Bottom Trawling Banned On SeamountsGreenpeace Aotearoa is renewing its call for the New Zealand Government to ban bottom trawling on seamounts. A recent Horizon poll shows there is overwhelming majority support among the New Zealand public for our call to ban destructive bottom trawling ...1 day ago
- Protecting threatened species in a new era of fire
Some plants and animals love fire. Others do not. Science will help figure out which areas to burn, which to hose and how to create resilient ecosystems, write Luke Kelly, Tim Curran, and Sophie Wilkinson The giant sequoias of California are some of the largest, oldest trees on Earth. Stretching ...1 day ago - Portrait: Mum
"It’s been over ten years since she died, and still I often dream about my mother" Mum was first diagnosed with cancer in 2003 on my eleventh birthday. My brother Petar and I didn’t find out for a few months, until after I’d settled into Year 7 at my new ...1 day ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 19 January1 day ago
- Daily crossword, Wednesday 19 January
...1 day ago - Winders sees silver lining in Ferns' thorny tour
It hasn't been the start to 2022 the Silver Ferns wanted, but star midcourter Sam Winders reckons her team will take plenty from the northern Quad Series - with the Commonwealth Games squarely on their horizon. The Silver Ferns won’t be using Covid as an excuse. Even with a limited ...1 day ago - Voting fix in sight for Covid-hit Kiwi expats
A solution seems on the way for Kiwi expats who may become ineligible to vote if pandemic restrictions keep them out of New Zealand, while an end to the de facto media blackout on election day could also be near Overseas Kiwis facing the threat of losing their voting rights due to ...1 day ago - Border clamps a double-edged sword for schools
Uncertainty at the border presents two possible scenarios for schools – either too many teachers or too few, writes Matthew Scott Analysis: Closed borders have posed dual problems for New Zealand schools, with a surplus of primary school teachers and a deficit for high schools. The impact of the vaccine mandate ...1 day ago - Gallery: What the NZ air crew saw at Tonga’s Nomuka – a choking carpet of volcanic ashAsia Pacific Report newsdesk An RNZAF P-3K2 Orion aircraft flies over the small Tongan island of Nomuka showing the heavy ash fall from last Saturday’s volcanic eruption on Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai. Five Squadron crew worked on board while flying overhead to gather vital information to send back to New Zealand’s ...1 day ago
- Tonga eruption: New Zealand sends two navy ships with supplies, waterRNZ News Two New Zealand naval ships are being sent to Tonga to provide support, carrying fresh water, emergency provisions, and diving teams. It comes as ashfall on the Nuku’alofa airport runway means one of the aircraft readied yesterday — a C-130 Hercules, to supply aid — would be unable ...1 day ago
- Eruption renews debate on lack of backup for Tongan communicationsBy Kalino Latu and Philip Cass in Auckland Lack of backup satellite and cable links in the wake of Tonga’s volcanic eruption at the weekend reignites debate over the government’s plans to secure communications. Communication with Tonga remains intermittent after the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption and tsunami severed the kingdom’s ...1 day ago
- Fiji’s AG blames Tongan tsunami warning delay on ‘agency liaison’By Luke Nacei in Suva Fiji’s Department of Mineral Resources needs time to liaise with a number of agencies before emergency warnings or alerts are issued, says acting Prime Minister and Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. He made the comment after being quizzed on the delay in issuing a tsunami warning in ...1 day ago
- Tonga’s undersea communications cable could take weeks to repairBy Hamish Cardwell, RNZ News senior journalist It could be weeks before Tonga’s crucial undersea communications cable – which connects it to the world – is back online. The cable carries nearly all digital information including the internet and phone communications in and out of Tonga. It was damaged after ...1 day ago
- Tongan volcanic eruption reveals the vulnerabilities in global telecommunicationsANALYSIS: By Dale Dominey-Howes, University of Sydney In the wake of a violent volcanic eruption in Tonga, much of the communication with residents on the islands remains at a standstill. In our modern, highly-connected world, more than 95 percent of global data transfer occurs along fibre-optic cables that criss-cross through ...1 day ago
- Anxious Tongans in NZ await volcano news from home: ‘It’s painful, you just feel hopeless’By Christine Rovoi, RNZ Pacific journalist Langi Fatanitavake’s wife and son live on one of the islands flanking Tonga’s Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai undersea volcano, but his repeated calls home since the violent eruption and tsunami have gone unanswered. The South Island seasonal worker last spoke to his family on Ha’apai ...1 day ago
- PM Ardern on covid-19 vaccine for children, booster doses and TongaRNZ News Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand will move to the red traffic light setting if omicron is spreading in the community following reports that a border worker who was yesterday reported as covid-19 positive has been confirmed to have the omicron variant. On Tonga, Defence Minister Peeni ...1 day ago
- NZ Air Force plane leaves for Tonga to assess volcano eruption damageRNZ Pacific Power is being restored in Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa, and the country is sending naval boats to outlying islands to assess the damage from the huge Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption and tsunami. A New Zealand Defence Force plane has left for Tonga to assess the damage from Saturday’s volcanic ...1 day ago
- Veteran Tahiti politician Flosse accuses France of causing his ‘political death’RNZ Pacific French Polynesia’s former president Gaston Flosse says he is in mourning because the French state has signed his political death by banning him from political office for five years for abusing public funds. Flosse made the statement after France’s highest appeal court upheld a 2020 conviction over a ...1 day ago
- Tsunami wave hits Tonga’s ‘Eua royal palace gate as vehicles try to fleeThe video of the tsunami wave crashing into the gate of the Heilala Tangitangi royal palace in ‘Eua. Video: Kaniva Tonga By Kalino Latu in Auckland Tonga’s King Tupou VI is reportedly still on ‘Eua island despite reports yesterday that he had been evacuated to the royal villa at Mataki’eua ...1 day ago
- Two confirmed dead after Tonga tsunami
*This story was first published on RNZ and is republished with permission* The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed two deaths so far following the volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga on Saturday. The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano, which erupted on Saturday, was about 65km north of Tonga's ...1 day ago - New, exclusive letters between the queen and 6 governors-general show the evolution of a relationshi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Hocking, Emeritus Professor, Monash University More than a year after the High Court’s decision in the “Palace letters” case, which said the queen’s correspondence with Governor-General Sir John Kerr is not “personal”, more letters have now been made public. The ...2 days ago
- Direct democracy is not the same as direct representation (a privilege intended for Ngai Tahu on Can...The case for entitling Ngai Tahu leaders to appoint two representatives to the Canterbury Regional Council prompted your Point of Order team to check out the differences between representative and direct democracies. Explaining why it has rejected a ballot-box procedure to decide two places at its table, the council contends ...2 days ago
- Coalition slumps in first poll of 2022 as voters lose confidence in Morrison’s handling of pandemi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne In the first national poll of the new year, a Resolve survey for the Nine newspapers, Labor had 35% of the primary vote (up three percentage points since November), ...2 days ago
- Mythologised, memorialised then forgotten: a history of Australia’s bushfire reportingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fiannuala Morgan, PhD Candidate, Australian National University Australia’s Black Summer bushfires of 2019 and 2020 wreaked destruction across South-Eastern Australia. Images of flames crowned trees, engulfed fire trucks and people crowded on beaches and packed in boats were broadcast into our homes. ...2 days ago
- Tonga eruption: New Zealand sends two ships with suppliesTwo New Zealand naval ships are being sent to Tonga to provide support, carrying fresh water, emergency provisions, and diving teams. ...2 days ago
- Westpac NZ Warns About Sophisticated New ScamWestpac NZ is warning New Zealanders about a sophisticated new scam that involves a fake Westpac investment prospectus. The prospectus is formatted to resemble a Westpac document and includes professional-looking imagery. Westpac NZ Chief Risk Officer ...2 days ago
- Pandemic disruption to PhD research is bad for society and the economy – but there are solutionsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Whitby, Postgraduate Lead in the School of Natural Sciences and Associate Professor in Chemistry, Massey University Shutterstock Every year thousands of students enrol in PhD degrees at universities in New Zealand. The government funds their degrees because the advanced ...2 days ago
- As international students return, let’s not return to the status quo of isolation and exploitationSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Deuchar, Postdoctoral Researcher, Australia India Institute and Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock As Australia welcomes back international students, it’s a time for education providers to re-imagine how they cater to these students. Our research ...2 days ago
- Regional And Unitary Councils Of New Zealand Appoint Inaugural Chief Science AdvisorTe Uru Kahika, the Regional and Unitary Councils of Aotearoa New Zealand, have appointed Dr Chris Daughney as the sector’s inaugural Chief Science Advisor. Regional Chief Executive Officers representative Michael McCartney says the recruitment of Dr Daughney ...2 days ago
- Dominick Stephens Appointed As Chief Economic AdvisorSecretary to the Treasury Caralee McLiesh has announced the appointment of Dominick Stephens as Deputy Secretary, Chief Economic Advisor. "Dominick Stephens is a highly valued and respected member of the Treasury’s executive leadership team," ...2 days ago
- Time to upgrade from cloth and surgical masks to respirators? Your questions answeredSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leyla Asadi, PhD candidate and infectious diseases doctor, University of Alberta Shutterstock With the rapid spread of Omicron, many countries are rethinking their COVID mask advice for the community. Respirators have been mandatory in public places in Austria for ...2 days ago
- Too Many Kiwi Workers Financially Vulnerable As Omicron Looms – Annual Workforce SurveyWith New Zealand on the precipice of an Omicron outbreak and the economic upheaval that comes with it, the CTU’s annual Mood of the Workforce Survey shows the vast majority of kiwi workers do not have the financial resources to survive a period ...2 days ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – January 18 2022Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. You can sign up to NZ Politics Daily as well as New Zealand Political Roundup columns for free here. Today’s content Covid, MIQ, border Michael Baker, Jennifer Summers, Amanda ...2 days ago
- The Real Story Behind Firearms MisinformationThe public is in fear of firearm violence because of deliberate misinformation, but the real story is that the 2021 statistics on firearms violence are no different to the previous three years. President of the NZ Police Association Chris Cahill ...2 days ago
- No, chivalry is not dead – but it’s about time it wasSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Beatrice Alba, Lecturer, Deakin University Shutterstock It is customary in many Western cultures for men to offer a range of special courtesies to women. This includes paying on dates, carrying heavy objects, pulling out chairs, opening doors, and allowing women to ...2 days ago
- Sportswashing: how mining and energy companies sponsor your favourite sports to help clean up their ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robin Canniford, Department of Management & Marketing, The University of Melbourne Fossil fuel and carbon-intensive industries have an image problem. As awareness of their environmental impact grows, energy and mining companies in particular are desperate to maintain control over spiralling levels of ...2 days ago
- Sponges can survive low oxygen and warming waters. They could be the main reef organisms in the futu...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Bell, Professor of Marine Biology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Valerio Micaroni Sponges are ancient marine animals, very common throughout the world’s oceans and seem less affected by ocean warming and acidification. Our latest research shows they ...2 days ago
Government delays enacting changes to RMA that would have enabled climate change to be taken into consideration ie really hard for bad new polluters.
Cabinet delays until next November to "allow for further targeted engagement with the commercial building sector on the possible inclusion of fossil fuel-fired space and water heating assets in the proposed national direction instruments".
'Nonsensical' – Greens smarting after Labour delays climate change fixes – NZ Herald
Why didn't Parker just come out and say "We just don't have the balls to stand up to Fonterra"?
Crisis? What crisis?
Labour has to keep the commercial building sector onside. Obviously delaying the change for a whole year is required due to the slow learner category that commercial builders obviously file themselves into. Equally obviously, they would say patiently "no, it ain't that, we have to get lawyers to interpret the damn thing".
Well, we all know how lawyers always take forever to get anything done. Half a year to figure out their angle, then another half a year to all agree on a common plan.
So the falling of the sky will have to be postponed a year to accommodate industry & legal inertia. Very sensible prioritisation by Labour: stakeholders first, natural disasters second.
They could have at least made a more useful excuse like waiting for Budget 2022 and for the RMA reforms to go through Parliament . ie let's just consult more with each other.
You'll find the main constructor commercial builders are well up with the Green Star rating systems. The NPS statements are reasonably useful.
But Parker making such a specific and narrow excuse – with such an obvious single-player near-monopolist user for the technology he cites – is pathetic.
Dairy is our largest export ….and we have a worsening trade balance.
We are very exposed. (hence selling residency and touting for investment)
We are more exposed by weak Ministers who fold like origami.
Fonterra is a government-regulated near-monopsony that exists by legislative fiat.
I'm afraid not….if we want to import endless fripperies (not to mention necessities) then we need to sell shit offshore….and we aint got much the world wants or needs…..irrespective of Ministerial flexibility.
Must be the Greens fault somehow. /s
Time for the Labour party membership to hold these cabinet ministers to account then?
Hell yes it's sausage barbeque forks at dusk.
May your forks strike good and true
Fascinating vid explains the difference between analog and digital computers and the history of analog computational devices.