Daily review 23/12/2020
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5:30 pm, December 23rd, 2020 - 10 comments
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88 articles Physical science of climate change, effects Energetics of surface melt in West Antarctica Ghiz et al. The Cryosphere Open Access pdf 10.5194/tc Quantifying the Mechanisms of Atmospheric Circulation Response to Greenhouse Gas Increases in a Forcing–Feedback Framework Zhang et al. Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli ...12 hours ago - Hate Speech law is unworkable
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Jacinda Ardern’s household wealth increased by an estimated $290,000 over the last year. Although she earnt nearly half a million dollars from her job, her windfall was solely due to the value of her Auckland house increasing. And by her own policy designs, it’s a capital gain which is untaxed. ...19 hours ago - Climate Change: The other Tiwai scam
Newsroom has a good piece this morning about the government's consultation on industrial free allocations, revealing that Fletcher Building is getting an extra $5 million a year ($7 million at today's prices) due to miscalculated carbon subsidies. That's bad, and it needs to be stopped by resetting emissions baselines to ...20 hours ago - End the Tiwai scamA little over a year ago, Rio Tinto was pleading povery, claiming its Tiwai Point aluminium smelter was unprofitable, and threatening to close it unless it got a government handout to keep it running. Their bluff worked, and we ended up paying the BluffGeld by giving them lower electricity prices ...22 hours ago
- Holes in the Tundra: Why Burping Cows Are the Least of Our Worries.
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- Gender-specific health programs address important issues, but risk creating new biasesMatthew Jenkins and Victoria Chinn, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Gone are the days when health programmes were designed to simply punish or reward people to encourage behaviour change. We now know lasting behaviour change is more complex and nuanced, and this has prompted a proliferation ...3 days ago
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The Green Party welcomes the findings of the Commerce Commission’s report on competition in the retail grocery sector, which takes aim at the duopoly formed by Woolworths NZ and Foodstuffs. ...18 hours ago - Building back better
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- Christchurch’s Youth Hub ‘set to go’ thanks to further Government fundingConstruction of New Zealand’s first, purpose-built centre for youth well-being is ready to get underway thanks to an extra $2.5 million of COVID-19 response funding, Housing Minister and Associate Minister of Finance, Megan Woods announced today. “The Christchurch Youth Hub is about bringing together all the things young people need ...24 hours ago
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- Funding for projects to reduce waste from construction and demolitionThe Government has announced funding for projects in Auckland and the lower North Island to help reduce construction and demolition waste. “Construction is the main source of waste sent to landfill, and much of this could be reduced, reused and recovered,” Environment Minister David Parker said. “The Government is funding ...2 days ago
- Plan to eliminate hepatitis C as a major health threat by 2030A plan to eliminate hepatitis C in New Zealand, reducing liver cancer and the need for liver transplants, has been released today by Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall. “Around 45,000 New Zealanders have hepatitis C, but only around half know they have it,” said Ayesha Verrall. “Symptoms often ...2 days ago
- School upgrades and new classrooms for West Coast, Tasman and CanterburyA funding injection from Budget 2021 to complete four shovel ready projects and new classrooms at six schools and kura will provide a real boost to local communities, Minister Dr Megan Woods announced today. “This Government has committed to providing quality fit for purpose learning environments and 100,000 new student ...2 days ago
- Warmer Kiwi Homes smashes annual targetThe Government's highly successful insulation and heating programme, Warmer Kiwi Homes, is celebrating a key milestone with the completion of more than 38,000 insulation and efficient heater installs in the year to the end of June, smashing its target of 25,000 installs for the year. “The Warmer Kiwi Homes scheme ...3 days ago
- Exemption granted for Wallabies to enter NZBledisloe Cup rugby will be played in New Zealand after the Australian rugby team received an economic exemption to enter New Zealand. Travel between Australia and New Zealand was suspended on Friday for at least eight weeks following the worsening of the COVID outbreak across the Tasman. New Zealanders have ...3 days ago
- Minister of Foreign Affairs makes three diplomatic appointmentsForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced three New Zealand Head of Mission appointments. They are: Mike Walsh as Ambassador to Iran Michael Upton as Ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union Kevin Burnett as Ambassador to Indonesia Iran “Aotearoa New Zealand has a long-standing and constructive relationship with Iran, despite a ...3 days ago
- Enhanced Task Force Green Approved for West Coast and MarlboroughThe Government has activated Enhanced Task Force Green (ETFG) in response to the West Coast and Marlborough floods, Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “To assist with the clean-up, up to $500,000 will be made available to support the recovery in Buller and Marlborough which has experienced ...3 days ago
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- More jobs and quicker public transport motoring towards West AucklandWork to improve public transport for West Aucklanders and support the region’s economic recovery by creating hundreds of jobs has officially kicked off, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced today. Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff this morning marked the start of construction on the Northwestern Bus Improvements project. It ...3 days ago
- Government backs critical health researchResearch into some of New Zealanders’ biggest health concerns including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease is getting crucial support in the latest round of health research funding, Health Minister Andrew Little announced today. The funding, awarded through the Health Research Council of New Zealand, covers 31 General Project grants ($36.64 ...3 days ago
- New Bay of Islands hospital facilities to bring services closer to homePrime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister Andrew Little have joined a ceremony to bless the site and workers for Phase Two of the redevelopment of the Bay of Islands Hospital in Kawakawa today. The new building will house outpatients and primary care facilities, as well as expanded renal care ...4 days ago
- Raukokore re-imagined with ‘smart’ relocatable rent to own housingIwi, Crown Partnership Relocatable, fully insulated housing, connected to a new solar plant Provides a pathway to home ownership New housing in the remote eastern Bay of Plenty community of Raukokore shows how iwi and Crown agencies can work together effectively to provide warm, dry, energy efficient homes in a ...4 days ago
- Cabinet accepts Turkish authorities’ request for the managed return of three NZ citizensCabinet has agreed to the managed return of a New Zealand citizen and her two young children from Turkey, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. The three have been in immigration detention in Turkey since crossing the border from Syria earlier this year. Turkey has requested that New Zealand repatriate ...4 days ago
- Govt delivers more classrooms so children can focus on learningExtra Government investment in classrooms and school building projects will enable students and teachers to focus on education rather than overcrowding as school rolls grow across the country, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis say. The pair visited Ruakākā School in Whangārei today to announce $100 ...4 days ago
- New station a platform for AirportLink to take offEvery Aucklander with access to the rail network will now have a quick and convenient trip to the airport, Transport Minister Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said during the official opening of the new Puhinui Interchange today. The new interchange links the rail platform with a new bus ...6 days ago
- 10 days sick leave for employees deliveredLegislation doubling employees’ minimum sick leave entitlement to 10 days comes into effect today, bringing benefits to both businesses and employees, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood announced today. “Our Government is delivering on a key manifesto commitment to help Kiwis and workplaces stay healthy,” Michael Wood said. “COVID-19 ...6 days ago
- Prime Minister congratulates Fiame Naomi Mata’afa on Election WinPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern tonight congratulated Prime Minister-elect Fiame Naomi Mata’afa on her victory in the Samoa’s general election. “New Zealand has a special relationship with Samoa, anchored in the Treaty of Friendship. We look forward to working with Samoa’s new government in the spirit of partnership that characterises this ...7 days ago
- Quarantine Free Travel with Australia suspendedQuarantine Free Travel from all Australian states and territories to New Zealand is being suspended as the Covid situation there worsens, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. From 11.59pm today Australians will no longer be able to enter New Zealand quarantine-free. This will be ...7 days ago
- Growing conservation efforts in GisborneA big injection of Jobs for Nature funding will create much-needed jobs and financial security for families in TeTairāwhiti, and has exciting prospects for conservation in the region, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. “The projects target local communities most affected by the economic consequences of COVID 19 and are designed ...7 days ago
- Flood recovery given further assistanceThe Government is contributing a further $1 million to help the flood battered Buller community, Acting Emergency Management Minister Kris Faafoi announced today. “Buller is a small community which has found itself suddenly facing significant and ongoing welfare costs. While many emergency welfare costs are reimbursed by Government, this money ...1 week ago
- Funding for five projects to reduce food wasteThe Government is funding five projects to help address the growing problem of food waste, Environment Minister David Parker announced today. “New Zealand households throw away nearly 300,000 tonnes of food every year, half of which could still be eaten. By supporting these initiatives, we’re taking steps to reduce this ...1 week ago
- Temporary Accommodation Service activated for West Coast flooding eventThe Temporary Accommodation Service (TAS) has been activated today - meaning residents on the West Coast of the South Island and in the Marlborough region hit by flooding over the weekend can now access help finding temporary accommodation, announced Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing) Poto Williams in Westport today. ...1 week ago
- Pause to Quarantine Free Travel from South Australia to New ZealandQuarantine Free Travel from South Australia to New Zealand will be paused from 11.59am (NZT) tonight, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has announced. However, people currently in the state who ordinarily live in New Zealand will be able to return on “managed return” flights starting with the next available flight, ...1 week ago
- New Zealand condemns malicious cyber activity by Chinese state-sponsored actorsNew Zealand has established links between Chinese state-sponsored actors known as Advanced Persistent Threat 40 (APT40) and malicious cyber activity in New Zealand. “The GCSB has worked through a robust technical attribution process in relation to this activity. New Zealand is today joining other countries in strongly condemning this malicious ...1 week ago
- Remarks to Diplomatic CorpsIt is a pleasure to be with you all this evening. Some of you may have been surprised when you received an invitation from the Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control, and I would forgive you if you were. New Zealand is unique in having established a Ministerial portfolio ...2 weeks ago
- Early Pfizer shipment boosts vaccine scheduleThe largest shipment of the Pfizer vaccine to date has arrived into New Zealand two days ahead of schedule, and doses are already being delivered to vaccination centres around the country, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. “The shipment of more than 370,000 doses reached New Zealand yesterday, following a ...2 weeks ago
- Backing for Bay of Islands predator free effortThe Government is throwing its support behind an ambitious project to restore native biodiversity and build long-term conservation careers, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. Predator Free Bay of Islands aims to eradicate predators from the three main peninsulas in the region, and significantly reduce their impact throughout the wider 80,000-plus ...2 weeks ago
- Government commits $600,000 to flood recoveryThe Government is contributing $600,000 to help residents affected by the weekend’s violent weather with recovery efforts. Acting Minister for Emergency Management Kris Faafoi and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor have been in the Buller district this afternoon to assess flood damage and support the local response effort. They have announced ...2 weeks ago
- Government assisting local responses to heavy rainfall and high windActing Minister of Emergency Management Kris Faafoi says Central Government is monitoring the severe weather across the country, and is ready to provide further support to those affected if necessary. “My thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by this latest event, particularly communities on the West Coast and ...2 weeks ago
- PM Ardern chairs APEC Leaders’ meeting on COVID-19New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has chaired a meeting of Leaders representing the 21 APEC economies overnight. “For the first time in APEC’s history Leaders have come together for an extraordinary meeting focused exclusively on COVID-19, and how our region can navigate out of the worst health and economic ...2 weeks ago
- Health Minister welcomes progress on nurses’ payThe New Zealand Nurses Organisation’s decision to take the Government’s improved pay offer to members and to lift strike notices is a positive move towards settling district health board nurses’ pay claims, Health Minister Andrew Little said. “It’s encouraging that the discussions between NZNO and DHBs over the nurses’ employment ...2 weeks ago
- Offshore And Returning Kiwi Remain Keen To Contribute To New Zealand’s Prosperity Says Kea Report
The Kea Future Aspirations survey of offshore and recently returned community members, released today, shows that a significant number of our offshore Kiwi still hope to return to New Zealand despite growing post-covid momentum in key markets. This report ...32 mins ago - The cutting-edge tech helping NZ athletes shave seconds from their times
When our Olympic athletes train for their events, it’s no longer enough to have a coach standing on the sidelines keeping an eye on what’s going on. These days, performance monitoring tech is now a staple in every top New Zealand athlete’s training regime. Mirjam Guesgen reports.With the powerful pull ...33 mins ago - Community concern a ‘risk’ to dramatic expansion of school zones and buildings
Today, 6yo Gus Milne wants to talk to the PM about learning to cook in his new class kitchen; his dad would like to talk about the millions invested in school infrastructure ...1 hour ago - How a perfect storm of events is turning Myanmar into a ‘super-spreader’ COVID state
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Simpson, Senior Lecturer, University of South Australia Myanmar is facing a catastrophic health crisis that could have ramifications not just for the country’s long-suffering people, but across the region as well. The country is experiencing a major spike in COVID cases ...1 hour ago - If Australia is serious about fixing the culture at parliament, this is the code of conduct we needSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Blair Williams, Research Fellow, Global Institute for Women’s Leadership (GIWL), Australian National University Lukas Coch/AAP Australia has been rocked by serious allegations of sexual assault and harassment that have poured out of parliament house this year. In February, former ...1 hour ago
- Australia shouldn’t ‘open up’ before we vaccinate at least 80% of the population. Here’s whySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Director, Health Program, Grattan Institute Shutterstock Earlier this month National Cabinet released a four-phase COVID response plan. It wasn’t so much a plan – it had no dates and no thresholds – but more a back-of-the-napkin thought bubble. ...1 hour ago
- Pest plants and animals cost Australia around $25 billion a year – and it will get worseSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Matthew Flinders Professor of Global Ecology and Models Theme Leader for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Flinders University AAP Shamefully, Australia has one of the highest extinction rates in the world. And ...2 hours ago
- Climate change is causing tuna to migrate, which could spell catastrophe for the small islands that ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Seto, Research Fellow, University of Wollongong Small Pacific Island states depend on their commercial fisheries for food supplies and economic health. But our new research shows climate change will dramatically alter tuna stocks in the tropical Pacific, with potentially severe consequences ...2 hours ago
- Should the University of Melbourne host the Menzies Institute? The answer hinges on academic freedomSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katharine Gelber, Professor of Politics and Public Policy, The University of Queensland The University of Melbourne will open the Robert Menzies Institute, in honour of Australia’s longest-serving prime minister, in September this year. The presence of board members with close ties to ...2 hours ago
- A COVID ‘ring of steel’ around Sydney would play havoc with Australia’s supply chainsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flavio Romero Macau, Associate dean, Edith Cowan University Claudio Divizia/Shutterstock If a “ring of steel” was actually placed around Sydney, as suggested by Victorian premier Daniel Andrews, the rest of Australia would suffer in ways that aren’t immediately apparent. Completely ...2 hours ago
- Friday essay: how ‘Afghan’ coats left Kabul for the fashion world and became a hippie must-haveSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Bonyhady, Emeritus professor, Australian National University Masking Afghan coats for sale in Herat, 1974. Shutterstock The London launch of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in May 1967 was a musical and fashion landmark. While the clothes worn by all ...2 hours ago
- Live updates, July 30: Nurses resume pay talks after rejecting latest government offerWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for July 30, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz8.00am: Pay talks resume as nurses reject latest offerThe government’s latest pay offer to nurses has been rejected, with planned strikes in August and September once again on ...2 hours ago
- The incredible legacy of Merata Mita’s Patu!As part of an exhibition on the 1981 Springbok tour protest, Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision has restored and remastered Patu!, the masterwork of wahine Māori filmmaker Merata Mita and her artistic collaborators. Dan Taipua looks back at the legacy of this cinematic taonga.Patu! is a documentary from a different ...2 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Supermarket duopoly laid bare, faces forced competitionGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Supermarket duopoly laid bare, one industrial action ends while another restarts, and window closing for quarantine-free travel from Australia.A couple of years ago former Spinoff staffer Henry Oliver made a very astute observation about the NBR Rich List, and I want ...2 hours ago
- Conversion therapy legislation to cover religious groups
The government's ban on conversion therapy will cover religious groups, but they will still be able to freely express their beliefs. ...4 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 30 July
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...4 hours ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Friday 30 July
...4 hours ago - Bernard Hickey: A long white tunnel back to the futureOur provincial cities had thriving public transport systems until they were wrecked in the early 1990s. Bernard Hickey visits Whanganui’s extraordinary Durie Hill Elevator to find out how (and why) we should look to the past to get to carbon zero.Follow When the Facts Change on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or ...4 hours ago
- New Zealand’s best real estate agent ads, reviewed and rankedIn a hot and overcrowded housing market, real estate agents are having to get creative with their promotion to attract customers and beat their rivals. Michael Andrew ranked some of the most compelling and eccentric ads out there.They’re in every newspaper. They’re on every building. They’re on every bus, bus ...4 hours ago
- Govt forgos $6m with green buildings policy
The Government's decision to enact a less ambitious policy for reducing emissions from buildings could see it lose out on emissions reductions and energy savings, Marc Daalder reports A 2018 cost-benefit analysis of options to reduce emissions in buildings showed the most ambitious policies would have net benefits of $18.5 million ...5 hours ago - Commission calls out Pak'nSave's six-month 'specials'
The Commerce Commission's investigation of competition in the grocery market found many items at supermarkets are on sale for half or three quarters of the year. ...5 hours ago - Dom Harvey, music radio and the times they are a-Changin'
A top, controversial DJ hangs up his earphones as an industry struggles with how to limit offence, and his station's owner prepares to release a lawyer's inquiry into its culture and misconduct. MEDIAROOM: Dom Harvey and his repertoire of pranks, jokes, personal comments and controversies leave the airwaves Friday morning after 20 years ...5 hours ago - Photographer bridging the urban-rural divide
After travelling the country in search of sustainable and environmentally-friendly farms, a photographer is bringing her work to Auckland to show what it means to be stewards of the land Queen Street has been a bit of a Mecca for farmers lately. This month’s Groundswell protest saw a troupe of ...5 hours ago - First Kiwi Olympic gymnast still does the splits at 75
As Maddie Davidson becomes our first female Olympic trampolinist, Dido Götz recalls competing in NZ's first gymnastics team at an Olympics - also in Tokyo, but 57 years earlier Dido Götz puts on the elegant felt hat and black blazer with the silver fern, and hangs the well-worn travelling bag over ...5 hours ago - Opting out of employer responsibility – the case against Uber
Unions are heading to the Employment Court taking action over Uber's drivers - asking the question when a 'contractor' is really a 'worker', and should be offered worker benefits Earlier this year, the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision, affirming that Uber drivers were not, as previously ...5 hours ago - NZ's blindspot on dairy emissions
Big Dairy worldwide is contemplating faster cuts to its emissions but Fonterra, the Ministry of Primary Industries and the Government don't seem to want to discuss doing anything more ...5 hours ago - Faafoi reviews rights of youth stuck in residency visa queue
Immigrant youth trapped without the ability to work or study have been promised an imminent resolution ...5 hours ago - Outrage over Indonesian officers for stomping on disabled Papuan teen’s headWarning: Content may be distressing to some viewers. The video of the assault on the Papuan deaf teenager. Video: Benar News SPECIAL REPORT: By Yamin Kogoya Shocking video footage showing a brutal and inhumane assault on a deaf Papuan teenager named Steven has emerged from the Merauke region of Papua ...8 hours ago
- Grattan on Friday: Albanese lightens his boat, ahead of the battle of the ‘grey men’Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Anthony Albanese this week sent a clear message – he intends to use John Howard’s 1996 model as his strategic guide to the election. With this in mind, it was predictable the opposition leader would ...10 hours ago
- The Tokyo Lowdown: Day 6
Can the new Olympic champion rowing pair bring home a pair of golds from Tokyo? Are we about to see one of NZ's greatest Olympic days? LockerRoom's daily wrap of our Kiwi sportswomen continues. Performances of the day There’s no more rewarding way to overcome the disappointment of being ...15 hours ago - Fiji’s other crisis – away from the covid emergency, political dissent can still get you arreste...ANALYSIS: By Dominic O’Sullivan, Charles Sturt University The arrest of nine Fijian opposition politicians, including party leaders and two former prime ministers, once again exposes Fijian democracy’s fragility. The intimidation doesn’t bode well for the parliamentary elections due next year (or early 2023). The political crisis has been overshadowed by ...15 hours ago
- Fiji covid-19 patient being flown to NZ for treatment in about-turnRNZ Pacific A covid-19 positive patient is being flown to New Zealand from Fiji today despite an earlier decision by the Ministry of Health to decline the transfer. The infected patient from Fiji is being flown to Auckland for hospital treatment. It is reported the person involved is a high-profile ...15 hours ago
- Fiji Olympic Gold … never to be missed even for Fiji’s youngest sevens fansCOMMENT: By Shailendra Singh in Suva This poignant photo by Max Vosailagi captures Fiji’s fixation with rugby sevens, with winning a second Olympic Gold last night by beating New Zealand 27-12 in the men’s final. Two young boys, glued to what is apparently a TV screen through a neighbourhood front ...15 hours ago
- Fiji dedicates Olympic sevens win to struggling people back homeRNZ Pacific Fiji has dedicated its Olympic rugby sevens win to the people back home who are struggling amidst the country’s covid-19 health crisis. Fiji defeated New Zealand 27-12 in the men’s sevens final in Tokyo to defend the title they won in Rio five years ago. Captain Jerry Tuwai ...15 hours ago
- PNG landowner group accused of ‘hijack’ over validation in PorgeraAsia Pacific Report newsdesk Allegations of “hijacking and manipulation” of a Papua New Guinea national government sanctioned validation exercise at the Porgera mine in Enga province have been raised, reports the PNG Post-Courier. Tieni Wuape clan leader from the Special Mining Lease (SML) Janet Yuwi told the Post-Courier that a ...15 hours ago
- Māori Party calls for indigenous debate to address NZ racism, white privilegeAsia Pacific Report newsdesk The co-leader of New Zealand’s minority Māori Party has launched a blistering attack on white privilege and the opposition National Party which it accuses of “igniting racism” in the framing of a debate about radical political change. In a provocative introduction to her weekly column in ...15 hours ago
- Should pregnant women have a COVID vaccine? The evidence says it’s safe and effectiveSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah Dahlen, Professor of Midwifery, Associate Dean Research and HDR, Midwifery Discipline Leader, Western Sydney University Shutterstock Having a baby brings enough stress and uncertainty without having to deal with a pandemic. Added to that is the difficult decision to ...16 hours ago
- Is the truth out there? How the Harvard-based Galileo Project will search the skies for alien techno...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ray Norris, Professor, School of Science, Western Sydney University ESO Can we find alien technology? That is the ambitious goal of the Galileo Project, launched this week by Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb with substantial private financial backing. The project ...17 hours ago
- Business is Boring: How Tractor Ventures gives startups a new way to raise capitalJodie Imam and Lance Hodges of Tractor Ventures join Simon Pound to talk about the growing startup industry and how they’re helping fund it.Follow Business is Boring on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast provider.Startup founders have a few very well known ways to get funding, and most of ...18 hours ago
- NZ supermarket giants warned: Change your ways or face break-upNew Zealand’s two grocery giants have been warned by the government’s guardian of free markets to allow significantly more competition into the sector – or parliament will be told to break you up. Justin Giovannetti reports.The conclusion that New Zealand’s grocery bills are among the world’s most expensive won’t come ...18 hours ago
- NZ Bus Welcomes Agreement Of Driver DealNZ Bus has welcomed today’s approval of a new collective employment agreement with its Wellington bus drivers. The agreement secures a fair and equitable outcome for existing staff and gives NZ Bus greater ability to recruit more full-time drivers. ...18 hours ago
- The charities taking on child poverty, from cause to effectChild poverty isn’t a problem with one set solution – it truly does take a village to help break the cycle. With help from their donors, Share My Super is putting money into charities addressing child poverty from all angles.New Zealand has one of the highest numbers of registered charities ...18 hours ago
- PODCAST: Buchanan + Manning on Cyber-Attacks and the Evolution of Hybrid WarfareA View from Afar: Selwyn Manning and Paul Buchanan present this week’s podcast, A View from Afar with a deep-dive into cyber-attacks and hybrid warfare – Especially how 2021 has witnessed a Cold War II styled stand-off between global powers. To re-cap, there has been: Allegations of a ...19 hours ago
- Supermarkets should check the Treaty – it might entitle them to a place among the decision-makers ...
The Commerce Commission’s draft report into the retail grocery sector is being welcomed by the government as “a major milestone”. It is providing ammunition for Opposition criticisms of government economic and commerce policies, too. Commenting on the report, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister David Clark said the draft findings indicate ...19 hours ago - Fiji’s other crisis: away from the COVID emergency, political dissent can still get you arrestedSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominic O’Sullivan, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University GettyImages The arrest of nine Fijian opposition politicians, including party leaders and two former prime ministers, once again ...19 hours ago
- How can the new Closing the Gap dashboard highlight what indicators and targets are on track?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janine Mohamed, Distinguished Fellow, George Institute for Global Health The 2021 Close the Gap report declared the national agreement on Closing the Gap “a game changer” that sets a new standard for how governments work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations ...19 hours ago
- Zero-COVID is no longer an effective strategy. We need to learn from other countries how to adaptSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Soutphommasane, Professor of Practice (Sociology and Political Theory) Director, Culture Strategy, University of Sydney DAN HIMBRECHTS/AAP It’s four more weeks of lockdown for Sydneysiders, with no end yet in sight. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is still to outline a ...20 hours ago
- Why those in energy poverty should be angry about Rio Tinto’s latest resultsWhile Tiwai Point’s owner posts spectacular results – crediting dirt-cheap NZ power as a key factor – New Zealanders struggle with high electricity prices that are set to rise even further.This column first appeared in Bernard Hickey’s newsletter The KākāLast night, when the average temperature in Christchurch was minus one ...20 hours ago
- Clark on supermarket report: 'I think we all want a better deal'Supermarket operators not behaving as they should need to analyse whether they have consumers' best interests at heart, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister David Clark says. ...20 hours ago
- History made the world we live in: here’s what you’ll learn if you choose it in years 11 and 12Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heather Sharp, Associate Professor, History and Curriculum Studies, University of Newcastle Temple of Edfu temple, Egypt. Shutterstock This article is part of a series providing school students with evidence-based advice for choosing subjects in their senior years. History is for students curious ...21 hours ago
- NZ tops list of societies likeliest to survive global collapse of civilisationRenewable energy, food supply and an isolated spot in the world see plucky Aotearoa punching above its weight again. Turns out Peter Thiel and assorted billionaire doomsday preppers were on to something when they stuck a pin in the New Zealand map as location of choice for the apocalypse bunker. A ...21 hours ago
- ‘I don’t want realism. I want magic’: behind the fantasy fuelling our real estate voyeurismSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Toland, Senior Lecturer in Landscape Architecture, University of Technology Sydney alice kang/Unsplash In 2014, a Florida real estate group began advertising its latest in a series of luxury condominiums designed by global “starchitects”. The ads featured photorealistic computer-generated ...22 hours ago
- How the Polynesian Panthers are raising a new generation of leadersThe government will deliver its apology for the dawn raids this Sunday, but what will it mean for the current generation of Pacific youth? Justin Latif tagged along with the Polynesian Panthers on their visit to Māngere College to find out. Māngere College’s Anne Tupou and Jordan Mau’u admit most of ...22 hours ago
- UN Covid-19 case to arrive in NZ from Fiji
A United Nations worker in Fiji who has contracted the Delta variant of the coronavirus will be brought into New Zealand and cared for at Middlemore Hospital A hospitalised Covid-19 case from Fiji is arriving in New Zealand later today, the Ministry of Health has confirmed. The person is an ...22 hours ago - Jobs for Nature: Northland projects set for $20m boostProjects in Northland targeting pest control, kauri protection and ecological restoration have been earmarked for an expansion of the Jobs for Nature programme. ...23 hours ago
- Govt Must Heed CommComm Warning: Land Use Regulation Drives Up Grocery PricesThe New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the Commerce Commission’s draft report on New Zealand’s grocery market, which highlights how complex land use regulations restrict competition and drive up prices. Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, ...23 hours ago
- Employment Indicators: Weekly As At 26 July 2021The experimental weekly series provides an early indicator of employment and labour market changes in a more timely manner than the monthly employment indicators series. Key facts The 6-day series includes jobs with a pay period equal to or less than ...23 hours ago
- Supermarket Competition ‘not Working Well’ For Kiwis – Expert ReactionA draft report released by the Commerce Commission says New Zealand’s supermarket sector is a ‘duopoly’, with other grocery stores largely unable to compete on price. The report , which was commissioned by the Government last year, recommends ...23 hours ago
- Govt must intervene to break supermarket stranglehold – Commerce Commission
The two big supermarket chains are pocketing high profits by charging Kiwis the sixth-highest prices in the OECD, the Commerce Commission has found. Tough action is needed to allow a big new nationwide player to compete in NZ's towns and cities. Separately, the Commission is to investigate apparent misconduct, ...24 hours ago - Use Of Force On Youth In Wellington JustifiedThe Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that an officer was justified in using force to restrain a youth after he resisted an arrest for disorderly behaviour. On 4 September 2020, a 14-year-old male was arrested for disorderly behaviour outside ...24 hours ago
- Simone Biles is taking back her power
In the seismic shift in global gymnastics, Simone Biles is taking back control of her career and her life, NZ Olympic gymnast Angela Walker writes Like Olympic viewers the world over, I was deeply shocked when Simone Biles withdrew from the women’s artistic gymnastics team finals in Tokyo earlier this ...24 hours ago - The Ring Around Jacinda – The March Of Migrants – MaskOrRaidJoin us to celebrate the deliverance of long overdue apology for the dawn raids. Back in the 1970s many migrants from the Pacific Islands were deported from New Zealand, after being used as cheap labour for a long time. The deportations were harsh and ...1 day ago
- Law Commission Proposes Changes To Surrogacy LawsTe Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission is proposing a new legal framework to provide legal recognition for the parents of surrogate-born children. The Commission has today published an Issues Paper and is seeking feedback on options to change how ...1 day ago
- Abuse in care costs: Govt considered asking churches for moneyThe government considered asking churches to help pay for the Royal Commission into historic abuse in care as it grappled with the inquiry's skyrocketing spending, new documents show. ...1 day ago
- So Kafkaesque: a search for meaning in storyYou wake up and you’re a cockroach. What does it even mean? A few weeks ago the legendary biologist, science writer, evangelical atheist and grumpy old man Richard Dawkins tweeted: Kafka’s Metamorphosis is called a major work of literature. Why? If it’s SF it’s bad SF. If, like Animal Farm, it’s ...1 day ago
- Building Industry In CrisisMaterials shortages, labour shortages, supply delays and increased costs are now all part of the everyday experience of those in the building industry. From talking to people across the industry, I have heard of issues like: Merchant shelves are ...1 day ago
- Dunne Speaks: The Steadily Eroding Sands Of Credibility...1 day ago
- 'This is it': Wallabies' exemption the last during travel pause – RobertsonThe Deputy Prime Minister is drawing the line on rugby exemptions to the trans-Tasman bubble pause after the Wallabies arrive for the upcoming Bledisloe Cup. ...1 day ago
- Live updates, July 29: Millions of MIQ fees unpaid despite debt collector threatWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for July 29, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz8.00am: Millions of MIQ fees unpaid despite debt collector threatMillions of dollars of managed isolation fees have been left unpaid despite the government bringing in debt collectors.New figures ...1 day ago
- Vaccine selfies may seem trivial, but they show people doing their civic duty — and probably encou...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Grimmer, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, University of Tasmania Shutterstock Have you been vaccinated yet? And if you have, are you one of a growing number of people who posted a selfie on social media afterwards? At a time when ...1 day ago
- Australian media showed their best in covering the COVID pandemic — at least for the first few mon...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Nolan, Associate Professor – Communication and Media, University of Canberra Everyone knows 2020 was a weird year. But was news coverage atypical too, or did it perform as per usual? To find out, researchers at the University of Canberra worked with ...1 day ago
- Over 18 and considering the AstraZeneca vaccine? This may help you decideSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Natasha Yates, Assistant Professor, General Practice, Bond University Shutterstock If you are 18 or older, and in an area where there is a COVID-19 outbreak, the best vaccine for you is the one you can get right now. That possibly ...1 day ago
- Dead, shrivelled frogs are unexpectedly turning up across eastern Australia. We need your help to fi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jodi Rowley, Curator, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Biology, UNSW, Australian Museum Green Tree Frog Jodi Rowley, Author provided Over the past few weeks, we’ve received a flurry of emails from concerned people who’ve seen sick and dead frogs across eastern Victoria, ...1 day ago
- Schooling in lockdown isn’t home schooling – but we can learn from the real thingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole (Nikki) Brunker, Lecturer in Education, University of Sydney Shutterstock Adding to the clamour of argument over whether schools should be open to all during lockdown is confusion in terminology. Using the term “home schooling” to describe schooling during lockdown is ...1 day ago
- Australian farmers are adapting well to climate change, but there’s work aheadSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Neal Hughes, Senior Economist, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) PETER LORIMER/AAP Australian farmers have proven their resilience, rebounding from drought and withstanding a global pandemic to produce record-breaking output in 2020-21. But while the pain ...1 day ago
Season's Greeting to one and all. It has been a long hard year, may you all enjoy family friends and a break. Cheers.
Finally – stop work. Off to rottenrua tomorrow…
The Kepler from Boxing Day, then off to visit the Guyton's on the 1st.
Wahoo!
Keep an eye out for Ad here
https://www.metdata.net.nz/doc/kepler/cam2/live.php
If he wears his The Standard T-shirt he’ll be easily recognisable 😉
Parked under a coolibah tree by a billabong in the Paroo River. No swagmen or women, jumbucks, troopers, grey nomads, santas, coronaviruses or anyone else in sight, just the odd emu family. Christmas in the Queensland outback is oddly cool and green. Cheers to all!
Xmas Eve at First Church to listen to the choir, then off to a quiet spot camping with my GF for a few days, away from WiFi & electricity & people, to count our blessings and enjoy the silence. Happy holidays.
Been trying to get back in shape since I broke my arm in Feb. Overdid it today, playing badminton for a couple of hours in Auckland heat and humidity. I'm absolutely buggered. And I have a dozen people to shop for tomorrow! AAAaaaarrrgh FML
Season's Greetings folks. I hope 2021 is kind to you all. Take good care and stay safe.
Cheers.