Daily Review 24/02/2017
Written By:
- Date published:
5:30 pm, February 24th, 2017 - 10 comments
Categories: Daily review -
Tags:
Daily review is also your post.
This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.
The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
10 comments on “Daily Review 24/02/2017 ”
- Comments are now closed
- Comments are now closed
Recent Comments
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #44
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Oct 25, 2020 through Sat, Oct 31, 2020 Editor's Choice On Climate Change, We’re Entirely Out of Margin The U.S. government and the world have done far too little on ...8 hours ago - Something I hope to be wrong on
So, the Greens went ahead and approved the deal with Labour. As I said earlier, I think its a mistake, which binds Green Ministers to implement Labour policy while effectively gagging them from criticising it. And on climate change - the only policy that matters - that's not a mistake ...14 hours ago - A gag order, not a partnershipThe Green Party are currently voting on whether to accept the "cooperation agreement" Labour has offered them. So what's in it? Fortunately it leaked, and the core part is that the Greens promise not to oppose on confidence and supply (which is meaningless), and get two Ministers outside Cabinet, including ...21 hours ago
- 2020 Just Reading: October
Completed reads for October: The Feast at Conan’s House, by AnonymousFinn and Grainne, by AnonymousThe Pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne, by AnonymousThe Hiding of the Hill of Howth, by AnonymousThe Battle of Gabhra, by ... 22 hours ago - One on One: Collins goes for it
This week the National leader Judith Collins began one on one meetings with the carcass of the caucus. What will these meetings be like? MyThinks doesn’t really know. We can only speculate. Which is what we are going to do right now. What follows is some possible scenarios of what ...1 day ago - Kindness and Samfundssind
How we approached the threat of Covid tells us about possibilities for the future ways. The term ‘samfundssind’ increased in the Danish news from just 23 times in February 2020 to 2,855 in March. It means ‘putting the concern of society higher than one’s own interests’ or, more loosely, ‘community ...2 days ago - A few days in the life of an ER
Most people hear “ER” and they think of an emergency room – ambulances, patients, life and death situations. But for the staff at the Science Media Centre, ER stands for “Expert Reactions” and means timely comments from experts responding to breaking news. When news breaks, journalists often want quotes ...2 days ago - Capital Vol. 3 lectures: the transformation of surplus value into profit
This is the fourth in the lecture series by Andy Higginbottom on superexploitation.Here he looks at Marx’s solution and (some of) the interpretive literature in the converting of surplus-value into the rate of profit. (Part one of the lecture series is here, part two is here, and part three is here) ...2 days ago - Counterfeiting information.
Although trite to say so, if knowledge is power, then information is its currency. The more complete the information at hand, the more knowledge that it imparts, which can be wielded for bad or good. In that light, spreading disinformation is akin to counterfeiting. It is fraud masquerading as fact. ...2 days ago - BuggerPreliminary referendum results are out, showing that cannabis legalisation was defeated, 46.1% to 53.1%. There's a gap of almost 170,000 votes, and its highly unlikely that the specials will be that disproportionate (OTOH, they're probably a different electoral population, swinging younger and more liberal on this issue, but that's probably ...2 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – A diverse yet narrower Parliament
Our House of Representatives has just become more diverse, and yet narrower at the same time. A record 40 new MPs have flooded into Parliament – with especially big intakes from the Labour and Act parties. You can see some short profiles of the new MPs in Simon Collins’ article, ...2 days ago - The SMC Video Competition: Ecological CluedoRecently, the Science Media Centre ran the third round of its 2020 SAVVY Video Competition for science researchers. With entries ranging from kea tracking to Beethoven’s piano pieces, we judges were incredibly impressed by the creativity and quality of submissions. This week, we’re featuring the work of the winner, conservation biologist ...2 days ago
- To Remain The Same, Everything Must Change.
A New Day: A middle-class concerned about preserving its own social status, and determined to prevent its children being forced to occupy a lower level of the socio-economic hierarchy than themselves, will do just about anything. Given sufficient incentives, it can be persuaded to vote for the Left. Given a ...2 days ago - Speaker: Mum
Ten years ago this week, Mum died.Her death wasn't surprising: my mother Alison had been living with a terminal breast cancer diagnosis for two and a half years.But it was still shocking. One evening, she was sleeping in the living room of our family home in Karori, Wellington. The next ...2 days ago - Ian Powell: The Dialectics of incrementalism and transformationThe incoming new government can be transformational, especially with help from the Greens. According to health commentator Ian Powell this is especially apparent in the health sector. In the lead up to the general election I was predicting a Labour-Greens coalition with, as a second option, a Labour majority government. ...2 days ago
- What If He Wins Again? The Dangerous Consequences Of A Second Trump Victory.2 days ago
- We need more state housesHow bad is the housing crisis? This bad: For the first time over 20,000 households are on the Government’s waitlist for public housing. By the end of August 20,385 eligible households were on the waitlist for state or social housing, with over 18,000 ranked as “priority A” – the ...3 days ago
- A Leap Of Faith – In Labour's Direction Of Travel.Impressive Political Maturity: If conservative New Zealanders require further convincing about the steps required to fulfil this country’s commitment to fighting climate change, then convince them. That won’t happen if all the Greens do is shout at them, and/or damn them as enemies of the planet. It might happen, however, ...3 days ago
- A contempt of Parliament?Back in July, Professor Anne-Marie Brady warned Parliament about foreign interference in New Zealand elections. Now, her employer is attempting to punish her for it: Canterbury University China expert Professor Anne-Marie Brady has been gagged by her employer while a review into her research proceeds. The review conducted by ...3 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – The Green Party’s fraught decisionThe Greens are at a crossroads. The direction they take in the next few days may have significant consequences, not just for the country and the shape of the Government, but also for the future of the Greens themselves. Currently, the Labour and Green negotiating teams are behind closed doors ...3 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #43, 2020Hint from the past: "you're getting warmer" Even though we're accidentally experimenting with our climate we really oughtn't take that risk. Still, it would be nice to safely run global-scale manipulations of climate. We could further confirm our grasp on extending some fairly simple physical principles from theory to prediction and observation. ...4 days ago
- Where Does the Media Stand on the Political Spectrum?
A recent study suggests most are near the centre. It is a standard trope of the American Right that the US media has a leftwing bias. This of course, depends on where the centre is located. I have heard, for instance, the New Zealand left arguing that the New ...4 days ago - The Labour Party is still rorting usBack in September, we learned that the Labour Party was rorting its Parliamentary expenses to steal from the public again, renting office space at a below-market rate from a union for $1500 a year, then subletting it to Parliamentary Services as an electorate office at a (significantly higher) below-market rate ...4 days ago
- A new study suggests coronavirus antibodies fade over time – but how concerned should we be?Sheena Cruickshank, University of Manchester Newly released research suggests that levels of antibodies against the coronavirus have declined across the UK population since testing began. Having randomly sampled 365,000 people across the country, the React2 study – which is yet to be peer-reviewed – estimates that 6% of the ...4 days ago
- How to Systematically Reduce the Border Failure Risk for COVID-19 in Aotearoa/NZProf Nick Wilson*, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Prof Michael Baker With the 2020 election over and with a newly elected government, it is an excellent time for a systematic review by NZ health authorities to identify optimal methods for reducing the risk of future COVID-19 outbreaks in Aotearoa/NZ. ...4 days ago
- Did atomic bomb tests damage our upper atmosphere?Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz I recently read an article stating the atomic bomb ...4 days ago
- Building a norm against nuclear weaponsBack in 2017, the UN General Assembly approved the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and New Zealand was one of the first countries to sign. Now, a 50th ratification is finally going to bring it into force: Campaigners have hailed a "new chapter" after a key step ...5 days ago
- Change wins in ChileThis time last year, Chile was in rebellion against its government. Protests against a train fare increase turned into protests against inequality, and then, when the right-wing government deployed the military to crush them, into protests against the government and the dictator-imposed constitution. And the protestors won: half the cabinet ...5 days ago
- Speaker: Rewarding competenceIf you were listening to New Zealand’s punditocracy in the days since Labour won the general election with a record-setting outright majority, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Labour had actually lost.Last time around pundits could barely deal with the fact that the National government had lost its majority, and ...5 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily – 27 October 2020Today’s content Labour Party and new Labour Government Andrea Vance (Stuff): ‘Labour Connect’ the data analysis tool that boosted Jacinda Ardern’s campaign Heather du Plessis-Allan (Herald): Time for Govt to take some risks (paywalled) Audrey Young (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on her big win and big plans (paywalled) Audrey Young: What Kelvin Davis wants for Māori from ...5 days ago
- Thirty Years Ago Today: Musings on the Fourth Labour Government
The New Zealand media and the New Zealand public are still chattering about what Jacinda Ardern will do with her brand-spanking-new single party majority Government. The consensus – apart from a few wishful-thinkers – is “probably not much.” This is the era of “incrementalism”, which during the Helen Clark ...5 days ago - Water on the Moon?The space news this week is largely focused on an announcement from NASA regarding the discovery of water on the Moon. Not liquid water – the lunar surface is far too cold for that – but apparently ice deposits in the surface layers in near-polar regions, and perhaps deeper ...5 days ago
- Yes Minister.
What it is like to be a new Minister Good morning Minister? Congratulations, you are minister for the very important department of state which I run as Chief Excutive. Have they fixed you up with all the accoutrements of office: the chauffeured limousine, your own car, state supplied accommodation ...6 days ago - The Debunking Handbook 2020: Debunk often and properlyThis blog post is part 4 of a series of excerpts from The Debunking Handbook 2020 which can be downloaded here. The list of references is available here. Debunk often and properly If you cannot preempt, you must debunk. For debunking to be effective, it is important to provide detailed ...6 days ago
- The Debunking Handbook 2020: ReferencesThis is the list of references for The Debunking Handbook 2020Lewandowsky, S., Cook, J., Ecker, U. K. H., Albarracín, D., Amazeen, M. A., Kendeou, P., Lombardi, D., Newman, E. J., Pennycook, G., Porter, E. Rand, D. G., Rapp, D. N., Reifler, J., Roozenbeek, J., Schmid, P., Seifert, C. M., Sinatra, ...6 days ago
- When the dictator wears capes.Today Chileans voted overwhelmingly to elect a constitutional assembly and redraft the 1980 Constitution promulgated by the dictatorship of Agusto Pinochet. I regret that my old friend Bob Barros, whose death I wrote about a while ago, is not around to see this moment because he was the first person ...6 days ago
- Everyone I don’t like is Hitler, or, how i got banned by Facebook
I do not really use Facebook anymore. I used to. For several years now, however, my drug of choice has been Twitter. It is equally pointless but is more agreeable better than Zuckerberg's monster is for me.I haven't deactivated my account because I still use FB as a means of ...6 days ago - Gal Gadot, The Orient and Identity Politicsby Gearóid Ó Loingsigh (14/10/2020) A row has recently erupted over the casting of the Israeli actress Gal Gadot as Cleopatra in an upcoming film. Part of the objections to her playing the role are based on the fact that she is not only Israeli, but a Zionist to boot, ...6 days ago
- Getting Our Priorities Right
Much of the political debate over the past few months – as we have grappled with the coronavirus pandemic – has centred on the question of whether it is the interests of business or the health of the community that should take priority in policy terms. Much has been made ...6 days ago - 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #43Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review Story of the Week... Alarm as Arctic sea ice not yet freezing at latest date on record Delayed freeze in Laptev Sea could have ...6 days ago
- 2020 – Post mortem or Prologue?
. . A narcissistic, third-rate, Bond-villain code-named “Trump” takes control of the United States; a global pandemic brings human civilisation to a near stand-still; Whakaari/White Island erupts creating a hellish tragedy; Level 4 and 3 Lockdowns result in deserted streets straight out of The Quiet Earth; a new “Fortress ...6 days ago - Media Link: Some Bolivian and NZ post-election analysis on “A View from Afar.”This last week’s podcast featuring Selwyn Manning and I focused on post-election analysis in two small states, one land locked and the other surrounded by water. Check it out here. ...1 week ago
- Analysis of an Election – Aaaarghghgh! What happened????With a week or so gone since the catastrophic election result for the National Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, MyThinks have set the team to work to come up with their hot takes on what has caused the previous all powerful party of government to collapse under the weight of ...1 week ago
- A response to Judith ButlerFeminist Ani O’Brien takes a critical look at Judith Butler and the Kim Hill interview (17/10/20): It has been a while since I have done a bit-by-bit response piece, but this weekend Radio New Zealand journalist Kim Hill interviewed Professor Judith Butler on the conflict between trans activists and “TERFs” and I have ...1 week ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #43A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Oct 18, 2020 through Sat, Oct 24, 2020 Editor's Choice A second Trump term would mean severe and irreversible changes in the climate No joke: It would be disastrous on the ...1 week ago
- National’s electoral slaughter
1 week ago - The Ideal and the Reality for a New MP
Being an MP is not quite what you think. Hello Mr Orange Man, I’ve really depended on you during the election over the last few weeks. Thankyou for helping me to get elected to parliament. So what are you doing here, meeting me in parliament, now I have ...1 week ago - COVID-19: backing our front rowNew Zealand has been called out as an outstanding player in managing COVID-19. We’ve done well,[1] but we’re far from perfect. We could do a lot better at backing our front row. Epidemiologists advise nations not to play “wait and see”. If By the time they do see, it’s all ...1 week ago
- Fleeing to the Dawn – accepted
Good bit of news on the short story front: my 1700 word fantasy piece, Fleeing to the Dawn, has been accepted for the Autumn 2020 edition of Shorts Magazine: http://shortsmagazine.com/ This one was a case of a previously unsuccessful story being dusted off and polished up. It is ...1 week ago - The Debunking Handbook 2020: The elusive backfire effectsThis blog post is part 3 of a series of excerpts from The Debunking Handbook 2020 which can be downloaded here. The list of references is available here. The elusive backfire effects Ten years ago, scholars and practitioners were concerned that corrections may “backfire”; that is, ironically strengthen misconceptions rather ...1 week ago
- Prosecute ICEWe knew that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement was a moral void: they run concentration camps, and forcibly separate children from their parents. And now they're outright torturing people: US immigration officers allegedly tortured Cameroonian asylum seekers to force them to sign their own deportation orders, in what lawyers ...1 week ago
- Fly on the wall of the first National caucus since electionOver the past several months, the team at MyThinks have been involved in a vast insect training programme. We have been working to teach our six-legged friends to become the finest of political reporters. This week we sent our deputy political diptera into the National Party caucus room for their ...1 week ago
- The Twilight Of Boomer Power.1 week ago
- NZ Politics Daily – 23 October 2020Today’s content Labour government Peter Dunne (Newsroom): At the highwater mark with little wriggle room RNZ: Caucus: Explaining The Red Tide: Kiwis hug Jacinda back as Labour breaks records Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): It’s Time For Some “Earnest Struggle” Chris Trotter: “Change That Sticks.” Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): The Twilight Of Boomer Power Brent Edwards ...1 week ago
- “Change That Sticks.”Implementing Change With Us - Not Imposing It On Us: Jacinda Ardern, like Mickey Savage before her, understands what her more revolutionary critics do not: that the only sort of socialism that endures is democratic socialism – socialism by popular demand and with popular consent.AFTER THE BIGGEST WIN in nearly ...1 week ago
- Science at the movies: The new comet impact filmDisaster movies forever capture the public attention… but did you ever stop to think that the word disaster actually means bad star? That is, ‘dis’ implies a pejorative (as in disease, or disgust, or disrespect), while ‘aster’ comes from the Latin astrum, similarly the Greek astron. Asteroids are called that ...1 week ago
- The Adventures of Annalax: Volume XI
Yes, dinosaurs. Annalax would think of them as giant horned lizards. They were also terrified of us, what with Magni still being covered in spider goo, and hence smelling like a Leng Spider. The ... 1 week ago - PrioritiesMuch of the political debate over the past few months – as we have grappled with the coronavirus pandemic – has centred on the question of whether it is the interests of business or the health of the community that should take priority in policy terms. Much has been made ...1 week ago
- Farmers earning their reputation againNew Zealand farmers routinely complain about the public viewing them as environmental vandals. At the same time, they're opposing basic environmental regulation: Federated Farmers has asked that a wide-ranging plan change setting water use rules for South Canterbury remove all references to the protection of “indigenous fish”. [...] ...1 week ago
- NZ Politics Daily – 22 October 2020Labour-Greens talks, Labour govt Henry Cooke (Stuff): There is no evidence National voters backed Labour to keep the Greens out Audrey Young (Herald): Labour holds all the cards as Ardern’s talks with Greens get underway RNZ: Greens better off independent – Former Green MP Catherine Delahunty Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Greens would be ...1 week ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Stardust across the Middle East – how Arab media covered the New Zealand electionNews is not in short supply in the Middle East, and at the weekend, Arabic-language media remained firmly focused on the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh. Nevertheless, the New Zealand election – and above all Jacinda Ardern’s personal success – still received significant attention from Arabic-language TV news ...1 week ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Stardust across the Middle East: How Arab media reported on NZ’s electionNews is not in short supply in the Middle East, and on Saturday, Arab media remained focused heavily on the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh. Nevertheless, the New Zealand election – and especially Jacinda Ardern’s personal success – received significant attention from Arabic-language TV news channels, newspapers and ...1 week ago
- It's Time For Some “Earnest Struggle”.1 week ago
- Party Like It’s 1936: Songs for the Philologists
It’s the most obscure Tolkien book of all… so obscure that only fourteen copies exist: Songs for the Philologists, a 1936 collection of thirty humorous verses, by Tolkien (who wrote thirteen), E.V. Gordon, and ... 2 weeks ago - Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – National’s catastrophic collapse and fraught rebuildThe National Party’s defeat has been so comprehensive that few in the party seem optimistic they will recover anytime soon. Falling from 47% in 2017 to just 27% (which might drop as low as 25% once special votes are counted), is one of the most severe collapses in New Zealand’s ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #42, 2020Dust-up at the Denial Corral, in "journal time" Way back in 2017 the Institute of Physics publication Environmental Research Letters (ERL) published a featured article, Assessing ExxonMobil's climate change communications (1977–2014), by Supran & Oreskes. The article reverberated widely as it exposed a documented a pattern of behavior arguably described as perfidious. The authors ...2 weeks ago
- Now’s the time – expand ACC
Having ruled out Capital Gains Tax and Wealth Tax, the incoming Labour government must be looking for some significant progressive policies that they haven’t already ruled out. Expanding the ACC scheme fits that brief, and the Green Party have conveniently already proposed doing so. But, how to fund it? The accident/illness ...2 weeks ago - Managing to the targetNew Zealand's health system is chronicly underfunded, and so almost all DHBs run deficits. Last month, just before he bailed out Canterbury DHB, Health Minister Chris Hipkins was repeating the mantra that DHBs must live within their means and "have a credible plan to return to financial sustainability". But yesterday, ...2 weeks ago
- Solarise all the things!If we are to avoid dangerous levels of climate change, we need to decarbonise the economy and shift our energy supply completely to renewables. The good news is that the International Energy Agency thinks that that is going to happen. The reason? Interest rates have dropped. And this means that ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand weighs up a nation-sized batteryIan Mason and Robert McLachlan Climate change was a small but perceptible part of the recent election. On climate change, Labour pointed proudly to their record of legislating for net zero emissions by 2050 (nicknamed the ‘Zero Carbon Act’), establishing a Climate Change Commission to set carbon budgets and advise ...2 weeks ago
- WHO reform: a call for an early-warning protocol for infectious diseasesPeter Gluckman and Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato The World Health Organization (WHO) has come in for its share of criticism for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. While some faults are the responsibility of the WHO, others were caused by member states, which did not always act as quickly ...2 weeks ago
- NZ Politics Daily – 21 October 2020Today’s content Election Jack Vowles (The Conversation): The 2020 NZ election saw record vote volatility — what does that mean for the next Labour government? Jason Walls and Chris Knox (Herald): 20 fascinating facts about the 2020 election you might have missed Stuff: Labour Day: A vote-by-vote analysis of New Zealand’s historic shift ...2 weeks ago
- Do Landslides Change the Landscape in the Long Run?
It was easy for election night commentators to use the ‘landslide’ trope to describe Labour’s winning of the 2020 election. But the historical record suggests that such landslides may not last long. In 1935, the First (Savage-Fraser) Labour Government won 53 seats in a parliament of 80; National ...2 weeks ago - The Debunking Handbook 2020: Prevent misinformation from sticking if you canThis blog post is part 2 of a series of excerpts from The Debunking Handbook 2020 which can be downloaded here. The list of references is available here. Prevent misinformation from sticking if you can Because misinformation is sticky, it’s best preempted. This can be achieved by explaining misleading or ...2 weeks ago
- Graeme Edgeler: Mandates are not mandatory, but they are also not meaninglessThere’s a lot of talk about what the Labour Government’s new mandate is. For a discussion of exactly what that might mean, Graeme Edgeler explores the murky logic of what they can and can’t do, pointing out that ultimately voters decide if this mandate was properly used in three years. ...2 weeks ago
- Labour and Greens to have Cooperation Agreement
Labour and Greens to have Cooperation Agreement The Labour Party and the Green Party will have a Cooperation Agreement that will see the Green Party Co-leaders hold ministerial portfolios outside of Cabinet, and areas of cooperation on climate, environment and child and community wellbeing issues. The Green Party will support ...18 hours ago - Close preliminary Cannabis result means a wait for the specials: GreensA close preliminary result for Cannabis legalisation and control shows that we won’t know for sure what the result in until the specials come in, Green Party spokesperson on Drug Law Reform Chlöe Swarbrick said today. ...2 days ago
- WATCH LIVE: Election Night 2020
...2 weeks ago - Election Night Speech – Marama DavidsonKia ora tātou kātoa. Ngā mihi maioha ki a koutou Te Roopu Kakariki, ngā kaitautoko, e aroha ana I te kaupapa mo te taiao me te mokopuna. No reira tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa. I am so proud to be standing here tonight, at the end of an ...2 weeks ago
- Election Night Speech – James ShawOn Election Night three years ago I stood up in front of you to say, “We are still here!” Well, tonight, not only are we still here, we are the first support party in MMP history to have started and finished a term in government above the 5% threshold. We ...2 weeks ago
- Greens only party with plan to meet scale of climate challengeA new report showing that the effects of climate change are already being felt in Aotearoa New Zealand shows the importance of the Green Party pushing for urgent action in the next Government. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party commits to stronger urban tree protection and no new mines on public conservation landThe Green Party is the only party in Parliament which is explicitly committing to protecting public conservation land and the indigenous plants and wildlife which live there, from destructive mining. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens close campaign with COVID-19 recovery pitchThe Green Party says a Green-Labour partnership next term is the only way to ensure that we build back better than before, whilst addressing the other crises of biodiversity, climate change and poverty. ...3 weeks ago
- Vote still undecided? Watch this.As of today, over 1.4 million New Zealanders have already cast their votes in this year’s election. While this shows that a huge number of people have already made up their minds about who they want to lead our country, there are many who are still undecided. ...3 weeks ago
- Labour's 2020 Election ManifestoThe Labour Party understands how important continuity, stability and clarity are for New Zealanders in these uncertain times. That’s why, in our 2020 Election Manifesto, we’re setting out how we will continue to invest in people, jobs, small businesses, infrastructure, and global trade, to set New Zealand up for the ...3 weeks ago
- Green Party releases tourism policyToday the Green Party’s conservation spokesperson Eugenie Sage went kayaking on Akaroa Harbour to highlight the greater protection achieved for Hector’s and Maui dolphins this term and the Greens’ election commitment to supporting sustainable tourism. ...3 weeks ago
- National’s false ‘wealth tax’ claims: The “last roll of the misinformation dice”“Collins has warned voters to expect a wealth tax. This is despite the fact Labour has ruled this out a number of times.” – Jason Walls, NZ Herald. “The Labour Party has ruled out implementing the Green Party's wealth tax.” – Henry Cooke, Stuff. “Labour has time and time again ...3 weeks ago
- Government's response to preliminary referendums' results
Minister of Justice Andrew Little has acknowledged the provisional results of the two referendums voted on in the 2020 General Election. New Zealanders were asked whether they supported the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill, and whether they supported the End of Life Choice Act 2019 coming into force. On ...2 days ago - New testing requirements for international maritime crew arriving in NZThe Government is moving to provide further protection against the chance of COVID-19 entering New Zealand through the maritime border. “Yesterday I instructed officials to consult with the maritime sector around tightening of the requirements for international maritime crew entering the country,” Health Minister Chris Hipkins said. “Ultimately, this will ...2 days ago
- Fast-tracked Northland water project will accelerate economic recoveryThe Government has welcomed the decision to approve a new water storage reservoir in Northland, the first of a number of infrastructure projects earmarked for a speedy consenting process that aims to accelerate New Zealand’s economic recovery from Covid-19. The Matawii Water Storage Reservoir will provide drinking water for Kaikohe, ...4 days ago
- Tokelau Language Week reminds us to stay united and strongStaying strong in the face of challenges and being true to our heritage and languages are key to preserving our cultural identity and wellbeing, is the focus of the 2020 Tokelau Language Week. Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio, says this year’s theme, ‘Apoapo tau foe, i nā tāfea ...1 week ago
- NZ announces a third P-3 deployment in support of UN sanctionsThe Government has deployed a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion (P-3) maritime patrol aircraft to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea, announced Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Ron Mark. “New Zealand has long supported ...2 weeks ago
- Pacific trade and development agreement a realityPacific regional trade and development agreement PACER Plus will enter into force in 60 days now that the required eight countries have ratified it. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker welcomed the announcement that the Cook Islands is the eighth nation to ratify this landmark agreement. “The agreement represents ...2 weeks ago
- Securing a pipeline of teachersThe Government is changing its approach to teacher recruitment as COVID-19 travel restrictions continue, by boosting a range of initiatives to get more Kiwis into teaching. “When we came into Government, we were faced with a teacher supply crisis,” Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. “Over the past three years, we ...3 weeks ago
- Border exceptions for a small number of international students with visasThe Government has established a new category that will allow 250 international PhD and postgraduate students to enter New Zealand and continue their studies, in the latest set of border exceptions. “The health, safety and wellbeing of people in New Zealand remains the Government’s top priority. Tight border restrictions remain ...3 weeks ago
- First COVID-19 vaccine purchase agreement signedThe Government has signed an agreement to purchase 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccines – enough for 750,000 people – from Pfizer and BioNTech, subject to the vaccine successfully completing all clinical trials and passing regulatory approvals in New Zealand, say Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods and Health Minister Chris Hipkins. ...3 weeks ago
- Labour and Greens sign 'win-win' deal
Labour and the Greens have put pen to paper on a deal to form the next government, with the Green Party claiming the agreement offers them the best of both worlds A Labour-Green deal to form the next government is an opportunity for both parties to tackle issues which New ...1 hour ago - What’s new to Netflix NZ, Neon and other streaming services in November
What are you going to be watching in November? The Spinoff rounds up everything that’s coming to streaming services this month, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, Neon and TVNZ OnDemand.The biggiesThe Crown (binge season 4 on Netflix from November 15)Something good was bound to happen in 2020, and ...2 hours ago - The Greens are now part of the ‘governing team’, if not the governmentThe cooperation agreement signed this morning represents a longer-term strategy for both Labour and the Greens – they could be useful to each other in three years’ time, writes Andrew Geddis.A few days after polling day, I wrote a thing reviewing the previous governing arrangements that parties have adopted under ...2 hours ago
- Labour and Greens formally sign cooperation agreement
The Labour and Green Party leaders have signed a cooperation agreement that gives the Greens ministerial portfolios outside of Cabinet. ...2 hours ago - Watch live: Labour and Greens formally sign cooperation agreementLabour leader Jacinda Ardern has signed a cooperation agreement with the Green Party that will give its two co-leaders ministerial portfolios outside of Cabinet. Watch a live stream here. ...3 hours ago
- Review: Black Hands shines very little light on the Bain family murdersBlack Hands, adapted from the podcast of the same name, doesn’t do the Bain family justice, writes Sam Brooks.“Dunedin20th June, 19945 members of the Bain family were shot dead in their home.”That blunt piece of text precedes the opening credits of every episode of TVNZ’s Black Hands, adapted from the ...4 hours ago
- You do not want to know what ‘wet bulb’ meansKim Stanley Robinson is a master of science fiction, and specialises in the climate crisis. His latest novel The Ministry for the Future explores a particularly grim metric. A “wet bulb” is exactly what it sounds like: a thermometer wrapped in a wet towel. It’s a measure of both heat and ...5 hours ago
- Live updates, October 31-November 1: Labour and Greens to sign cooperation agreement at 11amWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for October 31-November 1. All the latest New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. Reach me on aliceneville@thespinoff.co.nzSunday, November 18.40am: The day aheadThe Greens and Labour leaders will be signing the cooperation agreement that was announced yesterday at 11am today at the Beehive. There ...6 hours ago
- Repeal Of Euthanasia Act – A Moral Imperative
Right to Life believes that the End of Life Choice Act 2019 is an unjust law that fails to protect life, violates the common good, lacks legitimacy, should not be obeyed and must be repealed. An unjust law is a law that is a human law that is not ...6 hours ago - Should liberals be voting for Trump?
You don’t come to Point of Order for a 5,000 word essay on liberalism (for that you read ‘Liberalism and its Discontents’ by Francis Fukuyama at American Purpose). But he does have a handy definition: “Classical liberalism can best be understood as an institutional solution to the problem of ...6 hours ago - Labour and Greens to make cooperation agreement officialPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern will this morning sign a cooperation agreement with the Green Party that will give its two co-leaders ministerial portfolios outside of Cabinet. ...8 hours ago
- A poem for .. the cannabis vote
New Zealand's semi-official poet laureate Victor Billot pens topical verse every Sunday. Today: the referendum result on legalising cannabis A puff of smoke It's everywhere now, all over the place. This is what happens when you open the gates. Fiends stumbling around, high as kites. Eyes rolling round ...8 hours ago - 50 Shades Of Green Disappointed James Shaw Retains Climate Change PortfolioThe conservation group 50 Shades of Green is disappointed that James Shaw has retained his climate change portfolio. “While we have nothing against Mr Shaw personally, we believe the portfolio needs a fresh perspective,” 50 Shades of Green chair Any ...8 hours ago
- Labour and Greens make cooperation agreement officialPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern will this morning sign a cooperation agreement with the Green Party that will give its two co-leaders ministerial portfolios outside of Cabinet. ...8 hours ago
- Now it is boringHaving started the pandemic storyline, God, or perhaps the scriptwriters working on the world’s stories, have lost the plot. By Linda Burgess.Even my internal monologue is boring. Even reliving old fights with my sister, old crushes, old ideas for stories, is like trudging along a street where all the houses ...9 hours ago
- Hysteria, hoaxes and hauntings: Meet Auckland’s world-famous debunkerOne of the world’s foremost experts on mass psychogenic illness teaches high school in Auckland. Josie Adams spent an afternoon learning what a psychogenic illness is.Robert E. Bartholomew lives in an old hotel in Flat Bush in south-east Auckland. He has a swimming pool used principally by frogs, and a ...9 hours ago
- Labor wins Queensland election, as Greens could win up to four seats
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne With 48% of enrolled voters counted in Saturday’s Queensland election, the ABC is giving Labor 47 of the 93 seats (a bare majority), the LNP 33, all Others seven and ...12 hours ago - NZ Greens accept Labour’s offer for ‘cooperation agreement’By RNZ News Green Party delegates have voted to accept a deal with Labour which will give it two ministerial portfolios outside of cabinet in the New Zealand government. Consensus was blocked, so the party required 75 percent of delegates to get the deal across the line this evening. Labour ...14 hours ago
- Independent investigators blame TNI for murder of Papuan pastorPacific Media Watch Newsdesk The Papua Province Humanitarian Team for Cases of Violence Against Religious Figures in Intan Jaya Regency, Haris Azhar, has announced the results of their investigation into the shooting of Pastor Yeremia Zanambani who was allegedly shot by a rogue Indonesian military (TNI) officer in Hitadipa District, ...17 hours ago
- What the Labour-Greens deal means for the next three yearsIt’s not a confidence and supply deal, and it’s certainly not a coalition. So what are the implications of today’s agreement for each party, and for their constituents?Labour and the Greens have struck a cooperation agreement that provides Jacinda Ardern with stability in parliament over the next three years, while ...18 hours ago
- Greens accept Labour's offer for 'cooperation agreement'Green Party delegates have voted to accept a deal with Labour which will give it two ministerial portfolios outside of cabinet. ...18 hours ago
- Two Green ministers in Labour's deal
Green Party delegates are deciding whether to back a deal with the Labour Party, with two ministerial roles on offer but little else besides Green Party co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson will both become ministers outside Cabinet if their party accepts the terms of a proposed deal with the ...20 hours ago - Jacinda Ardern to name Cabinet on MondayLabour leader Jacinda Ardern has confirmed that the new Cabinet will be named on Monday and sworn in on Friday. ...21 hours ago
- Labour offers Greens two ministerial portfoliosGreen Party delegates are voting on whether to accept a proposed deal with Labour which would give it two ministerial portfolios outside of cabinet. ...21 hours ago
- New Zealand Muslims Condemn Nice Terror Attack And Rising EscalationsThe Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of New Zealand condemns in the strongest possible terms Thursday’s terror act in Nice and the murder of Samuel Paty earlier in the month. Whilst reiterating the comments of the worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim ...22 hours ago
- Greens meet to vote on proposed Labour dealGreen Party delegates are now meeting to vote on whether to accept a proposed deal with Labour. ...22 hours ago
- Green vote on proposed Labour deal expected this afternoonGreen Party delegates will vote on whether to accept a proposed deal with Labour at 4pm today. ...1 day ago
- What editors are actually buyingIn the age of #gifted, what are people spending their own money on? Six editors show Ensemble the receipts and share a recent, and genuine, style-related purchase.Leonie Hayden, editor of The Spinoff Ātea“I’m obsessed with discovering Māori and indigenous makers; my Instagram feed is mostly individuals and small businesses that make ...1 day ago
- Calls for decriminalisation as legal cannabis looks unlikelyWhile legalising recreational cannabis looks set to fail, doctors say the debate on decriminalisation should continue, while balancing associated health issues. ...1 day ago
- The terrible fear of being a bystander: a review of Remote SympathyCatherine Chidgey’s new novel functions, disturbingly, as a mirror, writes Elizabeth Heritage. Every time I read a pukapuka set in Nazi times I become obsessed with the question: what would I have done if I had been there? I remember studying Nazi Germany in high school and perseverating on the ...1 day ago
- Yes to snuffing but no to puffing: topping ourselves (voluntarily) is approved but going to pot (le...
Until yesterday there had been only three pronouncements from The Beehive since Election Day, October 17. One of those had been jointly made by Winston Peters as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Ron Mark as Minister of Defence, presumably a last-gasp announcement before they are despatched to the political wilderness ...1 day ago - Every meat-free fast food burger in New Zealand, reviewed and rankedKind-of vegetarian Alex Casey brings you the only meat-free fast-food burger ranking you’ll ever need. At the start of the year, several centuries ago, I went vegetarian. Kind of. As a coward with commitment issues, I decided to enter into a dietary Yes Man situation, where I would always say “yes” ...1 day ago
- Cannabis: 'lukewarm' Govt left gap for fake news
Fiona Hutton is trying hard to hope some positive change to drug laws is still possible, but the Government reaction to the cannabis referendum result has left her despairing As someone who campaigned for an evidence based ‘yes’ vote, for much needed reform of our drug laws, I am currently ...1 day ago - Live updates, October 31: Labour-Greens agreement expected this weekendWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for October 31. All the latest New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. Reach me on aliceneville@thespinoff.co.nz8.00am: We could have a new government this weekendWhile yesterday was all about the referendum results, today our attention turns to the little matter of a new government ...1 day ago
- Finding solace in the crowdCrowd-hater Michelle Langstone finds a new appreciation for being amid a maelstrom of humanity.I’ve always found crowds panic-inducing, sweaty, noisy and lacking in manners. My attitude to crowds is akin to an 80-year-old woman who’s cross about the neighbour’s dog getting into her garden — no time for it, inclined ...1 day ago
- NZ referendum preliminary results – yes to euthanasia reform, no to cannabisThe euthanasia referendum has passed New Zealand’s public vote, with 65.2 percent voting in favour, but the cannabis question has 53.1 percent voting “no” so far, preliminary results show. The number of voters who chose “no” in the End of Life Choice referendum reached 33.8 percent. In the cannabis question, ...1 day ago
- Tall Fern mum on the road with her baby Boomer
Tall Ferns three-point shooting wizard Ashleigh Karaitiana has signed up to the Melbourne Boomers for this season's WNBL, wanting to show athlete mums they can continue living their dream. Besides the obvious goal to walk away with a championship title, Ashleigh Karaitiana wants nothing more than to prove that women ...2 days ago - Eden Park concerts' economic benefits queried
Will allowing six big concerts a year at Eden Park really bring in economic benefits for Auckland? A retracted council document says no. Next week Eden Park makes its costly, final bid to over-ride homeowners' concerns and win the right to stage regular rock concerts - but faces questions over its claims ...2 days ago - Farah Palmer gives All Blacks a run for their money
LISTEN: The Extra Time podcast debate which drums up more excitement - the All Blacks v Wallabies, or the Farah Palmer Cup final? The Bledisloe Cup is yet to be decided. There have been a few changes to both the All Blacks and Wallabies sides and Australia is set to ...2 days ago - Short story: Mallrats, by Angelique Kasmara
"The customer she’s serving is telling her how hard it’s been having to work from home and look good for Zoom meetings": a lockdown saga by Angelique Kasmara The wind’s gone still, it’s my bike that’s doing the groaning. It carries on like this all the way up the ramp, ...2 days ago - Ruby Tui's plans to help next gen sevens stars
WATCH: Sevens speedster Ruby Tui talks equality, mental health, breakfast with a tennis legend and the tough lessons learned from Olympic silver, on The Pod. Although the spectre of the Rio Olympics sevens final loss still looms large for Ruby Tui, the Black Ferns star has other big audacious goals on her ...2 days ago - For French Muslims, every terror attack brings questions about their loyalty to the republicSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Greg Barton, Chair in Global Islamic Politics, Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University After three people died in a knife attack in Nice this week that French President Emmanuel Macron called an “Islamist terrorist attack”, there was a sense ...2 days ago
- Labor politicians need not fear: Queenslanders are no more attached to coal than the rest of Austral...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruce Tranter, Professor of Sociology, University of Tasmania It’s written into electoral folklore that Labor was wiped out at the 2019 federal election because Queensland didn’t like its position on coal. As the story goes, Labor’s lukewarm support for the Adani coal ...2 days ago
- Taxpayers' Union Vindicated With Release Of Napier City's Golden Handshake To Sacked CEOThe New Zealand Tax payers' Union is welcoming confirmation that previous claims by Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise that Council CEO Wayne Jack 'resigned' were untrue. Further, the Taxpayers' Union welcomes overdue public disclosure of the amount agreed ...2 days ago
- As it happened: Referendum results and reactionsThe Justice Minister says it is "highly unlikely" the preliminary referendum results will be overturned on the special votes. See how the day unfolded with RNZ's live blog. ...2 days ago
- Set up national air fleet to fight fires, says royal commission, warning of worsening weatherSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Australia should develop a national aerial fire fighting capability and fuel load management strategies should be more transparent, the inquiry set up following last summer’s devastating bushfires has recommended. In its 80 recommendations, including many ...2 days ago
- The bushfire royal commission has made a clarion call for change. Now we need politics to followSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania The bushfire royal commission today handed down its long-awaited final report. At almost 1,000 pages, it will take us all some time to digest. But it marks the start of Australia’s ...2 days ago
- Covid-19: A Tale Of Two Islands“Taiwan continues to outperform New Zealand in its Covid-19 response,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “While Taiwan allows new arrivals to isolate at home, our Government has done such a poor job of running managed isolation and quarantine ...2 days ago
- The cannabis vote is a defeat for health and justice. And a victory for political spinelessnessLabour is presenting the preliminary results in the referendum on legalisation as an endorsement of the status quo. It is no such thing, writes Madeleine Holden.Unless about two-thirds of special voters ticked “yes” in the cannabis referendum, the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill will not be introduced as legislation. Basically, ...2 days ago
- The Unity Books children’s bestseller chart for the month of OctoberWhat’s the best way to get adults reading? Get them reading when they’re children – and there’s no better place to start than the Unity Children’s Bestseller Chart.AUCKLAND1 Neands by Dan Salmon (OneTree House, $24, 12+)A note on the font: we found it almost impossible to read. Those who’ve persevered ...2 days ago
- The bushfire royal commission sets a strong precedent for change. Now we need politics to followSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania The bushfire royal commission today handed down its long-awaited final report. At almost 1,000 pages, it will take us all some time to digest. But it marks the start of Australia’s ...2 days ago
- Review: Cursed! is a play of outrageous wit and deep thoughtSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Uhlmann, Professor of English, Writing and Society Research Centre, Western Sydney University Review: Cursed! by Kodie Bedford, directed by Jason Klarwein Tucked away at the back of the program for Kodie Bedford’s first play Cursed! is a blurb on Belvoir, mentioning ...2 days ago
- Cannabis referendum: Greens not giving up on 'yes' vote yetThe Green Party's drug reform spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick is not yet giving up hope the vote on cannabis law reform will swing her way. ...2 days ago
- Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Covid-19: Belgium, Switzerland and SwedenAnalysis by Keith Rankin. Belgium has had the highest statistics per capita in the European Union. Chart by Keith Rankin. This week’s charts show three small economically prosperous European countries with similar populations; Belgium has 11.6 million people, Switzerland 8.6 million, and Sweden has 10.1 million. Belgium has the third highest ...2 days ago
- How political parties legally harvest your data and use it to bombard you with election spamSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erica Mealy, Lecturer in Computer Science, University of the Sunshine Coast On Monday October 26, five days ahead of Queensland’s election, many voters received an unsolicited text message from Clive Palmer’s mining company Mineralogy, accusing Labor of planning to introduce a “death ...2 days ago
- Yes, Adele has sung its praises. But the Sirtfood diet may be just another fadSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle The Sirtfood diet has been in the news again this week after singer Adele showed off her slimmed-down figure on US comedy show Saturday Night Live. Adele has previously credited her significant ...2 days ago
- Cannabis: What now for the law and police
Donations of $4.20 a week to the 'yes' campaign weren’t enough to swing the preliminary results of the cannabis referendum to ‘yes’ vote for legalisation The Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill got the thumbs down with 53.1 percent of votes against legalisation and 46.1 percent of votes for it. There are ...2 days ago - How COVID all but killed the Australian CBDSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul J. Maginn, Associate Professor of Urban/Regional Planning, University of Western Australia The central business district has historically been the beating heart of metropolitan regions across Australia. The polished glass and steel high-rise offices, hotels and apartment complexes stand as monuments to ...2 days ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending October 30The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s True Story of the Life-changing Magic of Compassion & Mindfulness by ...2 days ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: A diverse yet narrower Parliament2 days ago
- Cannabis Referendum Results Show That The Government Needs To Be Courageous On Drug Law ReformThe provisional results on the Cannabis Legalisation and Control bill referendum show that the government needs to step up and show courageous leadership to implement evidence based drug law reform. “Of the people who voted, ...2 days ago
- The breakout star of the new season of The Crown is… New ZealandA new trailer for season four of The Crown dropped overnight, and big news, Aotearoa: we’re in it. London-based Māori group Ngāti Rānana has confirmed they were involved in filming a haka scene.The fourth season of Netflix’s award-winning drama about the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II premieres next ...2 days ago
- Euthanasia Referendum Result Extremely Disappointing“The voters of New Zealand have spoken, and we are naturally extremely disappointed with the outcome of the End of Life Choice Act Referendum,” Care Alliance spokesperson Doctor Sinead Donnelly says. “This is not ...2 days ago
- VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on state borders, Australia post, and Doha airportSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and Vice-Chancellor and President Paddy Nixon discuss the week in politics. This week the pair discuss the ongoing disputes between the federal and state governments concerning borders, Australian ...2 days ago
- Cannabis Summit To Lock In Gains Despite Referendum Result“Medicinal Cannabis is set to deliver some big economic wins for the country despite the referendum on recreational cannabis now unlikely to pass. Let’s not forget the majority of companies have not been focused on recreational, rather the medicinal ...2 days ago
- The Friday Poem: Sentries by Lily HollowayA new poem from Auckland poet Lily Holloway.Sentries I’m frantically chasing my mother who weaves in and out of the aisles throwing down craft supplies. I trip over scissors and quick unpicks not seeing her face, only clean ponytail and collar poking out over plum cardigan. We ...2 days ago
- No Vote Not A Vote For Inaction: Decriminalisation UrgedThe cannabis referendum result was released today with 46.1% of New Zealanders voting in favour of legalisation, and 53.1% against. The gap will likely close to some degree when remaining votes are counted, but the jury is still out on whether it can close ...2 days ago
- “Yes” Vote For Euthanasia Puts Vulnerable On A Dangerous PathThe approval of the End of Life Choice Act Referendum puts vulnerable people and those who care for them on an unwelcome and dangerous path, says the ethics expert for the Catholic bishops, Dr John Kleinsman. “For very many people the End of Life ...2 days ago
- Referendum: NZ Maori Council Calls For More Focus On The Health And Criminal Justice SystemThe New Zealand Maori Council has thanked the public of New Zealand for being bold and brave when it comes to the two national referendum questions – one on the End of Life Choice Bill and the second on Cannabis. Speaking to media outlets on the ...2 days ago
- French minister Lecornu holds future talks in New Caledonia retreatFrench Overseas Minister Sebastien Lecornu has held talks with 10 New Caledonian politicians at a retreat near Noumea to promote dialogue between rival camps, saying a new accord will emerge. The minister, who delayed yesterday’s planned departure for Paris by at least two days, convened five anti-independence and five pro-independence ...2 days ago
- Make It Legal Not Giving Up Following Preliminary Result On Cannabis Referendum...2 days ago
- End of Life Choice Group Welcomes Yes VoteThe Yes vote in the End of Life Choice referendum brings a successful conclusion to a 42-year campaign to let terminally ill New Zealanders die peacefully at a time they choose. “At long last, the people’s wishes have been granted,” said Dr ...2 days ago
- Euthanasia Law Will Be A Danger To The VulnerableFamily First NZ says that the End of Life Choice Act – a.k.a. euthanasia law – will be a danger to both the vulnerable and society in general. “It is one thing to say yes to a nice sounding phrase around having ‘choice’, but assisted suicide ...2 days ago
- Prime Minister says she voted 'yes' in two referendumsPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she voted "yes" in the referendums on voluntary euthanasia and the legalisation of recreational cannabis. ...2 days ago
- SATIRE: Drug Dealer's Union Thank Voters...2 days ago
This week’s In the Loop
With articles on:
Friendly American Fascism: Doesn’t Feel so Friendly Anymore
Now, No One Can Save Israel from Itself
Tick tick….
The FBI rejected a recent White House request to publicly knock down media reports about communications between Donald Trump’s associates and Russians known to US intelligence during the 2016 presidential campaign, multiple US officials briefed on the matter tell CNN.
But a White House official said late Thursday that the request was only made after the FBI indicated to the White House it did not believe the reporting to be accurate.
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/02/23/politics/fbi-refused-white-house-request-to-knock-down-recent-trump-russia-stories/index.html
and then you end up with Pence, or Ryan…
currently there is not winning for the US of A.
Next years mid-terms, when the entire House and a third of the Senate are up for re-election.
i am not sure there are going to be mid-term elections.
The Donald sez there’s nobody better then the Donald.
UK labour loses Copeland by election (and seat held for 80 years)
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/24/copeland-labour-stoke-crisis-jeremy-corbyn
Yikes.
A bit of analysis here,
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2017/feb/24/stoke-and-copeland-byelections-corbyn-allies-blame-disunity-for-labours-historic-defeat-politics-live?page=with:block-58b026b3e4b05f755cc0bf1f#block-58b026b3e4b05f755cc0bf1f
The bit that English newspapers never seem to mention in their rush to condemn Corbyn and bag the UK Labour Party is that the Blairite rump of the party that still holds sway in Scotland is sitting at 14% in the polls and isn’t even standing enough candidates in the up-coming local elections (being held in May) to gain control of all the councils where it’s standing (assuming all their candidates were voted in).
Dumping Corbyn and tacking the UK Party back to a ‘New Labour’ path would be such a good idea given the evidence on the ground, aye?
In other news, I’m told that Corbyn meetings are still packed out.And here’s the thing. It takes time for a break through to come from that (some say) old school way of communicating with people you hope to represent. But when the break through comes, it stays solid. (Just ask the SNP)
With No Fair Use, It’s More Difficult to Innovate, Says Google
http://m.slashdot.org/story/322903
So much for NZ innovative edge?