Daily review 27/03/2019
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5:40 pm, March 27th, 2019 - 37 comments
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Labour-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 ...21 hours 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 ...21 hours ago
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Kia 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 ...5 days 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 ...5 days ago
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- International statement – End-to-end encryption and public safetyWe, the undersigned, support strong encryption, which plays a crucial role in protecting personal data, privacy, intellectual property, trade secrets and cyber security. It also serves a vital purpose in repressive states to protect journalists, human rights defenders and other vulnerable people, as stated in the 2017 resolution of the ...2 weeks ago
- Ministry of Defence Biodefence Assessment releasedThe Ministry of Defence has today released a Defence Assessment examining Defence’s role across the spectrum of biological hazards and threats facing New Zealand. Biodefence: Preparing for a New Era of Biological Hazards and Threats looks at how the NZDF supports other agencies’ biodefence activities, and considers the context of ...2 weeks ago
- New Approaches to Economic Challenges: Confronting Planetary Emergencies: OECD 9 October 2020New Approaches to Economic Challenges: Confronting Planetary Emergencies: OECD 9 October 2020 Hon David Parker’s response following Thomas Piketty and Esther Duflo. Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, wherever in the world you might be. I first acknowledge the excellent thought provoking speeches of Thomas Piketty and Esther ...2 weeks ago
- Kaipara Moana restoration takes next stepA Memorandum of Understanding has been signed today at Waihāua Marae between the Crown, local iwi and councils to protect, restore and enhance the mauri of Kaipara Moana in Northland. Environment Minister David Parker signed the document on behalf of the Crown along with representatives from Ngā Maunga Whakahī, Ngāti ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand and Uruguay unite on reducing livestock production emissionsAgriculture Minister Damien O’Connor and Uruguayan Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries Carlos María Uriarte have welcomed the launch of a three-year project that will underpin sustainable livestock production in Uruguay, Argentina, and Costa Rica. The project called ‘Innovation for pasture management’ is led by Uruguay’s National Institute of Agricultural ...2 weeks ago
- 3100 jobs created through marae upgradesHundreds of marae throughout the country will be upgraded through investments from the Provincial Growth Fund’s refocused post COVID-19 funding to create jobs and put money into the pockets of local tradespeople and businesses, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta have announced. “A total ...2 weeks ago
- Health volunteers recognised in annual awardsHealth Minister Chris Hipkins has announced 9 teams and 14 individuals are the recipients of this year’s Minister of Health Volunteer Awards. “The health volunteer awards celebrate and recognise the thousands of dedicated health sector volunteers who give many hours of their time to help other New Zealanders,” Mr Hipkins ...2 weeks ago
- Community COVID-19 Fund supports Pacific recoveryThe Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio says a total of 264 groups and individuals have successfully applied for the Pacific Aotearoa Community COVID-19 Recovery Fund, that will support Pacific communities drive their own COVID-19 recovery strategies, initiatives, and actions. “I am keen to see this Fund support Pacific ...2 weeks ago
- Community benefits from Māori apprenticeshipsUp to 50 Māori apprentices in Wellington will receive paid training to build houses for their local communities, thanks to a $2.75 million investment from the Māori Trades and Training Fund, announced Employment Minister Willie Jackson today. “This funding will enable Ngāti Toa Rangatira Incorporated to provide its Ngā Kaimahi ...2 weeks ago
- Training fund supports Māori jobseekersRapidly growing sectors will benefit from a $990,000 Māori Trades and Training Fund investment which will see Wellington jobseekers supported into work, announced Employment Minister Willie Jackson today. “This funding will enable Sapphire Consultants Ltd. to help up to 45 Māori jobseekers into paid training initiatives over two years through ...2 weeks ago
- Ruakura Inland Port development vital infrastructure for WaikatoThe Government is investing $40 million to develop an inland port at Ruakura which will become a freight super-hub and a future business, research and residential development for the Waikato, Urban Development and Transport Minister Phil Twyford, and Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. The funding has been has ...2 weeks ago
- Appointments made to Defence Expert Review GroupDefence Minister Ron Mark announced today the establishment of an Expert Review Group to review a number of aspects of the New Zealand Defence Force’s (NZDF) structure, information management and record-keeping processes. The Expert Review Group’s work arises out of the first recommendation from the Report of the Government’s Inquiry ...2 weeks ago
- No active community cases of COVID-19There are no active community cases of COVID-19 remaining in the country after the last people from the recent outbreak have recovered from the virus, Health Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “This is a big milestone. New Zealanders have once again through their collective actions squashed the virus. The systems ...2 weeks ago
- Clean energy upgrade for more public buildingsMore public buildings will be supported by the Government to upgrade to run on clean energy, the Minister for Climate Change James Shaw announced today. Minister Shaw announced that Lincoln and Auckland universities will receive support through the Clean-Powered Public Service Fund to replace fossil fuel boilers. Southern, Taranaki, and ...2 weeks ago
- Schools back donations scheme for the second yearMore schools have opted in to the donations scheme for 2021, compared to 2020 when the scheme was introduced. “The families of more than 447,000 students will be better off next year, with 94% of eligible schools and kura opting into the scheme,” Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. “This is ...3 weeks ago
- Ruapehu cycle trails gets PGF boostThe spectacular Mountains to Sea cycle trail in Ruapehu District will receive $4.6 million in funding from the Provincial Growth Fund for two additional trails, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This is an exciting development for the local community, and one that will provide significant economic opportunities ...3 weeks ago
- West Papuans will not ‘bow down’ to Indonesia over independence wish
By RNZ Pacific The United Liberation Movement for West Papua says it is adopting a provisional constitution for a democratic state. The organisation is seeking a referendum in West Papua on independence from Indonesia. The movement’s Legislative Council had been holding its third annual session in Jayapura. It decided that ...4 hours ago - Grattan on Friday: Morrison’s promised integrity commission can’t hide behind COVID much longer ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government can act super-fast on integrity issues when it wants. On Thursday a Senate estimates committee was told the government-owned Australia Post bought Cartier watches worth $3,000 each for four senior employees as rewards. ...6 hours ago
- Does the new Parliament look like us?
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- Skegg warns against ‘complacency, slackness’ over Auckland covid fearsBy RNZ News Epidemiologist Sir David Skegg is concerned at the level of complacency the public and government is showing towards covid-19 since the country reverted to alert level 1. It comes following the revelations that an unknowingly infectious person visited an Auckland pub on Friday 16 October, as well ...10 hours ago
- Gaming the board: Crown Resorts shows you just can’t bet on ‘independent’ directorsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Natalie Elms, Lecturer, Queensland University of Technology What’s the difference between an independent and non-independent director? This question lies at the heart of the scandal embroiling Crown Resorts, Australia’s largest gaming company, which owns casinos in Melbourne and Perth, and is seeking ...11 hours ago
- How Kami is improving digital learning for millions worldwideBusiness is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he’s joined by Hengjie Wang and Alliv Samson, co-founders of Kami.If you have any school-aged kids ...11 hours ago
- E-prescriptions are coming. But what are they? And is this the end of paper ones?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Bartlett, Associate Lecturer Pharmacy Practice, University of Sydney Electronic prescriptions (or e-prescriptions) are being rolled out in stages across Australia after being used in Victoria during the pandemic. E-prescriptions have been common in countries such as the United States and Sweden ...11 hours ago
- It’s time to talk about anxiety and depression in new dads
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- To The Judge, If I Get Murdered; Please Let Me Keep My Humanity
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- Housing a sense of self: for migrant communities, bilingual school programs are about more than lear...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Ngo, Honorary Fellow, Deakin University Footscray Primary School in Victoria decided earlier this year to abolish its long-running Vietnamese bilingual program — where classes are taught in both English and Vietnamese. It will replace it with an Italian bilingual program. Vietnamese ...12 hours ago
- Water Cremations One Answer To Growing Pressure On Cemeteries...13 hours ago
- 600 Million Children Miss Out On Desperately Needed Support During Covid-19Save the Children NZ calls on new government to extend Best Start payments in light of global research as more families feel impact of COVID-19 A new report released by Save the Children is recommending governments commit to and implement universal ...13 hours ago
- The Internet of Things is connecting our world so we can make better decisionsIoT is everywhere – we’ve just got to know where to look. Ben Fahy got a lesson on how to find it.Spark’s Tony Agar has a lot of explaining to do, which comes with the territory when you specialise in the Internet of Things. “I’ve had to explain to my kids ...13 hours ago
- The power of the grand final crowd recalls ancient timesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eva Anagnostou-Laoutides, Associate Professor in Ancient History, Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Macquarie University The year has been a strange one for sports lovers. We’ve seen athlete protests here and around the world. Where big gatherings have been permitted in the US, ...13 hours ago
- Animals Will Be At Risk Of Injury Or Death During Rodeo Opening WeekendThe annual rodeo season opens this weekend with the Winchester Rodeo on Saturday, and the Methven Rodeo on Sunday. Like last year, animals will be at risk of injury or death. Two animals died last rodeo season, both at the ‘Mad Bull’ rodeo in ...14 hours ago
- The cost-cutting consultants cashing in at The WarehouseWith hundreds of jobs slashed and stores shuttered nationwide, BusinessDesk‘s Rebecca Stevenson looks into the controversial restructuring programme at New Zealand’s largest retailer.I still recall as an employee of the former Fairfax Media business seeing a report in The Australian in 2013 which filled me, a junior reporter with an ...14 hours ago
- Queensland’s LNP wants a curfew for kids, but evidence suggests this won’t reduce crimeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rick Sarre, Emeritus Professor of Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia One can always sense an election is looming when law and order becomes headline news. As Queenslanders head towards election day on October 31, the state’s opposition leader Deb ...15 hours ago
- A tale of two minor parties: Lessons for 2023 for TOP and the New ConservativesThey may be poles apart ideologically, but for TOP and the New Conservatives, the election campaign featured some remarkably similar successes as well as failures. On an ideological level, it doesn’t make sense to put The Opportunities Party (TOP) and the New Conservatives in the same category. But their electoral vote ...15 hours ago
- We can no longer ignore the threats facing the Pacific — we need to support more migration to Aust...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane McAdam, Scientia Professor and Director of the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW The effects of a warming planet are no longer far away in time or distance. We are witnessing transformed landscapes, mass extinctions and people on the move, ...15 hours ago
- Explainer: why the government can’t simply cancel its pandemic debt by printing more moneySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ananish Chaudhuri, Professor of Behavioural and Experimental Economics, University of Auckland With the government borrowing heavily to fund its pandemic response and recovery, it has been suggested it could simply cancel its debt by printing more money. That sounds like an attractive ...16 hours ago
- New Demand To End The Private Sale And Use Of FireworksWith the fireworks season about to start and the Cabinet about to be announced, there is a new demand on the government to end the private sale and use of fireworks in New Zealand. Auckland Councillors Cathy Casey and Fa’anana Efeso Collins have ...16 hours ago
- Five successful New Zealand women on how they deal with imposter syndromeA governor general, a microbiologist, a New Zealander of the Year, an Oscar-nominated producer and a comedian walk into a bar. The punchline? They all struggle with imposter syndrome despite being extremely cool and successful women. “I’m the governor general, I have to accept that I’ve done some things right – ...16 hours ago
- Russian fishing crew not feeling too unwell, says Sealord bossBy RNZ News Hundreds of Russian fishing crew at a New Zealand covid isolation hotel in Christchurch are said to be in good spirits and those who have the virus are doing well. Eighteen of the 237 foreign workers at the Sudima Hotel are infected with covid-19. They will all ...17 hours ago
- LIVE: A View from Afar – With Paul Buchanan + Selwyn Manning: New Zealand and Bolivia Elections ...Welcome to Evening Report’s A View from Afar As always, we are joined by political scientist Paul Buchanan and this week we will discuss: In these weeks leading up to the United States elections… there have been a number of countries around the world that have seen voters swing ...17 hours ago
- Here’s hoping our new govt gets the message about intelligence from GSCB’s role in exposing Russ...
Three cheers for the GSCB. It has been lauded by the US FBI and intelligence agencies for its role in uncovering Russian covert intelligence activities around the world. The Minister in Charge of the intelligence services, Andrew Little, expressed surprise we had been named – but this is a wake-up ...17 hours ago - PNG auditor calls for ‘sanctions’ in private probe over medicines rowBy Clifford Faiparik in Port Moresby Papua New Guinea’s Auditor-General has questioned who approved a US-based international auditing firm to audit the awarding of contracts by the Health Department to pharmaceutical companies. Acting Auditor-General Gordon Kega said his office should “sanction” the involvement of any private firm in the auditing ...18 hours ago
- International Media Hails New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s Re-electionTom Peters, Socialist Equality Group 21 October 2020, original url: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/10/21/nzel-o21.html The world’s corporate media has responded to the re-election of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s government for a second term with a wave of adulation. ...18 hours ago
- When officials dance on the head of a pin
As the Royal Commission into abuse in state care continues its hearings, Aaron Smale outlines one graphic set of denials by officials which turned out to be false and misleading. Sometimes the work of a journalist is to convert technical information into something the average intelligent reader can understand. Sometimes ...18 hours ago - New Parliament Demonstrates That Māori Seats Should GoNew Parliament demonstrates that Māori seats should go ...19 hours ago
- Low interest rates are killing the home ownership dream for many – even John Key is concernedSuper-low interest rates are a blessing to those already on the housing ladder. For those still renting and without a deposit, it is yet another nail in the long-sealed coffin of potential home ownership.Last week, when Heartland Bank became the first lender in New Zealand history to offer a home ...19 hours ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – October 22 2020Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Today’s content Labour-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 ...19 hours ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: National’s catastrophic collapse and fraught rebuild19 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Election Day DemographicsAnalysis by Keith Rankin. Auckland electorates have lower populations, on average. Chart by Keith Rankin. This week’s first chart shows the average numbers of votes cast – on and before election day – in New Zealand’s different regions. In principle, all electorates have the same population, with electorate boundaries drawn ...20 hours ago
- Review: Rose Matafeo will make you laugh and make you cry in Baby DoneThe comedian stars opposite Matthew Lewis, the artist formerly known as Neville Longbottom, in a charming new New Zealand comedy about a pregnant woman completely losing her shit. Recently I watched all of series one of Duchess, the semi-biographical Netflix vehicle of comedian Katherine Ryan, based on her life as an ...20 hours ago
- Dunne Speaks: Just Being The Anti-Labour Party Will Not Work For NationalBy any measure the National Party has been the most successful New Zealand political party of recent times. After all, it has won 16 of the last 25 elections, governing for 47 years since first winning office in 1949, almost twice as long as the Labour ...20 hours ago
- How Many Malt Patrons Used COVID Tracer App On Friday?“Confusion is reigning after patrons at a pub may have been exposed to COVID, and the problem is a total failure of the Government’s NZ COVID Tracer app,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “The Prime Minister’s ‘team of 5 million’ ...20 hours ago
- Over 1 million mail-in ballots could be rejected in the US election — and the rules are changing b...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah John, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders University In the US election next month, record-breaking numbers of voters will cast their ballots by mail for the first time. Millions of these ballots will be processed by local election administrations inexperienced ...21 hours ago
- Thinking of ditching private health insurance in the pandemic? Here’s how to calculate if it’s w...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yuting Zhang, Professor of Health Economics, University of Melbourne Almost all private health insurers increased their premiums in October, and have scheduled another price rise for April 2021. As many people struggle financially amid the pandemic, you may be wondering whether you ...21 hours ago
- School of fish: how we involved Indigenous students in our investigation of a 65,000-year-old siteSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Morgan Disspain, Adjunct Researcher, Southern Cross University A recent program for school kids in Kakadu and West Arnhem Land, incorporating traditional knowledge and Western science, is a model for teaching Indigenous children on Country. The Djenj Project (djenj means “fish” in the ...21 hours ago
- At the heart of the broken model for funding aged care is broken trust. Here’s how to fix itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rafal Chomik, Senior Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR), UNSW This article is part of our series on the future of aged care. The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety will hold its final ...21 hours ago
- Why philosophers say solitude can be helpful (even if you didn’t choose it)Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Sharpe, Associate Professor in Philosophy, Deakin University Over the past seven months, many of us have got closer to experiencing the kind of solitude long sought by monks, nuns, philosophers and misanthropes. For some, this has brought loneliness. Nevertheless, like religions ...21 hours ago
- Live updates, October 22: ‘Contract tracing system working’ – HipkinsWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for October 22. All the latest New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz7.45am: ‘Contract tracing system working’ – HipkinsThe health minister does not believe there’s any reason for Auckland’s alert level to change, following news an infectious Covid-19 case visited ...21 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Everyone’s got an opinion for the GreensGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Questions over how Greens should approach Labour relationship, Auckland pub patrons told to self-isolate, and highly leveraged investors send house prices higher.How lucky is the Green party, to have so many people giving advice and suggestions right now? As talks continue ...22 hours ago
- Business & Investing: NZX and European exchange in ETS service
NZX will help develop Emissions Trading Scheme auction platform, plus Kiwis have way less debt on their credit cards ...22 hours ago - Labour's final online ad push: $24 a minute
In the final week of election campaigning the Labour Party was spending $24 every minute on Facebook and Google advertising It was a huge finish. Not only did Labour win by a landslide on election night, it outspent competitors in the last week of campaigning online. In a seven day period the ...22 hours ago - Book of the Week: Jesse Mulligan on Chelsea Winter
Food critic Jesse Mulligan cooks his way through Supergood by Chelsea Winter Dad might have been the only person in Hamilton who truly bought Playboy for the articles. If he knew there were naked ladies in there too well, it never came up, and when he occasionally passed me a ...22 hours ago - Police reviewing mysterious death in Gore
Police are reviewing the case at the centre of a Newsroom video investigation which revealed a substandard inquiry into the death of a three-year-old Southland boy. Melanie Reid and Bonnie Sumner report WATCH: Melanie Reid's video investigation Police have confirmed they are conducting a review into the case relating to ...23 hours ago - 1980 Moscow boycott still hurts Kiwi gymnast
When the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were postponed, those who would have known just how the New Zealand team felt were the athletes selected for the 1980 Moscow Games. Their dreams were shattered 40 years earlier by a boycott - and 34 of those Kiwi athletes never got the chance to compete ...23 hours ago - Who the hell is Gideon Rozner, anyway?
Cindy Baxter looks into the background and associations of the author of a stark attack on re-elected Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern As I read the outrage at the negative outlier of an article about Jacinda Ardern’s victory in The Australian, I thought it was worth putting this piece into ...23 hours ago - Lion linked to Myanmar human rights abuses
The parent company of NZ’s largest beverage provider has been implicated in the funding of genocide. ...23 hours ago - Aussies stand by to fly on over
Australians are queuing up to go on a safe overseas holiday. Ross Stitt argues that New Zealand is missing out on a potential bonanza if it doesn't join the travel bubble. The much-anticipated Trans-Tasman ‘travel bubble’ has finally arrived. Sort of … Travellers from New Zealand are now allowed quarantine-free ...23 hours ago - Why New Plymouth voters went for Labour
After the Government announced a surprise ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration in 2018, the New Plymouth electorate looked like a sure thing for National. What changed? ...23 hours ago - W R Peters loans $60k to NZ First
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- Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: Covid-19 and the Swiss cheese systemThe effort to defeat the coronavirus relies on many layers of defence. Or, let’s call them, slices of cheese.One thing that has really irked me during Covid-19 has been the labelling of any mistake in our systems or any unexpected transmission of the virus as a failure. Yes, I understand ...24 hours ago
- Auckland's cone zone
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- At the highwater mark with little wriggle room
This Government’s work, its future successes and its failures, will now all sit fairly and squarely on the shoulders of the Labour Party. ...1 day ago - The US is taking on Google in a huge antitrust case. It could change the face of online searchSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katharine Kemp, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, UNSW, and Academic Lead, UNSW Grand Challenge on Trust, UNSW The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google for unlawful monopolisation. The department says Google’s conduct harms competition and consumers, ...1 day ago
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- NSW needs to prohibit religious discrimination, but not like thisSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liam Elphick, Adjunct Research Fellow, Law School, University of Western Australia It has long been a glaring problem that the New South Wales Anti-Discrimination Act (ADA) does not prohibit religious discrimination. One Nation’s Mark Latham recently proposed a new Religious Discrimination Bill. ...2 days ago
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- Green Party: 'Fruitful discussions … further discussions to have'The Green Party says there is a negotiation going on with the Labour Party, but there are more discussions to be had. ...2 days ago
- The online support club that helps the newly redundant through a scary timeCovid-19 has shoved New Zealand’s economy into recession, prompting a whole lot of businesses to downsize and slash their workforce. That’s why a support club has been formed to help the newly unemployed to get back on their feet.Redundancy can hit like a ton of bricks. The shock, uncertainty, the ...2 days ago
- Police Continue To Ignore Their Own Pursuits PolicyA police crash during a pursuit in Masterton in the early hours of Wednesday morning suggests the police are simply ignoring their own pursuits policy, says the car review website dogandlemon.com . Editor Clive Matthew-Wilson, who is an outspoken road safety ...2 days ago
- Green Party provide update after election resultsThe Green Party is speaking to media amid speculation over possible negotiations about a coalition deal. ...2 days ago
- Houses (and their prohibitive prices) will be high in Ardern’s considerations as she appoints her ...
One of the strange outcomes of the Covid-19 pandemic has been the surge in house prices, not just in Auckland but through the rest of the country. It’s a phenomenon that runs contrary to past experience when the economy has slipped into recession. Many authorities say booming house prices are ...2 days ago - Calls for Labour to fast-track child poverty mandateAnti-poverty campaigners are urging Labour to move fast and use its massive electoral support to forcefully tackle inequality. ...2 days ago
- Indigenous leadership presents a new way of looking at the changed worldDon Rowe meets the post-graduate students putting tikanga and kaupapa Māori at the centre of learning how to lead. The planet is in trouble. Since the time of the industrial revolution, the Western world has become increasingly enthralled and enchanted by the pursuit of economic and individualistic success. Power, prestige, and ...2 days ago
- The tale of ‘habitual criminal’ William King: a Black life in Victoria’s white justice systemSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alana Piper, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Technology Sydney The Black Lives Matters movement in the United States and Australia has drawn welcome attention to Black deaths in the criminal justice system. Such fatalities are extreme manifestations of a long history of ...2 days ago
Major NZ advertisers ask FB for changes to the livestreaming platform or a
complete suspension of livestreaming. They are calling on the international
advertising community to join its boycott of Facebook advertising.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12216205
I’d bet the majority of them will be back regardless of what Facebook do.
Their bottom line will be more important than their virtue signalling.
Grumble fart, grumble fart.
Nixon released edited transcripts of the White House tapes.
Didn’t work out too flash for him.
Attorney General William Barr will send the special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on the Russia investigation to the White House before the public sees it, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said Tuesday.
Graham said Barr told him he would send the report to the White House first in case it wants to claim executive privilege over any parts.
Mueller’s full report is likely to contain crucial details about the motivations behind the myriad contacts and meetings President Donald Trump’s associates had with Russians, as well as Trump’s repeated deference to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump’s defence lawyers have previously said they want a chance to review and “correct” the Mueller report before it’s made public.
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/barr-mueller-report-white-house-executive-privilege-2019-3?r=US&IR=T
The Allman Brothers Band began rehearsals fifty years ago today.
Coincidentally my Allman Bros compilation has been playing from the SD drive in my Outlander the past few days. Mitsubishi put in the best hifi sound I’ve yet encountered in car audio. Always a superb aural experience…
There’s a good little consumer franky.
What’s the chances of we at TS using a different terminology to “white supremist” to me it implies an acceptance of supremacy.
If we can change the description here, who knows, perhaps we can influence others also.
I personally prefer to describe them as “fascist faction”. What ya,reckon ??
They adopted the nationalist moniker themselves to get around the supremacist bit.
But hey, if you want to follow their lead because….
Ersatz Nazi works for me
Danuta Danielsson knew.
https://twitter.com/historylvrsclub/status/1017830819866595328
Me mum!
Yo momma!
HAHAHA !
Lead lined handbags can hurt !
WHACK !
I like the pic was my suggestion years ago when they had kids going to school hungry. The council pulled the trees we planted. So simple but who makes money discard idea.
I’ll always remember when, in the 70s a friend of mine suggested at a Ponsonby Community Committee meeting that we plant fruit trees on the streets. A middle aged matron announced firmly that we couldn’t do that because the children would eat the fruit! Stunned silence – lol
In the 70s, said matron may have spoken unintended wisdom – the fruit may have contained significant amounts of the lead that was put in the petrol back then.
A reasonable concern. Valid in respect of lead in soot particles adhering to the skin of apples, from vehicle exhausts.
In 1979 I produced a survey of lead pollution in Auckland city for the Environmental Laboratory of the Health Department. Testing of carrots grown in gardens adjacent to house walls painted with leaded paint showed the intake was sufficiently minimal compared to soil lead content to suggest no valid reason for concern. The carrot skin seemed to operate as impermeable to lead molecules, or the lead remained bound to soil, or both. If kids washed the apples before eating, they’d likely be safe. Kids don’t!
Roadside distance profiling showed that lead from exhausts mostly collected in the gutter. I was instructed to sample there plus various distances from a busy road through farm land up to 100m, and graph the results that came back from the testing. There was a spectacular drop-off with distance. Therefore the low-hanging fruit are the ones most likely to be toxic. What kids grab.
Send in the capybaras first (for the sake of the children!)
Meanie! They’re so cute. 😢
Cute? If you like to live in the Fire Swamp and frolic with Rodents of Unusual Size!
Rodents of unusual size, huh.
Bloody Norah!
There’s enough meat on ’em to be worth eating. Dude’s holding one about 10 seconds into the vid.
https://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article209144049.html
Yummm! Nutritious.
Auckland Transport is quite unequivocal about the planting of fruit trees on the berms. (that they no longer maintain BTW.)
Time for some guerilla gardening for the forward thinkers…
Reasons I’ve heard for not planting fruit (and nuts) on berms.
Maintenance.
Mess on pavements.
Attracts rodents.
Smell.
Reasons I think they’re not saying:
BAU doesn’t like people not buying fruit that’s been on a world tour sponsored by oil before being packaged in plastic and driven around your town.
Big local growers can twist arms to ensure the apples kids eat come from them. For a price.
Because business interests override the common good.
Had a great peach season and now the feijoas are coming in. Macadamias are starting to drop and bananas ripening. So much basil.
Macadamia and basil pesto. Go trees!
I met a guy, an old guy, who sneaked into the Red Zone in Christchurch and planted 1000 nectarine stones…
Do it anyway (that’s my advice) 🙂
Guerrilla gardening:
What a great bit of history. Thanks.
There are quite a few fruit trees in the red zone that locals and foragers collect from. It’s one of the many wonderful things about the river corridor aka the red zone. The walnuts are just coming in now and there are still pears and apples to be had. Looking forward to the figs and feijoas!!
Strike, while the iron is hot!
oh
https://tttthreads.com/thread/1110629372451389440.html?refreshed=yes
https://vault.fbi.gov/trump-organization
Greens getting irritated with Labour foot-dragging. Not yet sufficiently to accuse Labour of mere virtue-signalling – kinda just firing a warning shot across their bow. Not the Greens in parliament either – they could be the next target – it’s the wild lot out there in the hinterland…
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/03/six-months-overdue-mining-on-conservation-land-discussion-document-still-not-released.html
Wellington should lead the way with a fruit tree trial as part of community preparedness. Hell of a lot easier to have them here than bring them in after a disaster.
Unfortunately theft happened in the middle of the night, and I doubt we will see more fruit trees in the Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington. They weren’t even ripe but such is the sense of scarcity in our community that unripe free apples are better than no apples at all.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12003340
“Capitalism’s grow-or-die imperative stands radically at odds with ecology’s imperative of interdependence and limit. The two imperatives can no longer coexist with each other; nor can any society founded on the myth that they can be reconciled hope to survive. Either we will establish an ecological society or society will go under for everyone, irrespective of his or her status.” ~ Ursula K Leguin
I thought of fruit trees in public when I was a kid,… then I stopped and thought,… all the money to prune and train em, then the obligatory spraying for pests which would affect orchards…
Mind you ,… it would provide employment .
But there’d still be a lot of waste on the ground,… oh well..