Goodbye 2019

Written By: advantage - Date published: 3:04 pm, January 1st, 2020 - 8 comments
Categories: australian politics, Europe, International, jacinda ardern, Left, Politics, uk politics, us politics - Tags:

2019 was the worst year for the left since 1979. By then, NZ Labour had lost, Aussie Labor had been removed, and UK Labour trounced.

In 2019, once-mighty forces of reform and redistribution were set back from ranked power contenders to journeymen on the punching bag circuit.

The broadest retreat of 2019 was the EU elections. The European Parliament represents the strongest form of pan-national government the world has seen since the Roman Empire, built over 60 years by centre-left and left governments. The Marxists are all-but gone, socialists in full retreat, centre-left reps defensive and disputatious.

In May’s Australian election, Labor lost the Federal election despite sustained chaos in the Liberal-led coalition (they’re much better in the states).

Seven years have passed since the Democratic Party of Japan – very similar to most developed-world centre-left parties – lost and broke up. After the July election the remnant Constitutional Democratic Party now bumps around the minors.

Italy and Spain are led by centre-left governments in name only propped up by anti-establishment radicals.

The former Prime Minister of France has declared the nations’ socialist party “dead and gone”.

Canada’s New Democratic Party – formed in 1961 from labour and progressive movements, now has 0 Senate seats and 24 of 338 in the Commons (they’ve done better at Provincial level).

OMG to India’s awesome democracy and miserable centre-left.

Even South America’s strong-left parties were chucked in Uruguay, Bolivia, and Brazil, with the Argentine centre-left propped up by the Peronist Kirchner.

In mid-December the United Kingdom’s Labour Party was simply smashed despite strong anti-capitalist policies, great local government success, and Conservative chaos.

Occasionally hope breaks out, as in Portugal. There, the new strong-left government has had a great time reversing cruel post-GFC austerity policies.

As an alternative the only places the Greens register much are in Iceland, Germany and New Zealand. They have concentrated on issues such as the environmental and immigration rather than a redistributionist economic program, in order to gain government with centrist parties left and right.

So it’s most unlikely that the “old left” and socialist-type parties can reinvent successfully at all. The era for a further grand global movement is gone. Occasionally as in New Zealand and Finland fresh leaders arise against the trend.

I won’t miss 2019. With no successor left movement arising since 1989 or 2008, the job of the remaining elected left is to defend and retain the redistributionist instruments it built as long as it can, for handing to new movements largely unseen today. The word is no longer ours.

In the face of its accelerated decline, it’s all it has the power to do anyway.

2020 is our election year. Arise, we have little to lose.

8 comments on “Goodbye 2019 ”

Comments are now closed

BM 1

1 January 2020 at 7:22 pm

The left is losing badly because they're only interested in climate change, minority rights and whatever the UN wants.

They seem to have forgotten about Joe/Joanne average and their concerns, that’s why the left is going backwards at a great rate of knots.

The right isn’t a lot better if I’m been honest, the takeaway though is that politicians don’t seem to give a fuck about the people they’re supposed to represent, career advancement and longevity seem to be the one and only driver for modern politicians.
RedLogix 2

1 January 2020 at 8:07 pm

Not a post many will love Ad. It speaks far too much truth.

The proximate reasons for this decline are varied and numerous. Everything from a media primed to do us no favours, a fixation on fighting last centuries ideological battles, and a propensity to insult the values and sensibilities of the people we claim to represent.

Throw in an underbelly of postmodern nihilism, climate catastrophism, and an authoritarian purity streak … you have to understand why many people would prefer if we weren't at the party. It would help too if we admitted we were wrong about Marxism and we promised never to cross that line again.

Politics exists for one purpose only, to allow people with legitimately different interests and values to agree on common plans of action. If we fail in this it's useless to blame the right, they just blame the left. Blame and shame are expired games.

There is much to do, we need to simultaneously pay attention to building an authentic global governance while giving strong voice to local community. And none of the old ways are working for us. It's time for a truly radical policy I wish to put to you all.

Love thine enemy.
Stuart Munro 3

2 January 2020 at 9:49 am

Meh – defeatism. Political movements are created by the manifest failures of old orders.

Australia is set to be the crucible of a new political movement – people who'd prefer not to be burnt offerings on the altar of late stage capitalism.
Bill 4

2 January 2020 at 11:47 am

When the tide comes in Ad, it isn't as though there's suddenly a discrete wave marking the moment when we say the tides in, aye? Some waves retreat back from the beach at a lower level than preceding ones, but the overall picture is of water advancing.

I just got a picture of young lad Ad stranded on the rocks because he thought the tide was going out when it wasn't. Anyway…

Where you see the left in retreat I see the centre dissolving. And that centre includes the former social democratic parties of the parliamentary left that became hosts for third way liberal parasites – Blair, Clinton, Clark et al.

I'll use the current Democratic Party nominee contest as an illustration to the point I'm making. Bernie Sanders (old school social democrat) has already won that contest in so much as everyone has been compelled to position their platform in relation to his (ie, for or against medicare for all, free college, green new deal etc)

So even if Sanders loses the actual nomination, his win will have been in shifted the political discourse (The same might be said of UK Labour now that Johnson is triangulating from the right much as John Key did…promising investment in the North, the NHS and boosting the minimum wage by a greater amount than inflation ).

Meanwhile, Joe Biden of that dissolving centre in the US is floating the idea of choosing a VC from the Republican Party. Which makes sense insofar as the distance between the alternatives on offer by each party has shrunk to mush (the "lesser of two evils" of 2016). In the NZ context, it was highlighted by Russel Norman referring to the electoral option of Nat and Labour as choosing between Tweedle dee and Tweedle dum.

And so it goes, with pop media pushing the illusion that meaningful electoral options remain between candidates of the centre and the centre. And a part of doing that involves pumping up fairly nasty right wing elements in the public eye that the centre will ride in and save the public from, while working to lower expectations and narrow options by routinely blanking and/or smearing left wing elements eg – Melenchon, Corbyn, Sanders…

Away from electoral politics there is of course all the stuff going on that pop media simply won't report on in any fair or reasonable fashion – eg, the Yellow Vest movement in France that has recently culminated in an open ended general strike that all four union bodies in France are backing.

Sure, 2019 could have been better. For example, it would have been nice had UK Labour not fucked things up, but hey…Boris and Brexit could be the death of the Tory Party. And then there's Bernie 2020 🙂
sumsuch 5

2 January 2020 at 10:45 pm

I thought Thatcher was a spit in the mouth of reality. Bookwork to transfer the cost on to later. The rich have jettisoned their ethics since, and made it almost a work of art. 12 years to nothing we can do about it. 'Trust the rich, sure cunts'. Or, socialism is vital. Or read/see 'The Road ' for our fate otherwise.
sumsuch 6

2 January 2020 at 11:15 pm

It's purely ridiculous last minute fat-stomachism. It's so funny — oh, the complacence. The electorate rears at reality. In no way is it the defeat of demo-cracy. The prob is none of us can talk 'against' the momentary current, no matter how it leads to the falls. The rich have 'talked' convincingly for tosh.for 40 years. The middle-class doesn't have the dynamite of the workers. The worker leaders lost their families for their beliefs.

Socialism is inevitable unless fascism. Which means an earlier end sans better ideals. It's entirely clear now. Strange polies now around aside. God, I despise 84 Labour.
Ad 7

5 January 2020 at 11:58 pm

Seriously annoying when they just take your ideas and just re-write it.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/04/labour-left-failure-worldwide-election-defeat-global-trend
- RedLogix 7.1
  
  6 January 2020 at 10:36 am
  
  In an age of rightwing populism and a culture war partly triggered by the way globalisation has fragmented senses of belonging and identity, both centre-left and radical left should have the humility to accept that neither currently have the answers.
  
  I'd rewrite the grammar of this quote (from your link) to make it clearer that both rightwing populism and the culture war are consequences of globalism. Trump and Brexit being both obvious rightwing manifestations; while the left wing culture war largely stems from a weakening of national identity.
  
  But inadventently Jones has pointed to the root cause of the problem … even if in his final paras he's a bit muddled about it and resorts to a weak 'boomer vs millenial' argument … globalisation.
  
  Industrial civilisation inevitably creates by default a global communication and trading system; we cannot step back from this. Yet our social, moral and political systems have yet to fully catch up. The problem is not globalisation per se … it's that so far we've done it half arsed. And therein lies the opportunity for the left to do some long hard thinking if it wants to reinvent itself.

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Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
6 days ago

Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
6 days ago

Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
6 days ago

'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
6 days ago

One Night Only!
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
David FarrierBy David Farrier
6 days ago

What did Melissa Lee do?
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
PolitikBy Richard Harman
6 days ago

Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Skeptical Science
6 days ago

Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
6 days ago

Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
Bowalley Road
7 days ago

“That's how I roll”
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
7 days ago

“Comity” versus the rule of law
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
1 week ago

Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
exhALANtBy exhalantblog
1 week ago

Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Skeptical Science
1 week ago

At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
1 week ago

Release: 130,000 cattle saved from live export
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Labour Blog
11 hours ago

Central Bank makes clear Government is pouring fuel on housing crisis fire
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
Greens
12 hours ago

New unemployment figures paint bleak picture
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Greens
13 hours ago

Release: National’s job cuts already starting to bite as unemployment rises
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
Labour Blog
14 hours ago

Release: National hiking transport costs for families and young New Zealanders
Weekly expenses will grow for more than 1.6 million New Zealanders as the Government ends free and half price public transport fares tomorrow. ...
Labour Blog
1 day ago

Release: Labour welcomes EU free trade agreement
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
Labour Blog
2 days ago

Surprise: Landlord tax cuts don’t trickle down
The Green Party is renewing its call for rent controls following reports of rental prices hitting an all-time high. ...
Greens
2 days ago

Release: $1.7b for no increase in access to medicine
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
Labour Blog
2 days ago

Release: National should heed Tribunal warning and scrap coalition commitment with ACT
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Labour Blog
2 days ago

Release: More accountability for preventable workplace deaths this Workers’ Memorial Day
Labour is calling for more accountability for preventable workplace deaths because everybody who goes to work deserves to come home safely. ...
Labour Blog
3 days ago

Gaza: Aotearoa Must Support Independent Investigation into Mass Graves
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Māori Party
5 days ago

Release: Working together on consistent support for veterans this Anzac Day
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Penny drops – but what about Seymour and Peters?
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Another ‘Stolen Generation’ enabled by court ruling on Waitangi Tribunal summons
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
Māori Party
1 week ago

Release: Budget blunder shows Nicola Willis could cut recovery funding
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Further environmental mismanagement on the cards
The Government’s resource management reforms will add to the heavy and ever-growing burden this Government is loading on to our environment. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Release: RMA changes will be a disaster for environment
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Labour supports urgent changes to emergency management system
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Labour calls for New Zealand to recognise Palestine
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Three strikes law political posturing of worst kind
The Government is bringing back a law that has little evidential backing just to look tough, Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Government cuts unbelievably target child exploitation, violent extremism, ports and airpor...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Three strikes has failed before and will fail again
Resurrecting the archaic three-strikes legislation is an unwelcome return to a failed American-style approach to justice. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Release: Environmental protection vital, not ‘onerous’
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Ferris – Three Strikes targets those ‘too brown to be white’
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Māori Party
1 week ago

Release: Govt cuts doctors and nurses in hiring freeze
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Fast-track submissions period must be extended
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: Progress on climate will be undone by Govt
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Dark day for Kiwi kids as a third of Govt cuts affect them
News that 1000 jobs at the Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki could go is devastating for future generations of New Zealanders. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Alarm as Government signals further blow to school lunches
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Oranga Tamariki cuts commit tamariki to state abuse
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
Māori Party
2 weeks ago

Release: Quick, submit – stop Govt’s dodgy approvals bill
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Government throws coal on the climate crisis fire
The Government’s policy announced today to ease consenting for coal mining will have a lasting impact across generations. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: Public transport costs to double as National looks at unaffordable roading project instead
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Cost of living in Auckland still not a priority
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Te Pāti Māori to visit Queensland to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
Māori Party
3 weeks ago

Greens look to fast-track submissions on harmful law
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
Greens
3 weeks ago

Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
8 hours ago

Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
8 hours ago

Accelerating airport security lines
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
10 hours ago

Community hui to talk about kina barrens
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
16 hours ago

Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
16 hours ago

Mining resurgence a welcome sign
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
18 hours ago

Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Government to boost public EV charging network
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Independent review into disability support services
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Speech – Eid al-Fitr
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Government saves access to medicines
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Pharmac Chair appointed
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Diplomacy needed more than ever
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

PM announces changes to portfolios
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

New catch limits for unique fishery areas
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Overseas decommissioning models considered
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

New diplomatic appointments
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 weeks ago

Green MP Julie Anne Genter apologises for 'intimidating' actions in Parliament
Rongotai MP Julie Anne Genter has apologised in Parliament after National accused her of intimidating and attacking one of its ministers in the House. ...
Radio NZ – political
3 hours ago

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Anne Summers says we need much more information on male perpetrators...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Prime Minister and state and territory leaders met on Wednesday as the national cabinet to discuss a crisis gripping Australia – the horrific number of women murdered this year. The killings have shocked ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
4 hours ago

Live cattle exports help farmers diversify income – Associate Agriculture Minister
The government is hoping live animal exports will resume next year, but with a strict gold standard in place. ...
Radio NZ – political
5 hours ago

Who were the real courtesans at the heart of Netflix’s Heeramandi?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Radhika Raghav, Teaching Fellow, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Otago Netflix Indian director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for his big-budget Bollywood production, featuring grand sets, star casts, meticulously choreographed dance sequences and lavish costumes, jewellery and furnishings. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
6 hours ago

Police Minister Mark Mitchell heads to Australia to discuss crime trends, youth offenders
Mark Mitchell will be chewing the fat with police chiefs as officers in this country talk openly about the appeal of crossing the Tasman. ...
Radio NZ – political
7 hours ago

Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission Pays Tribute To Sir Robert Martin MNZM
Sir Robert devoted his life to disability rights after living in institutions in his younger years, says Kaihautū Tika Hauātanga | Disability Rights Commissioner Prudence Walker. ...
Scoop politics
7 hours ago

Passing Of Sir Robert Martin KNZM
People First New Zealand Ngā Tāngata Tuatahi is deeply saddened by the passing of Life Member Sir Robert Martin KNZM. ...
Scoop politics
7 hours ago

James Shaw's valedictory – and his new roles
Shaw has bowed out of Parliament, and has already revealed details of what he is doing next. ...
Radio NZ – political
7 hours ago

James Shaw's valedictory – and his new role
Shaw has bowed out of Parliament, and has already revealed details of what he is doing next. ...
Radio NZ – political
7 hours ago

AUKUS: Winston Peters says NZ 'long way' from deciding on Pillar 2
Peters spoke about the military pact in an annual 'scene setter' speech at Parliament on Wednesday evening. ...
Radio NZ – political
8 hours ago

National Cabinet has committed to a range of strategies to stop violence against women, but has it d...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University Violence against women is not a women’s problem to solve, it is a whole of society problem to solve; and men in particular have to take responsibility. Those were the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
8 hours ago

Is bioenergy ever truly green? It depends on 5 key questions
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Allen, Senior Lecturer in Chemical and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of Newcastle Snapshot freddy/Shutterstock Plans to revive an old coal-fired power station using bioenergy are being considered in the Hunter region of New South Wales. Similar plans for the station ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
8 hours ago

Free school lunches scheme to get temporary funding until review is complete
Funding for the scheme is set to continue for the "immediate few years" while officials work out what the alternative programme will look like. ...
Radio NZ – political
8 hours ago

Taxpayers’ Union Slams Secret List Of Judges’ Perks
Responding to the long-awaited release of judges’ special allowances, including free air travel and hotels for spouses, generous sabbaticals, and access to limousines, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Alex Murphy said: “In what world does your employer ...
Scoop politics
8 hours ago

Winston Peters expected to give update on AUKUS talks in speech
Analysis - The United States has unveiled plans to boost the weapons trade with Australia and the UK, on the same day that Winston Peters is expected to sketch NZ's position on AUKUS. ...
Radio NZ – political
9 hours ago

Why did the Voice referendum fail? We crunched the data and found 6 reasons
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Carson, Professor of Political Communication, Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University Since Australia’s First Nations Voice to Parliament referendum in October 2023, diverse commentaries have sought to explain why it failed. But what does an analysis of media ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
9 hours ago

Court hears appeal of Waitangi Tribunal summons decision
Lawyers representing two iwi as well as the Māori Women’s Welfare League on Wednesday asked the Court of Appeal to overturn last week’s High Court decision on the Waitangi Tribunal’s decision to summons Children’s Minister Karen Chhour. The Tribunal is currently investigating the Government’s decision to repeal section 7AA of ...
NewsroomBy Marc Daalder
9 hours ago

Former MPs Louisa Wall, Simon O'Connor claim to be targets of China-backed cyber attack
The spy agencies are being questioned after two former MPs claim they were never informed they were victims of a China-backed cyber-attack. ...
Radio NZ – political
9 hours ago

Kāinga Ora home vacancies 'trending downwards' after minister's letter
The agency recently changed the way it counts vacancies so it is more accurate. ...
Radio NZ – political
10 hours ago

Albanese government flags measures to tackle online misogyny in the battle against violence towards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will introduce legislation to ban deepfake pornography and provide more funding for the eSafety Commission to pilot age-assurance technologies. The contribution of internet sites to gender-based violence was one major issue ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
10 hours ago

Average Hourly Earnings Up 5.2 Percent Annually – Stats NZ
Average ordinary time hourly earnings, as measured by the Quarterly Employment Survey (QES), increased 5.2 percent in the year to the March 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. Annual wage cost inflation, as measured by the ...
Scoop politics
10 hours ago

Job scams are on the rise. What are they, and how can you protect yourself?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dimitrios Salampasis, FinTech Capability Lead | Senior Lecturer, Emerging Technologies and FinTech, Swinburne University of Technology Clem Onojeghuo/Unsplash In the digital era, the job market is increasingly becoming a minefield – demanding and difficult to navigate. According to the Australian Bureau ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
10 hours ago

Two Decades Of Youth Employment And Education – Stats NZ
As of the March 2024 quarter, we can now look back on 20 years of data related to youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET), as collected by the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS), according to figures released by Stats NZ today. "The ...
Scoop politics
10 hours ago

May Day: The Biggest Threat To NZ Workers In 2024 Is Our Government
Thousands of workers attended public events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch today to celebrate International Workers’ Day (May Day), but union representatives are urging caution and vigilance over the Government’s blatantly "anti-worker" ...
Scoop politics
11 hours ago

Unemployment Rate At 4.3 Percent – Stats NZ
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in the March 2024 quarter, compared with 4.0 percent in the previous quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. ...
Scoop politics
11 hours ago

David Seymour wants to stop 'lazily' categorising by race
The ACT leader rails against "lazily looking at everyone through the lens of race" in latest episode of RNZ's new in depth interview show. ...
Radio NZ – political
11 hours ago

Private Info Of New Zealanders Will Be Breached By Latest Government Cuts
The PSA is warning the Government that the sensitive information of New Zealanders held by various agencies will fall into the wrong hands if the latest round of proposed cuts goes ahead. ...
Scoop politics
11 hours ago

Curious Kids: how do sugar rushes work?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Talitha Best, Professor of Psychology, CQUniversity Australia Victoria Rodriguez/Unsplash How do sugar rushes work? – W.H, age nine, from Canberra What a terrific question W.H! Let’s explore this, starting with some of the basics. What is sugar? ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
11 hours ago

Our research shows a strong link between unemployment and domestic violence: what does this mean for...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karinna Saxby, Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne MART PRODUCTION/Pexels Increasing income support could help keep women and children safe according to new work demonstrating strong links between financial insecurity and domestic violence. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
11 hours ago

From Gallipoli to Gaza: remembering the Anzacs not as a ‘coming of age’ tale but as a lesson for...
ANALYSIS: By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
11 hours ago

‘A major shakeup’: the Optus outage has been investigated. What’s going to change now?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark A Gregory, Associate Professor, School of Engineering, RMIT University The telecommunications industry faces a major shakeup following the release of the post-incident report on last November’s 12-hour Optus outage. Telecommunications companies will have to share more information with customers during future ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
12 hours ago

‘There is some properly foul content in this book’: What a bookseller reads
Welcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoa’s booksellers. This week: Eden Denyer, bookseller at Unity Books Auckland. Weirdest question/request you’ve had on the shop floor A mother came in looking for anything we might have on Alaskan bison as that was her little boy’s ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff Review of Books
12 hours ago

Unemployment Data Shows Need For Govt To Act Now
NZCTU Economist Craig Renney said new data released by Statistics New Zealand shows the need for Government to act now, with unemployment rising from 3.4% to 4.3%. ...
Scoop politics
12 hours ago

Polls are nothing if not a bit of political theatre
The outpouring of anger over Maiki Sherman’s hyperbolic presentation of this week’s ‘nightmare’ poll is itself an overreaction, argues Stewart Sowman-Lund. Politicians love nothing more than to pretend they don’t care about polls. This week, deputy prime minister Winston Peters said he didn’t give a “rat’s derriere” about a TVNZ ...
The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund
12 hours ago

Ngāti Kahungunu becomes NZ’s first iwi to call for a Gaza ceasefire
Asia Pacific Report Ngāti Kahungunu in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay region has become the first indigenous Māori iwi (tribe) to sign a resolution calling for a “ceasefire in Palestine”, reports Te Ao Māori News. Reporter Te Aniwaniwa Paterson talked to Te Otāne Huata, who has been organising peace rallies ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
12 hours ago

PNG businesses want grants, not loans over Black Wednesday riots
By Dale Luma in Port Moresby “We want grants and not concessional loans,” is the crisp message from Papua New Guinea businesses directly affected by the Black Wednesday looting four months ago. The businesses, which lost millions after the January 10 rioting and looting, say they need grants as part ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
12 hours ago

Pay bump for politicians: What you need to know
Explainer - MPs are about to get a pay bump, but is it fair and how does it compare to other countries? ...
Radio NZ – political
13 hours ago

School lunches funding likely to be time-limited
It's an approach to funding the government has spent months criticising Labour over - calling them "fiscal cliffs" . ...
Radio NZ – political
14 hours ago

Cum chairs, stolen pay and shitting bans: Workers share their horror stories with us
Happy May Day. Join a union. Q: What’s worse than a staff break room where the only place to sit and have a cup of tea is on a teetering stack of old pornography magazines? A: Your boss replacing the magazine stacks with chairs that are “heartily encrusted with ...
The SpinoffBy Hera Lindsay Bird
14 hours ago

Landlord Government Once Again Pushes Renters Into The Cold
The Coalition is trying to axe yet another opportunity to improve rentals by dropping the Residential Property Managers Bill. ...
Scoop politics
14 hours ago

Ready, set, go in Solomons PM race – Jeremiah Manele vs Matthew Wale
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Former opposition leader Matthew Wale has been announced as the second prime ministerial candidate ahead of the election in Solomon Islands tomorrow. He will face off against former foreign affairs minister Jeremiah Manele, who was announced by the Coalition for National Unity and Transformation ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
14 hours ago

Unemployment rate rises to 4.3%
Fewer jobs are created and immigration is increasing the size of the workforce, Stats NZ says. ...
Radio NZ – political
15 hours ago

The art of the three-day birthday
We get but one birthday a year – why not make it last as long as possible by scheduling as many meals with friends and family as you can? This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. How do you celebrate your birthday? Do you celebrate at ...
The SpinoffBy Lucinda Bennett
15 hours ago

If the industry is to survive, journalists need to convince the public of their worth
A Koi Tū discussion paper released today proposes sweeping changes to New Zealand’s media industry. The principal’s key author, Gavin Ellis, explains how journalists have a key role to play in making others value their role in society. This is an abridged version of a piece first published on knightlyviews.com ...
The SpinoffBy Gavin Ellis
15 hours ago

Government Risks Wellbeing Of Māori With Proposed Cuts To Te Puni Kōkiri
The Government’s spending cuts are again targeting support for Māori with proposed reform of the agency charged with advising on Māori wellbeing and development. ...
Scoop politics
15 hours ago

What just happened to Bonza? Why new budget airlines always struggle in Australia
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Douglas, Honorary Senior Lecturer, UNSW Aviation., UNSW Sydney The history of budget jet airlines in Australia is a long road littered with broken dreams. New entrants have consistently struggled to get a foothold. Low-cost carrier Bonza has just become the industry’s ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
16 hours ago

Free trade deal with the European Union comes into force
The European Union ambassador says the FTA will have immediate wins for kiwifruit, apple, and onion growers. ...
Radio NZ – political
17 hours ago

Violence against women is both a legal and cultural problem. What can we do to address it?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rosalind Dixon, Director, Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, UNSW Sydney Australia is finally having a sustained conversation about violence against women and what we can do about it. It is more than time. Australian women and girls continue to experience ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
17 hours ago

GP clinics are going to pay more payroll tax, which could reduce bulk billing
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne stockfour/Shutterstock Preliminary bulk billing data released this week shows a 2.1% rise in bulk billing up to March. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
17 hours ago

‘Make me a sandwich’: our survey’s disturbing picture of how some boys treat their teachers
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Schulz, Senior Lecturer, University of Adelaide Australia is once again grappling with how we can stop gendered violence in our country. Protests over the weekend show there is enormous community anger over the number of women who are dying and National ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
17 hours ago

Australians lose $5,200 a minute to scammers. There’s a simple thing the government could do to re...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University AnastasiaDudka/Shutterstock What if the government was doing everything it could to stop thieves making off with our money, except the one thing that could really work? That’s how it ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
17 hours ago

Psychological drama, wilderness reality and everyone’s favourite dog: the best of streaming this M...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Harrington, Senior Lecturer in English and Cultural Studies, University of Canterbury The Conversation It seems to be a time of old favourites. This month our experts have recommended two new seasons – the second season of Alone Australia (although ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
17 hours ago

Te Tiriti o Waitangi could be heading home after 'long and arduous journey'
After 184 years, Te Tiriti o Waitangi may be on its way home. ...
Radio NZ – political
17 hours ago

The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is about to peak and could be the best this century – here’s how ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland A bright Eta Aquariid meteor photobombed this photo of comet C/2020 F8 (SWAN) in May 2020. Jonti Horner Meteors – commonly known as shooting stars – can be seen on any night of the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
17 hours ago

Wondering what Australia might look like in a hotter world? Take a glimpse into the distant past
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Flannery, Honorary fellow, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Current concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in Earth’s atmosphere are unprecedented in human history. But CO₂ levels today, and those that might occur in coming decades, did occur millions of years ago. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
17 hours ago

Foreign minister speech tipped to shed light on Aukus involvement
Winston Peters has been keen to dismiss speculation on our involvement in Aukus but will give a speech tonight on the direction of our foreign policy, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The SpinoffBy Anna Rawhiti-Connell
18 hours ago

Will New Zealand’s school phone ban work? Let’s see what it does for students’ curiosity
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Usmar, Lecturer in Critical Media Literacies, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images With the coalition government’s ban of student mobile phones in New Zealand schools coming into effect this week, reaction has ranged from the sceptical (kids will just get ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
18 hours ago

School's struggle with asbestos removal: 'It's destroyed me'
An Auckland school's efforts to get rid of asbestos has been so tough its principal thought of quitting the job. ...
Radio NZ – political
18 hours ago

Hospital hiring has to go through head office in 'short term' budget move
Hospitals around the country are not allowed to make a single hiring decision without the approval of Te Whatu Ora's head office, including for cleaners and administration staff. ...
Radio NZ – political
19 hours ago

Urgent democratic need to save NZ’s journalism ecosystem
A new report on protecting journalism and democracy in New Zealand recommends a levy be charged on global platforms like Facebook and Google to fund media firms undertaking public interest reporting. It also calls for the reinstatement of a powerful Broadcasting Commission to distribute public funding for journalism and other ...
NewsroomBy Tim Murphy
19 hours ago

Unions Celebrate May Day During Tough Time For Working People
On International Workers' Day, also known as May Day, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi and the wider union movement are celebrating the proud history of the labour movement during a tough time for working people. ...
Scoop politics
19 hours ago

'Never a right time' – MPs respond to pay rise news
The pay rises are not particularly great timing when the public is doing it tough, ACT Party leader David Seymour says. ...
Radio NZ – political
20 hours ago

The highs and lows of James Shaw’s 10 years in parliament
From bills to beards, a walk through the former Green co-leader’s time in politics. After close to a decade in politics, James Shaw is preparing to bid farewell to parliament. Tonight will see the former minister deliver his valedictory address, certain to be a speech filled with Shaw’s trademark wit ...
The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund
21 hours ago

Efeso Collins deserved better than what parliament offered yesterday
Two months ago, MPs unanimously voted to give themselves a week off in Efeso Collins’ honour. On Tuesday, most were too busy to give even an hour of their time. The day Fa’anānā Efeso Collins died, parliament felt different. In a building that operates at a breakneck pace, everyone stopped ...
The SpinoffBy Joel MacManus
21 hours ago

What you need to know about the world’s biggest election, happening right now
India’s election involves hundreds of millions of people and is a months-long affair. Here’s how voting works and what’s at stake. The biggest-ever election in world history started on April 19, with more than 10% of the world’s population eligible to vote. Elections in India, the world’s most populous country ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff
21 hours ago

Daily crossword, Wednesday 1 May
The post Daily crossword, Wednesday 1 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
21 hours ago

Boards, don’t just wait for the axe to fall
Opinion: Community organisation board members need to step up their strategic thinking The post Boards, don’t just wait for the axe to fall appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Jo Cribb
21 hours ago

We have an emergency emergency
After the Christchurch earthquake, the then-national civil defence boss compared his experience to “putting a team on the rugby field who have never ever played together before”. Now, eight years later – and following a damning inquiry into the emergency response of cyclones Gabrielle, Hale and the Auckland anniversary weekend floods – ...
NewsroomBy Tom Kitchin
21 hours ago

A body in Devonport
“I had just come off the end of a major robbery case which I had been working on for six months when I got a call on the afternoon of September 1, 1992, that some remains had been found at a building site in Devonport, so I drove over with ...
NewsroomBy Scott Bainbridge
21 hours ago

Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 1 May
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 1 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
21 hours ago

Beef and beliefs: EU diplomat on the NZ relationship
Brussels’ man in Wellington on our newly active trade deal and the shared values underpinning ties The post Beef and beliefs: EU diplomat on the NZ relationship appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Sam Sachdeva
21 hours ago

If not journalists, then who?
Comment: Journalists are very good at telling other people’s stories, but they fall well short when writing about their own profession. Perhaps that is why it is so undervalued. Every successive poll on the public’s attitude toward journalism is more alarming than the last. In the last month we have ...
NewsroomBy Gavin Ellis
21 hours ago

Preterm babies deserve better care
Opinion: A young Māori woman and her Pacific partner arrive at their local hospital by ambulance. She has gone into labour at just under 24 weeks, but the couple haven’t recognised the symptoms – and don’t know the risks of premature birth for their baby. By the time they arrive, ...
NewsroomBy Professor Katie Groom
21 hours ago

Bishop backtracks after fast-track backlash
Behind closed doors, NZ First will be arguing fiercely against any watering down of the ministerial decision-making powers in the Bill The post Bishop backtracks after fast-track backlash appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Marc Daalder
21 hours ago

Boy in the Water: Mum speaks publicly for first time
Emotional scenes played out in the Invercargill courthouse on the first two days of the coronial inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones, in which the boy’s mother was accused of disposing of her son’s body. The second season of Newsroom’s award-nominated podcast The Boy in the Water ...
NewsroomBy Bonnie Sumner
21 hours ago

Goodbye 2019

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