Iain M Banks: Bugger!

Written By: lprent - Date published: 6:34 pm, April 4th, 2013 - 38 comments
Categories: notices - Tags: Iain M Banks

Damn this is bad news. What is it with authors I like? They write too slowly for my OTT reading speed* and they seem to die too damn fast.

Iain M Banks is one of only three authors whose books managed to survive my move into ePubs last year. I kept all of my carefully hoarded Pratchett and Ursula Le Guin (ie the ones that my teenage relatives had managed to return). But some Iain M Banks books got removed from the boxes of scifi that I donated because I was “reading them” at the time.

Anyway, here is his statement.

A Personal Statement from Iain Banks

April 3rd, 2013 in From the Author

I am officially Very Poorly.

After a couple of surgical procedures, I am gradually recovering from jaundice caused by a blocked bile duct, but that – it turns out – is the least of my problems.

I first thought something might be wrong when I developed a sore back in late January, but put this down to the fact I’d started writing at the beginning of the month and so was crouched over a keyboard all day. When it hadn’t gone away by mid-February, I went to my GP, who spotted that I had jaundice. Blood tests, an ultrasound scan and then a CT scan revealed the full extent of the grisly truth by the start of March.

I have cancer. It started in my gall bladder, has infected both lobes of my liver and probably also my pancreas and some lymph nodes, plus one tumour is massed around a group of major blood vessels in the same volume, effectively ruling out any chance of surgery to remove the tumours either in the short or long term.

The bottom line, now, I’m afraid, is that as a late stage gall bladder cancer patient, I’m expected to live for ‘several months’ and it’s extremely unlikely I’ll live beyond a year. So it looks like my latest novel, The Quarry, will be my last.

As a result, I’ve withdrawn from all planned public engagements and I’ve asked my partner Adele if she will do me the honour of becoming my widow (sorry – but we find ghoulish humour helps). By the time this goes out we’ll be married and on a short honeymoon. We intend to spend however much quality time I have left seeing friends and relations and visiting places that have meant a lot to us. Meanwhile my heroic publishers are doing all they can to bring the publication date of my new novel forward by as much as four months, to give me a better chance of being around when it hits the shelves.

There is a possibility that it might be worth undergoing a course of chemotherapy to extend the amount of time available. However that is still something we’re balancing the pros and cons of, and anyway it is out of the question until my jaundice has further and significantly, reduced.
Lastly, I’d like to add that from my GP onwards, the professionalism of the medics involved – and the speed with which the resources of the NHS in Scotland have been deployed – has been exemplary, and the standard of care deeply impressive. We’re all just sorry the outcome hasn’t been more cheerful.

A website is being set up where friends, family and fans can leave messages for me and check on my progress. It should be up and running during this week and a link to it will be here on my official website as soon as it’s ready.

Iain Banks

– ENDS –

Iain’s novel The Quarry has been delivered and will be published this year. For further information please contact Susan de Soissons on 020 7911 8069 / susan.desoissons@littlebrown.co.uk

h/t Nick S

* I usually read at least a book equivalent of fiction per day, plus scan (and sometimes read) most of the comments on this site, a pile of news, and posts from this and many other blogs. I have a real problem whenever I raise my head from writing code to find enough interesting material to read. Iain Banks wrote stuff that was interesting enough that I’d reread it many many times…

38 comments on “Iain M Banks: Bugger! ”

Comments are now closed

Bright Red 1

4 April 2013 at 6:53 pm

christ you must read fast.

Iain M Banks will be a huge loss. As a strong backer of the Scottish Socialists, his Culture novels have been all about how a socialist utopia could be formed, and what would happen at the borders of that society. And he did that with some awesome action and wit and great characters.
- karol 1.1
  
  4 April 2013 at 6:56 pm
  
  Hmmmm Scottish socialist – now I’m interested. Must check out some of his writing.
  - lprent 1.1.1
    
    4 April 2013 at 7:15 pm
    
    Try “Against a dark background”. That is pretty damn good and I keep going back to it… I’m less interested in his work as Iain Banks, but a “A song of stone” is pretty good.
- BM 1.2
  
  4 April 2013 at 7:26 pm
  
  I was going to have a read until you mentioned that.
  - insider 1.2.1
    
    4 April 2013 at 11:01 pm
    
    Ignore him they are not socialist novels. (casual, disinterested Anarchist utopian at best). They can also be very very funny (which almost by definition makes them not socialist)
    
    at his best a great sf author especially much of the early Culture series (he could also be quite ordinary too – Transitions particularly, but Surface Detail, Matter and Inversions disappointing too as stories but still interesting in their concepts. His disappointing is still better than 90% of the genre)
    
    And of course there is the non ‘M’ work for which he is really famous -Wasp factory , Crow Road, Whit etc
    
    A sad loss and a duller future without space ships named No More Mr Nice Guy, Just Read The Instructions, Xenophobe, All Through With This Niceness And Negotiation Stuff
    
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_spacecraft_in_the_Culture_series
    - Populuxe1 1.2.1.1
      
      5 April 2013 at 11:26 am
      
      The problem is that people often read teh Culture as a utopia – which it isn’t really. It’s more a sort of benign dictatorship run by the Minds with very strong Neoconservative tendencies (ie, the clandestine interference in other civilizations to influence them to be more Culture-like)
    - BM 1.2.1.2
      
      5 April 2013 at 7:26 pm
      
      That sounds a lot better.
      I shall give him a read
- lprent 1.3
  
  4 April 2013 at 8:25 pm
  
  christ you must read fast.
  
  Yep. It is a curse* as well as a blessing. I’m not that well known for sleeping a lot or at night. So in my opinion the development of tablets with backlights is the greatest thing I know of for relationship harmony. Now I can read Iain M Banks in a cold clear light on the sofa without the overheads waking up Ms Diurnal…
  
  Bliss.
  
  * especially for trolls.
  - TheContrarian 1.3.1
    
    5 April 2013 at 1:10 pm
    
    “Especially for trolls”
    
    I always to tickled by LPrent’s insinuations that trolls are somehow fearful of him.
    - BM 1.3.1.1
      
      5 April 2013 at 7:27 pm
      
      Stop wasting his time!
marty mars 2

4 April 2013 at 7:33 pm

as mentioned on open mike – very sad news, one of my favorite authors – all the best Iain and family
Rich 3

4 April 2013 at 7:43 pm

It’s even more sad that Iain Banks, the novelist, shares a body with Iain M Banks and is also ill.

Best wishes to him and his family.
TheContrarian 4

4 April 2013 at 7:46 pm

Picked up a copy of The Wasp Factoy in some back alley market in Veitnam some years ago and still have it to this day despite its dog eared pages. A great read.
- Ad 4.1
  
  4 April 2013 at 7:52 pm
  
  World’s best mudflat manslaughter in a novel.
Murray Olsen 5

4 April 2013 at 7:53 pm

I don’t really know anything about Iain M Banks, but his personal statement really speaks to me. I should look for one of his books. Any particular recommendations?
- the pigman 5.1
  
  4 April 2013 at 8:10 pm
  
  Dead Air and Transition are both excellent. I didn’t even realise that he had a body of science-fiction work, but that sort of explains the more grandiose aspects of Transition.
  - rosy 5.1.1
    
    4 April 2013 at 8:48 pm
    
    It’s a damn shame.
    
    You should look for his books, I prefer the author Iain Banks (really awful deeds and the human condition) and my partner prefers Iain M Banks (Sci Fi). For Iain Banks I’d recommend starting at the beginning with The Wasp Factory or The Crow Road.
    
    Later novels like Dead Air run along at a looser, faster pace than the dense, dark earlier ones, imo.
Zola 6

4 April 2013 at 8:22 pm

I am very sorry to hear this. A friend lent me The Wasp Factory years ago and since then I have read a lot of his books – especially his science fiction. I haven’t read any in quite some time though. Time to read some again and get hold of his last book.
I admire the way he faces up to his illness and impending death. For those of us getting older he sets a good example. I hope I will be as brave.
Psycho Milt 7

4 April 2013 at 8:36 pm

Consider Phlebas and Use of Weapons are as good as science fiction gets, which means they’re as good as fiction gets. Although he consistently promotes a view of human life you can’t do anything but admire, he casually and mercilessly kills off characters you’ve come to care a lot about – a lot like real life, when you consider his message included in the post.
- lprent 7.1
  
  4 April 2013 at 8:49 pm
  
  His body count in both of those is pretty low. “Against a dark background” with its casual history of radioactive pollution debris scattered all over an ancient landscape was an inspired way of looking at the long-term problems of remaining civilised. So for that matter was his portrayal of the eventual gordian knot that legal systems tie themselves into – The World Court.
  
  At least the culture provided an outside to emigrate to…
  
  Excession is another one that I go back to repeatedly. Which reminds me I must write that post about why the singularity won’t happen any time soon.
  - Psycho Milt 7.1.1
    
    4 April 2013 at 9:57 pm
    
    Yes, Against a Dark Background leaves hardly anyone left standing in a way Shakespeare would be proud of. And the sequence in which the heroine survives the wreck of her spacecraft was pure gold.
    - insider 7.1.1.1
      
      4 April 2013 at 11:06 pm
      
      As an aside, if you want to read an author who is quite ruthless in killing off sympathetic characters, Charlie Higson’s zombie apocalypse teen fiction series The Enemy is a good example.
  - Populuxe1 7.1.2
    
    5 April 2013 at 11:15 am
    
    “Matter” had a satisfyingly high bodycount
- marty mars 7.2
  
  4 April 2013 at 9:01 pm
  
  Yeah I like those two and I thought that The Algebraist was good.
- Jono 7.3
  
  4 April 2013 at 11:15 pm
  
  I totally rate Look to Windward with its shades of 9/11 and good intentions leading to unfortunate blow back. Use of Weapons a close second if only for the chair. I dont even know how to describe how The Bridge left me feeling.
  
  I got into Mr Banks while trying to survive a six month stint in the islands, my coworker and roomie for the lag having brought a bag full of his stuff up from NZ to help get him through the long hot nights (along with some loud and obnoxious rawk music to drown out the endless hymns and Jawaiian island soundtrack).
Shona 8

4 April 2013 at 9:46 pm

So sad. Brilliant writer. Will be sorely missed etc, etc.
The Wasp Factory is unforgettable.
JonL 9

5 April 2013 at 3:35 am

Been reading his sf novels since Consider Phlebus…

Bugger!

Bugger bugger bugger!
Jenny 10

5 April 2013 at 6:15 am

What have I been doing with my life to miss all this?

Sounds like a great man. I will try to find time to read his novels.

I hope they are as gripping as you all say they are.

Hopefully Ian Banks will give me something to understand our present world.

(As all great art should)
- LynWiper 10.1
  
  5 April 2013 at 8:15 am
  
  Me too Jenny. I will follow all of the above advice as I love a good read.
  
  An amazing, courageous man shines through his statement. Glad to have the opportunity to ‘discover’ his writing.
Doug 11

5 April 2013 at 10:17 am

Iain is the only SF writer I can now bring myself to read after a lifetime of loving SF. Not only can I bring myself to read him, but I can bring myself to reread and reread.

He will be sorely missed. He is of my two favourite authors, both are now going away, one with cancer, and the other with alzheimer’s.
Populuxe1 12

5 April 2013 at 11:18 am

Neal Asher is sort of vaguely right wing, middle brow version of Banks – generally speaking he’s enjoyable if you like Banks’ Culture novels.
- marty mars 12.1
  
  5 April 2013 at 9:20 pm
  
  I like Asher – also quite like Alastair Reynolds
hoom 13

5 April 2013 at 5:00 pm

Banks is so awesome.
Such a shame 🙁

I’ve had so much joy reading his books.
I fail miserably at putting into words.
Rhinocrates 14

5 April 2013 at 5:01 pm

Roger Ebert has just died too.

Well, the rant from The King’s Speech seems appropriate.

I think I’ll start rereading Use of Weapons in pre-memorium.
- joe90 14.1
  
  5 April 2013 at 8:50 pm
  
  His last entry.
  
  http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2013/04/a_leave_of_presense.html
- joe90 14.2
  
  5 April 2013 at 9:12 pm
  
  http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2012/06/the-50-harshest-roger-ebert-movie-review-quotes/
  
  http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=greatmovies_first100
Frankie and Benjy Mouse 15

5 April 2013 at 9:13 pm

Very sad news.
I empathize with Doug about ” a lifetime of loving SF” and Iain M Banks is one Author I currently look for first for something new to read. I still grieve for the loss of Douglas N Adams (too young). I have just resorted to rereading the Disc World series from the beginning to have something to read (apart from the Standard of course).
“The player of games” is one of my favorites for some reason.
ghostrider888 16

6 April 2013 at 5:51 pm

ahhhh, The Wasp Factory, and back up The Crow Road, Complicity too; Whit, Dead Air and The Business await on the shelf… *(it’s a blessing, and a curse) 😉

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Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
4 days ago

Pamphlets at Ten Paces.
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
4 days ago

A land without pier
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
4 days ago

Skeptical Science New Research for Week #18 2024
Open access notables Generative AI tools can enhance climate literacy but must be checked for biases and inaccuracies, Atkins et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the face of climate change, climate literacy is becoming increasingly important. With wide access to generative AI tools, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, we explore the potential ...
Skeptical Science
5 days ago

Ruckus over AUKUS – Labour demands Peters step down as Foreign Minister, but he still had the job ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
5 days ago

Secrecy undermines participation
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
5 days ago

Agribusiness following oil and gas playbook
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
5 days ago

Here’s hoping they aren’t counting on a 100 per cent acceptance…
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
5 days ago

Gordon Campbell on unemployment, Winston Peters’ low boiling point and music criticism
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events: The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
5 days ago

TVNZ and poll results
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
5 days ago

Mana or Money
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
5 days ago

Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Thursday, May 2
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 11:10 am on Thursday, May 2:Scoop: Government sits on official advice on fast-track consent. The Ombudsman is investigating after official briefings on the contentious regime were held back despite requests from Forest ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
5 days ago

The Art of taking no Responsibility
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
5 days ago

The shabby “Parliamentary urgency” ploy – shaky foundations and why our democracy needs trust
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
5 days ago

Jones has made plain he isn’t fond of frogs (not the dim-witted ones, at least) – and now we lea...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the Beehive There we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
5 days ago

Infrastructure & home building slumping on Govt funding freeze
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
5 days ago

Brainwashed People Think Everyone Else is Brainwashed
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
David FarrierBy David Farrier
5 days ago

Peters’ real foreign policy threat is Helen Clark
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
PolitikBy Richard Harman
5 days ago

NZ’s trans lobby is fighting a rearguard action
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
Point of OrderBy gadams1000
6 days ago

Your mandate is imaginary
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
6 days ago

14,000 unemployed under National
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
6 days ago

Bryce Edwards: Discontent and gloom dominate NZ’s political mood
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
6 days ago

Taking Tea with 42 & 38.
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
6 days ago

Beware political propaganda: statistics are pointing to Grant Robertson never protecting “Lives an...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”. As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
6 days ago

Winding back the hands of history’s clock
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
6 days ago

Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
6 days ago

Business confidence sliding into winter of discontent
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
6 days ago

Gordon Campbell on the coalition’s awful, not good, very bad poll results
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
6 days ago

New HOP readers for future payment options
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Greater AucklandBy Matt L
6 days ago

2024 Reading Summary: April (+ Writing Update)
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
7 days ago

At a glance – Clearing up misconceptions regarding 'hide the decline'
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Skeptical Science
7 days ago

TIKANGA IS NOT LAW. IT IS CULTURAL INDOCTRINATION.
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
NZ First Press Release
1 hour ago

Release: National won’t commit to full Nelson Hospital upgrade
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Labour Blog
7 hours ago

Release: Labour calls for fast track list to be released
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour Blog
1 day ago

Release: National gaslights women fighting for equal pay
National has scrapped the pay equity taskforce that fights for equal pay for women and looks at ethnic pay gaps. ...
Labour Blog
5 days ago

Release: More job cuts, fewer houses under National
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
Labour Blog
5 days ago

Release: Children fall deeper through the cracks in Govt cuts
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
Labour Blog
5 days ago

Release: Labour honours memory of Sir Robert Martin
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour Blog
5 days 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
6 days 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
6 days 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
6 days 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
6 days 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 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
2 weeks 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
2 weeks 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
2 weeks 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
2 weeks 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
2 weeks 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
2 weeks 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
2 weeks 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
2 weeks 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
2 weeks 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
2 weeks 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
2 weeks 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
2 weeks 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
2 weeks 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
2 weeks 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
3 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
3 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
3 weeks ago

Ceasefire agreement needed now: Peters
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 hours ago

Daily school attendance data now available
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 hours ago

Ambassador to United States appointed
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 hours ago

New permit proposed for recreational gold mining
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
7 hours ago

NZ and the UAE launch FTA negotiations
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
10 hours ago

New Zealand Sign Language Week an opportunity for anyone to sign
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
21 hours ago

Next stop NASA for New Zealand students
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
22 hours ago

$1.9 billion investment to keep NZ safe from crime
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
22 hours ago

OECD reinforces need to control spending
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Agreement delivers Local Water Done Well for Auckland
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Gaza and the Pacific on the agenda with Germany
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Decision allows for housing growth in Western Bay of Plenty
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Speech to New Zealand China Council
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Modern insurance law will protect Kiwi households
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Government recommits to equal pay
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Transforming how our children learn to read
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

NZ not backing down in Canada dairy dispute
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Stronger oversight for our most vulnerable children
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Streamlining Building Consent Changes
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days 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
6 days 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
6 days 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
6 days 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
6 days 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
6 days 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
6 days 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
7 days 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
7 days 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
7 days 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week ago

Green MP Julie Anne Genter referred to Privileges Committee
Gerry Brownlee referred her to the Privileges Committee over complaints about her behaviour in the House. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 hour ago

Government begins weekly reporting of school attendance figures
Schools should aim to have 94 percent of their pupils in class every day, David Seymour says. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 hour ago

Iran is gaining credibility in the Muslim world and feeling emboldened. This doesn’t bode well for...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shahram Akbarzadeh, Convenor of the Middle East Studies Forum (MESF), and Acting Director the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University Iran’s leadership has been a direct beneficiary of the months-long war in Gaza. With every missile that Israel fires ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 hours ago

‘Uncanny notes that plague this place’: Hagstone by Sinéad Gleeson, reviewed
Claire Mabey reviews the haunting and sexy debut novel from Sinéad Gleeson, who is about to touch down in Aotearoa for a string of live events. When Irish writer Sinéad Gleeson was in Aotearoa in 2018 with her spectacular collection of essays, Constellations, she told me she was working on ...
The SpinoffBy Claire Mabey
2 hours ago

Bougainville ‘other avenues’ report ‘sensationalised’, claims Makiba
PNG Post-Courier Bougainville Affairs Minister Manasseh Makiba has described the Post-Courier’s front page story yesterday regarding a meeting between Bougainville and national government leaders as “sensationalised” and without substance. The Autonomous Bougainville Government (AGB) had warned it might use “other avenues to gain its independence” should the PNG government “continue ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
3 hours ago

Government on track for increased deficit despite fall in spending – Treasury
The government books are worsening as a fall in tax outpaces cuts to spending, leaving it on course to post a sizable deficit. ...
Radio NZ – political
4 hours ago

Luxon and Mitchell weren’t mixed up, they were using girl maths
Where some saw the worst press conference given by the government to date, Anna Rawhiti-Connell recognised girl maths game. Nicola Willis, recently exasperated by comparisons to Ruth Richardson, said she was “a bit sick of being compared with every female finance minister that’s ever been out there.” Some think that’s ...
The SpinoffBy Anna Rawhiti-Connell
4 hours ago

Interim Financial Statements Of The Government Of New Zealand For The Nine Months Ended 31 March 20...
The March results are reported against forecasts based on the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update 2023 (HYEFU 2023), published on 20 December 2023 and the results for the same period for the previous year. ...
Scoop politics
5 hours ago

NZ First MP Jamie Arbuckle, who wanted to keep his pay as councillor pay too, changes his mind
Jamie Arbuckle, the district councillor who became an MP but decided to keep getting paid for both roles, will instead donate one salary to charity. ...
Radio NZ – political
5 hours ago

Jamie Arbuckle MP – Re: My Position As Marlborough District Councillor
This is my fifth term as a Marlborough District Councillor, I am passionate about local issues, and I will continue to work hard for my community. ...
Scoop politics
5 hours ago

Adding gender to the Human Rights Act – what’s the big deal?
Adding gender to the Human Rights Act would simply make the implicit explicit. So why is it so controversial? Paul Thistoll explain. At present, Aotearoa’s 1993 Human Rights Act (HRA) includes sex, marital status, religious belief, ethical belief (meaning a lack of religious belief), colour, race, ethnicity or national origin, ...
The SpinoffBy Paul Thistoll
5 hours ago

Carmel Sepuloni believed to be contestant on new season's Celebrity Treasure Island
The new season of Celebrity Treasure Island is due to hit New Zealand screens later this year. ...
Radio NZ – political
5 hours ago

The cost of being: A flatting student who’s saving for more tattoos
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, an 18-year-old who’s studying and working in hospo shares their approach to spending and saving. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here. Gender: Transmasc Age: 18 Ethnicity: Pākehā/Māori Role: Student, ...
The SpinoffBy The Cost of Being
6 hours ago

'He got it mixed up' – PM backs Corrections Minister despite announcement muddle
The prime minister is backing Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell, saying he "quickly clarified" a confusing media conference announcement. ...
Radio NZ – political
7 hours ago

How the fast-track law could expose future NZ governments to expensive trade disputes
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Kelsey, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Resources Minister Shane Jones has reportedly asked officials for advice on whether oil and gas companies could be offered “bonds” as compensation if drilling rights offered by ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
7 hours ago

Crisis of faith: why Australian women have so little trust in religious institutions
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Gleeson, Associate Professor of Law, Macquarie University Shutterstock The Albanese government is weighing up the costs of delivering an election promise to protect religious people from discrimination in Commonwealth law. Such protections were relatively uncontroversial when included in state anti-discrimination ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
7 hours ago

Terminal lucidity: why do loved ones with dementia sometimes ‘come back’ before death?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yen Ying Lim, Associate Professor, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio Dementia is often described as “the long goodbye”. Although the person is still alive, dementia slowly and irreversibly chips away at their memories and the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
7 hours ago

Making merry: how we brought Melbourne’s Merri Creek back from pollution, neglect and weeds
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Judy Bush, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of Melbourne Adam Calaitzis/Shutterstock I met with a friend for a walk beside Merri Creek, in inner Melbourne. She had lived in the area for a few years, and as we walked ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
7 hours ago

This group rid one Australian river of its privet problem – and strengthened community along the w...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sonia Graham, DECRA Fellow, University of Wollongong Lekali Studio/Shutterstock Privet is a popular garden hedge. It grows quickly and responds well to being pruned. But in natural areas, privet is a problem. Like 72% of weeds in Australia, privet escaped ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
7 hours ago

Australian artists only earn $23,200 a year from their art – and are key financial investors in ke...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Throsby, Distinguished Professor of Economics, Macquarie University Arts companies and individual artists in Australia are supported by government arts agencies, philanthropists, industry bodies, private donors and patrons. However, it is frequently overlooked that a major source of support for the arts ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
7 hours ago

Experts Sign Open Letter To Legalise Drugs In New Zealand
Harm Reduction Coalition Aotearoa, a new incorporated society dedicated to ending harmful drug policies, officially launched today, seeks a new fit-for-purpose drug law for Aotearoa New Zealand, rooted in science, experience and evidence. ...
Scoop politics
7 hours ago

Politics live: Mark Mitchell, Christopher Luxon face questions after Corrections confusion
The Corrections Minister admits he "muddied the water" after he and the Prime Minister repeatedly provided incorrect information about a $1.9 billion prison spend-up. ...
Radio NZ – political
7 hours ago

Messy press conference prompts correction over Corrections funding
It took a post-post-cabinet statement to confirm that 810 new beds will be built at Waikeria, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund
8 hours ago

Politics live: Mark Mitchell, Christopher Luxon face questions after confusion Corrections
The Prime Minister and Corrections Minister repeatedly provided incorrect information about their $1.9 billion planned prison spend-up. ...
Radio NZ – political
8 hours ago

Young Star burns bright for her Fiji family
Lili Tokaduadua was only 15 when she left her family in Fiji to pursue her netball dream in New Zealand. She’d been playing the sport for 10 years and was offered a netball scholarship at Auckland’s Howick College. Now, in her first year out of high school, the 19-year-old defender ...
NewsroomBy Merryn Anderson
9 hours ago

Plucky Foodstuffs crushed by the iron fist of big bicycle
The beloved local grocers lost a legal challenge to stop a new cycleway outside their store. Joel MacManus reports. In the annals of New Zealand legal history, there are a few brave people who have dared to stand up to the powers that be, no matter how bleak the odds ...
The SpinoffBy Joel MacManus
10 hours ago

Seven graphs that show where New Zealand’s food comes from… and where it goes
How what we produce and what we eat connects us to the world beyond our shores, visualised. Walking around a supermarket or vege shop, it might be obvious that everything on the shelves came from somewhere. But you might ...
The SpinoffBy Shanti Mathias
10 hours ago

National progressing changes to NZ Super’s ownership rules
Labour early last year introduced a bill to allow New Zealand’s pension fund to own more than half of a company or asset The post National progressing changes to NZ Super’s ownership rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Andrew Bevin
10 hours ago

Q&A – avian influenza H5N1
Professor Jemma Geoghegan, of the University of Otago, Otakou Whakaihu Waka, co-leads a Te Niwha project aimed at understanding how and where avian influenza could affect Aotearoa New Zealand, as the highly infectious H5N1 virus spreads globally. The virus has now spread to all continents except Oceania and was recently ...
NewsroomBy Dr Jemma Geoghegan
10 hours ago

The repressive underside of Rwanda’s regime
Thirty years on from Rwanda’s genocide, is guilt over the atrocities is blinding the world to the true nature of its current leadership? The post The repressive underside of Rwanda’s regime appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Sam Sachdeva
10 hours ago

World shines a light on NZ’s human rights breaches
Opinion: Last week, important recommendations for our criminal justice system were made by the international community. Every five years, each member of the United Nations has its human rights practices reviewed. This rolling event – the Universal Periodic Review – is the culmination of a government reporting on its human ...
NewsroomBy Christine McCarthy
10 hours ago

The mutant bird flu lurking on our borders
Highly pathogenic avian influenza – H5N1, or bird flu – has been flying around the world since the late 1990s. New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands are so far free of it, but now it’s been discovered in mainland Antarctica and scientists say it’s only a matter of time ...
NewsroomBy Alexia Russell
10 hours ago

Meridian Energy: no need to ‘engage’ locals ahead of fast-track applications
For projects of national significance, the energy giant recommends applicants need only “notify” those potentially affected The post Meridian Energy: no need to ‘engage’ locals ahead of fast-track applications appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Fox Meyer
10 hours ago

How Kiwis are getting their families out of Palestine
Mohammed paid $70,000 to get his 10 family members into Egypt. They still don’t have a clear way into New Zealand. The post How Kiwis are getting their families out of Palestine appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Fox Meyer
10 hours ago

Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 7 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, Tuesday 7 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
10 hours ago

On the legendary Phil Wood of Phil Wood Menswear, Westport
The following interview with auto electrician and former caver Stu Berendt, 68, of Charleston on the West Coast, came about because he was part of the caving team that found the rare and amazing fossil remains of the giant Haast eagle, the subject of one of the year’s best books, ...
NewsroomBy Steve Braunias
10 hours ago

The economic case against conscription
Opinion: How economists helped to end slavery and conscription in the US and elsewhere The post The economic case against conscription appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Dr Eric Crampton
10 hours ago

Can Pharmac do more with the same pot of money?
A $1.8b funding boost for Pharmac still won’t enable it to buy more drugs, raising questions about the Government’s approach to the agency The post Can Pharmac do more with the same pot of money? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Marc Daalder
10 hours ago

Neediest areas are being shortchanged on government funds − even with programs designed to benefit...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eric Stokan, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Maryland, Baltimore County If you live in one of the most economically deprived neighborhoods in your city, you might think the government is directing a smaller share of public funds to your community. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
14 hours ago

Tackling Pacific media’s crucial role in climate crisis and press freedom
Wansolwara The news media’s crucial role in climate change and environment journalism was the focus of The University of the South Pacific’s Journalism Programme 2024 World Press Freedom Day celebrations. The European Union Ambassador to the Pacific, Barbara Plinkert, and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna were the chief ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
16 hours ago

QANTAS has finally settled its ‘ghost flights’ lawsuit for $120 million. What’s next?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Adams, Professor of Corporate Law & Academic Director of UNE Sydney campus, University of New England Last August, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched legal proceedings against Qantas. The consumer watchdog accused the airline of selling thousands of tickets ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
17 hours ago

Contradictions and confusion: More questions than answers at government press conference
The Prime Minister and Corrections Minister repeatedly provided incorrect information about their $1.9 billion planned prison spend-up. ...
Radio NZ – political
20 hours ago

A View from Afar: Buchanan and Manning – A moment of friction
This episode of A View From Afar was recorded LIVE on May 6, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, May 5, 2024 at 8:30pm (USEST). In an analytical essay titled ‘A moment of friction’ political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan wrote how we are living within a decisive moment ...
Evening ReportBy Selwyn Manning
21 hours ago

Can I take your order – and your data? The hidden reason retailers are replacing staff with AI bot...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cameron Shackell, Sessional Academic and Visitor, School of Information Systems, Queensland University of Technology Linus Zoll / Google DeepMind / Unsplash You might have seen viral videos of Wendy’s drive-thru customers in the United States ordering their fast food from the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
21 hours ago

The steamiest movie of the year has almost no sex in it. How did Challengers do it?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Taylor, Assistant Professor, Bond University Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures At the crux of the critical response to Luca Guadagnino’s new movie Challengers is one word: “sexy”. The film charts a love triangle between three up-and-coming tennis players: Tashi (Zendaya), ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
21 hours ago

The Australian public service is letting Indigenous people down. How do we fix it?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Stewart, Professor of Public Policy, ADFA Canberra, UNSW Sydney For years, First Nations people have been telling governments they want to be listened to. In particular, they want more ownership of the programs and services that are supposed to help them. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
22 hours ago

Curious Kids: why do trees have bark?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Why do trees have bark? Julien, age 6, Melbourne. This is a great question, Julien. We are so familiar with bark on trees, that most of us ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
22 hours ago

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announces $1.9 billion plan to make NZ safer
The Prime Minister says there will be a "significant investment" in funding for frontline Corrections staffing and services. ...
Radio NZ – political
23 hours ago

Surgery is the default treatment for ACL injuries in Australia. But it’s not the only way
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Nasser, Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy, University of Technology Sydney PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an important ligament in the knee. It runs from the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia) and helps stabilise ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
23 hours ago

Inflation, education and productivity: Some of the problems NZ needs to fix, according to the OECD
The country is being told it needs to get inflation under control, balance the books, raise educational achievement, and lift productivity. ...
Radio NZ – political
23 hours ago

Live: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's post-Cabinet update
Watch RNZ's livestream of the press conference and follow our blog for all the latest updates. ...
Radio NZ – political
23 hours ago

Voluntary redundancies at Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment bring its tally of job los...
The latest round of voluntary redundancies at the ministry has lifted RNZ's count of public sector job cuts to more than 4000. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

UK Tories perform badly at local elections; Labor still narrowly ahead in Australian polls
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne I covered the May 2 United Kingdom local government elections for The Poll Bludger. The Blackpool South parliamentary byelection was also held, ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Hundreds of cities have achieved zero road deaths in a year. Here’s how they did it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Mclaughlin, Adjunct Research Fellow, The University of Western Australia Matthew Mclaughlin It’s National Road Safety Week and it comes on the back of a year in which 1,286 people died on Australian roads. The rising road toll – up 8.2% ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

What does the new Commonwealth Prac Payment mean for students? Will it do enough to end ‘placement...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanna Grant-Smith, Professor of Management, University of the Sunshine Coast The federal government has announced a “Commonwealth Prac Payment” to support selected groups of students doing mandatory work placements. Those who are studying to be a teacher, nurse, midwife or social ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Education, productivity and emissions: Three big problems NZ needs to fix, according to the OECD
Economic growth is sluggish - and the problems are a familiar list. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

New to streaming: What to watch on Netflix NZ, Neon and more this week
We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+. If you love a dark comedy: Bodkin (Netflix, May 9) An English podcaster, an Irish podcaster and American podcaster walk into a pub and…make a TV show? ...
The SpinoffBy New to streaming
1 day ago

‘Don’t mistake Pacific leaders AUKUS quietness’ as support for NZ, says academic
By Eleisha Foon, RNZ Pacific senior journalist A Pacific regionalism academic has called out New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS and says the security deal “raises serious questions for the Pacific region”. Auckland University of Technology academic Dr Marco de Jong ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
1 day ago

Labour says Government's water plan will see some councils 'left out in the cold'
Meanwhile, the party and National are also odds about whose plan to fix the pipes will cost more. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

The climate cost of your digital life
How worried should we be about the cloud? This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. I currently have a few thousand unread emails languishing in my inbox, mostly old marketing newsletters and piles of unread science journal press releases. I have a similar number ...
The SpinoffBy Ellen Rykers
1 day ago

Three fact-checking challenges in Southeast Asia
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nuurrianti Jalli, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies College of Arts and Sciences Department of Languages, Literature, and Communication Studies, Northern State University Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Southeast Asian governments not only have to deal with the virus but also with the false ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Houston area’s flood problems offer lessons for cities trying to adapt to a changing climate
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard B. (Ricky) Rood, Professor Emeritus of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan Pavement can leave floodwater with nowhere to go. Chengyue Lao/Xinhua via Getty Images Scenes from the Houston area looked like the aftermath of a hurricane in ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

The scaling back of Saudi Arabia’s proposed urban mega-project sends a clear warning to other woul...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Murakami Wood, Professor of Critical Surveillance and Securities Studies, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa The skyline of Riyadh, the capital and largest city of the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia. (Shutterstock) There is a long history of planned city building by both governments ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Many immigrants to the US are fleeing violence and persecution − here’s how the federal governme...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karen Jacobsen, Henry J. Leir Chair in Global Migration, Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, Tufts University The men’s dormitory at a new center for asylum-seekers in Portland, Maine. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images Immigration has become a defining issue ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

LIVE TODAY: A View from Afar – A Moment of Friction
The LIVE Recording of A View from Afar podcast will begin today at 12:45pm May 6, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, 8:30pm (USEST). In an analytical essay titled ‘A moment of friction’ political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan wrote how we are living within a decisive moment of ...
Evening ReportBy Selwyn Manning
1 day ago

How to make the most of oyster season
The Boil Up’s Lucinda Bennett considers the oyster – from freshness to pearls to the joy of shucking your own. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. In Carmen Maria Machado’s short story ‘Eight Bites’, a woman begins her last supper before bariatric surgery with “a cavalcade ...
The SpinoffBy Lucinda Bennett
1 day ago

Auckland University staff appeal over Gaza protest in solidarity with students
Asia Pacific Report A group of 65 Auckland University academics have written an open letter to vice-chancellor Dawn Freshwater criticising the institution’s stance over students protesting in solidarity with Palestine. They have called on her administration to “support” the students who were denied permission to establish an “overnight encampment” by ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
1 day ago

How the Student Volunteer Army is helping high schoolers give back
The Student Volunteer Army is on the march, generating approximately 1.6 million hours of volunteering from roughly 35,000 secondary school students in just five years. For Rebekah Brown, the pathway to volunteering started with her singing coach. With a passion for the arts, the suggestion to volunteer at Acting Antics, ...
The SpinoffBy Joel MacManus
1 day ago

Here’s what happened when I replaced my personality with the Meta AI chatbot for a day
Keeping up with online communication can be exhausting, so Fran Barclay enlisted the help of Meta’s new ‘intelligent assistant’ to respond to all her messages. Could her mates tell the difference? For centuries, technology has ruled the ways in which we communicate. From the dawn of written language, to the ...
The SpinoffBy Fran Barclay
1 day ago

MP Jamie Arbuckle to keep two jobs – and two salaries
Jamie Arbuckle, a councillor who has become an member of parliament, says he has settled into having two roles so comfortably he's going to keep both pay cheques. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

What Australia can learn from Latin America when it comes to tackling violence against women
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luis Gómez Romero, Senior Lecturer in Human Rights, Constitutional Law and Legal Theory, University of Wollongong Fifty years ago, Australian feminist Anne Summers denounced “the ideology of sexism” governing over so many women’s lives. Unfortunately, sexism is as lethal today as it ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

A tax on sugary drinks can make us healthier. It’s time for Australia to introduce one
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Breadon, Program Director, Health and Aged Care, Grattan Institute Leah Newhouse/Pexels Sugary drinks cause weight gain and increase the risk of a range of diseases, including diabetes. The evidence shows that well-designed taxes can reduce sugary drink sales, cause ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

As New Zealand CBDs evolve post-pandemic, repurposing old or empty spaces should be on the drawing b...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jose Antonio Lara-Hernandez, Senior Researcher in Architecture, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images The COVID-19 pandemic and the hybrid work patterns it fostered have changed the way we think about office space, and central business districts in general. While fears ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Nuclear power makes no sense for Australia – but it’s a useful diversion from real climate actio...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Simpson, Senior Lecturer, International Studies, University of South Australia Wlad74, Shutterstock Opposition leader Peter Dutton argues Australia needs nuclear power to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. But nuclear power is not feasible for Australia. It is too slow, too ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Australian churches collectively raise billions of dollars a year – why aren’t they taxed?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dale Boccabella, Associate Professor of Taxation Law, UNSW Sydney There’s a good reason your local volunteer-run netball club doesn’t pay tax. In Australia, various nonprofit organisations are exempt from paying income tax, including those that do charitable work, such as churches. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Iain M Banks: Bugger!

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Iain M Banks: Bugger!

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38 comments on “Iain M Banks: Bugger! ”

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