Open mike 06/01/2021
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6:00 am, January 6th, 2021 - 28 comments
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- South Island areas prioritised in tourism fundFive South Island areas are prioritised in the latest round of decisions from a tourism fund that is supporting infrastructure projects from Cape Reinga to Stewart Island and the Chathams. Tourism Minister Stuart Nash has announced details of 57 nationwide projects to receive support from the Tourism Infrastructure Fund (TIF). ...1 week ago
- New code sets clear expectations for learner safety and wellbeing in tertiary educationA new code of practice for the pastoral care of domestic tertiary and international students will be in place from January next year, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today The code, which makes clear that creating an environment that supports learning and wellbeing is a shared responsibility between tertiary providers, ...1 week ago
- First TAB New Zealand Board appointments announcedThe members of the first TAB NZ Board come with experience in racing and sport administration, business and governance, the betting industry, broadcasting and gambling harm minimisation. “This Board will progress from the excellent work done by the interim board, put in place in August 2020,” Grant Robertson said. “The ...1 week ago
- Northland Maori Pathways initiative introducedThe Government has today launched Māori Pathways at Northland Region Corrections Facility, a ground-breaking series of initiatives designed in partnership with Māori to reduce re-offending and improve outcomes for whānau. A key part of the Hōkai Rangi strategy, Māori Pathways looks to achieve long-term change and involves a number of ...1 week ago
- Extended Essential Skills visas being rolled outTwo year Essential Skills visa to provide certainty to at least 18,000 visa holders Streamlined application process to benefit at least 57,000 visa holders The Government is increasing the duration of some Essential Skills visas and streamlining the application process to provide more certainty to employers and visa holders while ...1 week ago
- Pause to Quarantine Free Travel from Victoria to New ZealandQuarantine Free Travel from Victoria to New Zealand will be paused from 1.59am (NZT) Friday, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has announced. The decision follows updated public health advice from New Zealand officials and a growing number of cases and locations of interest. The pause will run for at least ...1 week ago
- Hydrogen arrangement signed with SingaporeThe signing of an Arrangement of Cooperation on low-carbon hydrogen with Singapore heralds the start of greater collaboration between it and New Zealand as both countries transition towards low carbon economies, says Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods. The cooperation arrangement between New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment ...1 week ago
- Hydrogen agreement signed with SingaporeThe signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation on low-carbon hydrogen with Singapore signals the start of greater collaboration between the two countries as they transition towards low carbon economies, says Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods. The cooperation agreement between New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and ...1 week ago
- Speech to LGNZ ConferenceKia ora koutou katoa and thank-you for the invitation to speak to you all today. I would like to acknowledge Local Government New Zealand President Stuart Crosby, and Chief Executive, Susan Freeman-Greene, Te Maruata Chair, Bonita Bigham, and our host, Mayor John Leggett. I also acknowledge all the elected members ...1 week ago
- Government to provide support for water reforms, jobs and growthThe Government today announced a $2.5 billion package to support local government transition through the reforms to New Zealand’s drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services. The package will also stimulate local economies while creating jobs and unlocking infrastructure for housing. “New Zealand’s water systems are facing a significant crisis and ...1 week ago
- Government Initiatives Contribute to Fall in Benefit NumbersMinister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni has welcomed the release of the June quarter Benefit Statistics which show a continuing fall in the number of people receiving a Main Benefit. “This Government’s plan to increase work focused support for Jobseekers is paying off,” Carmel Sepuloni said. “All up Benefit numbers ...1 week ago
- Tourism support package continues rolloutMental wellbeing support is being rolled out to five South Island communities most affected by the absence of international tourists. Tourism Minister Stuart Nash today announced details of how tourism operators and communities can access the help announced in May as part of the government’s $200 million Tourism Communities: Support, ...2 weeks ago
- NZ-PNG Sign Statement of PartnershipNew Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape signed the first ever New Zealand - Papua New Guinea Statement of Partnership today. “This new Statement of Partnership reflects the importance we place on the close economic, cultural and people-to-people links our two countries have ...2 weeks ago
- Further advice being sought on new cases in VictoriaFurther advice is being sought from public health officials following seven new positive cases of COVID-19 in Victoria today, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. “There are also a growing number of locations of interest that are of concern, including a sports stadium on Saturday and several pubs,” Chris Hipkins ...2 weeks ago
- Christchurch Learning Community Hubs supporting ethnic familiesAs part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to working with the victims and those affected by the March 15 terror attacks, today Associate Minister of Education Hon Jan Tinetti released the report ‘Voices from the Ōtautahi’ on the Christchurch Learning Community Hubs. “It’s so important we continue to support the ...2 weeks ago
- Hundreds more hands funded to work for natureSupporting biodiversity protection through community-led projects and on private property will create at least 500 more jobs under the Mahi mō te Taiao/Jobs for Nature programme, Minister of Conservation Kiritapu Allan announced today. “The work we are funding includes everything from pest control and restoration planting to plant propagation, skill ...2 weeks ago
- Saliva testing expansion for frontline border workersAll frontline border workers who are required to be regularly tested for COVID-19 will soon be able to choose regular saliva testing as a full replacement for nasopharyngeal testing, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has announced. Saliva testing will be expanded as an option for all those on a regular ...2 weeks ago
- Government consults on freshwater farm planThe Government is inviting farmers and growers to provide their practical ideas to help develop high-quality and workable freshwater farm plans, in line with its freshwater goals said Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor and Environment Minister David Parker. The ministers today released the consultation documents for freshwater farm plans and stock exclusion low slope maps. Comment is being sought on a new, more ...2 weeks ago
- Increased support for midwivesNew measures to help bolster the midwifery workforce as they care for the next generation of New Zealanders, have been announced today by Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall. “New Zealand’s midwives are committed to the wellbeing of women and whānau, but they’re facing significant challenges. The DHB midwifery ...2 weeks ago
- Prime Minister's Speech to NZIIA Annual ConferenceLadies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, ata mārie, tēnā koutou katoa. It’s a great pleasure to attend an event on such an important topic as New Zealand’s future in the Indo-Pacific region. Thank you to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs for bringing this hui together. I am encouraged to ...2 weeks ago
- ‘God, not my girls’: Auckland councillor receives bomb threat following TV show criticism
Fa’anana Efeso Collins says he has been reflecting on his future in politics after death threats were made against him and his family in response to comments about Police Ten 7. Justin Latif reports. “God, not my girls” is the thought that immediately ran through Fa’anana Efeso Collins’ mind as he ...10 hours ago - Gay law reform: a tactics masterclass
The House: Thirty five years later, Fran Wilde and Trevor Mallard discuss the campaign, strategy and tactics involved in the 1985-86 campaign to legalise gay sex. ...13 hours ago - An ode for … Lorde
New Zealand's semi-detached poet laureate composes an ode for Solar Ella One Lorde to rule them A weird and uncanny mood falls upon the land of the long white nitrate plume. On both sides of the Great Wall of the Polls, premonition hangs, heavy as a ...16 hours ago - Our IVF storyWhen Jana Te Nahu Owen and her wife began their fertility journey, they never imagined that it was the start of a three-year battle to conceive. Today is World IVF day. It’s also 15 months since our beautiful pēpi was born. I remember it well, like a surreal dream inside ...16 hours ago
- How the whiff of cow shit led me to travel the land of Milk and MoneyA six-part documentary series investigating New Zealand’s dairy industry, Milk and Money, launches on TVNZ OnDemand today. Journalist and host of the series Baz Macdonald explains why he made it.About a year ago I was sitting on the coast of Riverton, a tiny seashore village in Southland, and all I ...17 hours ago
- The Sunday Essay: Mariposa, the Mexican feminist street dogWhile north of the border Trump speaks of bad hombres and building walls, Julie Hill befriends a dog named Butterfly. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New ZealandOriginal illustrations by Amane & Me.Once, this town was called the Place of Dogs, and by night, dogs are ...17 hours ago
- Not declaring the Great Barrier Reef as ‘in danger’ only postpones the inevitable
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon C. Day, PSM, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University Shutterstock After much anticipation, the World Heritage Committee on Friday decided against listing the Great Barrier Reef as “in danger”. The ...20 hours ago - Very genki, slightly kitsch, occasionally compelling: the Olympic opening ceremony put humanity in c...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Mercer, Associate Professor of Theatre Arts, Curtin University The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images The rising of the Japanese flag and the singing of the national anthem is the first moment of stillness. Devoid of external commentary, before a ...24 hours ago
- The birth of a movement that divided NZ – and changed us foreverAs New Zealand marks 40 years since the Springbok tour that changed everything, we republish this essay by Trevor Richards, founding chairperson of Hart – Halt All Racist Tours.Originally published in 2019, on the 50th anniversary of the anti-apartheid group’s formation.It has been said that if you can remember the ...1 day ago
- Not all workers will benefit from new sick leave entitlements – and only some projects are favoure...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood is braying about new labour legislation “bringing benefits to both businesses and employees” and “delivering on a key manifesto commitment to help Kiwis and workplaces stay healthy”. Actually, employers are doing the delivering. If they don’t deliver, it is fair to suppose, they ...1 day ago - Radicalism mixed with openness: how Desmond Tutu used his gifts to help end ApartheidSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew McGowan, Dean and President of Berkeley Divinity School, Yale University AAP/EPA/Nic Bothma This piece is part of a new series in collaboration with the ABC’s Saturday Extra program. Each week, the show will have a “who am I” quiz ...1 day ago
- Podcast: Hate speech debate gets mired in politicsFocus on Politics - "Our communities suffered greatly and politicising it is actually demeaning". Minorities are growing frustrated at the direction hate speech debate has gone, Anneke Smith reports. ...1 day ago
- Forget Tokyo. For me, the real opening ceremony was in the TVNZ studioHow did TVNZ’s Olympic team warm us up for last night’s big event? Tara Ward tunes in. I am an athlete in my prime, and sleep is for losers. The Tokyo Olympics 2020 launched yesterday, and although the opening ceremony began deep into the New Zealand night, I was ready. I’d ...2 days ago
- Controlled digital lending – is it ‘piracy’?
Copyright lawyer Michael Wolfe argues that the future of our libraries does not hinge on the outcome of an American court case The National Library is sending books removed from its collections to the Internet Archive, a charitable library in the United States, to see them digitised and preserved in ways ...2 days ago - Changing South: World peace easier than fixing damaged house
Kate Dewes fought for peace on the global stage, but trying to get her earthquake-damaged home in Christchurch repaired “nearly finished me” Kate Dewes is a peace negotiator of global standing. A long-time activist for disarmament, she successfully lobbied for New Zealand’s Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act, ...2 days ago - Short story: The Day in Bed, by James Courage
A classic short story from 1959 by the great North Canterbury writer James Courage In the middle of the morning, an hour after the doctor's car had left the farm-house, the man lying in bed heard his wife's voice calling to him half-way up the stairs: "Jonathan, will you have ...2 days ago - Freedom For All
New Conservative stands for Human Rights, freedom for all, our freedom, and freedom as stated in the NZ Bill of Rights Act. Our Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, is working hard to silence the words we speak through so-called ‘hate speech’ laws so we ...2 days ago - Ted Lasso is the heartfelt comedy the world needs right nowA new season of the charming US-UK comedy arrived on Apple TV+ last night, and Ted fans could not be more excited. But why does everyone love Ted Lasso so much? Ted Lasso wants us to believe. He also wants us to be as wise as a goldfish, but mostly, ...2 days ago
- Your queer Chinese-New Zealand teenage fantasy: How we wrote Yang/Young/杨Yang/Young//杨 is a brand-new Gen-Z coming-of-age story with a Kiwi-Asian twist, part of Auckland Theatre Company’s Here & Now Festival. Co-writer Sherry Zhang reflects on writing her first play. I never thought I’d write a play. In a scene that puts High School Musical’s Troy Bolton to shame, I chose the ...2 days ago
- ‘Don’t tell me how to run the ball’: Louisa Wall on forging her own path in politicsShe’s more visible than many cabinet ministers, but Louisa Wall languishes on the Labour backbench. Justin Giovannetti catches up with the outspoken MP and asks: why is she not getting the promotions?It’s hard to imagine someone better placed to be at the heart of a progressive centre-left government than an ...2 days ago
- Pfizer doses to be spaced out in NSW crisis, but state fails to get change in vaccination programSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra AAP/Mick Tsikas Pfizer doses in NSW will be spaced out to enable more first jabs to be administered quickly, as the Berejiklian government on Friday declared the Sydney COVID crisis a “state of ...2 days ago
- The Tokyo Lowdown: Day Zero
In your daily guide recapping the fortunes of Kiwi sportswomen at the Tokyo Olympics, our rowers had an up and down Day Zero. Performance of the day Emma Twigg took the first strokes on her row to Olympic redemption. Fourth in London, fourth in Rio, Twigg came out of retirement to ...2 days ago - Samoa’s highest court declares FAST government legal – impasse endsBy Lanuola Tusani Tupufia-Ah Tong in Apia Samoa’s Court of Appeal ruled today that the Faatuatua ile Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party was the country’s new government bringing three months of political stalemate to a close. The court, the highest in the country, found that a swearing-in ceremony conducted ...2 days ago
- Reporting Greenpeace to police shows KPK has become authoritarian, says watchdogBy Irfan Kamil in Jakarta Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has condemned the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) under the leadership of Firli Bahuri as an “authoritarian and anti-criticism” institution over the Greenpeace laser protest. ICW researcher Kurnia Ramadhana said this after the KPK had reported Greenpeace Indonesia to the South Jakarta ...2 days ago
- Nine takeaways from the Mā’ohi Nui Lives Matter solidarity rally in NZBy Ena Manuireva and Tony Fala About 35 people joined an Auckland rally last Sunday in solidarity with a Mā’ohi Nui Lives Matter demonstration by thousands of Tahitians happening in Pape’ete, the capital. In solidarity and in sync with the Pape’ete event, the Mai te Paura Atōmī i te ti’amara’a: ...2 days ago
- Fiji medics save newborn babies – mothers among 21 new covid deathsBy Timoci Vula in Suva Two Fijian pregnant women are among the 21 covid-19 deaths reported within a seven-day period from July 14. Their babies, however, were saved via a caesarean operation by the obstetric team. Health Secretary Dr James Fong revealed this in his covid-19 live update last evening ...2 days ago
- ‘Pacific Islander’ an insulting umbrella term, researcher tells Royal CommissionBy Andrew McRae, RNZ News reporter The umbrella term Pacific Islander or Polynesian has been criticised as degrading and insensitive. Researcher Dr Seini Taufa, who is a New Zealand-born Tongan, said the names were not indigenous terms and were insulting. Dr Taufa is research lead for Moana Research and Senior ...2 days ago
- VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on the PM’s apology and Brisbane 2032Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Paddy Nixon discuss the week in politics. This week Michelle and Paddy discuss the proposed changes to the vaccine rollout ...2 days ago
- Keen to sign up for space tourism? Here are 6 things to consider (besides the price tag)Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Freeland, Professorial Fellow, Bond University / Emeritus Professor of International Law, Western Sydney University, Western Sydney University Blue Origin/AP It’s been a momentous month for space-faring billionaires. On July 11, British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson’s Unity “rocket-plane” flew him ...2 days ago
- You may have heard the ‘moon wobble’ will intensify coastal floods. Well, here’s what that mea...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Gibbs, Principal Engineer: Reef Restoration, Australian Institute of Marine Science Shutterstock Extreme floods this month have been crippling cities worldwide. This week in China’s Henan province, a year’s worth of rain fell in just three days. Last week, catastrophic ...2 days ago
- Clever cockatoos in southern Sydney have learned to open kerb-side bins — and it has global signif...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Martin, Adjunct lecturer, University of Sydney Barbara Klump, Author provided In a small, isolated village in southern Sydney, the local sulphur-crested cockatoos are particularly clever. Once a week, when the neighbours roll their wheelie bins to the kerb, cockies ...2 days ago
- How caring for children can help Aboriginal Elders during lockdownSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Collings, Research Fellow, University of Sydney Quotes in this research are from participants who cannot be named due to research ethics requirements. Pandemic-induced lockdowns have provided stories of both hardship and resilience. This extends to families in the community caring for ...2 days ago
- NZ takes prudent approach in closing bubble
The decision to pause trans-Tasman travel is appropriately risk-averse in light of the devastation that the Delta strain could wreak in New Zealand, writes Marc Daalder Analysis: Imagine if our Level 4 lockdown in April 2020 hadn't worked. Imagine if, despite the stringent measures and people mostly following them, the ...2 days ago - Forget the medals, the real game of the Olympics is soft power — and the opening ceremony is keySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caitlin Vincent, Lecturer in Creative Industries, The University of Melbourne The Olympic Games are often hailed as a neutral celebration of athletic achievement. “The Olympic Games are not about politics,” wrote the International Olympic Committee president, Thomas Bach, in the Guardian last ...2 days ago
- Eradicating smallpox: the global vaccination push that brought the world ‘arm-to-arm’Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Bennett, Professor in School of History and Classics, University of Tasmania Edward Jenner vaccinating his son, held by Mrs Jenner; a maid rolls up her sleeve, a man stands outside holding a cow. Coloured engraving by C. Manigaud after ...2 days ago
- Good one, ASA, for saying this gas ad misleads. Shame on you for failing to call it irresponsibleWhen you’re faced with advertising telling people we can help solve climate change by burning fossil fuels, it shouldn’t be difficult to condemn it in the strongest possible terms, argues lawyer Steven Price.In about 2050, when the climate has gone further to hell in a handbasket, there are going to ...2 days ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending July 23The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 In Our Own Backyard by Anne Kayes (Bateman, $22)This YA novel ties together Covid-19, Black Lives Matter ...2 days ago
- The Friday Poem: End Papers, by Mitch MarksA poem by Melbourne-based writer and publisher Mitch Marks.End papersWhen I write my novel, which all of you are in I’ll write it in the morning while my wounds are wide Tonguing them to bring the sting to the skin’s surface I’ll string it around my wrists and throat Tight ...2 days ago
- To watch or not to watch? The Tokyo Games raises difficult questions for fansSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Karg, Associate Professor, Swinburne University of Technology Sue Ogrocki/AP/AAP When the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games officially begin on Friday night, they will do so with the host city under a state of emergency due to COVID-19. For the ...2 days ago
- Enshrine Local Government Into ConstructionMajor changes are in the wind with the Labour government is giving itself unprecedented powers over local government. This is worrying and why KCDC Councillor Bernie Randall and Deputy Chair of the Paraparaumu/Raumati Community Board Guy Burns are calling ...2 days ago
- To watch or not watch? The Tokyo Games raises difficult questions for fansSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Karg, Associate Professor, Swinburne University of Technology Sue Ogrocki/AP/AAP When the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games officially begin on Friday night, they will do so with the host city under a state of emergency due to COVID-19. For the ...2 days ago
- A tragic’s guide to watching the OlympicsTop tips for getting the most from the Games, from your couch.One of my earliest memories is of watching Cathy Freeman win the 400m final at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. I was six years old and there was a girl in my class who looked exactly like Freeman and was ...2 days ago
- New Rules Introduced To Protect Sea-run Salmon FisheryTo help save New Zealand’s wild Chinook salmon species, a ground-breaking change to freshwater fishing regulations will introduce a season bag for sea-run salmon in the 2021/22 fishing season, in place of a daily catch limit. "The wild sea-run ...2 days ago
- How a Covid-19 policy put the final nail in the coffin of first-home buyers’ dreamsThe Reserve Bank’s monetary policy may have saved our economy from the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, but at what cost?This story was originally published in Bernard Hickey’s email newsletter The Kākā and is republished with permission.As the saying attributed to an apocryphal commander in the Vietnam War goes, “it became necessary ...2 days ago
- Labour Inspectorate Concludes Inquiry Into GloriavaleThe Labour Inspectorate has found that the members of the Gloriavale Christian community cannot currently be considered employees under New Zealand legislation. This means the Inspectorate has no jurisdiction and will not undertake further investigation ...2 days ago
- It’s just the thing for reducing our leftovers and slops – a trough which has provided almost $1...The Government has announced funding aimed at reducing food waste, which – according to the United Nations Environment Programme’s 2021 Food Waste Index – is well on the way to becoming a billion-tonne problem around the globe. In this country, we have a Love Food Hate Waste campaign run by Councils ...2 days ago
- Number of rejections for emergency housing tripled in 2020About 3000 requests for emergency housing were rejected by the government last year, nearly triple the number the year before. ...2 days ago
- The online GP service helping Kiwis get healthcare from their homesA collaboration between ProCare and Southern Cross Health Insurance is helping remove barriers to healthcare for those who find it hard to access. For some, attending a GP appointment in person can be a major logistical burden. It can mean time away from work, time navigating traffic or travelling long distances ...2 days ago
- Fossil tooth fractures and microscopic detail of enamel offer new clues about human diet and evoluti...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Towle, Postdoctoral fellow, University of Otago Author provided, Author provided Teeth can tell us a lot about the evolution of prehistoric humans, and our latest study of one of our species’ close relatives may finally resolve a long-standing mystery. ...2 days ago
- New Zealand's relationship with China 'maturing' – Foreign MinisterThe New Zealand government says the relationship with its biggest trade partner China is maturing, however, issues and concerns will be called out. ...2 days ago
- Most Hated Group Opposes Hate Speech RulesDirect Action Everywhere New Zealand are part of the animal rights movement that has been gaining traction in New Zealand. As a result, we are hated. In fact research has shown vegans are among the most hated groups on the planet. Nevertheless, we ...2 days ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The Seriousness of the rural revoltAnalysis by Bryce Edwards. Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s nearly a week since the “Howl of a Protest” took place throughout the country, and we’re still talking about the rural revolt. What are the farmers’ concerns? Are they legitimate? Has the rural-urban divide has become too deep, and will ...3 days ago
- Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Covid19: East Europe in the European Union, Excess Deaths in Context3 days ago
- Panuku Admits Social Housing Quota Is IllegalAuckland Council Property Development arm Panuku has conceded that thousands of Māori and Pacific Island elders, single parents and beneficiaries have been forced on to Government Housing Waiting List by their flawed and unlawful social housing ...3 days ago
- Post-viral cacophony: The cough that won’t quitThe flu’s back, baby, and we’re more on edge about it than ever before. Here’s why you might sound like you’ve got Covid-19, even when you don’t.It started with one guy, three weeks ago, sucking down Lemsip and declaring he had a “post-viral cough”. Now the air is filled with ...3 days ago
- Silence over hate speech laws has allowed misinformation in, minorities sayMinority groups say the government has confused the debate around its proposed hate speech laws and allowed discord to spread. ...3 days ago
- Safer Sick Leave StartsWorking people are celebrating paid sick leave increasing from 5 to 10 days effective from Saturday 24 July 2021. CTU President Richard Wagstaff is encouraging working people to ensure they are getting their entitlement. "Working people successfully ...3 days ago
- More Sick Leave A Win For Working PeoplePSA members welcome the increase in sick leave entitlement to 10 days, that comes into effect tomorrow. PSA national secretary, Kerry Davies says, "The doubling of statutory sick leave entitlement from five days to 10 will make a huge difference ...3 days ago
- The science of underwater swimming: how staying submerged gives Olympians the winning edgeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Blazevich, Professor of Biomechanics, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock To win swimming gold in Tokyo, swimmers not only have to generate incredible power with their arms and legs to propel themselves through the water; they also have to overcome the ...3 days ago
- As the Tokyo Games begin, the stakes could not be higher for Japan — and the Olympics themselvesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jack Anderson, Professor of Sports Law, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne Martin Meissner/AP History shows there nothing in sport quite like an Olympics. Equally, there is nothing in Olympic history quite like what is happening now in Tokyo ...3 days ago
- Most expensive, greatest gender parity, most sports: Tokyo Olympics by the numbersSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wes Mountain, Multimedia Editor The Tokyo Olympics officially open on July 23 – one year later than originally planned and in an Olympic stadium that will be empty of spectators thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. While Tokyo is not the first Olympics ...3 days ago
- The Olympic movement claims political neutrality. In reality, that ideal is often selectively applie...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney More than 200 nations are represented at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. As ever, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) asserts the games are a means of unifying humanity through elite sport. At ...3 days ago
- Is Delta defeating us? Here’s why the variant makes contact tracing so much harderSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By C Raina MacIntyre, Professor of Global Biosecurity, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow, Head, Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Joel Carrett/AAP The Greater Sydney lockdown began on June 26 and almost a month later, New South Wales is recording around 100 new ...3 days ago
- Clever cockatoos in southern Sydney have learned to open curb-side bins — and it has global signif...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Martin, Adjunct lecturer, University of Sydney Barbara Klump, Author provided In a small, isolated village in southern Sydney, the local sulphur-crested cockatoos are particularly clever. Once a week, when the neighbours roll their wheelie bins to the curb, cockies ...3 days ago
- Unis are killing the critical study of religion, and it will only make campuses more religiousSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Hartney, Lecturer of Religion, University of Sydney Adam Calaitzis/Shutterstock Global developments in tertiary education suggest the critical scientific study of religion is endangered. One of the departments slated for extinguishment amid the pandemic-related upheavals was my own at the ...3 days ago
- The Brisbane Olympics are a leap into an unknowable futureSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Rowe, Emeritus Professor of Cultural Research, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University Toru Hanai/AP There’ll be two types of Australian high jump in Tokyo this month. The first, most likely scripted, was Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s front ...3 days ago
- We’re losing the vaccination race because of bungling, not bad luckSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW Eric Surprenant/Shutterstock As one big international competition begins, another one is nearing its end. At least we hope so. I am, of course, talking about the Tokyo Olympic Games and the international roll-out ...3 days ago
- ‘What country have you walked?’ Why all Australians should walk an Indigenous heritage trailSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Muecke, Professor of Writing, Flinders University Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains images and names of deceased people. The Goolarabooloo community in Broome has been running the Lurujarri Heritage Trail for over 30 years. In July ...3 days ago
- Chris Hipkins needs a reality check on kids with special learning needsThe education minister’s claim that all learners are supported in state schools is so clearly untrue that it makes me despair, argues Jai Breitnauer.In late 2017, I interviewed incoming education minister Chris Hipkins about NZ’s human rights abuses against SEN (special educational needs) children in schools for an article in ...3 days ago
- Live updates, July 23: New 0800 number lets you book your group three vaccine nowWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for July 23, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz8.00am: New 0800 number launched to speed up group three vaccine bookingsA new 0800 number has just launched, allowing people in “group three” who have not received the ...3 days ago
- The Bulletin: Christchurch stadium design downsized amid cost blowoutGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Christchurch stadium design downsized amid cost blowout, FMA gives damning insurance industry assessment, and mental health pilot programme fails to get near targets.A new design will be needed for the proposed stadium in Christchurch, after cost-overruns caused the original design ...3 days ago
- Marae standoff: A sense of hope
Family Court processes are again in the spotlight after a baby was ordered by the court to be removed from his mother and whānau and placed with a relative. Karakia took place at a marae before the mother and whānau of a nine-month-old baby left for a Hastings court room to attend a ...3 days ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 23 July
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...3 days ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Friday 23 July
...3 days ago - MediaRoom: Tide goes out on RNZ
MediaRoom: The latest radio industry ratings would have caused grimaces at RNZ - which has watched its National programme slip to fourth most listened-to station in the land after sitting at number one just a year ago. RNZ is down again in the radio ...3 days ago
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-scare-hamilton-district-court-in-lockdown/GF3JLARWVCYT6H4FNR2EKOWHC4/
“ a woman who works at a Hamilton managed isolation facility had recently had a Covid-19 test because she displayed symptoms.
She was still awaiting her test results but turned up at court today anyway.”
How stupid is this ! For sure this woman knew better than to leave her home till results were known.
My neighbours are sick with flu like respiratory symptoms from something that arrived with and they caught from family Xmas visitors from Waiheke Island. I asked her – from 6 mtrs away – has anyone gone for testing . The answer was no.
Step up Kiwis or we’l l be like England in no time at all!
We really should totally shut our borders for a while.
NZ borders are closed except for NZers/NZ residents and some exceptions. Cant stop New Zealanders from returning home.
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/covid-19/border-closures-and-exceptions
Banana Republicans in Pennsylvania are doing a dry run on what they apparently hope Pence can do tomorrow. They're refusing to seat a Democratic State Senator whose win was certified by the state, because the Repug loser is still trying to contest the result, using an argument the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has already considered and rejected.
https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2021/01/05/pennsylvania-senate-swearing-in-ceremony-chaos-jim-brewster-nicole-ziccarelli/
For more background:
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/politics/republican-block-democrat-jim-brewster-ballot-fight/2654982/
With 16% of the vote counted in Georgia, Insider Trading Barbie is even further behind than Chicken Man. Dunno whether that's a reflection of Warnock being more popular than Ossoff, or people being more turned off by Insider Trading Barbie than Chicken Man.
I have hopes it's an indication of black enthusiasm and turnout for Warnock and Ossoff is riding the coattails. Because that's a cause that's more likely to hold through to the finish of counting.
What I use to watch yankee news channels.
Set up for my preferred choice – msnbc, but there are links to other networks.
https://www.livenewsmag.com/msnbc-live-tv/
With 21% counted, the split for both Dems is around 52% to 48%
I've been obsessively watching since counting started. The Dem – Repug split has gone up and down, but Warnock has consistently been around 0.4% higher than Ossoff.
Maybe all that's telling us is misogyny against Insider Trading Barbie is stronger than racism against Warnock. Or maybe some anti-semitism against Ossoff.
Yeah – Have been similarly pre-occupied 🙂
Interesting the factors involved with voter preferences – I see Purdue has also been involved in heavy financial dealings wrt insider trading as well! Although of course he denies any responsibility.
40% counted and the split is even greater! 56% to 44%!
Dunno, man. Right now Ossoff is behind by about 120,000 votes. I'm not hopeful there's enough left to count for him to make that up.
Warnock is behind by 87,000, so that’s a bit more hopeful.
Yeah! I am a bit apprehensive myself re Ossoff. But according to those in the know there is a heap of votes in predominantly Dem voting counties still to come in – around 330,000 which could split 85:15 to the Dems based on the Nov election results. So I still have my fingers crossed.
Massive turn out – predicted to be around 4.15m! Which is not a good precursor for Dems apparently – but seems to have been a good turn out of black voters which does auger well. Warnock would be only the 10th Black senator and the first for Georgia!
Rev. Warnock and Chicken Perdue are local. Also Rev. Warnocks ads since the election have been upbeat, friendly, approachable, good fun to watch and contain puppies.
KKKelly is a transplant and it appears has no ground game other then being appointed to the senate by Brian Kemp – who rumor has appointed her to prevent her from running against him – self funded.
Ossoff he ran for office previously in 2017 and lost – albeit he put up a good game. He is a local in so far that he grew up in Georgia and at the 2017 run lived a short distance outside of the 6th district. So he has some name recognition and also has had a few good moments on TV – i.e. Perdue is a Crook leading to Perdue refusing to debate with Ossoff, and in the last few weeks two good clicks with
Fox news.
So maybe its not mysoginy as much as it is a stinking rat that no one wants to poke with a pole and thus the lady can't win.
It did also not help that a Trump supporting group posted about 100 billboards in red areas not to vote for Loeffler or Perdue as they 'did not do enough to help Trump 'claim' the 16 electoral votes from Georgia.
gosh weka you really don't want to learn from this do you.
Your misconduct in your roll on this site is inexcusable and is a large driver of the ongoing bullying here.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[You started this morning with wild and unsubstantiated accusations of bullying and group blindness and already clearly hinted at “moderation policies” being the issue (https://thestandard.org.nz/no-extradition-for-assange/#comment-1773348).
I was a little perplexed, to be honest, because I had not seen any bullying of any commenter, including yourself, nor could I figure out what “moderation policies” you were referring to at the time.
However, you have now crossed a line accusing an Author-Moderator of serious misconduct on this site and blaming them for not just being responsible but being “a large driver of the ongoing bullying here” [my emphasis].
It is becoming quite clear to me that you have an axe to grind with this Author-Moderator because of unresolved past personal grievances. However, it seems likely that this is just going to fester indefinitely, by the looks of it.
In order to protect the site from further fall-out, again, which will drive many readers as well commenters away, again, and which does not make it exactly welcoming for female/feminist Authors to contribute here, I am instructing you to cease your personal vendetta with weka about Assange’s rape charges or face a permanent ban; you don’t set the rules here.
Because emotions are running high, I’d suggest that you don’t respond to this Moderation note immediately, but let it sink in, for a while, and then decide whether you want to keep dignity and integrity intact and stay here or walk away in protest, preferably without too much fuss.
I sincerely hope you’ll make a wise decision – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 2:43 PM.
Could we possibly discuss this in private?
If you wish, you can send an e-mail to Lprent (https://thestandard.org.nz/contact-us/) when you have serious concerns about moderation, moderation policies and/or particular Moderators. Irrespective, if the Trustees think that a Moderator has overstepped their mark, they will take appropriate action against that Moderator. The site is paramount; individuals come second, in a particular order too.
HTH
Thanks for that. I did attempt to communicate on that channel in 2016?. I received a reply (and here i heavily paraphrase) "Its my site i can act like a dick if i want to". While I do not dispute the obvious truth of this I cannot see it as a way forward. Anyway the facts are all in full view you can choose to act for the good of the site or not. I do suggest that a review of the rest of whole thread will show the extent of uninformed bullying and commentator turn off that you are confronted with
That was then, this is now. Unless your concerns are the same and your e-mail is the same, chances are that you might get a different response.
The reason I stepped in/up was that the commentary was at a point of no return, with no realistic option of reaching some kind of agreement even if it were to hold a cease-fire. For obvious reasons, this is called ‘shit hits the fan’ because the crap flies in all directions and turns the whole site into a stinky disgusting place where nobody in their right mind wants to be.
Besides one very angry and emotionally charged and scarred commenter, who has been banned since, I could not and still cannot see evidence of bullying under the Post up to the time of your first allegation @ 6.6 (6 January 2021 at 9:36 am).
For any issues regarding alleged bullying and/or driving bullying by an Author-Moderator, the only option is to contact Lprent and state your concerns clearly and with evidence. You cannot realistically address another Moderator for this!
"I could not and still cannot see evidence of bullying under the Post up to the time of your first allegation @ 6.6 (6 January 2021 at 9:36 am)."
Well you are wrong.
be that as it may I re-state here
neither complainant alleged rape and this is documented in this link form an impeccable source
https://medium.com/@njmelzer/response-to-open-letter-of-1-july-2019-7222083dafc8
[No, you may not “re-state here”! You had been given clear instruction to drop the issue and you had agreed to let things cool off. You have broken your word.
If you think I am wrong, which is quite possible, the least you must do is to present your evidence, which you did not. As such, it was a baseless assertion. Instead, you used it as a pivot to “re-state here”.
I have been very patient and lenient with you and have tried to help. However, you’re taking the piss with me because you are adamant that you are right and have the right to set and follow your own rules on this site. You don’t give a toss about being under Moderation, which is/was not an avenue for you to claim your right of being right here (i.e. litigate and re-litigate your points), but to calm down and find a constructive way forward. The way forward, the only option available to you was/is to e-mail Lprent.
As I have stated before, my job is to protect the site. I’m not interested in being pulled into the rabbit hole of Assange’s rape charges. The issue is, for me, your allegations about bullying, particularly by an Author-Moderator. The other issue is that you play by your own rules here from a dogmatic right-wrong binary position, i.e. you are right and weka, others, and I are wrong. This in itself is quite telling.
Given that you blatantly ignore help, warnings, instructions, and rules, given that you break your own word, and because you are wasting Moderator time, I will leave you no other option but to discuss your grievances with Lprent. He or another Administrator can also decide whether you deserve to have commenting privileges here.
Banned until further notice – Incognito]
This has been an incredibly tough and divisive issue over the years, and while I've taken a position supporting Assange right from the outset (the political manipulation behind the 'charges' was obvious to anyone who cared to look), I've also tried not to be unnecessarily provocative toward those who took the other view. Sexual politics being a minefield, it's poor form to be throwing rocks around.
But of all the things I've read over the years, this Nils Melzer letter pretty much covers it off. Required reading.
See my final Moderation note to you @ 10:27 AM.
Why is everyone preoccupied with trivia like US Senate elections, and the mad behavior of the Orange one when there are far more important topics to be resolved?
Should man of the match in the Cricket Test go to Kane Williamson for a very good knock of 238 in the New Zealand innings or should it go to Kyle Jamieson who took 5/69 in the first innings and is now on 5/33 in the second?
My pick is Jamieson. The clinching factor of course that he also got a score of 30 not out in the NZ innings. All those in favour?
Sorry, Alwyn, but TS needs a lower grade of thread into which should be dropped any comments regarding circenses.
Reading the write-up on the win on Stuff, this was one of the comments and bears repeating.
HT Slim Shady.
Nz in home tests since Dec 2017
16 Matches
13 Wins
0 Loss
3 Draws
8 consecutive series wins (2 each against England and West Indies, 1 each against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan)
Margin of victories
By an innings – 8 times
By more than hundred runs – Thrice
By 10 and 7 wickets – Once each
This team is phenomenal at home
Now if they can win their first ever series against South Africa (they are scheduled to tour Nz in Feb 2022) and then against Australia (possibly in the summer of 2023) it'll be the icing on the cake
(Nz has never won a series against South Africa home or away while their last series win against Australia was three and a half decades ago in 1986)
That last paragraph is really depressing to someone who was relishing the win.
Mind you, Australia are bloody hard to beat anywhere, at least at Cricket. To balance that I like to remember that the last time Australia beat New Zealand in Rugby at Eden Park was also in 1986.
Now you are just being silly. Read the bloody thing, then we talk!
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
OK here is direct quotes BUT I will not enter into argument with a position of ignorance either accept this as definitive or READ THE WHOLE LINK.
"as far as SW is concerned, her police report states that, after Assange woke her up trying to initiate intercourse, the two had a conversation in which she asked Assange whether he was wearing a condom and he replied he was not. She then said he “would better not have HIV” and he replied that he did not, after which, she “let him continue” (lät honom fortsätta) to have unprotected intercourse. There are no indications of coercive or incapacitating circumstances suggesting lack of consent."
"as far as AA is concerned, even the Swedish prosecution never suggested that the conduct alleged by her could amount to “rape”. In a Twitter-message of 22 April 2013, AA herself publicly denied having been raped (jag har inte blivit våldtagen)"
DO NOT RESPOND UNTILL YOU HAVE READ THE WHOLE THING I am sick or your assertions and attacks on other commentators from a position of wilful ignorance!
https://medium.com/@njmelzer/response-to-open-letter-of-1-july-2019-7222083dafc8
[you appear to have misunderstood Xanthe. This isn’t a conversation, you are being moderated. Commenters don’t get to tell moderators what to do. Please reread the Policy so you understand where the boundaries are. I see Incognito has given you a mod note above, and I certainly don’t want to be spending any more time on this, so will leave it with the two of you for now – weka]
mod note.