I wondered how such a scheme could work in New Zealand. We have different laws relating to social welfare assistance – would any payments from a charity to trial a guaranteed minimum income just result in abatement of any state welfare payments, whether Working for Families or other? With a three year election cycle, can we count on getting 5 years experience without any trial being closed down for not wanting answers?
Australian thinks we should be more like Australia. We heard this from Hosking and co right through last year until the Melbourne outbreak. The result of that was 800 vulnerable people dead.
I strayed onto Hosking's joke of a program yesterday morning. He was summing up items in the news on a scale of 1 to 10. Right at the end of his dire list, he said: "Israel and Britain for their response to Covid 19: EIGHT. It shows what the efficient rollout of the vaccine can do."
It would be hard to dream up a nastier and more dishonest broadcaster, even in the blackest of black comedy scenarios.
How awful. I really hope that Ivermectin is still under the radar, and they can get it in. If so it will prevent a lot of harm (Ivermectin has over 40 studies with covid at this point + Gates Foundation about to undertake their own)
"One week after Dr. Paul Marik and Dr. Pierre Kory—founding members of the Front Line Covid-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC)— along with Dr. Andrew Hill, researcher and consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO), presented their data before the NIH Treatment Guidelines Panel, the NIH has upgraded their recommendation on ivermectin, making it an option for use in COVID-19. "
I see that when you asked your guest Matthew Remski to mention Left Wing conspiracies he immediately gave you and the listeners 'Russiagate' as an example of a contemporary "Left Wing" conspiracy.
Now that you are now comfortable with a guest calling Russiagate a conspiracy, how about having on a guest who can expand on and unpack this subject for your audience?.
Could I suggest Aaron Mate' as an expert on this subject, I think you would find him a very considered and polite guest judging from the interviews and talks I have heard from him.
Great, mankind wanting to explore the stars no matter what condition the thrust to space leaves Planet Earth in. Fuck the rest of us, birds and insects and plants and trees – none of these here! Well there were sacred places and things important to the ancient and the living Aborigines.
The sites were drilled and set with explosives last week. Traditional owners the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura (PKKP) peoples don’t yet know the full extent of the damage.
An article published in the Northland Age newspaper on Tuesday and on the New Zealand Herald website has been withdrawn after it was condemned as racist – and publisher NZME says it won't publish Dr Michael Bassett's work on its platforms….
…NZME’s ban on Dr Bassett will disappoint veteran host Leighton Smith, who has had Dr Bassett as a frequent guest on his podcast published by NZME. On the February 17 edition – Leighton Smith Podcast: Michael Bassett returns to talk history changes – Dr Bassett discussed the new history syllabus and debate over "local councils and race-based wards".
Some 'snippets' about: Dr Michael Bassett –
He completed BA and MA degrees in history at the University of Auckland before winning a fellowship to Duke University in the United States in 1961. He completed a PhD in American history there, completing a dissertation entitled The Socialist Party of America, 1912–1919: Years of Decline.
In 1964, Bassett returned to New Zealand and became a senior lecturer in history at the University of Auckland. During this time he was a member of the Princes Street Labour branch. Bassett stood unsuccessfully for the Labour Party in the 1966 election for North Shore and in the 1969 election for Waitemata.
In 1971 Bassett was elected to the Auckland City Council. In the following year, he was elected as a Labour MP for Waitemata in the 1972 election, and the Labour Party became the government for the first time since 1960. Following the death of Prime Minister Norman Kirk in 1974 the party (and Bassett) were defeated in the following (1975) election. In his account of the Third Labour Government, ]1972 to 1975] Bassett described it as one of "the most active and socially responsible governments of the twentieth century." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bassett
(Keen to get on wasn't he – trying for political appointments as soon as back in NZ, obviously had standing in Auckland. After giving an accolade to Kirk’s Third Labour Government Bassett perhaps drew on some of his USA thesis on the decline of the socialists in America for his next moves!)
Bassett is a third cousin of late Prime Minister David Lange….
Lange's father, who was a doctor, had delivered Bassett. Lange wrote (presumably jokingly referring to Bassett's appointment to Cabinet and their later disagreements): "My father had delivered him, and it became plain in later days that he must have dropped him …." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bassett#Personal_life
basset comes across as yet another increasingly bitter, old white man. desparate to retain some sort of relevancy, he cherrypicks parts of the past to suit his version of history. the article in spinoff, about how basset has taken parts of the past, is an excellent read.
I think that Bassett’s article is unacceptable, not because his skin is white or because he is a political conservative, but because he makes a series of demonstrably false claims about the history of Aotearoa New Zealand. Sometimes Bassett cherry picks an event from the past and tries to make it mean something it doesn’t. In other places in his text he says things that simply aren’t backed by evidence. Bassett used to teach history at the University of Auckland. He has written a series of competent, if rather dull, books about the history of politics and government in this country. But his latest effort wouldn’t be acceptable if it came from a first year undergraduate student.
Had a problem with changing the automated certificate rollover this afternoon. The certbot wanted to rewrite my virtual host file.
Incidentally, Damien Grant is a incompetent dickhead. His certificate problems are a bit more severe than mine. I guess that lack of competency is why he is prevalent like a bedbug on twitter…
During their time sheltering out of harm's way, Hata said children were comfortable, safe and well-fed by Ōpōtiki College, who delivered food straight to them. On their way back into town after the all-clear was given, Hata said their principal, Raewyn Clark, popped by her house.
"The principal just dropped into her house on the way back to school, and found that people had broken in, and made a terrible mess, and stolen things.
"We're pretty gutted – she's a very community-minded principal, does a lot of good in this community, and to be treated like that, it's just horrendous.
A 28-year-old has been charged over the break-in.
I know how to treat this guy? Make him sit for a useful subject/s in the NCEA, every day, for eight hours until he passes.l That'd larn him!
By the way the New Inquisitors have complained enough about The Mikado for performances to be cancelled, wiped from acceptable performances, in the USA.
But the cultural assumption is increasingly that a white actor playing a Japanese character, with or without makeup, is always unacceptable. And even if The Mikado had an all-Japanese cast, as it does when it’s performed (successfully) in Japan, it would still be a work of 19th-century exoticism, or at least a gentle parody of such works. If this is considered an unambiguously bad thing, and increasingly it is, then there is no way to do The Mikado outside of a revisionist production (and even there, some would argue that white people writing about Japan is just unsalvageable in any way). Those who have enjoyed the show as an allegory for England, and a satire of the universal tendency to imagine that all cultures are just like us, are out of luck. https://www.macleans.ca/culture/arts/the-mikados-punishment-doesnt-fit-the-crime/
Such nutbars as this became high-ranking National politicians; yet, the National party seems to not be willing to acknowledge, and act upon, the faulty selection procedures which promoted flawed candidates.
Like the procedures which selected Barbara Kuriger and Simon O'Conner. Both getting all muddled up and paranoid about the reason some Dr Seuss titles have been discontinued.
New Zealand is so very lucky National is not in power. It would be a disaster.
There are others, too. There will be a time again when National gets back into power, and some of these deficient MPs will be with them. Were their like always there even in the days of Holland, Holyoake and Muldoon (excluding himself of course)? Is this a new phenomenon, am I too generous with earlier Tory governments, or are the shortcomings of our recent recruits just more obvious and annotated than their predecessors?
Dr Seuss author was not even fond of children so I've read. Perhaps that is why he resonates with National politicians. However his story about keeping promises and being there for the vulnerable in Horton Hatches the Egg should be bedtime reading when tucking up Labour politicians for the night, every night and not just when earthquakes occur.
Iirc, Jami Lee Ross entered parliament courtesy of Simon Lusk and Cameron Slater. I don't know how much it cost him in monetary terms but that is my understanding what happened. There were several of them who entered this way.
Rimmer is desperate to be in the news again. He's upset his local bakery wasn't open today.
He claims staying at L3 on Saturday costs $45million. I can't see how. It might mean some businesses don't receive $45million but the money has not been lost because consumers still have it to be spent another day!
The only time there is actual loss is when goods have to be destroyed which might be the case when a lockdown is introduced at short notice. What is a simple restauranteur to do with 300 oysters, etc. The simple restauranteur and Rimmer alike can blame Case L for that.
And businesses themselves have limited losses because of wage subsidies and resurgence payment support.
Stupid Rimmer. We are not very we served by our student politician opposition right now.
Open access notablesLarge emissions of CO2 and CH4 due to active-layer warming in Arctic tundra, Torn et al., Nature Communications:Climate warming may accelerate decomposition of Arctic soil carbon, but few controlled experiments have manipulated the entire active layer. To determine surface-atmosphere fluxes of carbon dioxide and ...
It's election year for Wellington City Council and for the Regional Council. What have the progressive councillors achieved over the last couple of years. What were the blocks and failures? What's with the targeting of the mayor and city council by the Post and by central government? Why does the ...
Over the holidays, there was a rising tide of calls for people to submit on National's repulsive, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill, along with a wave of advice and examples of what to say. And it looks like people rose to the occasion, with over 300,000 ...
The lie is my expenseThe scope of my desireThe Party blessed me with its futureAnd I protect it with fireI am the Nina The Pinta The Santa MariaThe noose and the rapistAnd the fields overseerThe agents of orangeThe priests of HiroshimaThe cost of my desire…Sleep now in the fireSongwriters: Brad ...
This is a re-post from the Climate BrinkGlobal surface temperatures have risen around 1.3C since the preindustrial (1850-1900) period as a result of human activity.1 However, this aggregate number masks a lot of underlying factors that contribute to global surface temperature changes over time.These include CO2, which is the primary ...
There are times when movement around us seems to slow down. And the faster things get, the slower it all appears.And so it is with the whirlwind of early year political activity.They are harbingers for what is to come:Video: Wayne Wright Jnr, funder of Sean Plunket, talk growing power and ...
Hi,Right now the power is out, so I’m just relying on the laptop battery and tethering to my phone’s 5G which is dropping in and out. We’ll see how we go.First up — I’m fine. I can’t see any flames out the window. I live in the greater Hollywood area ...
2024 was a tough year for working Kiwis. But together we’ve been able to fight back for a just and fair New Zealand and in 2025 we need to keep standing up for what’s right and having our voices heard. That starts with our Mood of the Workforce Survey. It’s your ...
Time is never time at allYou can never ever leaveWithout leaving a piece of youthAnd our lives are forever changedWe will never be the sameThe more you change, the less you feelSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan.Babinden - Baba’s DayToday, January 8th, 2025, is Babinden, “The Day of the baba” or “The ...
..I/We wish to make the following comments:I oppose the Treaty Principles Bill."5. Act binds the CrownThis Act binds the Crown."How does this Act "bind the Crown" when Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which the Act refers to, has been violated by the Crown on numerous occassions, resulting in massive loss of ...
Everything is good and brownI'm here againWith a sunshine smile upon my faceMy friends are close at handAnd all my inhibitions have disappeared without a traceI'm glad, oh, that I found oohSomebody who I can rely onSongwriter: Jay KayGood morning, all you lovely people. Today, I’ve got nothing except a ...
Welcome to 2025. After wrapping up 2024, here’s a look at some of the things we can expect to see this year along with a few predictions. Council and Elections Elections One of the biggest things this year will be local body elections in October. Will Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Canadians can take a while to get angry – but when they finally do, watch out. Canada has been falling out of love with Justin Trudeau for years, and his exit has to be the least surprising news event of the New Year. On recent polling, Trudeau’s Liberal party has ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Much like 2023, many climate and energy records were broken in 2024. It was Earth’s hottest year on record by a wide margin, breaking the previous record that was set just last year by an even larger margin. Human-caused climate-warming pollution and ...
Submissions on National's racist, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill are due tomorrow! So today, after a good long holiday from all that bullshit, I finally got my shit together to submit on it. As I noted here, people should write their own submissions in their own ...
Ooh, baby (ooh, baby)It's making me crazy (it's making me crazy)Every time I look around (look around)Every time I look around (every time I look around)Every time I look aroundIt's in my faceSongwriters: Alan Leo Jansson / Paul Lawrence L. Fuemana.Today, I’ll be talking about rich, middle-aged men who’ve made ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 29, 2024 thru Sat, January 4, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Hi,The thing that stood out at me while shopping for Christmas presents in New Zealand was how hard it was to avoid Zuru products. Toy manufacturer Zuru is a bit like Netflix, in that it has so much data on what people want they can flood the market with so ...
And when a child is born into this worldIt has no conceptOf the tone of skin it's living inAnd there's a million voicesAnd there's a million voicesTo tell you what you should be thinkingSong by Neneh Cherry and Youssou N'Dour.The moment you see that face, you can hear her voice; ...
While we may not always have quality political leadership, a couple of recently published autobiographies indicate sometimes we strike it lucky. When ranking our prime ministers, retired professor of history Erik Olssen commented that ‘neither Holland nor Nash was especially effective as prime minister – even his private secretary thought ...
Baby, be the class clownI'll be the beauty queen in tearsIt's a new art form, showin' people how little we care (yeah)We're so happy, even when we're smilin' out of fearLet's go down to the tennis court and talk it up like, yeah (yeah)Songwriters: Joel Little / Ella Yelich O ...
Open access notables Why Misinformation Must Not Be Ignored, Ecker et al., American Psychologist:Recent academic debate has seen the emergence of the claim that misinformation is not a significant societal problem. We argue that the arguments used to support this minimizing position are flawed, particularly if interpreted (e.g., by policymakers or the public) as suggesting ...
What I’ve Been Doing: I buried a close family member.What I’ve Been Watching: Andor, Jack Reacher, Xmas movies.What I’ve Been Reflecting On: The Usefulness of Writing and the Worthiness of Doing So — especially as things become more transparent on their own.I also hate competing on any day, and if ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by John Wihbey. A version of this article first appeared on Yale Climate Connections on Nov. 11, 2008. (Image credits: The White House, Jonathan Cutrer / CC BY 2.0; President Jimmy Carter, Trikosko/Library of Congress; Solar dedication, Bill Fitz-Patrick / Jimmy Carter Library; Solar ...
Morena folks,We’re having a good break, recharging the batteries. Hope you’re enjoying the holiday period. I’m not feeling terribly inspired by much at the moment, I’m afraid—not from a writing point of view, anyway.So, today, we’re travelling back in time. You’ll have to imagine the wavy lines and sci-fi sound ...
Completed reads for 2024: Oration on the Dignity of Man, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola A Platonic Discourse Upon Love, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola Of Being and Unity, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola The Life of Pico della Mirandola, by Giovanni Francesco Pico Three Letters Written by Pico ...
Welcome to 2025, Aotearoa. Well… what can one really say? 2024 was a story of a bad beginning, an infernal middle and an indescribably farcical end. But to chart a course for a real future, it does pay to know where we’ve been… so we know where we need ...
Welcome to the official half-way point of the 2020s. Anyway, as per my New Years tradition, here’s where A Phuulish Fellow’s blog traffic came from in 2024: United States United Kingdom New Zealand Canada Sweden Australia Germany Spain Brazil Finland The top four are the same as 2023, ...
Completed reads for December: Be A Wolf!, by Brian Strickland The Magic Flute [libretto], by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Emanuel Schikaneder The Invisible Eye, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Owl’s Ear, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Waters of Death, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Spider, by Hanns Heinz Ewers Who Knows?, by Guy de Maupassant ...
Well, it’s the last day of the year, so it’s time for a quick wrap-up of the most important things that happened in 2024 for urbanism and transport in our city. A huge thank you to everyone who has visited the blog and supported us in our mission to make ...
Leave your office, run past your funeralLeave your home, car, leave your pulpitJoin us in the streets where weJoin us in the streets where weDon't belong, don't belongHere under the starsThrowing light…Song: Jeffery BuckleyToday, I’ll discuss the standout politicians of the last 12 months. Each party will receive three awards, ...
Hi,A lot’s happened this year in the world of Webworm, and as 2024 comes to an end I thought I’d look back at a few of the things that popped. Maybe you missed them, or you might want to revisit some of these essay and podcast episodes over your break ...
Hi,I wanted to share this piece by film editor Dan Kircher about what cinema has been up to in 2024.Dan edited my documentary Mister Organ, as well as this year’s excellent crowd-pleasing Bookworm.Dan adores movies. He gets the language of cinema, he knows what he loves, and writes accordingly. And ...
Without delving into personal details but in order to give readers a sense of the year that was, I thought I would offer the study in contrasts that are Xmas 2023 and Xmas 2024: Xmas 2023 in Starship Children’s Hospital (after third of four surgeries). Even opening presents was an ...
Heavy disclaimer: Alpha/beta/omega dynamics is a popular trope that’s used in a wide range of stories and my thoughts on it do not apply to all cases. I’m most familiar with it through the lens of male-focused fanfic, typically m/m but sometimes also featuring m/f and that’s the situation I’m ...
Hi,Webworm has been pretty heavy this year — mainly because the world is pretty heavy. But as we sprint (or limp, you choose) through the final days of 2024, I wanted to keep Webworm a little lighter.So today I wanted to look at one of the biggest and weirdest elements ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 22, 2024 thru Sat, December 28, 2024. This week's roundup is the second one published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, ...
We’ll have a climate change ChristmasFrom now until foreverWarming our hearts and mindsAnd planet all togetherSpirits high and oceans higherChestnuts roast on wildfiresIf coal is on your wishlistMerry Climate Change ChristmasSong by Ian McConnellReindeer emissions are not something I’d thought about in terms of climate change. I guess some significant ...
KP continues to putt-putt along as a tiny niche blog that offers a NZ perspective on international affairs with a few observations about NZ domestic politics thrown in. In 2024 there was also some personal posts given that my son was in the last four months of a nine month ...
I can see very wellThere's a boat on the reef with a broken backAnd I can see it very wellThere's a joke and I know it very wellIt's one of those that I told you long agoTake my word I'm a madman, don't you knowSongwriters: Bernie Taupin / Elton JohnIt ...
.Acknowledgement: Tim PrebbleThanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work..With each passing day of bad headlines, squandering tax revenue to enrich the rich, deep cuts to our social services and a government struggling to keep the lipstick on its neo-liberal pig ...
This is from the 36th Parallel social media account (as brief food for thought). We know that Trump is ahistorical at best but he seems to think that he is Teddy Roosevelt and can use the threat of invoking the Monroe Doctrine and “Big Stick” gunboat diplomacy against Panama and ...
Don't you cry tonightI still love you, babyAnd don't you cry tonightDon't you cry tonightThere's a heaven above you, babyAnd don't you cry tonightSong: Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin“Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so”, said possibly the greatest philosopher ever to walk this earth, Douglas Adams.We have entered the ...
Because you're magicYou're magic people to meSong: Dave Para/Molly Para.Morena all, I hope you had a good day yesterday, however you spent it. Today, a few words about our celebration and a look at the various messages from our politicians.A Rockel XmasChristmas morning was spent with the five of us ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). 2024 has been a series of bad news for climate change. From scorching global temperatures leading to devastating ...
Ríu Ríu ChíuRíu Ríu Chíu is a Spanish Christmas song from the 16th Century. The traditional carol would likely have passed unnoticed by the English-speaking world had the made-for-television American band The Monkees not performed the song as part of their special Christmas show back in 1967. The show's ...
Dunedin’s summer thus far has been warm and humid… and it looks like we’re in for a grey Christmas. But it is now officially Christmas Day in this time zone, so never mind. This year, I’ve stumbled across an Old English version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen: It has a population of just under 3.5 million inhabitants, produces nearly 550,000 tons of beef per year, and boasts a glorious soccer reputation with two World ...
Morena all,In my paywalled newsletter yesterday, I signed off for Christmas and wished readers well, but I thought I’d send everyone a quick note this morning.This hasn’t been a good year for our small country. The divisions caused by the Treaty Principles Bill, the cuts to our public sector, increased ...
This morning’s six standouts for me at 6.30 am include:Kāinga Ora is quietly planning to sell over $1 billion worth of state-owned land under 300 state homes in Auckland’s wealthiest suburbs, including around Bastion Point, to give the Government more fiscal room to pay for tax cuts and reduce borrowing.A ...
Hi,It’s my birthday on Christmas Day, and I have a favour to ask.A birthday wish.I would love you to share one Webworm story you’ve liked this year.The simple fact is: apart from paying for a Webworm membership (thank you!), sharing and telling others about this place is the most important ...
The last few days have been a bit too much of a whirl for me to manage a fresh edition each day. It's been that kind of year. Hope you don't mind.I’ve been coming around to thinking that it doesn't really matter if you don't have something to say every ...
The worms will live in every hostIt's hard to pick which one they eat the mostThe horrible people, the horrible peopleIt's as anatomic as the size of your steepleCapitalism has made it this wayOld-fashioned fascism will take it awaySongwriter: Twiggy Ramirez Read more ...
Hi,It’s almost Christmas Day which means it is almost my birthday, where you will find me whimpering in the corner clutching a warm bottle of Baileys.If you’re out of ideas for presents (and truly desperate) then it is possible to gift a full Webworm subscription to a friend (or enemy) ...
This morning’s six standouts for me at 6.30am include:Rachel Helyer Donaldson’s scoop via RNZ last night of cuts to maternity jobs in the health system;Maddy Croad’s scoop via The Press-$ this morning on funding cuts for Christchurch’s biggest food rescue charity;Benedict Collins’ scoop last night via 1News on a last-minute ...
A listing of 25 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 15, 2024 thru Sat, December 21, 2024. Based on feedback we received, this week's roundup is the first one published soleley by category. We are still interested in ...
Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Are we heading ...
So the Solstice has arrived – Summer in this part of the world, Winter for the Northern Hemisphere. And with it, the publication my new Norse dark-fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens at Eternal Haunted Summer: https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/winter-solstice-2024/as-our-power-lessens/ As previously noted, this one is very ‘wyrd’, and Northern Theory of Courage. ...
The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on UnsplashEvery morning I get up at 3am to go around the traps of news sites in Aotearoa and globally. I pick out the top ones from my point of view and have been putting them into my Dawn Chorus email, which goes out with a podcast. ...
The Green Party welcomes the extension of the deadline for Treaty Principles Bill submissions but continues to call on the Government to abandon the Bill. ...
The time it takes to process building determinations has improved significantly over the last year which means fewer delays in homes being built, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “New Zealand has a persistent shortage of houses. Making it easier and quicker for new homes to be built will ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is pleased to announce the annual list of New Zealand’s most popular baby names for 2024. “For the second consecutive year, Noah has claimed the top spot for boys with 250 babies sharing the name, while Isla has returned to the most popular ...
Work is set to get underway on a new bus station at Westgate this week. A contract has been awarded to HEB Construction to start a package of enabling works to get the site ready in advance of main construction beginning in mid-2025, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“A new Westgate ...
Minister for Children and for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour is encouraging people to use the resources available to them to get help, and to report instances of family and sexual violence amongst their friends, families, and loved ones who are in need. “The death of a ...
Uia te pō, rangahaua te pō, whakamāramatia mai he aha tō tango, he aha tō kāwhaki? Whitirere ki te ao, tirotiro kau au, kei hea taku rātā whakamarumaru i te au o te pakanga mo te mana motuhake? Au te pō, ngū te pō, ue hā! E te kahurangi māreikura, ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says people with diabetes and other painful conditions will benefit from a significant new qualification to boost training in foot care. “It sounds simple, but quality and regular foot and nail care is vital in preventing potentially serious complications from diabetes, like blisters or sores, which can take a long time to heal ...
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour is pleased to see Pharmac continue to increase availability of medicines for Kiwis with the government’s largest ever investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the government,” says Mr Seymour. “When this government assumed ...
Mā mua ka kite a muri, mā muri ka ora e mua - Those who lead give sight to those who follow, those who follow give life to those who lead. Māori recipients in the New Year 2025 Honours list show comprehensive dedication to improving communities across the motu that ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is wishing all New Zealanders a great holiday season as Kiwis prepare for gatherings with friends and families to see in the New Year. It is a great time of year to remind everyone to stay fire safe over the summer. “I know ...
From 1 January 2025, first-time tertiary learners will have access to a new Fees Free entitlement of up to $12,000 for their final year of provider-based study or final two years of work-based learning, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Targeting funding to the final year of study ...
“As we head into one of the busiest times of the year for Police, and family violence and sexual violence response services, it’s a good time to remind everyone what to do if they experience violence or are worried about others,” Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence ...
Kiwis planning a swim or heading out on a boat this summer should remember to stop and think about water safety, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop and ACC and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “New Zealand’s beaches, lakes and rivers are some of the most beautiful in the ...
The Government is urging Kiwis to drive safely this summer and reminding motorists that Police will be out in force to enforce the road rules, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“This time of year can be stressful and result in poor decision-making on our roads. Whether you are travelling to see ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon Keeley, Research Ecologist, USGS; Adjunct Professor, University of California, Los Angeles Over 1,000 structures burned in the span of two days, Jan 7-8, 2025, near Los Angeles.AP Photo/Ethan SwopePowerful Santa Ana winds, near hurricane strength at times, swept down ...
Asia Pacific Report A Palestine solidarity group has protested over the participation of Israeli tennis player Lina Glushko in New Zealand’s ASB Tennis Classic in Auckland today, saying such competition raises serious concerns about the normalisation of systemic oppression and apartheid. The Palestine Forum of New Zealand said in a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Stone, Credit Union SA Chair of Economics, University of South Australia It’s unlikely you’ve missed the story. In recent weeks, US President-elect Donald Trump has again repeatedly voiced his desire for the United States to take “ownership and control” of Greenland ...
RNZ News A descendant of one of the original translators of New Zealand’s Treaty of Waitangi says the guarantees of the Treaty have not been honoured. A group, including 165 descendants of Henry and William Williams, has collectively submitted against the Treaty Principles Bill, saying it was a threat to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate, UNSW Beach Safety Research Group + School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock/Jun Huang Debate erupted this week over the growing number of beach tents, or “cabanas”, proliferating on Australian beaches. The controversy, which began on social ...
The Justice Committee has reopened submissions on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill. The new deadline for submissions is 1.00pm, Tuesday, 14 January 2025. The committee unanimously agreed to reopen submissions due to the technical issues ...
Submissions to the Justice Committee on the controversial legislation are currently tracking at three times the previous record number. Following complaints that the parliamentary website had failed to register online submissions, the Justice Committee has announced that submissions for the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill will be reopened ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Historian, Australian Catholic University Roadshow Pictures The new film Conclave is a psychological thriller looking at the selection of the new pope. But what is a conclave, and where did this ritual begin? The institution of the ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk New Caledonia’s newly-installed government has elected pro-France Alcide Ponga as territorial President. Ponga, 49, is also the first indigenous Kanak president of the pro-France Le Rassemblement-Les Républicains (LR) party. His election came after the first attempt to elect a President, on ...
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Optimism can sometimes feel in short supply for observers of international relations.With high-profile wars in Ukraine and Gaza (not to mention lesser-heralded conflicts in Myanmar, Sudan and western Africa), ongoing tensions between rival superpowers China and the United States, and a swell of populist and protectionist sentiment, there are no ...
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From No Right Turn:
http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2021/03/more-evidence-that-ubis-work.html
I wondered how such a scheme could work in New Zealand. We have different laws relating to social welfare assistance – would any payments from a charity to trial a guaranteed minimum income just result in abatement of any state welfare payments, whether Working for Families or other? With a three year election cycle, can we count on getting 5 years experience without any trial being closed down for not wanting answers?
Good question, I put up a post. https://thestandard.org.nz/ubi-experiment-success/
Australian thinks we should be more like Australia. We heard this from Hosking and co right through last year until the Melbourne outbreak. The result of that was 800 vulnerable people dead.
No thanks.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/124452187/jacinda-arderns-covid-comms-strategy-is-starting-to-look-a-bit-tired
I strayed onto Hosking's joke of a program yesterday morning. He was summing up items in the news on a scale of 1 to 10. Right at the end of his dire list, he said: "Israel and Britain for their response to Covid 19: EIGHT. It shows what the efficient rollout of the vaccine can do."
It would be hard to dream up a nastier and more dishonest broadcaster, even in the blackest of black comedy scenarios.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/16/israel-blocked-covid-vaccines-from-entering-gaza-say-palestinians
Plus the fact that people are still dying from Covid in Britain and Israel despite the stellar vaccination drive.
How awful. I really hope that Ivermectin is still under the radar, and they can get it in. If so it will prevent a lot of harm (Ivermectin has over 40 studies with covid at this point + Gates Foundation about to undertake their own)
No, it won’t.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/124284163/fact-check-ivermectin-is-neither-a-proven-nor-safe-treatment-for-covid19
You sure about that..?
"One week after Dr. Paul Marik and Dr. Pierre Kory—founding members of the Front Line Covid-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC)— along with Dr. Andrew Hill, researcher and consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO), presented their data before the NIH Treatment Guidelines Panel, the NIH has upgraded their recommendation on ivermectin, making it an option for use in COVID-19. "
https://www.newswise.com/coronavirus/nih-revises-treatment-guidelines-for-ivermectin-for-the-treatment-of-covid-19
Yup
https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/frontiers-removes-controversial-ivermectin-paper-pre-publication-68505
After listening to Kim Hills interview with Matthew Remski on 'Conspirituality' I sent this email…
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018786402/matthew-remski-conspirituality
Good morning Kim.
I see that when you asked your guest Matthew Remski to mention Left Wing conspiracies he immediately gave you and the listeners 'Russiagate' as an example of a contemporary "Left Wing" conspiracy.
Now that you are now comfortable with a guest calling Russiagate a conspiracy, how about having on a guest who can expand on and unpack this subject for your audience?.
Could I suggest Aaron Mate' as an expert on this subject, I think you would find him a very considered and polite guest judging from the interviews and talks I have heard from him.
Best
Adrian
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/437782/nasa-s-perseverance-rover-takes-its-first-drive-on-mars Mars? (Can't personally verify.)
Great, mankind wanting to explore the stars no matter what condition the thrust to space leaves Planet Earth in. Fuck the rest of us, birds and insects and plants and trees – none of these here! Well there were sacred places and things important to the ancient and the living Aborigines.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/may/30/juukan-gorge-rio-tinto-blasting-of-aboriginal-site-prompts-calls-to-change-antiquated-laws
The sites were drilled and set with explosives last week. Traditional owners the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura (PKKP) peoples don’t yet know the full extent of the damage.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/437541/rio-tinto-chairman-and-board-director-to-resign-over-sacred-aboriginal-site-destruction
Juukan Gorge mining site, Northern Australia. (Check it out if you doubt.)
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018786126/nzme-pulls-racist-article-and-bans-bassett
An article published in the Northland Age newspaper on Tuesday and on the New Zealand Herald website has been withdrawn after it was condemned as racist – and publisher NZME says it won't publish Dr Michael Bassett's work on its platforms….
…NZME’s ban on Dr Bassett will disappoint veteran host Leighton Smith, who has had Dr Bassett as a frequent guest on his podcast published by NZME. On the February 17 edition – Leighton Smith Podcast: Michael Bassett returns to talk history changes – Dr Bassett discussed the new history syllabus and debate over "local councils and race-based wards".
Some 'snippets' about: Dr Michael Bassett –
He completed BA and MA degrees in history at the University of Auckland before winning a fellowship to Duke University in the United States in 1961. He completed a PhD in American history there, completing a dissertation entitled The Socialist Party of America, 1912–1919: Years of Decline.
In 1964, Bassett returned to New Zealand and became a senior lecturer in history at the University of Auckland. During this time he was a member of the Princes Street Labour branch. Bassett stood unsuccessfully for the Labour Party in the 1966 election for North Shore and in the 1969 election for Waitemata.
In 1971 Bassett was elected to the Auckland City Council. In the following year, he was elected as a Labour MP for Waitemata in the 1972 election, and the Labour Party became the government for the first time since 1960. Following the death of Prime Minister Norman Kirk in 1974 the party (and Bassett) were defeated in the following (1975) election. In his account of the Third Labour Government, ]1972 to 1975] Bassett described it as one of "the most active and socially responsible governments of the twentieth century." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bassett
(Keen to get on wasn't he – trying for political appointments as soon as back in NZ, obviously had standing in Auckland. After giving an accolade to Kirk’s Third Labour Government Bassett perhaps drew on some of his USA thesis on the decline of the socialists in America for his next moves!)
Bassett is a third cousin of late Prime Minister David Lange….
Lange's father, who was a doctor, had delivered Bassett. Lange wrote (presumably jokingly referring to Bassett's appointment to Cabinet and their later disagreements): "My father had delivered him, and it became plain in later days that he must have dropped him …." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bassett#Personal_life
basset comes across as yet another increasingly bitter, old white man. desparate to retain some sort of relevancy, he cherrypicks parts of the past to suit his version of history. the article in spinoff, about how basset has taken parts of the past, is an excellent read.
What a good description of Bassett. I have found him to be unconvincing as he does not challenge the evidence enough by presenting the facts.
Scott Hamilton has words.
https://twitter.com/SikotiHamiltonR/status/1367963594042732544
I think that Bassett’s article is unacceptable, not because his skin is white or because he is a political conservative, but because he makes a series of demonstrably false claims about the history of Aotearoa New Zealand. Sometimes Bassett cherry picks an event from the past and tries to make it mean something it doesn’t. In other places in his text he says things that simply aren’t backed by evidence. Bassett used to teach history at the University of Auckland. He has written a series of competent, if rather dull, books about the history of politics and government in this country. But his latest effort wouldn’t be acceptable if it came from a first year undergraduate student.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/06-03-2021/all-the-things-michael-bassett-got-wrong-in-his-terrible-article/
Thanks. Scott Hamilton is consistently good. A shame he does not have a much larger platform. He is effectively ‘pre-cancelled’, not merely cancelled.
Had a problem with changing the automated certificate rollover this afternoon. The certbot wanted to rewrite my virtual host file.
Incidentally, Damien Grant is a incompetent dickhead. His certificate problems are a bit more severe than mine. I guess that lack of competency is why he is prevalent like a bedbug on twitter…
Don't you love the way writing political media columns is regarded by his lawyer as a testament to his character. 🙂
He seems more anarchist than libertarian. His criminal past certainly points to that.
But then perhaps libertarianism is simply anarchy wearing a tie…
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/437794/it-s-just-awful-principal-s-home-burgled-while-helping-students-evacuate-during-tsunami-alert
During their time sheltering out of harm's way, Hata said children were comfortable, safe and well-fed by Ōpōtiki College, who delivered food straight to them.
On their way back into town after the all-clear was given, Hata said their principal, Raewyn Clark, popped by her house.
"The principal just dropped into her house on the way back to school, and found that people had broken in, and made a terrible mess, and stolen things.
"We're pretty gutted – she's a very community-minded principal, does a lot of good in this community, and to be treated like that, it's just horrendous.
A 28-year-old has been charged over the break-in.
I know how to treat this guy? Make him sit for a useful subject/s in the NCEA, every day, for eight hours until he passes.l That'd larn him!
The Mikado – Let the punishment fit the crime. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHozXngnwKU
By the way the New Inquisitors have complained enough about The Mikado for performances to be cancelled, wiped from acceptable performances, in the USA.
But the cultural assumption is increasingly that a white actor playing a Japanese character, with or without makeup, is always unacceptable. And even if The Mikado had an all-Japanese cast, as it does when it’s performed (successfully) in Japan, it would still be a work of 19th-century exoticism, or at least a gentle parody of such works. If this is considered an unambiguously bad thing, and increasingly it is, then there is no way to do The Mikado outside of a revisionist production (and even there, some would argue that white people writing about Japan is just unsalvageable in any way). Those who have enjoyed the show as an allegory for England, and a satire of the universal tendency to imagine that all cultures are just like us, are out of luck. https://www.macleans.ca/culture/arts/the-mikados-punishment-doesnt-fit-the-crime/
RNZ – RadioNZ actually. Chief Exec. Paul Thompson used to work for Fairfax so just the person for public broadcasting serving all the citizens – not.
Stories by Paul Thompson – RNZ http://www.rnz.co.nz › authors › paul-thompson
Opinion – The commercial media world is an increasingly tough business, in case you haven't noticed, writes RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson.
(That is an indication of his perspective and direction.)
Tom Frewen is very concerned about the loss of Radio New Zealand which seems doomed under Labour who are adopting the ostrich posture – unbelievable.
This on Scoop – in 5 parts. Part 5. https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2103/S00022/concert-bungle-the-sequel-part-5.htm
(Click on Tom Frewen on the page to get the first parts of the saga.)
What a sorry saga….God knows how Minister Faafoi kept the portfolio and Thompson kept his job.
I think we should ask Him/Her. We seem to have tried every other option.
And were paying over half a mill a year for such incompetence…a monkey could do better.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/124069747/jamilee-ross-behind-anti5g-supplement-business
Such nutbars as this became high-ranking National politicians; yet, the National party seems to not be willing to acknowledge, and act upon, the faulty selection procedures which promoted flawed candidates.
Like the procedures which selected Barbara Kuriger and Simon O'Conner. Both getting all muddled up and paranoid about the reason some Dr Seuss titles have been discontinued.
New Zealand is so very lucky National is not in power. It would be a disaster.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/03/national-mp-defends-dr-suess-after-books-pulled-due-to-racist-imagery.html
There are others, too. There will be a time again when National gets back into power, and some of these deficient MPs will be with them. Were their like always there even in the days of Holland, Holyoake and Muldoon (excluding himself of course)? Is this a new phenomenon, am I too generous with earlier Tory governments, or are the shortcomings of our recent recruits just more obvious and annotated than their predecessors?
Dr Seuss author was not even fond of children so I've read. Perhaps that is why he resonates with National politicians. However his story about keeping promises and being there for the vulnerable in Horton Hatches the Egg should be bedtime reading when tucking up Labour politicians for the night, every night and not just when earthquakes occur.
Geisel was no fan of Japan or Japanese-Americans although post war he did soften.
https://theestablishment.co/the-complicated-and-painful-legacy-of-dr-seuss/index.html
Iirc, Jami Lee Ross entered parliament courtesy of Simon Lusk and Cameron Slater. I don't know how much it cost him in monetary terms but that is my understanding what happened. There were several of them who entered this way.
Too many passed through the Merv-filter. These are evidential proof for the trickle-down theory.
Gorgeous.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2021/03/james-crombie-bird-photo/
More gorgeousness.
https://twitter.com/zaibatsu/status/1368029184115740674
magnificent. I watched with the sound off.
The original video.
Lots of links on Nautilus Live's homepage, too.
https://nautiluslive.org/
Interesting!
Rimmer is desperate to be in the news again. He's upset his local bakery wasn't open today.
He claims staying at L3 on Saturday costs $45million. I can't see how. It might mean some businesses don't receive $45million but the money has not been lost because consumers still have it to be spent another day!
The only time there is actual loss is when goods have to be destroyed which might be the case when a lockdown is introduced at short notice. What is a simple restauranteur to do with 300 oysters, etc. The simple restauranteur and Rimmer alike can blame Case L for that.
And businesses themselves have limited losses because of wage subsidies and resurgence payment support.
Stupid Rimmer. We are not very we served by our student politician opposition right now.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/03/covid-19-act-says-there-s-no-rhyme-nor-reason-to-keep-auckland-at-alert-level-3-on-saturday.html
https://youtu.be/qQfetkoGrpU