No comments yet. Everyone must be having a lie in. I know people on here are very tribal, but I do find today that both Labour and National are very similar and have both moved towards the centre. IMO it almost makes no difference which is the ruling party.
I don’t think reviewing NZ education curriculum by curriculum is the best approach. For example, a number of NCEA 1 subjects have been dropped but where/when are they now covered, if at all? To me it seems NZ education will continue to muddle through with uncertainty and lack of decisive visionary leadership. ACT is waiting in the wings with Charter Schools, which is no more than a plaster for some and does not address the system as a whole, which is just typical of those liberals.
The age-old problem of using surrogate measures, which in some cases are poor substitutes.
"In my experience in New Zealand, we are very good at coming up with solutions on a local basis. But identification and provision for equitable access of science education to all high-ability students is needed," says Dr. Moeed.
Indeed, local, ad hoc, reductionist, and aimed at symptoms rather than causes seems to be the ‘pragmatic’ approach here in NZ to many ills & evils. Where are our visionary leaders with deep-thinking skills and broad open minds?
That’s a rather unfortunate way of framing, IMO. Sure, they were tied up with political and ideological agendas and vested interests, but they also tried or claimed to address the issue of the long tail in NZ education. Quite a few people were genuinely supportive and work hard with the best of intentions to make a positive difference. To write them off is doing them and the children a huge disfavour and is unfair, IMHO.
I think the idea was for the state schools to wash their hands of the problem kids and they could be dumped in charters presumably just to be trained to read nothing but the Bible.
I rather think it was the other way round, Millsy. Charter schools would take lower decile students, and prove that state schools were failing these students, by making successes of them. They then tried to carefully cherry-pick lower decile students who would succeed anyway, but didn't quite do it right, and had to then quietly get rid of obvious upcoming failures.. They then found it was not so bloody easy to teach then anyway, so very few of the Charter Schools achieved anything like the superiority over the state system that they had claimed.
And where did our “Tomorrow’s Schools” review go ?? And now we have Haque now informing us that there are issues, we’ll sh@$ you are leading the eduction reviews Ffs lead.
we have had this century 4+ terms of a labour led government , that is now a 2nd generation being impacted from inaction and a race to the bottom. But keep on wishing, as every day you wish for action our children are missing out
I did not realise that I was so powerful- And schools already collaborate in not only this local area but other areas where family members teach.
Next time don't make sh^& up by making comments directed at me of something I have never said. But then if it suits your argument be like an Orange man in making things up.
You are on record as opposing any effort to stop schools competing, and bring back the education boards.
I would trust a public servant over a Karen any day in terms of running a school.
[You made a specific assertion about another commenter here. Please back it up with a link(s) or withdraw and apologise, thanks, or cop a ban – Incognito]
[Two weeks off for not backing up your allegations about another commenter or not withdrawing & apologising – Incognito]
Don't go fishing – Where is there any commentary by me that supports your comments ??
I gather you don't have any. There has been recently many occasions where commentators have been ask under threats of time in the corner for making unlinked comments as yours.
Put up then, without resorting to cheep name calling.
Millsy has the wrong end of the stick again. I do not believe that Herodotus is opposed to schools collaborating. Maybe he upset Millsy by arguing against some aspect back when National introduced a superficial policy of that type..
The rot actually starts in Early Childhood Education which was given over to private enterprise with the predictable consequences. If you don't get it right there the rest is built on a very shaky foundation
Well speaking as someone on the bottom of the financial pile there is a lot of difference. Labour's increase to core benefits plus the winter warmth payment and the end of the beneficiary hunting season has been a great help to me.
(meant as a reply to Jester)
But all that shows is that benefits core base should be way higher so that no supplementals – heating allowance, accom benefit, hard ship grants etc- are needed in the first place. And that was categorically ruled out before the second term. So that is it. The sum total of 6 years when all is set and done, a heating payment and a wee bit of an increase that does not hold up with anything. I don't say that it is not a bit better, on a scale of 1 – 10 you are 1 bit better off then you were before.
So this is again an exercise in doing nothing much where it is needed, and with the next government come in the supplementals like the heating allowance can just simply be canned and thus nothing was achieved other then a few drops on a hot stone for a few years.
In the meantime more people homeless, more people unemployed (well women people, people of color, other abled people, white men – as per the stats of the government are doing well), house prices even more unaffordable then they were 4 years ago, rents more unaffordable then they were 4 years ago, water, electricity and food up.
This is not to diminish that what little was done is to a benefit to you and others on a benefit, that personally is great, but it was no more then a drip on a hot stone.
And thus, there really is no real difference between the Nats and the Labs, and i would venture a guess that the 25 NZD benefit raise (core benefit) under Nat also would have helped a bit in the moment but as with Labours peanuts it changed nothing long term. Too little, in most cases to late, is just that, too little to late.
Apologies for shouting – I was feeling angry at the suggestion that the increases of Labour and National were similar. – Also forgot the reduced Doctor's charges
sometimes it's appropriate to shout I think, although should be used rarely. In this instance, regulars on TS have been repeatedly told that National's benefit raise was for only some beneficiaries. Shouting sometimes gets the message through (or at least gives some sense that it might).
I agree that general use of bold is annoying for moderation.
And not every one on the benefit have equally benefitted from changes under Labour.
The point is not to minimize what changes have been made, my friend is very happy with her heating allowance, her reduced doctors bills etc. But still every few month she is at the office – virtually – so to speak asking for help with some bills because it is not enough.
Same as it was not enough with National.
So my issue is not with 'who is being more generous' with the pennies that are being dispensed but my issue is that both sides are 'stingy beyond believe and need' with the pennies that they dispense.
By comparing two mediocre responses to a huge problem in our society, we are actually not discussing the need that exists, but rather the trickle down responses to it.
there's a problem with saying there is no difference between National and Labour. It's factually incorrect in important ways. And it discourages the underclass from being politically active to effect change.
Both increased rates, to some extend. Both have not done enough. The labour party has campaigned on not doing anything else for beneficiaries and got voted in on this promise among others – those dear cross over fiscal conservatives votes came in handy winning an all out majority..
So yes, in my personal opinion, they are both the same when it comes to increasing the benefits of all beneficiaries to such an extend that it would be at the very lest 480.00 per week (covid relieve for full timer after tax). Missing in action and hiding behind meaningless feel good rethoric.
The need is still there and raising. Both Parties for the longest time have failed. Both parties do nothing more then tinker on the edges – both parties do this to the extend that they need to not upset the people whose vote they want.
As for the underclass……we have 1 million people that don't vote, and not all of them are underclass. And quite a few of the underclass will not vote for Labour or Green or any other left leaning party because conservative / religious/ libertarian etc. I would not consider the 'underclass' a monolithic voting block that will vote reflexively for a so called social leaning party.
So you are happy to tip your cap to the government for reluctantly giving you some chump change For your total deviation and loyalty ?
when should it be determined that much govt handouts are inadequate then address the real issue. Hope you spend the 40 pieces of silver wisely.
Be it housing, poverty, inequality etc Labour only dish out the min, IF THAT🥵
Last winter that chump change was $65 a week maybe that's chump change to you – I found it pretty helpful – I remember well the National government – the threats ,the promises of crackdowns , the continued demonisation of those least able to defend themselves (me included). The only structural change I remember was reducing the maximum length of a Doctor's medical Certificate from 5 years to 2 years – great stuff to increase the level of fear and uncertainty among the long term mentally ill
seriously, you're calling beneficiaries spending what little the government give them a bribe for betrayal? We all know what Labour is doing is not enough, but that's not he fault of beneficiaries who are grateful for the relief.
I will spell this out for you, that I have commented many time before.
If there is a problem fix it, if benefits are not adequate increase them. What this and other governments do is add ons. But NOT addressing the issue directly.
Those in need, after the tokenism are less in need. But has their needs been fully met ? Less Poor is STILL Poor. Those in less Need are still in need 🤬
dude, I'm a politicised long term beneficiary. I know what the state of play is. Reread my comment. Beneficiaries are entitled to feel relieved and even grateful when their income increases, esp those that have been struggling to eat properly, get medical care, look after their kids.
Try this from the Greens commenting on Nationals deficient increases in benefits in 2016 – Same can now be applied to this government. So where are The Greens now and that their government has "Not" ensured that every family got the help they need. But hey, they should be grateful for the little they are given. That will fix this
“If the Government really cared about helping children living in families on the breadline, it would have ensured every child in every family got the help they need. Instead it chose to do the bare minimum,” Ms Logie said.
It's not the Greens' govt. It's a Labour majority govt, and the Greens are once again still largely locked out of having input on welfare. Talk to Labour voters about that, not me.
2. I've long argued against the child poverty approach politically because it separates beneficiaries into deserving and undeserving poor. Children are innocent and should be fed, ill and disabled adults can get fucked. Not that advocates see it like that, but they are buying into dangerous framing that National uses against us.
It is not The Greens Govt – But where is their response now to Labours inadequate increases, and why are so many that were vocal now not so ? As you said TG have been locked out so why not comment ?
As what has been done in increasing benefits does not ensure that every child gets the help… Perhaps they 2 were gifted 30 pieces for their silence or some offices of power? And as Sabine has stated what is the difference ?? or perhaps, The Greens don't benchmark their statements that had been made towards national and apply them now. Just thinking out loud 😉
no, you're just making shit up. So sick of this bullshit too. Been hearing it for decades, and it never pans out. They consistently step up and do what is needed, including holding Labour to account.
The Greens won't go as far as to say Labour's breached the agreement, but Green Party spokesperson for social development Jan Logie said the overhaul promised "should include a well overdue increase to the benefit."
he increased pressure on Labour comes after a dramatic surge in the number of grants issued to low-income New Zealanders for basic needs like food and accommodation.
The welfare figures for July show hardship grants for basic needs like food and accommodation have increased to nearly half-a-million – from 267,244 in June 2017 to 487,539 in June 2019.
The majority of grants were for food, which have increased by 100,000 since the coalition Government was elected. Spending on emergency housing grants has doubled to $66m in the same timeframe.
The Greens say the increase in grants is down to benefits that are too low to meet the cost of living.
The Government indexed benefits to the average wage in Budget 2019, meaning they will increase in line with wages. That'll mean benefits increase by an extra $10 to $17 a week by 2023. The Greens say indexing benefits "does not represent an overhaul of the welfare system."
"It will not result in any more money for almost a year which clearly doesn't reflect the urgency of this situation," Logie said.
Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni told Newshub the indexation is "just a part of the overhaul of the system".
In the meantime Jan Logie and/ or the Green Party is/are still correct in the assessment that the hardship grants are just a window to the obviouis, the main benefits are not high enough, and that is ongoing as per the government owns stats.
A total of 634,207 hardship assistance payments, worth $215,069,392 were granted during the December 2020 quarter.
These figures are higher than the hardship assistance granted during the December 2019 quarter, when there were 573,851 hardship assistance payments worth $165,380,115.
Hardship assistance includes, but is not limited to: Special Needs Grants (SNGs), Benefit Advances (ADVs) and Recoverable Assistance Payments (RAPs). These forms of assistance are designed to help people who have immediate needs. The numbers reported for hardship assistance granted are sums of grants granted within the December quarter (i.e. 1 October to 31 December). Hardship assistance contains all ages data, rather than working-age only (i.e. 18 to 64).
Special Needs Grants:
The number of Special Needs Grants granted was 51,468 higher during the December 2020 quarter when compared with the same period last year.
The value of grants granted increased from $88,815,126 during the December 2019 quarter to $130,770,852 during the December 2020 quarter.
A Special Needs Grant provides non-taxable, one-off recoverable or non-recoverable financial assistance for people to meet immediate needs. A person does not need to be receiving a main benefit to be eligible for a Special Needs
TheGreens are not currently in the position to do much.
Fwiw, this is Labours and only Labours failure. They knew that the benefits were to short, lowly, miserly already when Key replaced Clark, and nothing has changed since. Their failure to stand up to the voting public in Sept /Oct and take some risk in what was a won election from the onset is what makes them mediocre and not much different from the Nats in my opinion. No guts, no glory.
And thus eventually they arrive at the position of 'i have tried nothing and everything failed, what else could i have possibly done'. Well you could have campaigned on raising the benefit levels for all, remove the unemployment benefits from relationship status, and finally admit that children are poor in this country because their parents are poor, or have fallen into poverty. Just a few suggestions.
Comes across as bitter and with an axe to grind. $25 plus $40 pw winter payments (for a 6 month duration) is not insignificant at all.
Prior to increase a base rate of around $202 in the hand.
Add $45 per week.
That's over 20% more in the hand. Also, state house tenants not living in fear of evictions, market rents, P-tests, drug tests, doxing etc as National like to do. So what's Sabine's deal other than grinding an axe. Poor people know there's a clear difference between Labour and National. Sure, Labour could do more. To say they're the same is some fanciful bullshit.
I'd add that with Labour there's the chance of good change, because they're at least facing in the right direction. National were going as fast as they could get away with in NZ down the proto-fascist pathway and beneficiaries were one of the front lines with that. Bill English's big data plans were horrendous. The Bennett Reforms were neoliberal punitive welfare on steroids. Labour have done some shit stuff, National took it to a whole new level. Ardern's Labour look to me like they're not going to do enough (thanks Labour voters), but they're not doing nothing and they're certainly not taking us in the direction that National were.
It pretty much confirms the suspicion I've always had that the women were trading off the abuse claims. Assange comes across to me as repulsive, but the woman who wrote the book invited him to stay with her, knowing pretty much what he was like. She has acknowledged she wanted to have sex with the man.
In terms of the allegations, it seems like it was a bit of a storm in a tea cup. Most women would accept they were partly to blame by encouraging the person in the first place, and hopefully move on having learnt from the experience.
As far as the "shit storms" over the case… I think some of it is identity politics taken too far. Now lets wait for the shit fight to begin. 😉
Not exactly on topic, but I'll be watching with interest what happens with Assange's extradition case once Merrick Garland gets confirmed as Attorney General.
Garland's history is fairly strong on the press having a right to publish, and Biden seems to have evolved from his 2010 views calling Assange a high-tech terrorist. So I'm kinda hopeful for the extradition to be dropped along with a statement that press freedom to publish is such an important right that the extradition case should never have been brought.
not sure what the point in posting that is. It's a fairly useless piece of reporting, and posting it here will open up TS for another round of rape culture denial. See Anne's comment below. So sick of this shit, and at a time when there's barely any feminist presence on TS, it just ends up being echo chamber affirmation of the status quo around women and sexual assault.
He he that reminds me of a story. Back in the 80s a friend of mine was on the Ponsonby Community Committee and the subject of street trees came up. My friend suggested planting fruit trees. The response from one woman was that you couldn't do that because the children might eat the fruit! Ponsonby was in the process of being gentrified at the time so was slowly being infested with the 'upwardly mobile'
Yes, i used to live in Grey Lynn when first moving to AKL. And gosh, there were boxes of free fruit out on Williamson Ave from the private houses. Now they mostly have rock gardens and house chartered accountants.
I plant fruit trees with a vengance. Its my great hobby.
Hedgerows could be a green and sappy venous system for the body landscape for all NZ. Insects, birds, fungi and bipedal walkers could flow from place to place, sheltered and fed all the way. Hamlets might form at the intersections and foot-traffic take its rightful place as the preferred form of travel. News might travel by hedgerow rather than wire or fibre, story-tellers in Lincoln green could….hang on! Anyone read Riddley Walker???
The roads in between make for good tracktor roads if they are a shared commodity and also allow for walking/cycling as a form of transport. As someone who used to cycle a lot this is the one thing that i miss, the old tracktor/walking/pilgrimage roads that often times have at least on one side a hedgerow growing.
Hi I'm a time traveler from the 1700s that the hanky to return to . Most of us were dead by 40 and we were ruled by feudal cunts ,take it from me you are much better off now.
It seems that way, Time Traveller, but if I may ask: did your activities in the 17 hundreds bring the natural world to the brink of collapse? It's kind of a pressing issue for us in the 20-20's and it may be that our own children and grandchildren will have far shorter lives even, than yours. All the best with your mission.
To be fair, that rough life expectancy was skewed by a massive infant mortality rate that wasn't the fault of hedgerows. It wasn't exactly unheard of to get to your 70s or 80s even in those days.
My point is RG s dream of the world becoming a small holding utopia, it's a pointless dream that helps not one bit with modern day problems, you can lump the whole power down mob in there to . Imho
It's an intriguing approach – to belittle and dismiss the efforts of one who is trialling alternative solutions to the 'pickle' of modern day problems. All civilisations fail – spaceship Earth simply can't sustain the one we've crafted – we (all) need to make changes.
It's prudent to work on improving societal resilience in order to retain at least some of the privileges that ‘the golden billion‘ enjoy. Imho.
The Public Will Never Go For That! [8 Feb 2021]
Which story do you think most business leaders and citizens have chosen to believe? The one that says there’s still time, that we can “solve” the problem if, if, if only, and that we can get where we need to get by painless baby steps. Starting in five years.
But they [climate scientists] told me there was another reason they didn’t say what they really believed, what they really knew, in public. And that was that they were afraid that a dire message that told people they had to make drastic changes in their own lifestyles, and major sacrifices, now, would simply be unacceptable to their audiences. They would not be invited back. They would be discounted as crazies, alarmists. People would simply not listen. People only want to hear reassurances, comforts, good news. Even if it’s untrue.
Now, to me, that’s defeatism. It indicates a failure to appreciate that throughout history people have been willing to make huge changes to the way they live, if everyone else is willing (perhaps with some cajoling) to do their part, too. And that’s the rub. We have given up believing in the potential for large-scale collective action in the public good. We have given up on each other.
That’s dreadfully understandable. Self-interested corporatists, conservatives and their media use the public will never go for that as a club to beat down any suggestion that large-scale collective action is possible. The public will never go for medicare for all. The public will never agree to make sacrifices to mitigate climate change. The public will never give up their guns, their cars, their vacation flights, to reduce needless deaths, global warming, or the spread of a pandemic.
The problem is, we don’t know that that’s true. Many countries have medicare for all, and have made major sacrifices for the benefit of all their citizens, including, if reluctantly, in New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan and other countries that have beaten CoVid-19 and long ago returned to near-normal lives.
Still, I'm undeterred by your misreading of my views 🙂
"Small holding utopia"?
Nah.
I see adaptation no matter where "you" are, no matter what you're doing.
It's a cultural thing – our present culture is not proving sustainable, so we (all) must change. Sticking to our guns will leave us … stuck to our guns.
I'd love to see more and bigger beards in the House. Most people think "patriarchy" when they see a substantial beard, but in fact, cascading beards reflect a growing feminine aspect; it's far more common to see long, curling locks on a the head of a woman than it is a man and the increased sensitivity to breeze, bramble-snagging and tugs by grandchildren help develop a more aware human; think buzz-cut American grunt as compared with fully-tressed 70's hippie from the cast of Hair 🙂
In fact, Mallard has form in this area. Soon after Brash's infamous Orewa speech, the Clark regime made the strategic decision to ease back on its support for Māori. This would apparently make the bigots who comprised Brash's base think twice, and appreciate that Labour was not "too P.C."
Clark could not be seen to lower herself to such dodgy behaviour, so Mallard was given the role of attack dog. One of the most unpleasant things he did was to publicly complain about the length of pōwhiri at parliamentary and other functions.That won him praise from people like Paul Holmes and Sean Plunket, but there is no evidence that the racists abandoned National and rushed to Labour.This disastrous reset in Labour policy culminated in Clark making her contemptuous statements about the Foreshore and Seabed protestors—"I'd rather meet Shrek the Sheep," she intoned, mirthlessly.
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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. ...
Over on Kikorangi Newsroom's Marc Daalder has published his annual OIA stats. So I thought I'd do mine: 82 OIA requests sent in 2024 7 posts based on those requests 20 average working days to receive a response Ministry of Justice was my most-requested entity, ...
Welcome to the December 2024 Economic Bulletin. We have two monthly features in this edition. In the first, we discuss what the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update from Treasury and the Budget Policy Statement from the Minister of Finance tell us about the fiscal position and what to ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have submitted against the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, slamming the Bill as a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and an attack on tino rangatiratanga and the collective rights of Tangata Whenua. “This Bill seeks to legislate for Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles that are ...
I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
Our economy has experienced its worst recession since 1991. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, December 20 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above and the daily Pick ‘n’ Mix below ...
Twas the Friday before Christmas and all through the week we’ve been collecting stories for our final roundup of the year. As we start to wind down for the year we hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and new year. If you’re travelling please be safe on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the year’s news with: on climate. Her book of the year was Tim Winton’s cli-fi novel Juice and she also mentioned Mike Joy’s memoir The Fight for Fresh Water. ...
The Government can head off to the holidays, entitled to assure itself that it has done more or less what it said it would do. The campaign last year promised to “get New Zealand back on track.” When you look at the basic promises—to trim back Government expenditure, toughen up ...
Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment:Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guests and , ...
“Like you said, I’m an unreconstructed socialist. Everybody deserves to get something for Christmas.”“ONE OF THOSE had better be for me!” Hannah grinned, fascinated, as Laurie made his way, gingerly, to the bar, his arms full of gift-wrapped packages.“Of course!”, beamed Laurie. Depositing his armful on the bar-top and selecting ...
Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. “The data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...
One last thing before I quitI never wanted any moreThan I could fit into my headI still remember every single word you saidAnd all the shit that somehow came along with itStill, there's one thing that comforts meSince I was always caged and now I'm freeSongwriters: David Grohl / Georg ...
Sparse offerings outside a Te Kauwhata church. Meanwhile, the Government is cutting spending in ways that make thousands of hungry children even hungrier, while also cutting funding for the charities that help them. It’s also doing that while winding back new building of affordable housing that would allow parents to ...
It is difficult to make sense of the Luxon Coalition Government’s economic management.This end-of-year review about the state of economic management – the state of the economy was last week – is not going to cover the National Party contribution. Frankly, like every other careful observer, I cannot make up ...
This morning I awoke to the lovely news that we are firmly back on track, that is if the scale was reversed.NZ ranks low in global economic comparisonsNew Zealand's economy has been ranked 33rd out of 37 in an international comparison of which have done best in 2024.Economies were ranked ...
Remember those silent movies where the heroine is tied to the railway tracks or going over the waterfall in a barrel? Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems intent on portraying herself as that damsel in distress. According to Willis, this country’s current economic problems have all been caused by the spending ...
Similar to the cuts and the austerity drive imposed by Ruth Richardson in the 1990’s, an era which to all intents and purposes we’ve largely fiddled around the edges with fixing in the time since – over, to be fair, several administrations – whilst trying our best it seems to ...
String-Pulling in the Dark: For the democratic process to be meaningful it must also be public. WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE in New Zealand’s politicians and journalists steadily declining, restoring those virtues poses a daunting challenge. Just how daunting is made clear by comparing the way politicians and journalists treated New Zealanders ...
Dear Nicola Willis, thank you for letting us know in so many words that the swingeing austerity hasn't worked.By in so many words I mean the bit where you said, Here is a sea of red ink in which we are drowning after twelve months of savage cost cutting and ...
The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral organisation committed to advancing open government. Countries which join are supposed to co-create regular action plans with civil society, committing to making verifiable improvements in transparency, accountability, participation, or technology and innovation for the above. And they're held to account through an Independent ...
Today I tuned into something strange: a press conference that didn’t make my stomach churn or the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Which was strange, because it was about the torture of children. It was the announcement by Erica Stanford — on her own, unusually ...
This is a must watch, and puts on brilliant and practical display the implications and mechanics of fast-track law corruption and weakness.CLICK HERE: LINK TO WATCH VIDEOOur news media as it is set up is simply not equipped to deal with the brazen disinformation and corruption under this right wing ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
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 ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
The co-founder of Te Pāti Māori and architect of Whānau Ora will be remembered as a skilled political tactician who dedicated her life to the wellbeing of Māori, writes Miriama Aoake. Part of the hesitation of entering politics for any sane person is surely compromise. Compromise is essential in the ...
A stern but loving auntie, a woman of unshakeable principle, the very definition of a wāhine toa - those are just a few of the tributes flooding in for Dame Tariana Turia. ...
By Maram Humaid in Deir el-Balah, Gaza Journalists gathered at Gaza’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital expressed outrage and confusion about the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) decision to shut down Al Jazeera’s office in the occupied West Bank. “Shutting down a major outlet like Al Jazeera is a crime against journalism,” said freelance ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Katrina Mitchell-Kouttab As 2024 came to a close and we have stepped into a new year overshadowed by ongoing atrocities, have you stopped to consider how these events are reshaping your world? Did you notice how your future ...
By Talaia Mika of the Cook Islands News The Cook Islands will not pursue membership in the United Nations and the Commonwealth due to its inability to meet the criteria for UN membership and existing relationship with New Zealand, which fulfils Commonwealth membership requirements. Prime Minister Mark Brown has clarified ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ary Hoffmann, Professor, School of BioSciences and Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne Drosophila melanogaster.Deep Scope/Shutterstock The common fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), more correctly called the vinegar fly, is a frequent visitor to ripe fruit in households around the world, where ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, researching Greco-Roman antiquity, The University of Melbourne Imagine a summer holiday at a seaside resort, with days spent sunbathing, reading books, exploring nature and chatting with friends. Sounds like it could be anywhere in Australia or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Francesca Storey, Deputy Director Te Tātai Hauora o Hine – National Centre for Women’s Health Research Aotearoa, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington After committing to a global plan to eliminate cervical cancer, New Zealand is lagging behind Australia and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Myron Zalucki, Professor in Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland Kathy Reid, CC BY-SA Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) appear to be declining not just in North America but also in Australiasia. Could this be a consequence of global change, including ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Skyllas-Kazacos, Professor Emeritus, School of Chemical Engineering, UNSW Sydney As more and more solar and wind energy enters Australia’s grid, we will need ways to store it for later. We can store electricity in several different ways, from pumped hydroelectric ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine McCarthy, Senior Lecturer in Interior Architecture, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington View of Kororāreka in the Bay of Islands, 1845, by George Thomas Clayton.via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY New Zealand’s first jail was a simple affair, just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Noor Gillani, Digital Culture Editor Shutterstock You’re standing at the centre of an expansive art gallery, overwhelmed by what’s in front of you: panel after panel of stupendous works – densely-written labels affixed next to each piece. These labels may offer ...
Dame Tariana Turia has died aged 80 in Whangaehu overnight.The founder and former co-leader of Te Pāti Māori suffered a stroke earlier this week and was said not to have long left.A press release from Te Ranga Tupua said she had died in the early hours of Friday morning. “A mother ...
An $80 million subantarctic pest eradication project is being backed by a high-profile conservation charity targeting wealthy individuals.Since it was established in 2000, NZ Nature Fund has raised $5 million for project-specific conservation work, including $1.2 million over the past year. Projects, often managed by the Department of Conservation (DoC), ...
Opinion: When it was first published in 2016, JD Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy was hailed by Britain’s Sunday Times as “the political book of the year”. The Independent described it as “an insight into Trump and Brexit”.Hillbilly Elegy is an autobiographical account of Vance’s life, growing up in a poor, white ...
Sport is a place where ‘real’ fans are often assumed to be men. Global research tells us that female fans of live men’s sport often face misogynistic and homophobic environments that include swearing, drunkenness and yelling negative comments and abuse at opponents and referees. In men’s sport, a quick skim through ...
Summer reissue: Books editor Claire Mabey reviews poet Louise Wallace’s debut novel. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.A famous poet once said to ...
Summer reissue: Alex Casey talks a stroll through headlines detailing hundreds of beached kiwifruit, dozens of mailbox sausages and one giant mystery ham. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up ...
Summer reissue: Hera Lindsay Bird on her Bildungsroman.The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.I would never have gone to Germany if it wasn’t ...
Summer reissue: When we insert ourselves into the lives of animals, we become complicit in their fates.The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.Before ...
Summer reissue: With specialist mental health services in ‘chaos’, people who need help end up in destructive cycles and prison. Experts say there are solutions, but is political will and leadership lacking? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of ...
By Cheerieann Wilson in Suva Fiji’s Office of the President has confirmed that the Tribunal’s report on allegations of misconduct against suspended Director of Public Prosecutions Christopher Pryde does not need to be made public at this stage. The tribunal, chaired by Justice Anare Tuilevuka with Justices Chaitanya Lakshman and ...
By Anish Chand in Suva Virgin Australia has confirmed a “serious security incident” with its flight crew members who were in Fiji on New Year’s Day. Virgin Australia’s chief operating officer Stuart Aggs said the incident took place on Tuesday night – New Year’s Eve The crew members were in ...
Pacific Media Watch The New York-based global media watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned a decision by the Palestinian Authority to suspend Al Jazeera’s operations in the West Bank and called for it to be reversed “immediately”. “Governments resort to censoring news outlets when they have something to hide,” ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk An emergency 231 million euro (NZ$428 million) French aid package for New Caledonia has been reduced by one third because of the French Pacific territory’s current political crisis. The initial French package was endorsed in early December 2024, in an 11th-hour ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Researcher, Historian, Australian Catholic University Stone statue of Saint Isidore of Seville at the National Library of Spain.WH_Pics/Shutterstock In a world where information flows freely, it’s easy to forget that, for centuries, knowledge was much harder to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Swee-Hoon Chuah, Professor of Behavioural Economics, Tasmanian Behavioural Lab, University of Tasmania Shutterstock Chances are that the end of the year has made you assess some of your 2024 New Year’s resolutions. Perhaps you, like us, bought a home spin bike ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Fuller, Clinical Trials Director, Department of Endocrinology, RPA Hospital, University of Sydney Allgo/Unsplash As we enter a new year armed with resolutions to improve our lives, there’s a good chance we’ll also be carrying something less helpful: extra kilos. At ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Euan Ritchie, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University ijimino, Shutterstock Parasite, zombie, leech – these words are often used to describe people in unkind ways. Many of us recoil when ticks, tapeworms, fleas, ...
Summer reissue: As tens of thousands showed their support for the hīkoi to parliament, the organisers were busy behind the scenes ensuring things run smoothly. For many, this was their first time leading a kaupapa of this scale – and it wasn’t all easy.The Spinoff needs to double the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rod McNaughton, Professor of Entrepreneurship, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Startups have always been at the forefront of innovation. But factors such as artificial intelligence (AI), sustainability and decentralisation are set to reshape industries in 2025. Businesses are defined as startups ...
No comments yet. Everyone must be having a lie in. I know people on here are very tribal, but I do find today that both Labour and National are very similar and have both moved towards the centre. IMO it almost makes no difference which is the ruling party.
Coming from an education background I can see Labour making moves to unravel the mess that National got it into. Long way to go yet tho!
I don’t think reviewing NZ education curriculum by curriculum is the best approach. For example, a number of NCEA 1 subjects have been dropped but where/when are they now covered, if at all? To me it seems NZ education will continue to muddle through with uncertainty and lack of decisive visionary leadership. ACT is waiting in the wings with Charter Schools, which is no more than a plaster for some and does not address the system as a whole, which is just typical of those liberals.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/124148144/new-zealand-failing-to-identify-highachieving-science-students-at-school-research-finds
https://educationhq.com/news/schools-are-failing-to-identify-high-ability-science-students-study-90006/
The age-old problem of using surrogate measures, which in some cases are poor substitutes.
https://phys.org/news/2021-02-schools-high-ability-science-students.html
Indeed, local, ad hoc, reductionist, and aimed at symptoms rather than causes seems to be the ‘pragmatic’ approach here in NZ to many ills & evils. Where are our visionary leaders with deep-thinking skills and broad open minds?
I always thought that Charter Schools were set up as a dumping ground for the bottom 20% of pupils.
That’s a rather unfortunate way of framing, IMO. Sure, they were tied up with political and ideological agendas and vested interests, but they also tried or claimed to address the issue of the long tail in NZ education. Quite a few people were genuinely supportive and work hard with the best of intentions to make a positive difference. To write them off is doing them and the children a huge disfavour and is unfair, IMHO.
I think the idea was for the state schools to wash their hands of the problem kids and they could be dumped in charters presumably just to be trained to read nothing but the Bible.
I believe you’re wrong and misinformed but feel free to find evidence in support. You may want to avoid Bible-bashing, if you can, thanks.
I rather think it was the other way round, Millsy. Charter schools would take lower decile students, and prove that state schools were failing these students, by making successes of them. They then tried to carefully cherry-pick lower decile students who would succeed anyway, but didn't quite do it right, and had to then quietly get rid of obvious upcoming failures.. They then found it was not so bloody easy to teach then anyway, so very few of the Charter Schools achieved anything like the superiority over the state system that they had claimed.
And where did our “Tomorrow’s Schools” review go ?? And now we have Haque now informing us that there are issues, we’ll sh@$ you are leading the eduction reviews Ffs lead.
we have had this century 4+ terms of a labour led government , that is now a 2nd generation being impacted from inaction and a race to the bottom. But keep on wishing, as every day you wish for action our children are missing out
Well people like you were horrified at the idea of schools collaborating and getting proper support so the government backed down.
The wealthier schools like AGC, Rangitoto, etc depend on the poorer schools failing
I did not realise that I was so powerful- And schools already collaborate in not only this local area but other areas where family members teach.
Next time don't make sh^& up by making comments directed at me of something I have never said. But then if it suits your argument be like an Orange man in making things up.
You are on record as opposing any effort to stop schools competing, and bring back the education boards.
I would trust a public servant over a Karen any day in terms of running a school.
[You made a specific assertion about another commenter here. Please back it up with a link(s) or withdraw and apologise, thanks, or cop a ban – Incognito]
[Two weeks off for not backing up your allegations about another commenter or not withdrawing & apologising – Incognito]
Don't go fishing – Where is there any commentary by me that supports your comments ??
I gather you don't have any. There has been recently many occasions where commentators have been ask under threats of time in the corner for making unlinked comments as yours.
Put up then, without resorting to cheep name calling.
a Karen? Please don't bring that politically dodgy term here. Just use a few more words to say what you mean.
See my Moderation note @ 4:30 PM.
Millsy has the wrong end of the stick again. I do not believe that Herodotus is opposed to schools collaborating. Maybe he upset Millsy by arguing against some aspect back when National introduced a superficial policy of that type..
Thanks but it is for millsy to front up or come clean. Let’s see what millsy is made of otherwise millsy will be marching.
See my second Moderation note @ 4:30 PM.
The rot actually starts in Early Childhood Education which was given over to private enterprise with the predictable consequences. If you don't get it right there the rest is built on a very shaky foundation
Well speaking as someone on the bottom of the financial pile there is a lot of difference. Labour's increase to core benefits plus the winter warmth payment and the end of the beneficiary hunting season has been a great help to me.
(meant as a reply to Jester)
But all that shows is that benefits core base should be way higher so that no supplementals – heating allowance, accom benefit, hard ship grants etc- are needed in the first place. And that was categorically ruled out before the second term. So that is it. The sum total of 6 years when all is set and done, a heating payment and a wee bit of an increase that does not hold up with anything. I don't say that it is not a bit better, on a scale of 1 – 10 you are 1 bit better off then you were before.
So this is again an exercise in doing nothing much where it is needed, and with the next government come in the supplementals like the heating allowance can just simply be canned and thus nothing was achieved other then a few drops on a hot stone for a few years.
In the meantime more people homeless, more people unemployed (well women people, people of color, other abled people, white men – as per the stats of the government are doing well), house prices even more unaffordable then they were 4 years ago, rents more unaffordable then they were 4 years ago, water, electricity and food up.
This is not to diminish that what little was done is to a benefit to you and others on a benefit, that personally is great, but it was no more then a drip on a hot stone.
And thus, there really is no real difference between the Nats and the Labs, and i would venture a guess that the 25 NZD benefit raise (core benefit) under Nat also would have helped a bit in the moment but as with Labours peanuts it changed nothing long term. Too little, in most cases to late, is just that, too little to late.
The Nats benefit raise WAS ONLY TO SOME BENEFITS not all – Job Seekers and Supported Living GOT NOTHING.
Using capitals is considered shouting on-line and using bold font makes it worse (and might be confused with Moderation here).
Please consider using italics when you want to emphasise something. For example:
FIFY
Apologies for shouting – I was feeling angry at the suggestion that the increases of Labour and National were similar. – Also forgot the reduced Doctor's charges
I totally understand. It is because sometimes it can create ‘bad vibes’.
Hi Barfly, I agree!! There are times when righteous drivel and pro Nat anti Labour is reason to shout.
sometimes it's appropriate to shout I think, although should be used rarely. In this instance, regulars on TS have been repeatedly told that National's benefit raise was for only some beneficiaries. Shouting sometimes gets the message through (or at least gives some sense that it might).
I agree that general use of bold is annoying for moderation.
sad that beneficiaries have to keep yelling about this. Glad the Labour changes have made some difference for you Barfly
And not every one on the benefit have equally benefitted from changes under Labour.
The point is not to minimize what changes have been made, my friend is very happy with her heating allowance, her reduced doctors bills etc. But still every few month she is at the office – virtually – so to speak asking for help with some bills because it is not enough.
Same as it was not enough with National.
So my issue is not with 'who is being more generous' with the pennies that are being dispensed but my issue is that both sides are 'stingy beyond believe and need' with the pennies that they dispense.
By comparing two mediocre responses to a huge problem in our society, we are actually not discussing the need that exists, but rather the trickle down responses to it.
there's a problem with saying there is no difference between National and Labour. It's factually incorrect in important ways. And it discourages the underclass from being politically active to effect change.
Well see i don't think it is factually incorrect.
Both increased rates, to some extend. Both have not done enough. The labour party has campaigned on not doing anything else for beneficiaries and got voted in on this promise among others – those dear cross over fiscal conservatives votes came in handy winning an all out majority..
So yes, in my personal opinion, they are both the same when it comes to increasing the benefits of all beneficiaries to such an extend that it would be at the very lest 480.00 per week (covid relieve for full timer after tax). Missing in action and hiding behind meaningless feel good rethoric.
The need is still there and raising. Both Parties for the longest time have failed. Both parties do nothing more then tinker on the edges – both parties do this to the extend that they need to not upset the people whose vote they want.
As for the underclass……we have 1 million people that don't vote, and not all of them are underclass. And quite a few of the underclass will not vote for Labour or Green or any other left leaning party because conservative / religious/ libertarian etc. I would not consider the 'underclass' a monolithic voting block that will vote reflexively for a so called social leaning party.
So you are happy to tip your cap to the government for reluctantly giving you some chump change For your total deviation and loyalty ?
when should it be determined that much govt handouts are inadequate then address the real issue. Hope you spend the 40 pieces of silver wisely.
Be it housing, poverty, inequality etc Labour only dish out the min, IF THAT🥵
Last winter that chump change was $65 a week maybe that's chump change to you – I found it pretty helpful – I remember well the National government – the threats ,the promises of crackdowns , the continued demonisation of those least able to defend themselves (me included). The only structural change I remember was reducing the maximum length of a Doctor's medical Certificate from 5 years to 2 years – great stuff to increase the level of fear and uncertainty among the long term mentally ill
seriously, you're calling beneficiaries spending what little the government give them a bribe for betrayal? We all know what Labour is doing is not enough, but that's not he fault of beneficiaries who are grateful for the relief.
Yup, it smelled of bad faith but was probably just extremely poorly worded.
the generous interpretation is that he didn't think about what forty pieces of silver means.
the chosen handle suggests otherwise.
Must be because of inflation.
Put my hand up there and own my mistake. 30 not 40 ☹️
I will spell this out for you, that I have commented many time before.
If there is a problem fix it, if benefits are not adequate increase them. What this and other governments do is add ons. But NOT addressing the issue directly.
Those in need, after the tokenism are less in need. But has their needs been fully met ? Less Poor is STILL Poor. Those in less Need are still in need 🤬
+1
dude, I'm a politicised long term beneficiary. I know what the state of play is. Reread my comment. Beneficiaries are entitled to feel relieved and even grateful when their income increases, esp those that have been struggling to eat properly, get medical care, look after their kids.
Try this from the Greens commenting on Nationals deficient increases in benefits in 2016 – Same can now be applied to this government. So where are The Greens now and that their government has "Not" ensured that every family got the help they need. But hey, they should be grateful for the little they are given. That will fix this
“If the Government really cared about helping children living in families on the breadline, it would have ensured every child in every family got the help they need. Instead it chose to do the bare minimum,” Ms Logie said.
https://www.greens.org.nz/half-families-denied-full-benefit-increase
2. I've long argued against the child poverty approach politically because it separates beneficiaries into deserving and undeserving poor. Children are innocent and should be fed, ill and disabled adults can get fucked. Not that advocates see it like that, but they are buying into dangerous framing that National uses against us.
It is not The Greens Govt – But where is their response now to Labours inadequate increases, and why are so many that were vocal now not so ? As you said TG have been locked out so why not comment ?
As what has been done in increasing benefits does not ensure that every child gets the help… Perhaps they 2 were gifted 30 pieces for their silence or some offices of power? And as Sabine has stated what is the difference ?? or perhaps, The Greens don't benchmark their statements that had been made towards national and apply them now. Just thinking out loud 😉
https://www.greens.org.nz/economic_windfall_should_be_funnelled_straight_back_into_communities
no, you're just making shit up. So sick of this bullshit too. Been hearing it for decades, and it never pans out. They consistently step up and do what is needed, including holding Labour to account.
To be fair, they said this in 2019
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/07/greens-call-out-labour-over-failure-to-increase-benefits.html
In the meantime Jan Logie and/ or the Green Party is/are still correct in the assessment that the hardship grants are just a window to the obviouis, the main benefits are not high enough, and that is ongoing as per the government owns stats.
https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/statistics/benefit/2020/benefit-fact-sheets/benefit-fact-sheets-snapshot-december-2020.pdf Page 8
TheGreens are not currently in the position to do much.
Fwiw, this is Labours and only Labours failure. They knew that the benefits were to short, lowly, miserly already when Key replaced Clark, and nothing has changed since. Their failure to stand up to the voting public in Sept /Oct and take some risk in what was a won election from the onset is what makes them mediocre and not much different from the Nats in my opinion. No guts, no glory.
And thus eventually they arrive at the position of 'i have tried nothing and everything failed, what else could i have possibly done'. Well you could have campaigned on raising the benefit levels for all, remove the unemployment benefits from relationship status, and finally admit that children are poor in this country because their parents are poor, or have fallen into poverty. Just a few suggestions.
Ok I accept that Greens have made comments of wanting more.
My comments have migrated away from the main point – Inadequate support.
Comes across as bitter and with an axe to grind. $25 plus $40 pw winter payments (for a 6 month duration) is not insignificant at all.
Prior to increase a base rate of around $202 in the hand.
Add $45 per week.
That's over 20% more in the hand. Also, state house tenants not living in fear of evictions, market rents, P-tests, drug tests, doxing etc as National like to do. So what's Sabine's deal other than grinding an axe. Poor people know there's a clear difference between Labour and National. Sure, Labour could do more. To say they're the same is some fanciful bullshit.
I'd add that with Labour there's the chance of good change, because they're at least facing in the right direction. National were going as fast as they could get away with in NZ down the proto-fascist pathway and beneficiaries were one of the front lines with that. Bill English's big data plans were horrendous. The Bennett Reforms were neoliberal punitive welfare on steroids. Labour have done some shit stuff, National took it to a whole new level. Ardern's Labour look to me like they're not going to do enough (thanks Labour voters), but they're not doing nothing and they're certainly not taking us in the direction that National were.
I couldn’t possibly comment.
Herodotus @ 2.2 "Total deviation?" Devotion? Your biblical reference to coin…. Try some kindness, doesn't cost a bean.
Thanks Incognito.
It pretty much confirms the suspicion I've always had that the women were trading off the abuse claims. Assange comes across to me as repulsive, but the woman who wrote the book invited him to stay with her, knowing pretty much what he was like. She has acknowledged she wanted to have sex with the man.
In terms of the allegations, it seems like it was a bit of a storm in a tea cup. Most women would accept they were partly to blame by encouraging the person in the first place, and hopefully move on having learnt from the experience.
As far as the "shit storms" over the case… I think some of it is identity politics taken too far. Now lets wait for the shit fight to begin. 😉
Not exactly on topic, but I'll be watching with interest what happens with Assange's extradition case once Merrick Garland gets confirmed as Attorney General.
Garland's history is fairly strong on the press having a right to publish, and Biden seems to have evolved from his 2010 views calling Assange a high-tech terrorist. So I'm kinda hopeful for the extradition to be dropped along with a statement that press freedom to publish is such an important right that the extradition case should never have been brought.
not sure what the point in posting that is. It's a fairly useless piece of reporting, and posting it here will open up TS for another round of rape culture denial. See Anne's comment below. So sick of this shit, and at a time when there's barely any feminist presence on TS, it just ends up being echo chamber affirmation of the status quo around women and sexual assault.
We need hedgerows, now!
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/02/reservoirs-of-life-hedgerows-help-uk-net-zero-2050-aoe
hazelnut and almonds make good hedgerows and they produce food.
He he that reminds me of a story. Back in the 80s a friend of mine was on the Ponsonby Community Committee and the subject of street trees came up. My friend suggested planting fruit trees. The response from one woman was that you couldn't do that because the children might eat the fruit! Ponsonby was in the process of being gentrified at the time so was slowly being infested with the 'upwardly mobile'
Yes, i used to live in Grey Lynn when first moving to AKL. And gosh, there were boxes of free fruit out on Williamson Ave from the private houses. Now they mostly have rock gardens and house chartered accountants.
I plant fruit trees with a vengance. Its my great hobby.
Hedgerows could be a green and sappy venous system for the body landscape for all NZ. Insects, birds, fungi and bipedal walkers could flow from place to place, sheltered and fed all the way. Hamlets might form at the intersections and foot-traffic take its rightful place as the preferred form of travel. News might travel by hedgerow rather than wire or fibre, story-tellers in Lincoln green could….hang on! Anyone read Riddley Walker???
No but it sounds wonderful like Beatrix Potter
Beatrix Potter?
Best you don't get yourself a copy then 🙂
Beatrix Potter for grown – ups?
The roads in between make for good tracktor roads if they are a shared commodity and also allow for walking/cycling as a form of transport. As someone who used to cycle a lot this is the one thing that i miss, the old tracktor/walking/pilgrimage roads that often times have at least on one side a hedgerow growing.
bustling hedgerows
… and spring cleaning may queens …
Hi I'm a time traveler from the 1700s that the hanky to return to . Most of us were dead by 40 and we were ruled by feudal cunts ,take it from me you are much better off now.
It seems that way, Time Traveller, but if I may ask: did your activities in the 17 hundreds bring the natural world to the brink of collapse? It's kind of a pressing issue for us in the 20-20's and it may be that our own children and grandchildren will have far shorter lives even, than yours. All the best with your mission.
We were well on our way, look forward for your answers not backwards.
Only a small % of people would want a quaint life.
To be fair, that rough life expectancy was skewed by a massive infant mortality rate that wasn't the fault of hedgerows. It wasn't exactly unheard of to get to your 70s or 80s even in those days.
My point is RG s dream of the world becoming a small holding utopia, it's a pointless dream that helps not one bit with modern day problems, you can lump the whole power down mob in there to . Imho
It's an intriguing approach – to belittle and dismiss the efforts of one who is trialling alternative solutions to the 'pickle' of modern day problems. All civilisations fail – spaceship Earth simply can't sustain the one we've crafted – we (all) need to make changes.
It's prudent to work on improving societal resilience in order to retain at least some of the privileges that ‘the golden billion‘ enjoy. Imho.
Harsh, bwaghorn, harsh!
Still, I'm undeterred by your misreading of my views 🙂
"Small holding utopia"?
Nah.
I see adaptation no matter where "you" are, no matter what you're doing.
It's a cultural thing – our present culture is not proving sustainable, so we (all) must change. Sticking to our guns will leave us … stuck to our guns.
Who dobbed-in the leader of Te Path Maori, for not wearing a tie in the House???
Bishop? or someone similarly petty
Could be any (of them) 🙂
Bishop is trying to tie a noose around Mallard’s neck.
Isn't 'colonial noose' a great term for it..
Did Dunne wear neck or bow?
https://twitter.com/Publicwrongs/status/1359058689647284227
All I can remember is the coiffure.
You’d be ok in Parliament though, you can hide anything underneath that magnificent beard, you could even go unbuttoned
I'd love to see more and bigger beards in the House. Most people think "patriarchy" when they see a substantial beard, but in fact, cascading beards reflect a growing feminine aspect; it's far more common to see long, curling locks on a the head of a woman than it is a man and the increased sensitivity to breeze, bramble-snagging and tugs by grandchildren help develop a more aware human; think buzz-cut American grunt as compared with fully-tressed 70's hippie from the cast of Hair 🙂
Mallard is being a goose. He could easily say it looks like a tie to me.
Hard to tell under that big hat.
yep, seems an odd path for Mallard to have taken, can't make sense of it tbh.
In fact, Mallard has form in this area. Soon after Brash's infamous Orewa speech, the Clark regime made the strategic decision to ease back on its support for Māori. This would apparently make the bigots who comprised Brash's base think twice, and appreciate that Labour was not "too P.C."
Clark could not be seen to lower herself to such dodgy behaviour, so Mallard was given the role of attack dog. One of the most unpleasant things he did was to publicly complain about the length of pōwhiri at parliamentary and other functions. That won him praise from people like Paul Holmes and Sean Plunket, but there is no evidence that the racists abandoned National and rushed to Labour. This disastrous reset in Labour policy culminated in Clark making her contemptuous statements about the Foreshore and Seabed protestors—"I'd rather meet Shrek the Sheep," she intoned, mirthlessly.
Looks like Chris Bishop is not the only person gunning for Mallard.
Barry Soper: Failure to hold Trevor Mallard to account shows Labour's hypocrisy – NZ Herald
No matter how hard they rub off on each other, they’ll never create an original spark, only fricative hot air.
It's pretty clear the man who was making a nuisance of himself and who Mallard outed is a good mate of Soper's.
Barry sees nothing wrong in chasing much younger women and I suspect our man in parliament is cut from the same cloth.
Yep I agree. I have always thought that Soper knows the person very well and is a friend.