This comment by Advantage – https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-07-09-2023/#comment-1967316 – to my mind touches on the reason for such widespread disinterest and disillusion in the upcoming election. Despite the media deciding that "Labour hasn't delivered" is going to be their cynical zombie fact de jour (what they actually mean is Labour hasn't delivered for aspirational middle class white people like them) things like fair pay agreements and the covid response are solid achievements.
But that isn't enough for an electorate that can sense the nation is at a fin de siècle moment in it's economic and political cycle. But how to actualise this Gramscian turn in our psychology of our political and economic fortunes? MMP was adopted precisely to prevent the birth of the new. The system of elite cadre parties with tightly managed lists of approved candidates who are reliably invested in the system and a strong barriers for rebel parties and candidates is doing an admirable job of protecting the existing establishment neoliberal consensus against all comers.
Conventional wisdom has it that neoliberalism is over. The schitzophrenia in the neoliberal consensus between the need to contain political challenges to late captialism and protecting the interests of the resultant rentier crony capitalist class is becoming unmanageable. I guess we shall see – at least perhaps we are in an interregnum. But whatever your view is of what stage of it’s lifecyle neoliberalism is in it remains deeply entrenched at the top of politics and in the politicised technocratic/managerial class that operates in w seamless, semipermeable membrane between the top of the public service and the quasi-private sector, of which professor Neil Quigley is the current éminence grise de jour. This is why all the interventions, say to support wages or help businesses through covid, have been carefully designed as short-term, reversible actions. The entrenched neoliberal elite is determined to preserve the status quo, even if it is at an enormous cost to the system's dynamism.
In relation to the election, none of the major political parties wish to threaten the wealth of the owner class. None of them want anything to do with nationalisation. So at the moment nothing on offer to electorate amounts to solutions that will even come close to addressing the scale of the problems facing NZ. No one, for example, is saying the obvious answer to our housing problems would be a return to mass construction of housing by the state.
Thus it is that our current political environment is characterised more by incrementalism, paralysis and incapacity than by bold ideas and and initiative. It operates in a constantly febrile atmosphere of anticipated crisis, stoked by an equally exhausted MSM media model that exists in a state of semi-permanent hysterical amnesia. Whoever wins the election is going to inherit a very brittle status quo over the next decade where neither centrist party will be spared an unravelling from which one, or both, may not emerge intact.
I do recall saying when Labour won in 2017, that no matter how much I admired Ardern's considerable personal qualities, I still thought her Labour Party represented an ideological dead-end. If National win this time, the resulting vulgar, excited spree from business and the spivs and wide-boys lurking in the corners of the economy might look like something new. But it will just be a rewind of the Key playbook and will terminate in the same way as people recognise again the long-term damage it stores up.
What breaks the stalemate? Do enough of my generation need to die out and then do younger generations have to not trend to the right as they age? Meanwhile the climate is rapidly closing the window on us – the time we have left to make such a change is not unlimited. If eye-wateringly expensive climate-induced infrastructure damage repeatedly occurs within a neoliberal economic and political structure, then the preferred 'solutions' to it might be very nasty for most people.
Breaking the stalemate can only begin when there's a turnaround in the dramatic decrease of voters, of whom many are in the younger demographic, as well as lower-socioeconomic, and whose voting bloc could swing an election.
For the former, once again the case for civics education in schools comes up. For the latter group- so beaten down by the system and in survival mode that voting doesn't register for many. And if it does register, then why bother? One side won't do anything to improve matters vs the other side will make things worse.
It would be fascinating to see the results of an election where the Greens were the dominant party, with Labour the support party. And it would even be feasible if the non-voters voted. But the system – here and in other countries- is designed to indirectly disenfranchise those who would.
If eye-wateringly expensive climate-induced infrastructure damage repeatedly occurs within a neoliberal economic and political structure, then the preferred 'solutions' to it might be very nasty for most people.
Many people who are comfortable thanks to neoliberalism believe environmental degradation and climate-induced damage won't be "very nasty" for them personally.
Events closer to home may erode that belief, but it's tough to change tack – if only the deck chairs had been rearranged 50 years ago. Still, don't give up – hope for the best.
My goodness, that epistle is worthy of Paul Buchanan. He has confessed to lurking here from time to time so I hope he sees it.
I bow to your superior knowledge Sanctuary- and indeed Ad's – on this subject. To have it explained so succinctly is helpful.
I cannot help but wonder why the Labour government is not prepared to spell it out to the populace in a manner that leaves them equally cognisant of the reasons behind the problems we face. It is almost as if they are too scared to rub certain powerful individuals and the media up the wrong way. Why bother to take that into account when they know that swathes of the mediocre media are going to dump on them anyway. If I am right then they deserve time-out to not only lick their wounds but to contemplate their timidity and recognise the part it played in their demise.
Helen Clark was a good example of someone who not only stood up to the rich and powerful, but she knew how to put the media in their place when it was required. I think Hipkins has got it in him to do the same but there's not much time left!
Organised more food parcels than ever this morning alone.
More people living in cars, than ever.
More kids living in poverty, than ever.
Hospital emergency room effectively falling apart in this city
Waiting for doctors if your in the bottom 25% of income, are at least 3 weeks in this city – worse in other places.
Inflation still pushing prices up of basics.
Incremental progressive changes don't mean shit when your life is hellish.
So yeah for working folk, the line Labour have not delivered, is not middle class wishful thinking – but a reflection of the life of the poor and hard working people.
Despite all that the voters seem to respond to bold leadership that has a vision. Kiwis can put up with a lot, if there is a good reason for it and the government promises change. That was Jacinda all over. In 2023, the only candidates eliciting similar interest are Winston and Chloe Swarbrick.
Yeah.. nah. Ms Ardern promised transformational change, guided us through Covid and then beyond that, SFA, and then pissed off. Transformational change … nah, too hard.
Labour – betraying us since 1984. They are part of the problem, not the solution.
Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation director, Jason Hungerford, said by the end of March it had 21,600 apprentices, 77 percent more than at the same time in 2020.
Maybe you are already retired? NAct are looking at changing the age for that. So that will mean a long hard working life..is extended for many..esp physical workers.
The artificial electricity market, as per your link, has a lot to answer for. Basically hugely significant working class and taxpayer built power infrastructure handed over to the parasite class. Power price gouging makes many lives more miserable than they need to be.
Monetarism and neo liberalism are long embedded in the NZ State and Parliament now–so what is the circuit breaker? Well it has to be grass roots community organising and direct action which is not an easy route. If the NActFirst lot attain office look out, it will be negative and destructive, but it will stimulate fightbacks galore, and hopefully finally encourage generation rent to unite and stick it to the man in a suitably 21st century manner.
The increase in teacher numbers (moving from 1 teacher for every 29 students to 1 teacher for every 28.5 students) which was announced for 2024 – has been pushed back to 2025.
They've already burned through a heck of a lot of credit with the teachers over the pay negotiations. Now, to have one of the few policies which will make a difference, pulled out from under schools with no notice – makes them look even more out of touch.
Tinetti's defence that the money has gone on teacher salary claims – just makes her look weak and incompetent.
And, to be clear, this is 'with no notice' – schools are doing the staffing plans for next year, right now; and principals have been planning their staffing while factoring in the new ratios.
They've already burned through a heck of a lot of credit with the teachers over the pay negotiations
I wouldn't portray teachers as hapless victims here. They appear to have a political strategy: vote Labour and then push like hell for pay rises because Labour are sympathetic; when you've exhausted that well, vote National to get a tax cut in the knowledge that they won't give you a pay rise; rinse and repeat.
Over-all more common. Labour are far more sympathetic to workers including public servants and always have been. Muldoon did his best to totally destroy the unions movement, including the PSA, during his three terms in office. It is what led to the Trades Hall bombing in 1984. He set the scene for widespread hatred towards them.
That mindset still exists in NAct today even if it is not expressed in such draconian terms. Hence teachers and nurses and related professions know they have more chance of success under Labour governments.
NZF will be 7-8% on Election night, with out doubt unless Winston does something stupid again or another Court Case arises as it invariably does b4 an Election
Or does it increase his pool of voters by garnering voters who are realistic about the left’s prospects at this election? Those who see it as the only viable way to constrain some of the rights more radical policies. The classic hand break argument.
That is faulty logic Jack IMHO. Or perhaps you are trolling?
Winston has always leaned to the Right. By far the best result for the Left would be if he got 4.9% or less. If you want a Lab/Gr/TPM coalition a vote for Winston is madness.
You seem to be saying Labour has no chance of winning given the polls, in which case you may receive a ban from TS for negativity.
Have you been living under a rock since, say 2017?
More seriously, there must be a point at which even the most ardent Labour supporter concedes the chances of them becoming the next government are slim. The exact point will vary by the individual. However, if a poll came out with Labour at say 23%, that may do it for many IMO.
Too simplistic-you do not seem to understand MMP. A poll with Labour 23 Greens 16 TPM 4 and NZF 4 would still leave the Left in with a good chance of winning the election.
Again I say you are needlessly being very negative and flirting with a ban from TS.
Winston's best chance of being a handbrake is if he takes votes from NACT – enough to ensure that NACT doesn't get a majority. Then he grinningly tells Luxon to leave Seymour out of the tent as a bottom line for getting NZF support. Seymour is then in a constant state of spewing with resentment – which would be fun in a grim sort of way.
The point is – Labour voters switching to NZF would not be a huge factor in making him more likely to become a handbrake. He can be a handbrake only if NACT is around 44-45% tops. (Though I guess most people considering voting NZF wouldn't think this through)
Spoke to Seymour in the Pub one night about Winston, he was very scathing on him and quoted “he was a little Māori Boy from Northland who had done good 👍 “ ???
Then he grinningly tells Luxon to leave Seymour out of the tent as a bottom line for getting NZF support. Seymour is then in a constant state of spewing with resentment – which would be fun in a grim sort of way.
I suspect that is NACT can't get over the 50% pole line, but can with NZF, then that is exactly what Peters will do. He does have form for it with the Greens in previous elections.
Act Party leader David Seymour is ruling out working with New Zealand First if the party is given Cabinet positions, but will not say whether Act would accept any other arrangement NZ First was a part of.
However, Seymour has confirmed he will answer those questions if Winston Peters’ party polled at or over the 5 per cent threshold multiple times, and that he wants National leader Christopher Luxon to rule out giving NZ First Cabinet positions if he holds that authority after October 14.
It’s a clarification of Act deputy leader Brooke van Velden’s comments to journalists today, which included her stating, “We are ruling out working with New Zealand First.”
I haven't seen anything much since from Act despite recent polling for NZF.
The problem for National is that I have a impression that Seymour is likely to not want to provide a confidence and supply if they aren't in coalition with National and NZF is.
In which case National would probably try to form a minority government with two parties on C&S. Possible, but usually pretty unstable.
In any case, National has form in the Shipley govt for trying to split another party (NZF) and in the Key governments for flogging policies from coalition and C&S parties to pull vote in. They really haven't managed to get into the idea of having viable other parties competing with them.
If NACT is capable of getting over the pole position, and the coalition with Act happens, then I suspect we will see a repeat of previous whittling of Act support. Especially since Act appears to have a full-blown contingent of nutbar single policy voting groups in support – which makes it easy for National to do. They either don't implement insane policies like issuing semi-automatic weapons to nutters, or condemning many vaccination programs, or they do it more badly than they usually do and let the blame for the fuck-ups fall on Act. The 3 strikes, 90 day employment, and piss-poor Auckland super-shitty were all Act policy as I remember it.
Do any Nat donors have financial interests in ITOs? With every Nat policy preference, it's a case of tracking down where the private money-grubbing would happen.
Horrifying to read that Dunedin Hospital has lost accreditation to train cancer doctors and perhaps more horrifying it seems accreditation loss may occur at other locations and in other specialty's.
However I remember hearing this story about training, performing and accreditation in earlier decades. Not to mention nurses, pathologists, various testing labs, etc.
It is pretty common across any skills area that requires accreditation in small population areas like NZ or single cities in large population countries. From memory Eire has a problem with this at present, which is why they have been advertising here to try to draw back senior doctors (I keep seeing online ads for it).
In the meantime a huge landscape wrecking wind farm has just been given fast-track approval near to lovely Kariotahi beach near Waiuku.
I have just been travelling in Australia and seen solar and wind power sites side by side. The landscape effects of solar are considerably less (and noise is non-existent) and solar is only slightly more expensive and getting cheaper rapidly*.
* some people argue the maintenance needs of wind, especially the regular need for new gearboxes and turbines, makes solar cheaper.
Good morning all, I hope you’re continuing to have a lovely long weekend without too many worries about the things we usually talk about. First things first, today is a special day in our family, the youngest member, our Matty, my Mister Man, turns 16.Public transport in Bangkok, 2016.I’ve mentioned ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by John Mason in collaboration with members from the Gigafact team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Does temperature have to rise before CO2 ...
TL;DR: Mānawatia a Matariki! It’s that time of the year for reflection and renewal so here’s our annual State of The Kākā Nation Report for 2024. Total subscribers grew 46% to 20,600 and paying subscribers grew 29% to 2,520 over the last year. Subscriber comments, ‘views’ and likes’ increased more ...
Can't stop believin' I'm the greatestHearts breaking 'til I know I made itI'll never know what second place isNo pain, no doubt'Til the lights go outMatariki feels like such a positive event. People around the country enjoying time with whānau and friends, trying new things or just relaxing and reflecting. ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on what you may have missed. Still on the move!ShareGreetings Jack Craw and Te Aka Music, love your work. Read more ...
Hi,When I started Webworm four years ago (four years! thanks for being here!) it was motivated by a world slowly falling into conspiratorial madness.Reality felt like it was slipping, and I wanted to document the chaos. That has never stopped, be it examining how huge chunks of society have retreated ...
Evaluating the impact of social policies will be very difficult but the government does not seem to be doing much real evaluation. A couple of terms that have recently become fashionable are ‘cost-benefit analysis’ (CBA) and ‘social-investment analysis’ (SIA), typically proposed by people who have never done either. They sound ...
Conspiracy theories attempt to explain events as the secretive plots of powerful people. While conspiracy theories are not typically supported by evidence, this doesn’t stop them from blossoming. Conspiracy theories damage society in a number of ways. To help minimise these harmful effects, The Conspiracy Theory Handbook, by Stephan Lewandowsky ...
Worst. Presidential. Debate Ever. President Joe Biden and former President have just squared off in the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign and the rest of the world has watched in slack-jawed horror as democracy’s once “shining city on the hill” hit a new low.The hyperbole in that introduction ...
Sun is up, I'm a messGotta get out now, gotta run from thisHere comes the shame, here comes the shameYesterday Golriz Ghahraman’s fall from grace was complete. Convicted and sentenced, more harshly that I’d anticipated. In my view Golriz had suffered quite disproportionally already, considering the nature of her crime. ...
Open access notables Tipping point in ice-sheet grounding-zone melting due to ocean water intrusion, Bradley & Hewitt, Nature Geoscience:Here we develop a model to capture the feedback between intruded ocean water, the melting it induces and the resulting changes in ice geometry. We reveal a sensitive dependence of the ...
Some of the wilder things that have crossed our paths in the last couple of weeks:Wilder thing #1: A snake sunning itself on the hot asphalt as we came riding towards itDick was in front and was slowing down to take a picture, thinking it to be another carcass.But this ...
As part of its coalition agreement, the climate-change denier National government promised its climate-change denier coalition partners a review of our agricultural methane reduction target. Today they announced the members of their "independent" review, and released its terms of reference. I'm not familiar with the academic records of the panel, ...
And you can see it in the way they look at youFeel it in the way they treat youAlways the last to knowAlways the first to leaveJust let them walk all over youLaugh through the punches and the painLet the life-blood drain away from youThey're right, you're wrongOK, first things ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk Astrong majority of registered voters support certain policies aimed at tackling climate change, according to recent research by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (the publisher of this site) and the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason ...
Finally, Julian Assange is free after 12 years of confinement, much of it spent while under the threat of rendition to the US to face charges carrying a term of 175 years in prison. Yet ultimately, Assange has not been set free because the charges (of espionage and conspiracy to ...
A note to readers This satirical post is based on this document. Received from Auckland Transport under a LGOIMA request. the document reveals the ranking process used by the working group for the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP). It shows how the RLTP working group (Auckland Transport, KiwiRail, NZTA/Waka Kotahi, and ...
TL;DR: Six things from Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy I think are worth noting on the morning of Thursday, June 27:The NZIER has estimated almost a third of new spending in Budget 2024 will have worsened the Government’s Paris agreement climate liability, which Treasury has already estimated at up to $23.7 billion. ...
Hi,Four days ago New Zealand pop royalty Brooke Fraser broke yet another record — largest attendance for a Kiwi solo artist at her Spark Arena gig.She was joined on stage by the Auckland Philharmonia orchestra, Radio New Zealand gushing that it was “hard to pick a singular high point of ...
Whenever people make the perfectly sensible suggestion that the world could solve its problems by taxing billionaires, the latter's stooges flood the zone with claims it would never work. Apparently billionaires are so inherently criminal that they would evade such taxes, laundering their money and hiding it in criminal jurisdictions ...
Breathe.Inhale deeply through your nose, and hold it.Open your mouth slightly. Exhale slowly, feel the breath passing over your lips.Hear it. You’re alive.Statistically, if the last government hadn’t taken the actions it did, about twenty of you, even in my small audience, would be dead now. If I do a ...
TL;DR: Electricity affordability is a growing concern for households and small businesses, despite falling generation costs for solar and wind, a survey has found.Meanwhile, Stats NZ is forecasting more than a third of 19-29 year olds will stay living at home within the next two decades, no doubt because of ...
This is a guest post by Darren Davis, reposted with his kind permission. It originally appeared on his excellent blog Adventures in Transitland, which we warmly encourage you to check out.Aotearoa has one of the worst road safety records in the developed world. Australia is doing quite a bit ...
The audio in today’s newsletter contains a conversation I had last year with journalist Elizabeth Williamson, author of an incredibly moving book on Sandy Hook. We talked America, conspiracies, and Alex Jones. It’s been gathering dust for reasons we’ll get to, but I wanted to share our conversation today. ...
The anti Three Waters campaign which seemed so simple during the election campaign is now bogged down in a Select Committee as submitter after submitter raises issues with the replacement legislation. The so-called “Local Water Done Well” has now morphed into the Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill, which ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
On we go, at 20 kilometres an hour, truly the best pace for rolling through the world and breathing it all in.Fascinating to get to see two, four, twenty new places each day. Marvellous to get to see how very many different ways you can make it good for people ...
There's a couple of pieces about architect-of-our-constitution Geoffrey palmer's views on the current government doing the rounds today. The first, on Newsroom is an excerpt from a speech he gave to a Young Labour meeting last weekend, in which he says NZ an executive paradise, not democratic paradise. The Spinoff ...
The government just introduced its Education and Training Amendment Bill to the House. The name is deliberately obfuscatory, because what the bill actually does is reintroduce charter schools - effectively allowing National to privatise the education system. That's corrupt and it stinks, but to add insult to injury, National's new ...
Confidence about future job availability collapsed after Budget 2024 to lows last seen during the the Global Financial Crisis of 2008/09. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Employee confidence in more jobs being available in a year’s time collapsed in the first two weeks of June after the Budget, falling ...
Walking through the rooms in my headI came across your image,You looked at me with that sweet smile and saidSomething they won't let me repeatWe hurt the ones we love the mostIts a subtle form of complimentAfter you’ve watched Christopher Luxon for a while you think to yourself - that ...
The decision taken last December to cancel the contract for the two purpose-built Cook Strait ferries – without having a Plan B in mind, let alone in place – has been a calamity that’s going to haunt New Zealand for decades to come, long after the Luxon government has been ...
Today the Auckland Transport board meets again,so I’ve taken a look through the items on their public agenda to see what’s interesting. Musical Chairs The first item of note is another change to the make-up of the AT Board. The legislation that established Auckland Transport allows for Waka Kotahi to ...
How does France deal with opponents of its colonisation of the Pacific? Arrest them and deport them to France to face prosecution in a foreign court: A group of pro-independence leaders charged with allegedly organising protests that turned into violent unrest in New Caledonia last month was indicted on ...
On this edition of AVFA Selwyn Manning and I discuss post-pandemic economics and the rise of national populism. It seems that a post-pandemic turn to more nationalist economic policies may have encouraged the rise of populists who use xenophobia and … Continue reading → ...
Two weeks ago the climate denier government announced they would be giving farmers what they want and removing agriculture from the ETS. On Friday they introduced the bill for it to the House. Due to past efforts and backdowns, the Climate Change Response Act has a lot of inactive clauses ...
The Struggle Continues: Keith Locke belonged to a generation that still believed in a world that could be, through struggle, relieved of its chains. That struggle constituted the core of a life lived with purpose, courage and determination. MANY NEW ZEALANDERS would, no doubt, have been surprised to discover that Keith Locke was ...
A couple of my stories – A Breath Through Silver, and The Last Libation – have previously earned themselves reprints. Well, I am pleased to report that the nice people at Heroic Fantasy Quarterly (https://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/) have included my narrative horror-poem, The Night Before Yule, in their newly-compiled Best Of anthology. ...
TL;DR: Responding to the grounding of the Aratere over the weekend, the Government has signalled it will buy new replacement ferries, but only enough to replace existing freight capacity.That would effectively limit Aotearoa-NZ’s ability to handle any growth in population or the need to reduce emissions by shifting freight from ...
Hi, we’re Greater Auckland. We’ve been a part of the landscape for over 15 years now. Over that time, we’ve provided informed commentary, evidence-based analysis, and inspiring visions for the future of Tāmaki Makaurau. You might know us from such hits as: The Congestion-Free Network2013 (and its 2017 ...
Fancy, a fast carA bag full of lootI can nearly guaranteeYou'll end up with the bootThe Prime Minister arrived home, perhaps a bit surprised, maybe even secretly a little pleased at the diversion, to find the country falling apart. Things going more badly that even his c-list, self back-slapping, trip ...
The problems at KiwiRail go further and deeper than the maintenance issue, which caused the inter-island ferry Aratere to run aground on Saturday. The company is also the subject of a damning report published last week about the way it runs its rail operations from the Transport Accident Investigation Commission. ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, June 16, 2024 thru Sat, June 22, 2024. Stories we promoted this week, by publication date: Before June 16‘Unprecedented mass coral bleaching’ expected in 2024, says expert, ...
The People’s House:What would it be like to live in a country where a single sermon could prick the conscience of the comfortable? Where a journalist could rouse a whole city to action? Where the government could be made to respond to the people’s concerns? Where real change was possible? And ...
Good morn or evening friendsHere's your friendly announcerI have serious news to pass on to everybodyWhat I'm about to sayCould mean the world's disasterCould change your joy and laughter to tears and painIt's thatLove's in need of love todayDon't delaySend yours in right awayHate's goin' 'roundBreaking many heartsStop it pleaseBefore ...
I loved everything about my first Cook Strait ferry crossing: a day parked in the car in howling Wellington wind and driving Wellington rain, waiting to hear if they were going to sail or not; watching the huge black ministerial limousines come and go; listening to the adventures of Chicken ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by John Mason in collaboration with members from the Gigafact team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Was the Medieval Warm Period a global ...
Your face has fallen sad nowFor you know the time is nighWhen I must remove your wingsAnd you, you must try to flyCome sail your ships around meAnd burn your bridges downWe make a little history, babyEvery time you come aroundWhen I went to bed last night I thought the ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past somewhat interrupted week. Still on the move!Share Read more ...
Mainstreaming need not be inherently anti-Māori. It will be if it is done badly because it will be anti-those-in need, and proportionally more of them are Māori.That the Coalition Government says it will deliver public services on the basis of need rather than, say, race deserves consideration, even though many ...
The Justice Committee has reported back on the government's racist bill to eliminate Māori representation in local government. The report duly notes the Waitangi Tribunal's finding that the bill breaches te Tiriti, and the bill's inconsistency with our international human rights obligations - and then proceeds to ignore both. Instead, ...
This week our Prime Minister Christopher Luxon… mmm, let’s take a moment to consider just how good that sounds. Hope you weren’t eating.Anyway that guy. Better? That bloke from the telly, he said - what I would say to you is… I’m big in Japan. My kind of people, hard ...
Tis the winter solstice! The shortest day and longest night of the year. The good news: we’re on our way back to summertime. Here’s another roundup of stories to brighten up your Friday. Our header image is from CRL and shows Waihorotiu Station lit up for Matariki 2024. The ...
Our economic momentum remains anaemic, and it’s possible the tiny increase in GDP was a ‘dead cat bounce’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Per-capita GDP has fallen 4.3% from its peak over the last 21 months, which is more than it it fell in the Global Financial Crisis recession ...
Hi,I was in Texas recently and couldn’t stop thinking about how in some parts of America they really like to kill their prisoners. As a society we tend to agree murder is wrong, but somewhere along the way Texas figured it’s fine if it’s after 6pm and the killing is ...
A persistent theme has been weaving between the Committee rooms at Parliament all this so-called “Scrutiny” week as MPs have probed Ministers and agencies about their work and plans. The question has been simply what the environmental price might be if the country begins to accelerate its infrastructure building to ...
Open access notables Climate Change Is Leading to a Convergence of Global Climate Distribution, Li et al., Geophysical Research Letters:The impact of changes in global temperatures and precipitation on climate distribution remains unclear. Taking the annual global average temperatures and precipitation as the origin, this study determined the climate distribution with the ...
Readers keeping count will know it's more than five years since I gave up booze. Some of you get worried on my behalf when I recount a possibly testing moment. Anxious readers: today I got well tested.All the way across France I've been enquiring in my very polite and well-meaning but ...
Turn awayIf you could, get me a drinkOf water 'cause my lips are chapped and fadedCall my Aunt MarieHelp her gather all my thingsAnd bury me in all my favourite coloursMy sisters and my brothers, stillI will not kiss you'Cause the hardest part of this is leaving youI remember the ...
Its not often that one has to agree with Judith Collins, but yes, it would indeed cost “hundreds of millions of dollars” (at least) to buy replacement aircraft to fly the Prime Minister on his overseas missions of diplomacy and trade. And yes, the public might well regard that spending ...
A few weeks ago, Auckland Council took another step in the long-running stadium saga, narrowing its shortlist down to two options for which they will now seek feasibility studies. The recommendation to move forward with a feasibility study was carried twenty to one by the council’s Governing Body for the ...
Social Development Minister Louise Upston has defended the Government’s decision to save money by dumping a programme which tops up the pay of disabled workers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: It has emerged the National-ACT-NZ First Government decided to cut wages for disabled workers from the minimum wage to $2 an hour ...
The new Chief Executive of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) yesterday gave a Select Committee a brutally frank outline of the department’s role as the agency right at the centre of power in Wellington. Ben King, formerly a deputy Chief Executive at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ...
This video includes 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). Carbon dioxide is the main culprit behind climate change. But in second place is methane: a greenhouse gas stronger than CO2, ...
Oh, take me, take me, take meTo the dreamer's ballI'll be right on time and I'll dress so fineYou're gonna love me when you see meI won't have to worryTake me, take mePromise not to wake me'Til it's morningIt's all been trueEarly morning yesterday, well before dawn, doom-scrolling.Not intentionally, that’s ...
The first widespread survey of consumers and voters since the Budget on May 30 shows a collapse in confidence. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The belt-tightening and tax-cutting Budget delivered on May 30 has not delivered the boost to confidence in the economy the National-ACT-NZ First Government might have ...
The Air Force 757 that broke down with the Prime Minister on board in Port Moresby on Sunday is considered so unreliable that it carries a substantial stock of spare parts when it travels overseas. And the plane also carries an Air Force maintenance team on board ready to make ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Sometimes you’ll just be so dog-tired, you can only keep yourself awake with a short stab of self-inflicted pain.A quick bite of the lip, for instance.Maybe a slight bite on the tongue or a dig of the nails.But what if you’re needing something a bit more painful?The solution is as ...
After months and months of blocking every attempt by the UN and everyone else to achieve a Gaza ceasefire, US President Joe Biden is now marketing his own three-stage “peace plan” to end the conflict. Like every other contribution by the US since October 7, the Biden initiative is hobbled ...
This is a guest post by Vivian Naylor, who is the Barrier Free Advisor and Educator at CCS Disability Action, Northern Region, the largest disability support and advocacy organisation in Aotearoa New Zealand. She also advises on AT’s Public Transport and Capital Projects Accessibility Groups.Vivian has been advocating and ...
Thousands of people have taken to the streets and voiced their concerns about National’s destructive and undemocratic Fast Track Approvals Bill. Add your voice and tell National why this legislation needs to be stopped in its tracks. ...
Celebrating Matariki as a public holiday over the past two years has made sure everyone gets to spend some extra time with friends and family, as well as the chance to learn more about what makes this time of year meaningful. ...
The Government needs to be transparent about the cuts they are making to hospital infrastructure, so that cities are clear on the health resources they will have into the future. ...
Our students deserve access to fresh, healthy food to fuel their busy school days and lives.That’s why Labour introduced the Ka Ora, Ka Ako healthy school lunch programme. Teachers, parents, principals and health experts all saw the benefits of it. ...
The new Covid-19 Inquiry we campaigned and fought for will start in November.The current Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 response will be divided into two phases. ‘Phase Two’ of the inquiry will start from November 2024 and will be the independent, full scale, and public inquiry we ...
“Today’s announcement is simply a repeat of the Government rejecting decades of evidence and expert advice, as they forcibly try to turn marketing slogans into policy,” said children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
“I am relieved Pharmac will be funded more to buy medicines for Kiwis. It is important that decisions on which drugs get funded remain independent from politics,” Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
The Green Party welcomes the announcement of more funding for cancer treatments and medicines, however, calls for more to be done to address the severe health inequities that come with cancer. ...
Frivolous check-ins with beneficiaries are the Government’s latest plan to find excuses to punish those on the Job Seeker allowance and add to the stigma they face. ...
The grounding of the Aratere Interislander Ferry is a wake-up call to the Coalition Government; they need to front up with a realistic long term solution to moving people and freight between our islands. ...
New Zealanders need and deserve a strong public health system. Throughout the country, we need to ensure hospitals, clinics and community providers have the resources needed to provide the best level of care. ...
Victims of family violence could fall through the gaps in New Zealand, as Police stop responding to some call outs and the Government chooses to prioritise other things. ...
The lack of bids at today’s ETS auction is a sad indictment on this Government's staggering indifference to the climate crisis and their lack of a plan. ...
“I am deeply disappointed in the National Party's budget. Their broken promises and cuts to essential services, including health, education, and support for vulnerable groups, will have long-lasting negative impacts” – Raymor, Auckland ...
Today marks the beginning of Schools Pride Week in New Zealand, an important calendar event largely run by rainbow rangitahi to advocate for safer, more inclusive school environments. ...
The Government’s announcement of a roadshow consultation on work health and safety is a smokescreen for its plan to throw out regulations which keep workers safe. ...
The Government has reportedly scrapped a policy that would have gone far to fix gender and ethnic pay gaps and instead is implementing a watered-down voluntary system. ...
The Government knew its changes to the school lunch programme would risk achievement, attendance, nutrition and wellbeing of New Zealand children, as well as having wider impacts on reducing child poverty, and made the changes anyway, new documents show. ...
Two months have passed since the National Government said it was a question of ”when, not if” New Zealand would recognise Palestine, in response to Labour’s call. ...
Today the coalition government has announced that a select committee inquiry into banking competition will be led by the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee.New Zealand First campaigned to take on foreign owned banks, and we committed to that in our coalition agreement by ensuring the inquiry has a broad ...
Te Pāti Māori stand with the people of Kanaky who are fighting for their independence and their lives against oppressive French occupation. The colonisation of the Pacific relies on the manufactured disconnection of Aotearoa from our Pasifika whanaunga. The moana does not separate us, it connects us. ...
The National Government is doing everything it can to delay taking action on climate as it announces that years of work on agricultural emissions will start from scratch. ...
Tens of thousands of people showed up to have their voices heard and march against National’s unpopular Fast Track Approvals Bill in Auckland over the weekend. ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins will visit the Kingdom of Tonga to take part in the opening of a New Zealand-funded His Majesty’s Armed Forces Leadership Centre and to meet with counterparts. “New Zealand has a long, shared military history with Tonga and the development of this leadership centre is an ...
Today the Crown joined Rangitāne and Ngāti Kahungunu at Papawai Marae to mark the return of Wairarapa Moana to iwi, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith and Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. “The legal transfer of the ownership of Wairarapa Moana is the final chapter in a fraught dispute between ...
Changes to the Land Transport (Clean Vehicle Standard) Act will enable changes to the emissions targets more easily with a review of the Clean Vehicle Standard currently underway, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Large changes in technology, fuel efficiency, and consumer trends and preferences means that the Clean Car Importer Standard ...
Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden has today announced that four members have been reappointed to the Fire and Emergency New Zealand [FENZ] board. “I am pleased to announce that Rebecca Keoghan has been reappointed as chair for a two-year term of office,” says Ms van Velden. Rebecca was appointed ...
The Government has taken further steps to providing better regulation for medicines, medical devices, and natural health products with the first reading of a bill to repeal the Therapeutic Products Act 2023. Repealing the Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) shows the Government is listening to the concerns of industry and consumers, says Associate ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says $343.5 million in lottery profits have been allocated to New Zealand communities across the country – an increase of around $29.8 million from previous years. “The distribution of lottery profits can have a significant and enduring impact on the lives of New ...
Civil Defence payments are now available for people affected by the severe weather in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti to help cover some emergency costs, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston has announced. “We want to make sure those communities that are doing it tough because of the latest severe ...
The coalition Government is progressing its commitment to reinstate livestock exports by sea, with public consultation set to start before September, Associate Minister of Agriculture Hon Andrew Hoggard says. Reinstating livestock exports by sea will require an amendment to the Animal Welfare Act 1999 and strengthened welfare standards will be ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today released his decisions on elements of Tauranga City Council’s Intensification Planning Instrument. Two recommendations were referred to the Minister after the Council rejected two of those made by the Independent Hearings Panel. “I was asked by the Tauranga City Council to reject two ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a high-level political delegation to Solomon Islands, Nauru and Niue next week. "New Zealand's relationships in the Pacific are fundamental to our foreign policy, and we are determined to continue strengthening them,” says Mr Peters. “We look forward to engaging with ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Health Minister Dr Shane Reti to officially open a new primary birthing unit in Wānaka today. Dr Reti says the event demonstrates the Government’s commitment to improving health infrastructure and is particularly special as it will support many families before birth and in the first ...
The final Government Policy Statement on land transport 2024 (GPS 2024) outlines the Government’s ambitious $22 billion transport plan to boost productivity and support economic growth, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Upon being elected, the Government was clear that we wanted to make good on our transport promises to New Zealanders ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointments of 19 King’s Counsel. Also known as a silk, in reference to a gown traditionally worn as part of their robes, the rank of King’s Counsel is awarded to barristers sole who have demonstrated excellence in their careers or, from time to time, ...
New crime data highlights how critical the Government’s plan is to restore law and order, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “The latest New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey data is shameful, with New Zealanders experiencing 1.88 million incidents of crime between November 2022 and October 2023. “There were 185,000 New ...
The Government is delivering on its promise to commence an independent review of the methane science and targets for consistency with no additional warming from agriculture emissions, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay say. “An independent panel announced today, will report back to the Government by ...
The Government today repealed legislation requiring the compulsory registration of log traders and forestry advisers. “The existing legislation fails to deliver outcomes and places unnecessary costs on forest businesses,” Forestry Minister Todd McClay says. “I am confident that voluntary registration through the New Zealand Institute of Forestry is a better ...
The Overseas Investment (Build To Rent and Similar Rental Developments) Amendment Bill has passed its first reading this evening, Housing and Associate Finance Minister Chris Bishop says.“We need to take every option available to increase the supply of housing in New Zealand, and Build to Rent is one of those ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown welcomes the opening of State Highway 1 through the Brynderwyn Hills from midnight tonight, following four months of closure to complete critical recovery and maintenance works. “Northlanders, local businesses, drivers, and freight operators will be relieved to have this important lifeline open. The Government thanks them ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today welcomed the release of the Parliamentary Counsel Office’s (PCO) Secondary Legislation Drafting Toolkit. "Both businesses and people tell us they find it hard to understand their obligations under secondary legislation,” Ms Collins says. “This toolkit, with its focus on design and content, will help with both ...
The Government is reforming sentencing to ensure criminals face serious consequences for crime and victims are prioritised, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. "In recent years, there has been a concerning trend where the courts have imposed fewer and shorter prison sentences despite a 33 per cent increase in violent crime. ...
The Education and Training Amendment Bill, which will set up charter schools, encourage more early learning centres to open, and provide increased transparency on school attendance, has been introduced for its first reading in Parliament, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. “Every child deserves an education that enables them to ...
The coalition Government welcomes the presentation of the final report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care to the Governor-General. “This marks the end of the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has today released the terms of reference for the Electricity Authority’s investigation into the Northland transmission tower failure that occurred on 20 June 2024, causing significant power outages in the region.“What happened in Northland last week was unacceptable, with tens of thousands of consumers left without ...
Space Minister Judith Collins is applauding students from Canterbury University’s Aerospace Club on their success at the world’s largest inter-collegiate rocket engineering competition, the Spaceport America Cup. “More than 120 teams from 20 countries participated in Spaceport America Cup, with the team from Canterbury University winning in their ‘30,000 Foot’ ...
Tena koutou.Ki nga kaumatua,Ki nga whanau,Ka maumahara tonu tatou ki a ratou. Greetings.To the elders,To the families,We will remember them. Firstly, a special welcome to all the veterans here this morning and their families. I want to acknowledge the veterans who are marking this day but cannot be with us ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says three appointments to the WorkSafe board have been made to strengthen the organisation, ensuring it has the skills and expertise it needs to carry out its functions. “WorkSafe has faced a number of recent challenges, including accumulating an almost $18 million ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says this coalition Government is delivering on our commitment to expand the terms of reference for the independent Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons Learned. “There will be a second phase to the Royal Commission which features new commissioners and an expanded terms of ...
The Government has introduced a Bill today to restore the Three Strikes sentencing law, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says. “New Zealanders are rightly concerned about violent crime. We are delivering on our commitment to introduce a revised Three Strikes law as one of our key law and order priorities. ...
The Government and the Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) are together committing an additional $8 million towards AgriZeroNZ to boost New Zealand’s efforts to reduce agricultural emissions. Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says the strength of the New Zealand economy relies on effective and affordable emission reduction solutions for New Zealand’s ...
Tākina Puanga. Ko Puanga kei runga. Ko Puanga e Rangi. Tākina mai te ara o Puanga nui o te rangi. Tākina ngā pou o te tau. Ki te whai ao ki te ao marama. Puanga or Rigel celebrations reflect a renewed energy across our communities – to acknowledge those who ...
The coalition Government is delivering up to 26 cancer treatments as part of an overall package of up to 54 more new medicines, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. “Pharmac estimates that around 175,000 people will benefit from the additional treatments in just ...
The coalition Government is providing more financial support to drought-stricken farmers and growers in many parts of the country to help with essential living costs. “Rural Assistance Payments have been made available in 38 districts affected by dry conditions to help eligible farmers and growers whose income has taken a ...
A new requirement for people on Jobseeker Support benefits to meet with MSD after six months to assess how their job search is going gets underway today. About 20,000 Jobseeker beneficiaries with full-time work obligations are expected to attend MSD’s new ‘Work check-in’ seminars over the next 12 months, Social ...
The decision to deploy more Police on the beat in Auckland CBD has been welcomed by Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Associate Police Minister Casey Costello. Starting from 1 July, an additional 21 police officers will be redeployed in Auckland City, bringing the total number of beat police in the ...
The Government is introducing a new declaration for young offenders to ensure they face tougher consequences and are better supported to turn their lives around, Children’s Minister Karen Chhour announced today. The establishment of a Young Serious Offender declaration delivers on a coalition Government commitment and supports the Government’s target ...
Professor Neil Quigley has been reappointed as Chair of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Board for a further term of two years, until 30 June 2026. “Professor Quigley has played a key role in establishing the new Board after the commencement of the new RBNZ Act on 1 July ...
School attendance data released today shows an increase in the number of students regularly attending school to 61.7 per cent in term one. This compares to 59.5 per cent in term one last year and 53.6 per cent in term four. “It is encouraging to see more children getting to ...
The Government has announced a record 41 per cent increase in indicative funding for public transport services and operations, and confirmed the rollout of the National Ticketing Solution (NTS) that will enable contactless debit and credit card payments starting this year in Auckland, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“This Government is ...
GDP figures for the March quarter reinforce the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows GDP has risen 0.2 per cent for the quarter to March. “While today’s data is technically in ...
Women’s representation on public sector boards and committees has reached 50 per cent or above for the fourth consecutive year, with women holding 53.9 per cent of public sector board roles, Acting Minister for Women Louise Upston says. “This is a fantastic achievement, but the work is not done. To ...
The AA says it will be watching closely to make sure fuel companies pass on savings to customers once they are no longer collecting the Auckland regional fuel tax. ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Voters in New Caledonia will go to the polls this weekend under tight security, almost eight weeks after destructive and violent unrest broke out in the French Pacific archipelago. They will vote for their two representatives in the 577-seat French National ...
Professor David Robie is among this year’s New Zealand Order of Merit awardees and was on the King’s Birthday Honours list earlier this month for his “services to journalism and Asia-Pacific media education.” His career in journalism has spanned five decades. He was the founding editor of the Pacific Journalism ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lester Munson, Non-Resident Fellow, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney Within minutes of the conclusion of this week’s presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, it became clear to many that the 81-year-old Biden may not be capable of winning ...
Christopher Luxon Do I see the grounding of the Aratere ferry as a metaphor? Look, I’m going to take that under advice, and look up the meaning of the word ‘metaphor’ before making a comment, but if it’s some sort of veiled suggestion that the government is drifting into oblivion ...
This is part one of a two-part podcast. The second part will run Monday. At 6pm on July 6, Mike McRoberts and Samantha Hayes will read the last ever Newshub bulletin. Both have spent the majority of their careers at New Zealand’s first private television network. The studio desk they sit ...
Elise hadn’t bought anything new – like, brand new – for a long time. Months, maybe even a year; certainly not since Christmas. “Every now and then just buy yourself a new lipstick,” advised her neighbour Yvette, who took Thomas for three hours on Wednesday mornings while she worked on ...
After the runaway success of the 2023 film, the Tongan showcase of Red, White and Brass is now a live show. Madeleine Chapman reviews its opening night. The lowdown A play based on a movie based on a real-life event, Red, White and Brass is the story of the Tongan ...
Pop artist Paige shares the soundtrack to her perfect weekend. If you want to listen to Paige this weekend, she reckons there’s only one way to do it: “turn it on in the lounge on a quiet Sunday morning,” she says. “Coffee in hand and sun beaming through the window.” ...
Jake Arthur explains why his latest poetry collection was inspired by the Pamela Coleman-Smith illustrations on the Rider-Waite tarot deck. Done well, a Tarot reading, like all rituals, creates its own aura. Like walking off a busy street in a European city into the quiet and cool of a church, ...
Thomas Giblin rounds up the best local films you can treat yourself to at home this Matariki. If you haven’t made plans for this long Matariki weekend, why not expand your knowledge of the cinema of Aotearoa? Gather your friends and whānau, indulge in some kai and watch a film ...
Claire Mabey’s early brush with evangelical Christianity sparked a life’s fascination with the power of stories – and the fuel to write her own. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Five years oldAt Bethlehem College the carpet is a crowd of ...
Professional cycling is tough. It can also be lonely. Bandaging your own wounds on the other side of the world without a loved one next to you to give you a hug, or some words of comfort, can lead to plenty of emotional, stressful moments. But from those moments ...
By Laura Smith, Local Democracy Reporter Last night’s Matariki drone show was an emotional experience for some of the thousands who huddled under the glow at the edge of Lake Rotorua on the eve of Aotearoa’s national indigenous holiday today. The Aronui Indigenous Arts Festival is hosting the first ever ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Two years after the deal was first announced, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has today given the green light for ANZ to acquire the banking arm of Queensland-based insurer Suncorp. The A$4.9 billion ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stuart Khan, Professor and Head of School of Civil Engineering, University of Sydney r.classen/Shutterstock A new Productivity Commission report has urged Australian governments to commit to providing universal access to safe and reliable drinking water, warning that public health depends on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Shortis, Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University There are no parallels for the first debate of the 2024 US presidential election cycle. From the moment Joe Biden walked across the stage, stiff-backed and straight-armed, disaster ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sean Buckley, Lecturer in Molecular Ecology and Environmental Management, Edith Cowan University Stephen Beatty Climate change threatens plants and animals around the world, but some regions are particularly exposed. Some are vulnerable simply due to the huge diversity of species they ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Austin, Lecturer in Theatre, The University of Melbourne Rising Rising situates itself as a festival of new art, performance and music that takes place in the heart of Naarm/Melbourne just as the weather turns cold and the days get darker ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hazel Keedle, Senior Lecturer of Midwifery, Western Sydney University MART PRODUCTION/Pexels More than 1,700 pregnant women in South Australia have reportedly been given the wrong “due date” due to a technical error in their computerised medical records. This has prompted concerns ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jack Anderson, Professor of Sports Law, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne Richard M Lee/Shutterstock In the iconic 1980s movie Back to the Future II, the elderly villain, Biff Tannen, steals a Grays Sports Almanac. He travels back in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sasha Grishin, Adjunct Professor of Art History, Australian National University Paul Gauguin Three Tahitians (Trois tahitiens) 1899 oil on canvas 73 × 94 cm National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh. Presented by Sir Alexander Maitland in memory of his wife Rosalind 1960, NG ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Saric, Computer Scientist & Mechatronic Engineer, CSIRO Ar_TH/Shutterstock Our latest research has found that clickable links on websites can often be redirected to malicious destinations. We call these “hijackable hyperlinks” and have found them by the millions across the whole ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney In March, Australian MP Andrew Wilkie used parliamentary privilege to allege the Australian Football League (AFL) was operating an “off the books” illicit drug testing regime that is at odds with ...
“CAB claim the booking cancellation occurred because the Party misrepresented the event as endorsed by CAB. But the New Zealand Women’s Rights Party only referred to CAB in a Facebook event when listing the location for where the meeting was to ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.First, a quick PSA: Unity Books has a flash new website that lets you search and purchase ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lesley Hughes, Professor Emerita, Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University The appointment of high-profile New South Wales Liberal politician Matt Kean to chair the Climate Change Authority has sparked questions about what this body does. How does it influence climate policy in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janice Lord, Associate Professor in Botany, University of Otago Getty Images In a world increasingly affected by light pollution, we can take time during the shorter days and longer nights around Matariki to appreciate the superpowers of our nocturnal bugs. As ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Narelle Hopkin (Towie), Academic chair of journalism, Murdoch University DenPhotos/Shutterstock Ironically, younger generations are using smartphones for anything but actual phone calls. Many people under 40 appear far more comfortable letting their fingers do the talking, using text or images, ...
Angela Bloomfield looks back on a television history filled with reality TV romance, soap lightning strikes and a disturbing mermaid experience. It’s been 31 years since a teenage Angela Bloomfield first stepped onto the set of Shortland Street, but those early days on the iconic New Zealand soap are still ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Paterson, Professor of Earth Sciences, University of New England A. El Albani (University of Poitiers) If you’ve ever visited the fossil gallery of a natural history museum — or its gift shop, for that matter — you’ve probably seen the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Romain Fathi, Senior Lecturer, School of History, Australian National University Just one hour after the far-right’s surge in the European elections on June 9, French President Emmanuel Macron made the surprising decision to dissolve the French national assembly and call for snap ...
Bridging the Infrastructure Gap – Funding and financing for a resilient Aotearoa New Zealand was launched on Wednesday night, with both National and Labour talking about being open to a bipartisan approach to long term infrastructure. ...
What food traditions should we incorporate into our Matariki celebrations? The chef behind Feast Matariki has some simple suggestions. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. 2024 will be the third year Aotearoa has celebrated Matariki with a public holiday. Over the last two years, I’ve ...
Analysis: On Wednesday, the Government unveiled its fourth law and order policy in a week. All policies are geared at cracking down on lawlessness; all policies have a punitive focus; and all policies are expected to disproportionately impact Māori. One Government Minister who is walking a fine line on his ...
Despite ongoing attempts of commercialisation and initial awkwardness around when the holiday should be, Matariki is quickly becoming an integral part of our nation’s cultural identity. Here I am in the middle of Sylvia Park, a chasm of consumerism, nervously fumbling with my phone trying to figure out which way ...
A new poem by Te Aro Pā poet Hana Buchanan. Matairangi Ka mua Ka muri for my friend Philip O’Leary 1970 – 2023 Ka mua, ka muri Walking backwards into the future Have you ever tried it? Walking backwards I mean Try it! After hours and days and years ...
FICTION 1 At the Grand Glacier Hotel by Laurence Fearnley (Penguin Random House, $37) A copy of the novelist’s latest novel – number one for the third consecutive week – was up for grabs in last week’s free book giveaway. The novel is set in a grand old rambling hotel; ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 28 June appeared first on Newsroom. ...
SPECIAL REPORT:By Te Aniwaniwa Paterson Hawai’ian academic Dr Emalani Case has condemned the 2024 Rimpac military exercise that began off the coast of Hawai’i today, saying the military personnel from 29 countries taking part are “practising to invade”. “They call it practising defence but they’re really learning how to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As scripted political dramas go, Julian Assange’s (welcome) arrival in Canberra on Wednesday night would be hard to beat. Even before Assange exited the plane, Anthony Albanese was on the phone in a pre-arranged ...
By Stefan Armbruster, Victor Mambor and BenarNews staff An unheralded visit to Indonesia’s Papuan provinces by a leading Pacific diplomat has drawn criticism for undermining a push for a United Nations human rights mission to the region where pro-independence fighters have fought Indonesian rule for decades. The Melanesian Spearhead Group’s ...
The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee is inviting public submissions on two related international treaty examinations. The two agreements are: • Second Protocol to Amend the Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free ...
The Chair of the Education and Workforce Committee is inviting public submissions on the Education and Training Amendment Bill. The bill would amend the Education and Training Act 2020 by: • repealing the early childhood education (ECE) network ...
VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai was one of more than 30 organisations to deliver a petition to political leaders yesterday opposing moves to introduce measures to criminalise young children. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon doesn’t care if you say a policy works or doesn’t work – he’s damned well going to get on with it anyway. The Raw Politics team this week examines the Prime Minister’s exasperation with calls for ‘evidence’ to back his policies, and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian R. Camilleri, Associate Professor of Marketing, University of Technology Sydney Yesterday, thousands of Sydneysiders gathered at the Opera House to watch the world’s most subscribed-to YouTuber, MrBeast, give away ten mostly luxury cars. Beyond people who can drive, the crowd ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa M. Given, Professor of Information Sciences & Director, Social Change Enabling Impact Platform, RMIT University Rawpixel/Shutterstock Debate continues to rage in Australia over whether children should (or can) be banned from social media. Following politicians’ recent promises to ban those ...
The chairperson of the Primary Production Committee is calling for submissions on the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Scheme Agricultural Obligations) Amendment Bill. The bill would amend the Climate Change Response Act 2002 to remove agriculture ...
OBITUARY:By Philip Cass of Kaniva Tonga A New Zealand politician and human rights activist with a strong connection to Tonga’s Democracy movement and other Pacific activism has been farewelled after dying last week aged 80. Keith Locke served as a former Green MP from 1999 to 2011. While in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janet Davies, Respiratory Allergy Stream Co-chair, National Allergy Centre of Excellence; Professor and Head, Allergy Research Group, Queensland University of Technology Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels Allergies happen when your immune system overreacts to a normally harmless substance like dust or pollen. Hay fever, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Miles Park, Senior Lecturer, Industrial Design, UNSW Sydney Christopher Kidall Park While vapes or e-cigarettes first appeared around 20 years ago as an alternative to smoking, their prevalence and use have increasingly become problematic. Governments and regulators are now catching up ...
The rallies are the next step in a long campaign for the workers’ pay equity claim, with recent developments including filing with the Employment Relations Authority. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The United Kingdom general election will be held in a week, on July 4. Polls close at 7am AEST on July 5. ...
https://phys.org/news/2023-09-carbon-bogus-solutions-rich-world.html
Carbon markets are a bogus solution!!!
Absolutely
This comment by Advantage – https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-07-09-2023/#comment-1967316 – to my mind touches on the reason for such widespread disinterest and disillusion in the upcoming election. Despite the media deciding that "Labour hasn't delivered" is going to be their cynical zombie fact de jour (what they actually mean is Labour hasn't delivered for aspirational middle class white people like them) things like fair pay agreements and the covid response are solid achievements.
But that isn't enough for an electorate that can sense the nation is at a fin de siècle moment in it's economic and political cycle. But how to actualise this Gramscian turn in our psychology of our political and economic fortunes? MMP was adopted precisely to prevent the birth of the new. The system of elite cadre parties with tightly managed lists of approved candidates who are reliably invested in the system and a strong barriers for rebel parties and candidates is doing an admirable job of protecting the existing establishment neoliberal consensus against all comers.
Conventional wisdom has it that neoliberalism is over. The schitzophrenia in the neoliberal consensus between the need to contain political challenges to late captialism and protecting the interests of the resultant rentier crony capitalist class is becoming unmanageable. I guess we shall see – at least perhaps we are in an interregnum. But whatever your view is of what stage of it’s lifecyle neoliberalism is in it remains deeply entrenched at the top of politics and in the politicised technocratic/managerial class that operates in w seamless, semipermeable membrane between the top of the public service and the quasi-private sector, of which professor Neil Quigley is the current éminence grise de jour. This is why all the interventions, say to support wages or help businesses through covid, have been carefully designed as short-term, reversible actions. The entrenched neoliberal elite is determined to preserve the status quo, even if it is at an enormous cost to the system's dynamism.
In relation to the election, none of the major political parties wish to threaten the wealth of the owner class. None of them want anything to do with nationalisation. So at the moment nothing on offer to electorate amounts to solutions that will even come close to addressing the scale of the problems facing NZ. No one, for example, is saying the obvious answer to our housing problems would be a return to mass construction of housing by the state.
Thus it is that our current political environment is characterised more by incrementalism, paralysis and incapacity than by bold ideas and and initiative. It operates in a constantly febrile atmosphere of anticipated crisis, stoked by an equally exhausted MSM media model that exists in a state of semi-permanent hysterical amnesia. Whoever wins the election is going to inherit a very brittle status quo over the next decade where neither centrist party will be spared an unravelling from which one, or both, may not emerge intact.
I do recall saying when Labour won in 2017, that no matter how much I admired Ardern's considerable personal qualities, I still thought her Labour Party represented an ideological dead-end. If National win this time, the resulting vulgar, excited spree from business and the spivs and wide-boys lurking in the corners of the economy might look like something new. But it will just be a rewind of the Key playbook and will terminate in the same way as people recognise again the long-term damage it stores up.
What breaks the stalemate? Do enough of my generation need to die out and then do younger generations have to not trend to the right as they age? Meanwhile the climate is rapidly closing the window on us – the time we have left to make such a change is not unlimited. If eye-wateringly expensive climate-induced infrastructure damage repeatedly occurs within a neoliberal economic and political structure, then the preferred 'solutions' to it might be very nasty for most people.
In the short-term it means not giving up though.
Breaking the stalemate can only begin when there's a turnaround in the dramatic decrease of voters, of whom many are in the younger demographic, as well as lower-socioeconomic, and whose voting bloc could swing an election.
For the former, once again the case for civics education in schools comes up. For the latter group- so beaten down by the system and in survival mode that voting doesn't register for many. And if it does register, then why bother? One side won't do anything to improve matters vs the other side will make things worse.
It would be fascinating to see the results of an election where the Greens were the dominant party, with Labour the support party. And it would even be feasible if the non-voters voted. But the system – here and in other countries- is designed to indirectly disenfranchise those who would.
Events closer to home may erode that belief, but it's tough to change tack – if only the deck chairs had been rearranged 50 years ago. Still, don't give up – hope for the best.
My goodness, that epistle is worthy of Paul Buchanan. He has confessed to lurking here from time to time so I hope he sees it.
I bow to your superior knowledge Sanctuary- and indeed Ad's – on this subject. To have it explained so succinctly is helpful.
I cannot help but wonder why the Labour government is not prepared to spell it out to the populace in a manner that leaves them equally cognisant of the reasons behind the problems we face. It is almost as if they are too scared to rub certain powerful individuals and the media up the wrong way. Why bother to take that into account when they know that swathes of the mediocre media are going to dump on them anyway. If I am right then they deserve time-out to not only lick their wounds but to contemplate their timidity and recognise the part it played in their demise.
Helen Clark was a good example of someone who not only stood up to the rich and powerful, but she knew how to put the media in their place when it was required. I think Hipkins has got it in him to do the same but there's not much time left!
You need to get out of your bubble Sanctuary.
Organised more food parcels than ever this morning alone.
More people living in cars, than ever.
More kids living in poverty, than ever.
Hospital emergency room effectively falling apart in this city
Waiting for doctors if your in the bottom 25% of income, are at least 3 weeks in this city – worse in other places.
Inflation still pushing prices up of basics.
Incremental progressive changes don't mean shit when your life is hellish.
So yeah for working folk, the line Labour have not delivered, is not middle class wishful thinking – but a reflection of the life of the poor and hard working people.
100%
Labour has done almost nothing to address inequality and disadvantage. Because they deeply believe in doing nothing serious about it.
Despite all that the voters seem to respond to bold leadership that has a vision. Kiwis can put up with a lot, if there is a good reason for it and the government promises change. That was Jacinda all over. In 2023, the only candidates eliciting similar interest are Winston and Chloe Swarbrick.
Yeah.. nah. Ms Ardern promised transformational change, guided us through Covid and then beyond that, SFA, and then pissed off. Transformational change … nah, too hard.
Labour – betraying us since 1984. They are part of the problem, not the solution.
"waaah what have Labour ever done?" Heres some
Maybe you are already retired? NAct are looking at changing the age for that. So that will mean a long hard working life..is extended for many..esp physical workers.
So maybe stop your defeatist talk on Labour eh?
All good points.
The artificial electricity market, as per your link, has a lot to answer for. Basically hugely significant working class and taxpayer built power infrastructure handed over to the parasite class. Power price gouging makes many lives more miserable than they need to be.
Monetarism and neo liberalism are long embedded in the NZ State and Parliament now–so what is the circuit breaker? Well it has to be grass roots community organising and direct action which is not an easy route. If the NActFirst lot attain office look out, it will be negative and destructive, but it will stimulate fightbacks galore, and hopefully finally encourage generation rent to unite and stick it to the man in a suitably 21st century manner.
This is not a good look for the government.
The increase in teacher numbers (moving from 1 teacher for every 29 students to 1 teacher for every 28.5 students) which was announced for 2024 – has been pushed back to 2025.
They've already burned through a heck of a lot of credit with the teachers over the pay negotiations. Now, to have one of the few policies which will make a difference, pulled out from under schools with no notice – makes them look even more out of touch.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/300965955/slap-in-the-face-government-delays-roll-out-of-reduced-class-sizes-for-schools
Tinetti's defence that the money has gone on teacher salary claims – just makes her look weak and incompetent.
And, to be clear, this is 'with no notice' – schools are doing the staffing plans for next year, right now; and principals have been planning their staffing while factoring in the new ratios.
I wouldn't portray teachers as hapless victims here. They appear to have a political strategy: vote Labour and then push like hell for pay rises because Labour are sympathetic; when you've exhausted that well, vote National to get a tax cut in the knowledge that they won't give you a pay rise; rinse and repeat.
Historically, how common is it for public servants (eg teachers, nurses) to go on strike under a Labour government?
Over-all more common. Labour are far more sympathetic to workers including public servants and always have been. Muldoon did his best to totally destroy the unions movement, including the PSA, during his three terms in office. It is what led to the Trades Hall bombing in 1984. He set the scene for widespread hatred towards them.
That mindset still exists in NAct today even if it is not expressed in such draconian terms. Hence teachers and nurses and related professions know they have more chance of success under Labour governments.
NZF will be 7-8% on Election night, with out doubt unless Winston does something stupid again or another Court Case arises as it invariably does b4 an Election
I doubt it because at this election Winston has made it clear he will not go with the Left. This reduces his potential pool of voters
Or does it increase his pool of voters by garnering voters who are realistic about the left’s prospects at this election? Those who see it as the only viable way to constrain some of the rights more radical policies. The classic hand break argument.
That is faulty logic Jack IMHO. Or perhaps you are trolling?
Winston has always leaned to the Right. By far the best result for the Left would be if he got 4.9% or less. If you want a Lab/Gr/TPM coalition a vote for Winston is madness.
You seem to be saying Labour has no chance of winning given the polls, in which case you may receive a ban from TS for negativity.
" By far the best result for the Left would be if he got 4.9% or less"
actually 4.999% and no electorate seat, would be best.
Winston has always leaned to the right
Have you been living under a rock since, say 2017?
More seriously, there must be a point at which even the most ardent Labour supporter concedes the chances of them becoming the next government are slim. The exact point will vary by the individual. However, if a poll came out with Labour at say 23%, that may do it for many IMO.
Too simplistic-you do not seem to understand MMP. A poll with Labour 23 Greens 16 TPM 4 and NZF 4 would still leave the Left in with a good chance of winning the election.
Again I say you are needlessly being very negative and flirting with a ban from TS.
Winston's best chance of being a handbrake is if he takes votes from NACT – enough to ensure that NACT doesn't get a majority. Then he grinningly tells Luxon to leave Seymour out of the tent as a bottom line for getting NZF support. Seymour is then in a constant state of spewing with resentment – which would be fun in a grim sort of way.
The point is – Labour voters switching to NZF would not be a huge factor in making him more likely to become a handbrake. He can be a handbrake only if NACT is around 44-45% tops. (Though I guess most people considering voting NZF wouldn't think this through)
Yea I kinda see the Peters vs Seymour match…as a future NAct nightmare. Hopefully for them. And not for all of us !
Spoke to Seymour in the Pub one night about Winston, he was very scathing on him and quoted “he was a little Māori Boy from Northland who had done good 👍 “ ???
Then he grinningly tells Luxon to leave Seymour out of the tent as a bottom line for getting NZF support. Seymour is then in a constant state of spewing with resentment – which would be fun in a grim sort of way.
I suspect that is NACT can't get over the 50% pole line, but can with NZF, then that is exactly what Peters will do. He does have form for it with the Greens in previous elections.
Especially since Act has said that
I haven't seen anything much since from Act despite recent polling for NZF.
The problem for National is that I have a impression that Seymour is likely to not want to provide a confidence and supply if they aren't in coalition with National and NZF is.
In which case National would probably try to form a minority government with two parties on C&S. Possible, but usually pretty unstable.
In any case, National has form in the Shipley govt for trying to split another party (NZF) and in the Key governments for flogging policies from coalition and C&S parties to pull vote in. They really haven't managed to get into the idea of having viable other parties competing with them.
If NACT is capable of getting over the pole position, and the coalition with Act happens, then I suspect we will see a repeat of previous whittling of Act support. Especially since Act appears to have a full-blown contingent of nutbar single policy voting groups in support – which makes it easy for National to do. They either don't implement insane policies like issuing semi-automatic weapons to nutters, or condemning many vaccination programs, or they do it more badly than they usually do and let the blame for the fuck-ups fall on Act. The 3 strikes, 90 day employment, and piss-poor Auckland super-shitty were all Act policy as I remember it.
Penny Simmonds, Nat MP, "reckons" they werent connecting. Seems a pretty wide range say they do….
Would so like Labours Liz Craig to beat her…
Do any Nat donors have financial interests in ITOs? With every Nat policy preference, it's a case of tracking down where the private money-grubbing would happen.
Well….after the Waikato University Quigley/Reti/Joyce National lobby show…who could know ?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/497281/university-of-waikato-boss-referred-to-new-medical-school-as-a-present-for-future-national-government
Be worth a search for sure.
IMO that Ol' Nat MP Penny Simmonds was highly miffed about "her" Southland Polytech and Labour actions…
Horrifying to read that Dunedin Hospital has lost accreditation to train cancer doctors and perhaps more horrifying it seems accreditation loss may occur at other locations and in other specialty's.
Has this ever occurred before in a NZ Hospital?
Yes. A brief search gave me for doctors..
2022 https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/477506/understaffed-hospitals-lose-radiology-accreditation-but-keep-accepting-patients
2014 https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/loss-training-right-blow-hospital
However I remember hearing this story about training, performing and accreditation in earlier decades. Not to mention nurses, pathologists, various testing labs, etc.
It is pretty common across any skills area that requires accreditation in small population areas like NZ or single cities in large population countries. From memory Eire has a problem with this at present, which is why they have been advertising here to try to draw back senior doctors (I keep seeing online ads for it).
Here is an interesting development in wind power. Apparently a little expensive, but early days, may need some number 8 wire.
https://youtu.be/KnVXuMfiHdI?si=j2DrYZcIs8vaQifa
Making it virtually soundless….yeah right.
In the meantime a huge landscape wrecking wind farm has just been given fast-track approval near to lovely Kariotahi beach near Waiuku.
I have just been travelling in Australia and seen solar and wind power sites side by side. The landscape effects of solar are considerably less (and noise is non-existent) and solar is only slightly more expensive and getting cheaper rapidly*.
* some people argue the maintenance needs of wind, especially the regular need for new gearboxes and turbines, makes solar cheaper.
https://youtu.be/yv5xonFSC4c?si=-DbWAGcA7T9V5Lut
https://youtu.be/8Q3LzYCQH7c?si=04GOSFMHzsJp-6mO