Fall out from Meghan and Harry’s interview continues. Piers Morgan has left breakfast show after 40,000 complaints. The guy really had it in for Meghan, because apparently she went on one or two dates with him in the past, but then wasn’t interested. He got called out for his rant about the interview by a colleague and then stormed off the show.
queen has come out and said she takes racism very seriously. Good. Their PR machine has backed themselves into a corner by saying they take bullying seriously, a week before the interview.
if you didn’t watch the the interview, it is worth a watch. Even if your not interested in the monarchy, it is about how things get spun, by the firms PR and the British tabloids.
I have nothing but respect for Meghan and Harry. The Queen comes out of it looking pretty impressive too.
Yes. that is my take too Anker. Meghan was a victim of racism and it came from multiple sources. Good on them for having the courage of their convictions and getting out from under.
Anything launched from Mahia Peninsula has to pass through New Zealand territory. The New Zealand government has the right to control what passes through New Zealand territory, by passing laws and regulations. I s'pose there are some carve-outs for stuff like diplomatic pouches and the like, but a satellite seems unlikely to fall into that category.
Of course it's a lot easier to just shrug and say because it isn't already prohibited and there's not much national interest in urgently prohibiting it, no action will be taken. Given that it's claimed to be nothing more than a communications test satellite, I can't imagine there's much enthusiasm to whack a hornet's nest over it.
Each payload has been approved by the Minister for Economic Development, on advice from officials across agencies. When approving payloads, the Minister needs to be satisfied that:
The applicant has taken and will continue to take all reasonable steps to safely manage the operation of the payload;
The proposed operation of the payload is consistent with New Zealand’s international obligations; and
The applicant has an orbital debris mitigation plan that meets prescribed requirements.
Despite being satisfied of these matters, the Minister may nevertheless decline a permit if he is not satisfied that the proposed operation of the payload is in New Zealand's national interest. The Minister may grant a single payload permit authorising the launch of one or more payloads by the permit holder.
Prior to the OSHAA, the contract with Rocket Lab allowed the Government to veto the launch of any payload that it determined was contrary to NZ law, regulations or policy, was contrary to NZ’s international obligations or would prejudice NZ’s national security or other national interests. Every payload launched by Rocket Lab under the contract was assessed against these interests.
As for launching grass, space cows have rights and welfare needs, too.
None of the online images of Prof Clements that I could see in about 3 seconds of looking (about as much interest as I could summon) show him with a beard. So clearly a "beardless commie" – though as yet we have evidence for only the first word of that pejorative. The merging of pogonophobia and hysterical anti-communism was a 1960's/70's phenomenon – and we really need to keep our insults contemporary.
I'd rather it was a referendum on a proper formal capital gains tax. Which really is the much better answer to bringing income from wealth into the tax system.
So if their house in Auckland is worth $2m, when one passes away, does the surviving spouse end up with a $10k annual tax bill each year for the rest of their life?
Just one of the many reasons a capital gains tax is better. Because a CGT doesn't hit until what was a home gets turned into a mere financial instrument at time of sale.
Under almost all circumstances, the family home is exempt from tax such as bright-line tested income tax or CGT. This is unjust, unfair, and excludes a major factor (and awful lot of wealth) in the housing market, IMO. Inherited property is also exempt.
That's a flaw in the implementation of the CGT, not an inherent flaw in the general concept. Whereas the wealth tax concept has many flaws beyond just the effects on the asset-rich/income poor, mostly to do with how it would affect investment and asset-management decisions.
Furthermore, any jurisdiction that is inclined to exempt family homes from CGT is very likely to also exempt family homes from a wealth tax. New Zealand probably even more so, because of the grossly inflated prices of our homes and the high numbers of people that would be liable or see themselves liable, purely because of the family home.
edit: Estate and gift taxes really should also be reinstated. We used to have them, and at least some of our peer nations have them, and they directly act to reduce one of the major causes of inequality.
A wealth tax has the advantage of being able to be levied on a regular basis: annually, say or half-yearly, or even quarterly. A CGT is taxed only occasionally, ie when the asset is sold, which seems unfair since most assets – remaining unsold – don't get taxed. However, by far and away the best tax on property would be a land tax.
A land tax is fair because the land ultimately belongs to all of us, and anyone claiming private ownership should be paying for the privilege. It can also be collected on a regular basis. And, as if that were not enough, it also picks up any capital gain since the tax take increases as land prices increase. It should be noted that most capital gain, within the property market, seems to be associated with land.
And on top of all that, a land tax would encourage an efficient use of land.
CGT would likely be removed by an eventual National government and as it takes quite a while for a CGT to wind up to a decent size there would be little apparent benefit to society – whereas a wealth tax would collect a significant amount early allowing for noticeable change for the better for the majority of nz society which would make it far harder to cancel
Errrm, exactly why do you think most countries have capital gains taxes, but don't have wealth taxes (many countries had wealth taxes but eliminated them), and why do you think New Zealand would be immune to the pressures that brought that about?
If the revenue from a wealth tax is returned to society in the form of reduced income taxation at the lower % end the benefit to the many would make it harder to reverse in favour of the few
Didn't prevent the great reversal in the 80's and 90's from progressive taxation on high incomes, and some wealth taxes such as stamp duty and inheritance taxes, to GST on low incomes. Plus the "paperboy tax", later on.
Or we could do nothing with the main tax levels and wait for investment classes other than property to become more attractive. Sharesies and Kiwisaver for example.
I can’t wait for a low-risk, high-return, and tax-free investment option other than property that pays off bigly in the short-, medium, and long-term. Bitcoin?
Thats the actual argument behind the Greens wealth tax. As a society you probably need to tax away vast fortunes before they acrue enough to buy both sides of the political system.
“If the New Zealand Government doesn’t wish Australians to visit New Zealand and spend money in Queenstown or Wellington or other parts of the country, that's a matter for them. It’s always been a matter for them,” Morrison said.
Although to be a bit more fair, asking the Aussie PM about the latest NZ opposition stupidity relating to NZ govt policy is just lazy gotcha journalism. I guess the press conference was boring as muck and they needed some dramas..
Good to see pressure put on that supports our tourist, hotel and hospitality industry. And we need better snow than last year if we are going to compete against Japan's winter offering.
The leader of the opposition National party is either deliberately putting the safety of NZers at risk, or she is a fool. Probably both.
National party MPs love local COVID-19 outbreaks; prudent management during a global pandemic not so much. Collins would take zero responsibility for any local outbreaks and other consequences of open borders – what a ghastly creature.
Kris Faafoi said in the Dompost this morning that cannabis needs a champion. someone to write a proper bill and whip it through parliament. Andrew Little who never ever made it clear why he didn't support the referendum and then wimped out should be ashamed of himself. he let the fake christians and the ignorati get the better of him if he ever had any principles in the first place.
If the current trajectory continues – if there are another couple of lockdowns that target Tāmaki Makaurau while the rest of the country gets off scot-free – Labour will get destroyed in Auckland at the next election.
Everyone wants the country to be safe; no-one wants COVID; everyone understands the need for lockdowns; and the Prime Minister’s leadership and mana is widely respected and well-deserved. But the latest episode shows there’s no longer any sense of common cause in Aotearoa; it feels like the rest of the country against Auckland, expecting us to carry the load whilst being insulted for our trouble. It’s not collective responsibility; it’s collective punishment. And no-one in their right mind is going to vote for the status quo in those circumstances.
So it’s time for Wellington to step up. Things need to change – and fast.
If, in Eden's opinion, no-one in their right mind is going to vote for the status quo, then please provide a viable (safe) alternative to lockdowns to prevent community transmission of COVID-19, and I'll vote for that. The idea that "lockdowns are a special form of torture" seems a bit OTT, but even if ‘torture‘ is accurate, I’d choose the ‘torture‘ of lockdowns in NZ over lockdowns almost anywhere else in the world. I wonder where Eden would choose to be?
Alternatively, a year in to this global pandemic, we could continue to do the responsible and frankly decent thing and hold it together for a few more months until everyone who is sufficiently community-minded has been vaccinated.
Could it be that Eden just doesn't know how lucky we are? Best not to foment unrest, imho – hang in there Kiwis.
The issue isn't lockdowns as such. The complaint seems to be that Auckland is bearing the brunt of the risks of a community outbreak because it has the majority of MIQ.
There are outbreaks related to MIQ, for sure, but there are also outbreaks that seem to relate to Auckland as a port of entry, including for freight. So maybe having more MIQ facilities in wellington wouldn't shift much of the weight that Auckland is carrying.
But they are carrying more weight than the rest of the country. We could be more mindful of that sometimes, maybe.
I believe opinion pieces such as Eden's "The rest of us against Auckland?" may exacerbate regional divisions that are unhelpful at this (or indeed any) time.
To us, it’s no longer a team of 5 million – it’s a team of 1.75 million in Tāmaki Makaurau and big group of increasingly aggressive armchair theorists around the rest of the country who haven’t lived through multiple lockdowns, shooting their mouths off at our expense. It’s a bunch of people who don’t have any skin in the game throwing stones from the sidelines.
Maybe Eden has his finger on the pulse of Auckland opinion, and is simply alerting "the rest of us" to existing widespread indignation stemming from a belief that other NZers are taking the 'COVID heavy lifting' of Aucklanders for granted. But, absent evidence of widespread indignation, current circumstances are certainly fertile ground for stoking resentment and division, and Eden's article contains a fair amount of inflammatory language, imho.
It will be interesting to see the effect of this and any similar articles on public opinion, COVID alert level compliance, and the geographical distribution of MIQ hotels, bearing in mind that any redistribution would come with it's own risks.
I think we have to take a hard look at ourselves in this country – not pussy-foot around everything controversial, that it doesn't suit some influential group to acknowledge. The feelings are there, they need to be recognised and that they are justified to an extent, and some measures taken to reduce the situation that is the background to them. 'Life happens when you are planning iother things'.'
The division between Auckland and the rest has pretty deep foundations. There is a presumption, among the public faces of that city, that it is somehow more important or interesting than the rest of the country. This is odd, because in terms of education the city is not a leader, nor is it a frontrunner in the arts. Its media 'personalities' do it no credit either. Before it goes long on lifting its credibility however, it needs to address neglected critical infrastructure, the sewers, and the water supply.
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The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
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 Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
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.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Some people should not be landlords.
Auckland landlord must pay $3k after making family share house with strangers | Stuff.co.nz
Shocking Jester. Disgusting.
Fall out from Meghan and Harry’s interview continues. Piers Morgan has left breakfast show after 40,000 complaints. The guy really had it in for Meghan, because apparently she went on one or two dates with him in the past, but then wasn’t interested. He got called out for his rant about the interview by a colleague and then stormed off the show.
queen has come out and said she takes racism very seriously. Good. Their PR machine has backed themselves into a corner by saying they take bullying seriously, a week before the interview.
if you didn’t watch the the interview, it is worth a watch. Even if your not interested in the monarchy, it is about how things get spun, by the firms PR and the British tabloids.
I have nothing but respect for Meghan and Harry. The Queen comes out of it looking pretty impressive too.
Yes. that is my take too Anker. Meghan was a victim of racism and it came from multiple sources. Good on them for having the courage of their convictions and getting out from under.
Like all bullies Morgan expected Markle to take his relentless harassment on the chin without complaint but when called on his behaviour, he flounced.
Seems he was all sweetness and light with arseholes, though.
https://twitter.com/NuuxCali1/status/1369074780889100291
Hell has no fury like a narcissist scorned
What an absolute child Morgan is.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/photo-shows-depth-of-piers-morgans-obsession-with-meghan-markle/TVLFYOYFKXDZXJAOGUCP2D7NUQ/
Why was Morgan allowed to get away with this?
I wonder if Mike Hosking will do a Piers Morgan and decide to leave One ZB?
Jimmy re Mike Hoskng……….it sounds perfect!
Nuh, take the whole ZB and jump into oblivion with him.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/lately/audio/2018786842/alarm-at-rocket-lab-s-next-payload
Can the govt control what rocket lab send into space?
Can the govt control what rocket lab send into space?
That would require them having the soul to sense the wrongness of participating in war games.
Sold their souls they have to the MIC.
It's not a New Zealand company.
So?
Anything launched from Mahia Peninsula has to pass through New Zealand territory. The New Zealand government has the right to control what passes through New Zealand territory, by passing laws and regulations. I s'pose there are some carve-outs for stuff like diplomatic pouches and the like, but a satellite seems unlikely to fall into that category.
Of course it's a lot easier to just shrug and say because it isn't already prohibited and there's not much national interest in urgently prohibiting it, no action will be taken. Given that it's claimed to be nothing more than a communications test satellite, I can't imagine there's much enthusiasm to whack a hornet's nest over it.
You're right let's just stick to grass.
Even if it was a full-fledged Star Wars satellite, what's the limit that would require regulation by the state?
Before we fall over ourselves while some commie beardie from Otago reaches for relevance, here's the permits and licensing stuff we do:
https://www.mbie.govt.nz/science-and-technology/space/permits-and-licences-for-space-activities/payloads-approved-for-launch/
Thanks for that. It provides quite comprehensive info answering wags' question "Can the govt control what rocket lab send into space?"
As for launching grass, space cows have rights and welfare needs, too.
From the earth, to the mooooo-n!
"commie beardie"
None of the online images of Prof Clements that I could see in about 3 seconds of looking (about as much interest as I could summon) show him with a beard. So clearly a "beardless commie" – though as yet we have evidence for only the first word of that pejorative. The merging of pogonophobia and hysterical anti-communism was a 1960's/70's phenomenon – and we really need to keep our insults contemporary.
Please may we get a referendum on a "wealth tax" – just one a bit less severe than the Green Party proposed
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
I'd rather it was a referendum on a proper formal capital gains tax. Which really is the much better answer to bringing income from wealth into the tax system.
Absolutely.
That would be the wealth tax proposed by the Greens where if a couple had two million dollars in net assets they paid nothing?
Sounds far from radical to me.
So if their house in Auckland is worth $2m, when one passes away, does the surviving spouse end up with a $10k annual tax bill each year for the rest of their life?
Yup.
Just one of the many reasons a capital gains tax is better. Because a CGT doesn't hit until what was a home gets turned into a mere financial instrument at time of sale.
I agree, I think a CGT is better, wealth tax really seems like an envy tax to me.
Under almost all circumstances, the family home is exempt from tax such as bright-line tested income tax or CGT. This is unjust, unfair, and excludes a major factor (and awful lot of wealth) in the housing market, IMO. Inherited property is also exempt.
https://www.ird.govt.nz/property/buying-and-selling-residential-property/the-brightline-property-rule/exclusions-to-the-brightline-rule
That's a flaw in the implementation of the CGT, not an inherent flaw in the general concept. Whereas the wealth tax concept has many flaws beyond just the effects on the asset-rich/income poor, mostly to do with how it would affect investment and asset-management decisions.
Furthermore, any jurisdiction that is inclined to exempt family homes from CGT is very likely to also exempt family homes from a wealth tax. New Zealand probably even more so, because of the grossly inflated prices of our homes and the high numbers of people that would be liable or see themselves liable, purely because of the family home.
edit: Estate and gift taxes really should also be reinstated. We used to have them, and at least some of our peer nations have them, and they directly act to reduce one of the major causes of inequality.
A wealth tax has the advantage of being able to be levied on a regular basis: annually, say or half-yearly, or even quarterly. A CGT is taxed only occasionally, ie when the asset is sold, which seems unfair since most assets – remaining unsold – don't get taxed. However, by far and away the best tax on property would be a land tax.
A land tax is fair because the land ultimately belongs to all of us, and anyone claiming private ownership should be paying for the privilege. It can also be collected on a regular basis. And, as if that were not enough, it also picks up any capital gain since the tax take increases as land prices increase. It should be noted that most capital gain, within the property market, seems to be associated with land.
And on top of all that, a land tax would encourage an efficient use of land.
CGT would likely be removed by an eventual National government and as it takes quite a while for a CGT to wind up to a decent size there would be little apparent benefit to society – whereas a wealth tax would collect a significant amount early allowing for noticeable change for the better for the majority of nz society which would make it far harder to cancel
Errrm, exactly why do you think most countries have capital gains taxes, but don't have wealth taxes (many countries had wealth taxes but eliminated them), and why do you think New Zealand would be immune to the pressures that brought that about?
If the revenue from a wealth tax is returned to society in the form of reduced income taxation at the lower % end the benefit to the many would make it harder to reverse in favour of the few
Didn't prevent the great reversal in the 80's and 90's from progressive taxation on high incomes, and some wealth taxes such as stamp duty and inheritance taxes, to GST on low incomes. Plus the "paperboy tax", later on.
National would not remove a CGT since the banks love this tax. What the banks hate is a land tax.
Or in asset rich, cash poor cases like this you simply defer the tax until it's eventually sold or passed on in the estate.
Or we could do nothing with the main tax levels and wait for investment classes other than property to become more attractive. Sharesies and Kiwisaver for example.
I can’t wait for a low-risk, high-return, and tax-free investment option other than property that pays off bigly in the short-, medium, and long-term. Bitcoin?
If you're in the right classes, buying politicians seems to fit the bill.
Thats the actual argument behind the Greens wealth tax. As a society you probably need to tax away vast fortunes before they acrue enough to buy both sides of the political system.
About 40% of New Zealand should keep saving but forget about ever owning a house.
Kiwisaver on high growth is pretty good.
Sure it's the K shaped economy. That's Gen C for you.
There is actually quite a long history of Colonial Hut Taxes. Maybe something can be learned from it?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hut_tax
One of the main desired effects (yes, it worked) was to get the native population to work for the colonists.
http://neweconomicperspectives.org/2014/06/tax-bads-goods.html
Scomo thinks NZ quarantine is about limiting tourists going to Queenstown lol.
Although to be a bit more fair, asking the Aussie PM about the latest NZ opposition stupidity relating to NZ govt policy is just lazy gotcha journalism. I guess the press conference was boring as muck and they needed some dramas..
Good to see pressure put on that supports our tourist, hotel and hospitality industry. And we need better snow than last year if we are going to compete against Japan's winter offering.
Because a tourist outbreak putting otago into L4 again will be better for the Q'town tourism industry than the current situation?
Hospo and tourism venues around the country are on bare life support relying soleley on local tourism. Everyone gets that.
But the rest of the world experience seems to indicate that trying to live with covid is worse for people in an economy than keeping covid out.
The leader of the opposition National party is either deliberately putting the safety of NZers at risk, or she is a fool. Probably both.
National party MPs love local COVID-19 outbreaks; prudent management during a global pandemic not so much. Collins would take zero responsibility for any local outbreaks and other consequences of open borders – what a ghastly creature.
"I don't understand" and "…get that money…" is Collins in a nutshell; good Lord!
Maybe wait until the vaccine roll-out is more advanced in Australia, and NZ.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-02/charting-australias-covid-vaccine-rollout/13197518?nw=0
Good to see our first AC36 win.
Would like to see the wind at 15knots.
Kris Faafoi said in the Dompost this morning that cannabis needs a champion. someone to write a proper bill and whip it through parliament. Andrew Little who never ever made it clear why he didn't support the referendum and then wimped out should be ashamed of himself. he let the fake christians and the ignorati get the better of him if he ever had any principles in the first place.
Unhappiness in Auckland – speaking for about 90% of them I feel sure. The rest of us against Auckland?
http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=134625
If the current trajectory continues – if there are another couple of lockdowns that target Tāmaki Makaurau while the rest of the country gets off scot-free – Labour will get destroyed in Auckland at the next election.
Everyone wants the country to be safe; no-one wants COVID; everyone understands the need for lockdowns; and the Prime Minister’s leadership and mana is widely respected and well-deserved. But the latest episode shows there’s no longer any sense of common cause in Aotearoa; it feels like the rest of the country against Auckland, expecting us to carry the load whilst being insulted for our trouble. It’s not collective responsibility; it’s collective punishment. And no-one in their right mind is going to vote for the status quo in those circumstances.
So it’s time for Wellington to step up. Things need to change – and fast.
If, in Eden's opinion, no-one in their right mind is going to vote for the status quo, then please provide a viable (safe) alternative to lockdowns to prevent community transmission of COVID-19, and I'll vote for that. The idea that "lockdowns are a special form of torture" seems a bit OTT, but even if ‘torture‘ is accurate, I’d choose the ‘torture‘ of lockdowns in NZ over lockdowns almost anywhere else in the world. I wonder where Eden would choose to be?
Alternatively, a year in to this global pandemic, we could continue to do the responsible and frankly decent thing and hold it together for a few more months until everyone who is sufficiently community-minded has been vaccinated.
Could it be that Eden just doesn't know how lucky we are? Best not to foment unrest, imho – hang in there Kiwis.
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-resilience-ranking/
It is a fair comment, though.
The issue isn't lockdowns as such. The complaint seems to be that Auckland is bearing the brunt of the risks of a community outbreak because it has the majority of MIQ.
There are outbreaks related to MIQ, for sure, but there are also outbreaks that seem to relate to Auckland as a port of entry, including for freight. So maybe having more MIQ facilities in wellington wouldn't shift much of the weight that Auckland is carrying.
But they are carrying more weight than the rest of the country. We could be more mindful of that sometimes, maybe.
I believe opinion pieces such as Eden's "The rest of us against Auckland?" may exacerbate regional divisions that are unhelpful at this (or indeed any) time.
Maybe Eden has his finger on the pulse of Auckland opinion, and is simply alerting "the rest of us" to existing widespread indignation stemming from a belief that other NZers are taking the 'COVID heavy lifting' of Aucklanders for granted. But, absent evidence of widespread indignation, current circumstances are certainly fertile ground for stoking resentment and division, and Eden's article contains a fair amount of inflammatory language, imho.
It will be interesting to see the effect of this and any similar articles on public opinion, COVID alert level compliance, and the geographical distribution of MIQ hotels, bearing in mind that any redistribution would come with it's own risks.
I think we have to take a hard look at ourselves in this country – not pussy-foot around everything controversial, that it doesn't suit some influential group to acknowledge. The feelings are there, they need to be recognised and that they are justified to an extent, and some measures taken to reduce the situation that is the background to them. 'Life happens when you are planning iother things'.'
The division between Auckland and the rest has pretty deep foundations. There is a presumption, among the public faces of that city, that it is somehow more important or interesting than the rest of the country. This is odd, because in terms of education the city is not a leader, nor is it a frontrunner in the arts. Its media 'personalities' do it no credit either. Before it goes long on lifting its credibility however, it needs to address neglected critical infrastructure, the sewers, and the water supply.