Open mike 12/03/2021
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6:00 am, March 12th, 2021 - 40 comments
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I ruffled a few feathers by referring to Gerry Brownlee as a “buffoon” during a radio interview this week. The subject in question was the involuntary repatriation of Suharya Aden and her children to NZ after Australia cancelled her citizenship. Brownlee was blathering about her being a terrorist security threat, ...3 hours ago - Militaries plunder science fiction for technology ideas, but turn a blind eye to the genre’s socia...
Will Slocombe, University of Liverpool Military planning is a complicated endeavour, calling upon experts in logistics and infrastructure to predict resource availability and technological advancements. Long-range military planning, deciding what to invest in now to prepare armed forces for the world in thirty years’ time, is even more difficult. ...4 hours ago - Still the same question
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- Funding for five projects to reduce food wasteThe Government is funding five projects to help address the growing problem of food waste, Environment Minister David Parker announced today. “New Zealand households throw away nearly 300,000 tonnes of food every year, half of which could still be eaten. By supporting these initiatives, we’re taking steps to reduce this ...6 days ago
- Temporary Accommodation Service activated for West Coast flooding eventThe Temporary Accommodation Service (TAS) has been activated today - meaning residents on the West Coast of the South Island and in the Marlborough region hit by flooding over the weekend can now access help finding temporary accommodation, announced Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing) Poto Williams in Westport today. ...1 week ago
- Pause to Quarantine Free Travel from South Australia to New ZealandQuarantine Free Travel from South Australia to New Zealand will be paused from 11.59am (NZT) tonight, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has announced. However, people currently in the state who ordinarily live in New Zealand will be able to return on “managed return” flights starting with the next available flight, ...1 week ago
- New Zealand condemns malicious cyber activity by Chinese state-sponsored actorsNew Zealand has established links between Chinese state-sponsored actors known as Advanced Persistent Threat 40 (APT40) and malicious cyber activity in New Zealand. “The GCSB has worked through a robust technical attribution process in relation to this activity. New Zealand is today joining other countries in strongly condemning this malicious ...1 week ago
- Remarks to Diplomatic CorpsIt is a pleasure to be with you all this evening. Some of you may have been surprised when you received an invitation from the Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control, and I would forgive you if you were. New Zealand is unique in having established a Ministerial portfolio ...1 week ago
- Early Pfizer shipment boosts vaccine scheduleThe largest shipment of the Pfizer vaccine to date has arrived into New Zealand two days ahead of schedule, and doses are already being delivered to vaccination centres around the country, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. “The shipment of more than 370,000 doses reached New Zealand yesterday, following a ...1 week ago
- Backing for Bay of Islands predator free effortThe Government is throwing its support behind an ambitious project to restore native biodiversity and build long-term conservation careers, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. Predator Free Bay of Islands aims to eradicate predators from the three main peninsulas in the region, and significantly reduce their impact throughout the wider 80,000-plus ...1 week ago
- Government commits $600,000 to flood recoveryThe Government is contributing $600,000 to help residents affected by the weekend’s violent weather with recovery efforts. Acting Minister for Emergency Management Kris Faafoi and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor have been in the Buller district this afternoon to assess flood damage and support the local response effort. They have announced ...1 week ago
- Government assisting local responses to heavy rainfall and high windActing Minister of Emergency Management Kris Faafoi says Central Government is monitoring the severe weather across the country, and is ready to provide further support to those affected if necessary. “My thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by this latest event, particularly communities on the West Coast and ...2 weeks ago
- PM Ardern chairs APEC Leaders’ meeting on COVID-19New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has chaired a meeting of Leaders representing the 21 APEC economies overnight. “For the first time in APEC’s history Leaders have come together for an extraordinary meeting focused exclusively on COVID-19, and how our region can navigate out of the worst health and economic ...2 weeks ago
- Health Minister welcomes progress on nurses’ payThe New Zealand Nurses Organisation’s decision to take the Government’s improved pay offer to members and to lift strike notices is a positive move towards settling district health board nurses’ pay claims, Health Minister Andrew Little said. “It’s encouraging that the discussions between NZNO and DHBs over the nurses’ employment ...2 weeks ago
- Boost for Pacific regional businessPacific businesses will get a much-needed financial boost as they recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the new Pacific Aotearoa Regional Enterprise Fund, said Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. The new $2 million fund will co-invest in Pacific business projects and initiatives to create ...2 weeks ago
- PM Ardern call with President BidenPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke with US President Biden this morning, ahead of the APEC Informal Leaders’ Retreat on COVID-19. “President Biden and I discussed the forthcoming APEC leaders meeting and the critical importance of working together as a region to navigate out of the COVID-19 pandemic”, Jacinda Ardern said. ...2 weeks ago
- Renewed partnership creates jobs for New Zealand youthThe Government has signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs, strengthening the partnership to get more young people into work. The Mayors Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) is a nationwide network of all Mayors in New Zealand, who are committed to making sure all young ...2 weeks ago
- South Island areas prioritised in tourism fundFive South Island areas are prioritised in the latest round of decisions from a tourism fund that is supporting infrastructure projects from Cape Reinga to Stewart Island and the Chathams. Tourism Minister Stuart Nash has announced details of 57 nationwide projects to receive support from the Tourism Infrastructure Fund (TIF). ...2 weeks ago
- New code sets clear expectations for learner safety and wellbeing in tertiary educationA new code of practice for the pastoral care of domestic tertiary and international students will be in place from January next year, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today The code, which makes clear that creating an environment that supports learning and wellbeing is a shared responsibility between tertiary providers, ...2 weeks ago
- First TAB New Zealand Board appointments announcedThe members of the first TAB NZ Board come with experience in racing and sport administration, business and governance, the betting industry, broadcasting and gambling harm minimisation. “This Board will progress from the excellent work done by the interim board, put in place in August 2020,” Grant Robertson said. “The ...2 weeks ago
- Northland Maori Pathways initiative introducedThe Government has today launched Māori Pathways at Northland Region Corrections Facility, a ground-breaking series of initiatives designed in partnership with Māori to reduce re-offending and improve outcomes for whānau. A key part of the Hōkai Rangi strategy, Māori Pathways looks to achieve long-term change and involves a number of ...2 weeks ago
- Extended Essential Skills visas being rolled outTwo year Essential Skills visa to provide certainty to at least 18,000 visa holders Streamlined application process to benefit at least 57,000 visa holders The Government is increasing the duration of some Essential Skills visas and streamlining the application process to provide more certainty to employers and visa holders while ...2 weeks ago
- Scheduled LIVE: Buchanan + Manning on Cyber-Attacks and the Evolution of Hybrid Warfare
A View from Afar: Selwyn Manning and Paul Buchanan will present this week’s podcast, A View from Afar, LIVE at midday Thursday and will do a deep-dive into cyber-attacks and hybrid warfare – Especially how 2021 has witnessed a Cold War II styled stand-off between global powers. To re-cap, ...1 hour ago - Introducing Hatch’s Great Debate on shares vs property
This Thursday, Hatch will be hosting The Great Debate – a webinar on the merits of property and shares investment. We spoke to the debaters and asked some of the questions that are likely to come up.Both the property market and the world of shares are bedevilled by enough mystery, ...1 hour ago - Samoa’s first female leader has made history — now she faces a challenging future at home and ab...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patricia A. O’Brien, Visiting Fellow, School of History, Australian National University, and Adjunct Professor, Asian Studies Program, Georgetown University After nearly four months of being taken to the brink of dictatorship, Samoa’s constitutional crisis ended on July 26 when the prime minister ...2 hours ago
- Confused about which English subject to choose in year 11 and 12? Here’s what you need to knowSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kirsten Lambert, Lecturer, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock This article is part of a series providing school students with evidence-based advice for choosing subjects in their senior years. English (or an equivalent literacy requirement) is a compulsory subject for all secondary ...3 hours ago
- MPI’s Failure To Prosecute Mass Chicken Deaths Unacceptable
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has failed in its duty to enforce animal welfare by not prosecuting a farm where a power outage suffocated and killed 180,000 chickens . The incident which occurred in November 2019 has since been described ...3 hours ago - Family Violence And Sexual Violence Literature ReviewAs part of our work programme on public organisations' performance in achieving reductions in family violence, we asked Carswell Consultancy to carry out a literature review of research and evaluation reports on family violence and sexual violence ...3 hours ago
- We’ve heard of R numbers and moving averages. But what are k numbers? And how do they explain COVI...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Esterman, Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of South Australia Forest Simon/Unsplash First thing in the morning, or come 11 o’clock, countless Australians anxiously wait for the daily COVID-19 case numbers, trying to understand whether their outbreak is under ...3 hours ago
- Fiji student son tells of his pregnant nurse mum’s losing struggle with covidBy Josefa Babitu in Suva The dream of putting a smile on his mother’s face on his graduation day from university has become one that will never happen for Gabriel Gade, after his mother succumbed to the coronavirus that has killed dozens of people in Fiji. “My ultimate dream was ...4 hours ago
- Macron launches cyclone shelter project in French PolynesiaRNZ Pacific France and French Polynesia have agreed to jointly spend US$60 million to build 17 cyclone shelters across the Tuamotu archipelago. This was announced on Manihi atoll, where the visiting French President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the construction site for a shelter for the atoll’s 600 inhabitants. The shelters ...4 hours ago
- PM, Bloomfield and Verrall discuss new phase of vaccine rollout
Jacinda Ardern, Ashley Bloomfield and Ayesha Verrall are holding a media briefing on the start of a major new phase of the country's vaccine rollout. ...4 hours ago - Three new heads of mission are appointed and there are more diplomatic posts to be filled
The government has named heads of mission to three key diplomatic posts, in Iran, Ethiopia and Indonesia. In announcing them, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta was herself at her most diplomatic. Mike Walsh is to be Ambassador to Iran, where, she says, NZ has a “constructive relationship, despite a number ...4 hours ago - More livestock, more carbon dioxide, less ice: the world’s climate change progress since 2019 is (...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Newsome, Academic Fellow, University of Sydney Back in 2019, more than 11,000 scientists declared a global climate emergency. They established a comprehensive set of vital signs that impact or reflect the planet’s health, such as forest loss, fossil fuel subsidies, glacier ...4 hours ago
- Woods scores a new portfolio (apparently) while the Govt gives Wallabies a free pass through our Cov...
We were reminded yesterday of an article published by The Spinoff on 1 August last year headed Megan Woods, the minister for everything. The article referred to her “slew of portfolios”. It kicked off by saying Woods’ public profile “… has exploded thanks to her new role as the minister in ...4 hours ago - Greenpeace Calls Foul On INEOS Rugby Sponsorship DealGreenpeace is calling foul on NZ Rugby’s decision to sign a sponsorship deal with the oil and plastic polluting petrochemical giant INEOS. "In the thick of the climate crisis, it’s gutting to see NZ Rugby sign a sponsorship deal with an oil ...5 hours ago
- Laiika’s life-changing pop momentsPop duo Laiika remember the musical moments that made them in this week’s episode of FIRST.What was the first CD you ever bought? Heidi Simpson thinks hers was probably a Hannah Montana CD. “I was the biggest Hannah Montana fan for years.” The first song her bandmate Grace Moller remembers ...5 hours ago
- Don't underestimate Covid in children
Dr Jin Russell and Dr Amanda Kvalsvig explain why we shouldn’t rush to come to a judgment on vaccinating children - there is much we still don't know Comment: While policymakers around the world debate the costs and benefits of vaccinating children against Covid-19, in Aotearoa New Zealand we have an ...5 hours ago - How to be a badass: A guide to thriving in male-dominated workplacesSome of the world’s most exciting and lucrative industries are still largely dominated by men. Maddy King provides some effective ways to help newbies flourish and shine like true badasses. Working with creative technologies like filmmaking, animation and digital art means entering the most exciting, dynamic sectors in the world. These ...6 hours ago
- We’re hiring: HR specialist, The Spinoff GroupThe Spinoff Group is looking for an experienced HR specialist to join our dynamic, creative organisation and help us navigate through a serious growth phase.The Spinoff Group is seeking an HR specialist to work across the organisation as it moves into an exciting new era. Digital magazine The Spinoff has ...6 hours ago
- Response To The Chief Ombudsman’s Report Into The High And Complex FrameworkThe Ministry of Health welcomes recommendations made by the Chief Ombudsman in a report around the care available for people with an intellectual disability. The Ombudsman has been investigating the High and Complex Framework since early 2019. ...6 hours ago
- Stop Poisoning New Zealanders With Lead In Drinking Water – Master PlumbersMaster Plumbers is telling the Government to stop turning a blind eye to compelling evidence that New Zealanders are being put at serious health risk by drinking water with high levels of lead. The comments follow the release of a report from the Dunedin ...6 hours ago
- Hepatitis C plan aims to eliminate virus by 2030More free syringes for drug users and a registry is part of a $2.2 million plan to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030, the government has announced. ...6 hours ago
- June Home Transfers Remain HighThere were 44,517 home transfers in the June 2021 quarter, the highest June quarter figure since 2016, Stats NZ said today. The number of home transfers was very similar to the March 2021 quarter and was up 18,252 from the June 2020 quarter. “The June ...7 hours ago
- What went wrong with the Pop-up Globe?With five years of sold-out shows and ambitions to go global, Auckland’s Pop-up Globe carved out a dominant place in New Zealand’s creative ecosystem. So why did it all end so abruptly? Adam Goodall investigates.On March 19 2020, the cast of Emilia were debating whether they could keep going. Emilia ...7 hours ago
- GHG Reducing Solutions Already Out ThereWins can be made right now to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from road freight transport, says Road Transport Forum (RTF) chief executive Nick Leggett. In its submission on Increasing the use of biofuels in transport, the RTF says the Government should ...7 hours ago
- 1981 Springbok tour protests revisited – and now Palestine is the new struggleAsia Pacific Report newsdesk After his release from prison in South Africa and he became inaugural president of the majority rule government with the abolition of apartheid, Nelson Mandela declared in a speech in 1997: “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” ...8 hours ago
- ECan Must Front Up About Health Risks Of Nitrate Contamination – GreenpeaceGreenpeace is calling on Environment Canterbury to be upfront about health risks of nitrate contamination, following ECan’s release of new data that shows nitrate contamination in drinking water is rising. ECan has released the results of its annual ...8 hours ago
- Live updates, July 28: ‘Vaccination is the key to our freedom’ – Sydney faces another month of...Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for July 28, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz8.05am: ‘Vaccination is the key to our freedom’ – Sydney faces another month of lockdownSydney is set to face another month of lockdown after a record number of ...9 hours ago
- Census 2021 is almost here — what’s changed since #censusfail? What’s at stake in this pandemi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Allen, Demographer, ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods, Australian National University David Crosling/AAP Australian households will begin receiving instructions on how to fill out the 2021 census from early August. The Census of Population and Housing is ...9 hours ago
- Growing evidence suggests Russia’s Sputnik V COVID vaccine is safe and very effective. But questio...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan Steain, Lecturer, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney Antonio Calanni/AP/AAP Russia was the first country to register a COVID vaccine, with its health ministry giving emergency approval to the Sputnik V vaccine in ...9 hours ago
- Artificial refuges are a popular stopgap for habitat destruction, but the science isn’t up to scra...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darcy Watchorn, PhD Candidate, Deakin University Shutterstock Wildlife worldwide is facing a housing crisis. When land is cleared for agriculture, mining, and urbanisation, habitats and natural refuges go with it, such as tree hollows, rock piles and large logs. The ...9 hours ago
- We can put city and country people on more equal footing at uni — the pandemic has shown us howSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn Eversole, Professor and Director, RegionxLink, Centre for Social Impact, Swinburne University of Technology Shutterstock University study is out of reach for many people in regional Australia. Most of our universities are based in a handful of capital cities. The ...9 hours ago
- Yes, Naomi Osaka is Japanese. And American. And HaitianSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aoife Wilkinson, PhD candidate, The University of Queensland Netflix On Friday, Naomi Osaka lit the cauldron at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony. This honour sent an important message to the world: Osaka represents a diversifying Japan. Yet, some still ...9 hours ago
- Inside one artist’s fantastical world of felt foodArtist Chloe Smith, who turns everyday food items into meticulously crafted felt creations, talks to Charlotte Muru-Lanning ahead of her first New Zealand exhibition.It’s the feel of food that Chloe Smith is drawn to. “I really enjoy the challenge of trying to make something that has a really complicated texture,” ...9 hours ago
- Retired people and beneficiaries pay the price of inflation – for now
The prices of meat, insurance, petrol and public transport have risen faster than other costs ...9 hours ago - A moment to reflect on the state of the short story
An update on the New Zealand short story A new old book of short stories has appeared quietly but with perfect timing. Six By Six, an anthology of six short stories by six New Zealand writers, was first published in 1989; Victoria University have released a new edition, and the ...9 hours ago - Aggressive marketing has driven the rise of the double-cab ute on New Zealand streets — time to hi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kirsty Wild, Senior Research Fellow, Public Health, University of Auckland www.shutterstock.com “Explore your inner beast.” That was the slogan used last year to sell the Ford Ranger. At 2.4 tonnes, that’s a lot of “light” truck, but the stakes are ...10 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Nitrates in the water, and the risksGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Risks of nitrates in the water, no additional Covid found in New Plymouth, and Westport faces horror flooding cleanup.Groundwater in Canterbury appears to be increasingly unhealthy from the presence of nitrates, a consequence in part of intensive dairy farming. Stuff’s Amber Allott ...10 hours ago
- Women's football on the rise in Oceania
The Oceania Football Confederation has launched a women's football strategy - a first in the region. Ashley Stanley learns how OFC want to get two competitive teams into the 2027 World Cup Torijan Lyne-Lewis’s main sports goal is to play in a women’s football World Cup. The 26-year-old Samoan football ...11 hours ago - Big water decisions shape futures of small communities
The Prime Minister has committed to settling the contested boundaries of the four new regional water authorities by the end of September – and that means some big decisions for some of New Zealand's smallest communities. Near the north-east corner of the South Island, imposing sandstone cliffs look out over Cook Strait. ...11 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 28 July
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...12 hours ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Wednesday 28 July
...12 hours ago - Ocean plastic: Small pieces, big problems
Banning the release of balloons outdoors is another small step to making a difference to our oceans, and New Zealand should consider doing the same, writes Ariel-Micaiah Heswall Plastic pollution is a huge threat to marine life worldwide. Every step we can make to reduce our usage, no matter how ...12 hours ago - The one weird trick that could help NZ catch up with the global vaccine champsAs New Zealand’s vaccine effort picks up speed, there are lessons to be taken from countries that are more rapidly vaccinating their populations. Justin Giovannetti reports.With the global vaccination marathon against Covid-19 accelerating in the second half of 2021, new countries are emerging as leaders after overcoming supply issues and ...12 hours ago
- Our coal usage is going up and up. Here’s how much that mattersCoal-powered electricity generation is hitting record levels. Should we be worried? George Driver investigates.Coal electricity generation is surging, with the country importing more than a million tonnes of Indonesian coal and burning it at record levels to keep the lights on, RNZ has reported. The National Party declared we were ...12 hours ago
- Fletcher Building gets $5m too much in carbon subsidy
The Government has over-allocated carbon credits worth a minimum of $5 million to Fletcher Building over the past three years, Marc Daalder reports. ...12 hours ago - When the chips are down: Kiwi firms innovate around global shortages
Manufacturers are building products based on available materials as they prepare for shortages to last until late 2022 and beyond ...12 hours ago - Government's flood protection plans dry up
Work to tackle flooding linked to climate change was quietly cut back due to "resource constraints". ...12 hours ago - Galileo's lesson: How to think smart about living sustainably
We know the many circumstances that cause us to veer away from rationality; we understand enough to abandon this fossil fuel age with haste ...12 hours ago - Why moths matter
Morgane Merien explains why we need to start recognising the importance of these fascinating little insects and their vital role in the ecosystem Moths, they generally go unnoticed except when they flit annoyingly around your lights. They don’t attract much public interest and there is little understanding of the effects ...12 hours ago - The ethics of saving wild animals
Why do New Zealanders get so invested in saving animals that strand themselves? For more than two weeks, the plight of Toa, the baby orca stranded on rocks north of Porirua after he was separated from his pod, gripped the nation. News bulletins provided hourly updates. Volunteers braved the ...12 hours ago - Free clinics for Hepatitis C pop up across the country
This World Hepatitis Day, the Ministry of Health is funding free clinics across the country, as well as unveiling the plan to eliminate Hepatitis C from New Zealand Around 45,000 New Zealanders are living with Hepatitis C - although half of them may be unaware they have it. Clinics are popping ...12 hours ago - My crazy big brother, and other stories
A portrait of an American family in the 1970s Dick is a patient on the seventh floor of a private psychiatric hospital on Chicago’s Near North side. For the first two weeks we aren’t allowed to visit him at all. I bake cookies and send them in a tin. The ...12 hours ago - The Tokyo Lowdown: Day 4
Was there something in Tokyo's water for Kiwi sportswomen as they struggled on the big stage on Day 4? LockerRoom's daily look at the fortunes of our female athletes continues. Performances of the day Luuka Jones lay her head on her paddle after her run in the canoe slalom final, devastated. ...19 hours ago - Flush Housing Agency Needs To Be Reined InResponding to NBR’s report that Kainga Ora made an offer on a property $8 million above its eventual sale price, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: “Our housing agency is acting like it’s overfunded. First it bought a motel ...24 hours ago
- New Zealand trapped on the moral high ground with Suhayra AdenPower Play - New Zealand may now be claiming the moral high ground as it grudgingly accepts Suhayra Aden and her two children, but its hands are tied, Jane Patterson writes. ...24 hours ago
- Whipping cream canisters have many uses beyond ‘nangs’. Banning them isn’t necessarySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Bright, Senior Lecturer of Addiction, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has been considering whether whipping cream canisters containing nitrous oxide should be placed in Schedule 10 of the Poisons Standard. Schedule 10 is the ...1 day ago
- What’s in the CPI and what does it actually measure?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Nils Versemann/Shutterstock So you don’t believe the official inflation figures. Why would you? They show prices climbing at an annual rate of 1.1% On Wednesday the update for June ...1 day ago
- Why calling ordinary NZ cyclists ‘elitist’ makes little senseIt’s one of the most common criticisms of those fighting for better bike infrastructure in our cities. But the ‘elitist’ jibe has little basis in reality, argues Timothy Welch.Something strange has happened to the perception of cyclists and cycling in the more than 200 years they’ve been around. Once a ...1 day ago
- Public protest or selfish ratbaggery? Why free speech doesn’t give you the right to endanger other...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, President, Australian Association for Professional & Applied Ethics. Senior Research Fellow, Moral philosophy, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Law Futures Centre., Griffith University Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in major Australian cities at the weekend, to protest ...1 day ago
- Police Association Acknowledges Guilty VerdictThe Police Association thanks the jury in the Eli Epiha trial for carrying out their difficult duty and finding the defendant guilty of attempting to murder Constable David Goldfinch. Epiha, who had already admitted to the murder of Constable Matthew ...1 day ago
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- Science Organisations Pledge Openness In Animal Research And Teaching In New Zealand21 universities, institutes of technology, non-profits, Crown Research Institutes, government organisations, umbrella bodies, research funding organisations and learned societies commit to communicate openly about animal use. New Zealand will be the ...1 day ago
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- Parliament is in recess but Kris Faafoi is too busy to discuss proposals for hate-speech laws
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- Quarterly Inflation Rising Steadily Across The BoardHigher prices for transport and food have driven up inflation for the all households group in the June 2021 quarter, Stats NZ said today. The ‘all households group’ represents all private New Zealand-resident households. Inflation for the all households ...1 day ago
Has anyone here heard a mention of this on Radio New Zealand?
we don't care about poverty and poverty related illnesses and death in this country. Why should we worry about that in some foreign country. And we here don't even have the excuse of 'sanctions', we are quite happy to do so little of help to our poor that we have '
generational poverty' starting with babies being dumbed right after birth into emergency housing. And that was yesterdays news, no pun intended.
Stunning silence is the one thing poor people get in spades from the ruling class. Silence, and every now and then a kind and gentle handout to appease the beautiful minds of the do nothing much classes that rule us.
Morrissey you don't understand. The 11 minutes of overseas news on Midday Report has to be entirely taken up with news from the USA, the royal family or with a surfing dog in Holland. There is simply no room for the kind of hard news you are craving.
I heard the head of RNZ interviewed last year and he said that in his opinion it was news from the USA that listeners wanted. Sad but true.
The shame here is how bad/biased the Guardian’s reporting on Venezuela has become-this is a paper that used to report the facts from Latin America fearlessly.
some people are just looking for yet another empty meaningless infantile distraction to occupy their lives for 10 seconds
There is no reason why RadioNZ should consider that public whims should come before general information being advised that all the public in a global political situation need to know about. The public of NZ is being let down by an airhead type that thinks in terms of private media and competitive ratings. Has this benighted system of neolib brought this on us? Does he have to show he is 'appealing' to all NZs? Some of us are into being properly informed, not being drowned in hyperbole, celebrity culture and the current outrage.
Decent docos that address real overseas issues can be found on the ABC here:
https://www.abc.net.au/foreign/?fbclid=IwAR2laMpG-z12hUyXVlAVjSh-fJb5fuIFMeL0yspC2TDZ2QJJtifldqY_5a4
TVNZ is too busy making money to get involved in this kind of thing.
83, though I'm probably out of date. US overthrows or attempted regime change. Many of which were democratic Governments.
United States involvement in regime change – Wikipedia
Since before the Vietnam war bombing white people has been out of fashion. Bombing and/or starving brown people into accepting US puppet rulers is fine, however.
Citizen Thiel again…a funder for Clearview AI, involved with NZ Police facial recognition software.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/nz-police-trialled-facial-recognition-tech-without-clearance/M6SAWXF4VK4EEZWQHMXU2XTIUI/
Peter Thiel and his Palantir company have provided assistance for NZ Defence, NZSIS, and GCSB going back to 2012.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/billionaire-peter-thiels-secret-kiwi-spy-links-revealed/QPTG57ETG37EZM6RW72CGBYQK4/
A fine upstanding representative of US Imperialism in Aotearoa. He may be intrigued why he gets such a free pass in this country.
Why would he be intrigued? NZ ruling class and enforcer class obviously like his product and he will sell to whom ever wants it.
Maybe the citizenry of NZ should be intrigued why the government is spending all this money of facial recognition and other surveillance method instead of spending the money on healthcare, mental healthcare, hosuing -general, housing – emergency, housing – family friendly, and maybe fix a roof on school or three.
But Peter Thiel is certainly not intrigued by selling his product.
I had the same thoughts myself, going to the local WINZ office, 3 security staff on the door to an office of vacant desks and a long queue before the single receptionist.
Yeah, nah… why would the wider population care? We are being told on a daily basis to be lucky to live here in this fine place of healthcare, welfare and housing crisis. Look at other countries, they are far worse off we are told. Do we actually know this? Who cares, in a country where the press is dancing to the tune of the piper and actual reporting on real events is sparse and has to be "researched", people just go into introvert. Can't be bothered. This is how absolute rule can be facilitated. Just fatigue everybody with ever more horror stories.
well Sabine, I tend not to write novella length posts, so will offer that Thiel trousered around 30 million via a buy back option, after investing just 7 million in the NZVIF.
“The partnering of Thiel's Valar Ventures and the Government-owned New Zealand Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF) was launched by Minister Steven Joyce nine months after Thiel took his oath of citizenship at the New Zealand consulate in Santa Monica.” –NZ Herald 4.2.17
He got citizenship by dubious means, was a supporter of Trump and various internet billionaires, plus he does business with the NZ State Forces including Security and Police–quite a roll of dishonour in my view–but apart from the occasional media piece he remains seemingly under most people’s radar–he gets away with it…so far.
Oh yeah. His company Palantir Technologies played no role in Thiel being awarded citizenship. We all know that. 🙄
Add to the above:
Was his active support of the Trump regime one of those "philanthropic deeds"?
Just another example of NZ's racist underbelly? Or is the underbelly so large it’s who we are?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/te-reo-maori/124504772/complaint-about-stuffs-use-of-kia-ora-aotearoa-thrown-out-by-media-council
I don't think so. Just a very loud minority.
I suggested they answer the complaints in Maori.
I hope that's not overly optimistic. The impression you get from any provincial town in NZ – and there's a lot of them – is that the prevailing view isn't far away from the complainant's.
I suspect that if the majority were racist, treaty settlements and Maori language in schools, wouldn't have got very far.
Maybe, but those things aren't necessarily driven by the prevailing view of the population. The iwi/kiwi nonsense almost delivered Don Brash as PM in 2005, for example.
Wee Kaikoura's council two years ago voted to have a Māori ward but a call for a referendum ended in a 86% vote against. It is reported that a large committed campaign by Hobson's Choice aka Brash and iwi/kiwi fifteen years later, persuaded the locals, whereas the local councillors were themselves counselled not to be involved in the debate as it might be seen as influencing the vote (ref p 4 The Marlborough Express Friday March 12).
The cows around most provincial towns have learned more in past decades than the human population Chris.
Brash and his mates have been very busy. Their aim is to keep half-baked ideas of 'fairness' and 'equality' sounding good and believed by the majority. Extremely dangerous because what they say seems so reasonable to the average person.
Queensland's gonna Queensland. This from the state which brought you Pauline Hanson and Fraser Anning.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2021/03/australian-reporter-jordan-fabris-who-hounded-501-deportees-in-disgusting-story-responds-to-kiwi-backlash.html
Yes many people up in arms about Dutton referring to them as "trash". Hipkins also referred to them as "garbage" but he has apologised.
You are not being confused over this ? and if any one is offended by my words… is not an apology, all it does is transfers offensive phase from the message sender to being a problem for the recipient.
From listening I cannot hear an apology, and on reflection should have chosen a better frame of words, so another word that means garbage is ok
newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/03/chris-hipkins-quickly-backtracks-after-saying-australia-is-exporting-its-garbage-to-new-zealand.html
"But, sir, Chippie said…"
Herodotus…your clip appears to be when Hipkins was speaking about Pacific Island people apparently not spending their money in Queenstown.
This is Hipkins about the 501's from Australia.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/03/chris-hipkins-quickly-backtracks-after-saying-australia-is-exporting-its-garbage-to-new-zealand.html
Jimmy my 2nd link was to this – And "From listening I cannot hear an apology, "..and on reflection should have chosen a better frame of words,.." so another word that means garbage is ok" ?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/438183/australia-501-deportees-trash-says-dutton
No I must agree it was hardly an apology. The headline sensationally says he backtracks.
I was worried that I had entered a stage of my life where I was missing the obvious 😉perhaps I have but only others can see that ha 😂
have a good day jimmy
Could a caption contest be held for what Andre posted on Open Mike yesterday Andre@11.
I need some light hearted relief due to a couple of news items in the last 2 days which I am livid and sickened about. The government are not fully acknowledging that they need to take immediate action due to the harm being caused. Homeless mothers/fathers of newborns who require additional support and ACC not covering PTSD due to a non physical injury of the highest magnitude.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/mar/09/piers-morgan-storms-off-set-of-good-morning-britain-in-meghan-row-alex-beresford
How come Alex Beresford only reads the weather on UK Breakfast??????
This is the sort of television we need. Someone who confronts people like Morgan and our own version of it Hosking. These men are allowed to get away with this crap day in day out and they go unchallenged. Then when someone (Alex) stands up to them in a very restrained but intelligent way. they can't take the heat, so they leave the kitchen. What baby behaviour.
There is another great clip of Beresford talking about how what Meghan relayed was very personal to him as someone in a work setting actually asked him if he was concerned about what colour cocoa his baby might be…………….
For those of you who just dismiss this stuff with Megan Harry and the royal family as unimportant, not a real issue, thing again. The Interview, will be a significant turning point.
There is the family side of it which only the family can sort out. Then there is the men in grey suits or institution which the family also need to sort out.
I do think Harry and Meghan have a lot to offer with their outspokeness on how they view the situation. What the institution does has a direct affect on all of the royals working or not.
This article is good for a chuckle from England.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/woman-feels-discriminated-over-lack-of-meat-free-meals-at-kfc/VPTBUZG7LOTWYDKRYKNPXJNZ6U/
And then they ended up having fish & chips!! This is classic.
Meat is murder.
Oh well…they ended up having fish!
I read the article. Hang on, what? The problem was that KFC were selling vegan burgers in other restaurants, but this person walked into one that wasn't?
KFC genuinely sells vegan food?
That feels… dirty. I mean, bless 'em for thinking outside the box, but it still feels wrong…
All around the country business leaders are talking up expensive projects apparently based on projections from last century. Someone needs to rein in these magnificent beasts (mostly stallions). The country is built on a firm foundation of borrowed money on over-priced assets, and hapless dairy cows with the population being milked for its water, and NZ will be the ass holding the shovel when things go wrong at the same time and we get the cascade effect.
From Wellington: http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=134770
The mystery of $75m for the airport March 11, 2021
'In the Infratil annual report for 2020, the company reported that the WIAL airport masterplan requires an investment of $1 billion over the next decade; and also reported that prior to the covid-19 lockdown:
and, while we are in the air: http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=134739
Poll shows 85% of residents oppose closure of Kāpiti Airport March 10, 2021
Thinking hats on:
* 82.3% agree or strongly agree the Kāpiti Coast Airport is vital for Civil Defence in case of a major earthquake in the Wellington region,
* 80.7% agree Kāpiti Coast Airport is a vital lifeline for medical emergencies.
“Our community is in a David vs Goliath battle – we’re up against international finance and interests, and property developers who appear more interested in profits than people, and seem bent on cutting up our community’s airport for personal profit. Kāpiti does not want to lose its Airport; collectively, we all agree it’s an important asset, any way you look at it.
Some more detail and figures concerning Kapiti Airport.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/122446517/what-is-an-airport-worth-the-economic-cost-if-the-planes-stop-flying