Open mike 16/02/2025
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6:00 am, February 16th, 2025 - 32 comments
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- What if Clausewitz had a sister?
Carl von Clausewitz’s On War remains one of the foundational texts on strategy. It’s quoted in war colleges, cited in white papers, and clutched by officers the world over trying to sound profound in briefings. ...49 minutes ago - Taiwan’s accession to Pacific trade pact would uphold economic order
The Indo-Pacific’s economic and security architecture is under strain. Strategic competition, supply chain fragility and the contesting of trade norms demand bold moves—greater efforts in strengthening diplomatic and economic ties and supporting the rules-based order. ...4 hours ago
- Forging a stronger defence partnership in a time of strategic risk
Book clubs aren’t typically my thing. Like many tech CEOs, my calendar is a blur of calls across multiple time zones. But when David Tudehope from Macquarie Technology Group handed me a hardcopy of Freedom’s ...18 hours ago
- Hotel Rwanda: Paul Rusesabagina
Paul Rusesabagina was the manager of Hôtel des Mille Collines in Kigali when the Rwanda genocide began in April 1994. The movie Hotel Rwanda was inspired by his actions in preventing the massacre of over 1200 Hutu and Tutsi refugees hiding in the Hotel. He was awarded the Presidential Medal ...19 hours ago - More unnatural ACT policy
19 hours ago - The West should still look towards peeling Russia away from China
As tensions grow between China and the West, and Moscow drifts further into Beijing’s orbit, a strategic question is emerging. In 1971, the United States opened to Mao’s China to weaken the Soviet Union. Could ...20 hours ago
- Dismantling the state
The New Zealand state has traditionally taken an expansive role in our society, providing health, education, and welfare systems to enrich and enable all our people. But ACT's weirdo radicals want to change that, and are directing the weak National government into enacting their agenda of dismantling the state. There's ...20 hours ago - Chris Luxon’s Turbocharged Comms Disasters
Christopher Luxon’s neoliberal government is lurching from one communications disaster to another, making a complete mockery of their promise to govern with transparency and competence. The PM’s incessant bleating about “turbocharging the economy” is laughably detached from reality, while Ministers such as Brooke van Velden and Tama Potaka trip over ...22 hours ago - Mammoth Money Heist
Last year, Health Minister Shane Reti and Prime Minister Chris Luxon visited Auckland’s Ormiston private hospital to talk up privatisation.Everything was up for grabs, Luxon said - “schools, health, hospitals, roads, 3 Waters investment”1. The Prime Minister also inferred he was talking to finance related companies, echoing Former NZ Health ...23 hours ago - Tuesday 17 June
The Government is considering cutting sick leave entitlements for part-time workers. Brooke van Velden has introduced a new bill which legislate changes to personal grievances, the 30-day rule and the ability of workers to test their employment status in court. NZEI is considering legal action against the government’s decision to ...24 hours ago - Radical employment bill threatens every NZ worker
The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi is urging all political parties to vote against Brooke van Velden’s new Employment Relations Amendment Bill, as it will severely undermine workers’ rights. “This new Bill will legislate many of the attacks on workers’ rights signalled by Brooke van Velden, ...1 day ago
- Update: On RNZ and Ruth Hill
Hi,Firstly, I just wanted to say thanks for all the outpouring of comments you left under yesterday’s story about Alex — and thanks to all of those who shared the article. It’s a huge help to my work when you share it. Again, here is the link to Alex’s story ...1 day ago - Undersea mining push could echo in Antarctica
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- Short and Silly
Morena, folks, I’m in a bit of a rush this morning with an appointment, so today it’s something short and silly.No, not your Miniature of Health, although Simeon certainly fits the description if that’s who came to mind. I’m talking about the grand Poobah, your Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon.Yes, our ...1 day ago - No guardrails: Australia’s messy rules for using the military on home soil
Australia needs clearer guidelines around domestic deployments. Australia’s constitution mirrors many key features of the United States, including a provision that allows federal troops to intervene domestically in states. But unlike the US, Australia has ...1 day ago
- Van Velden Continues Be A Cunt To Women Workers
Van Velden shows her inexperience — and the privilege of the MPs surrounding her — as she announces potential new sick leave for part time workers doing the types of jobs she wouldn’t deign to call “real work”. Her older, more established colleagues are equally sheltered, or equally uncaring. David ...1 day ago - 10 ways that Trump’s tax bill would undermine his energy promises
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- The Israel-Iran war reveals the danger of a piecemeal approach to statecraft
Australia’s approach to the Israel-Iran war has so far been based on a flawed model of statecraft. It’s one that tends to balkanise problems into convenient buckets, to be tackled piecemeal, rather than recognising the ...2 days ago
- No aid without access: transforming Darwin into a regional humanitarian hub
As climate volatility increases and regional instability looms, Australia should consider developing Darwin into the Indo-Pacific’s leading humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) hub. This will require recognition of Darwin’s strategic value beyond defence, funding ...2 days ago
- Today in dysfunctional government
The big news this morning was that the Prime Minister thought the government he leads was going to steal your sick leave. But apparently even the ACT zealots could see that that would deeply unpopular, so they've "clarified" that the Prime Minister was wrong, and really they're just going to ...2 days ago
- Government turns its back on workers’ safety
The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi is dismayed by the Government’s decision to abstain from the new International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on biological hazards that would strengthen worker protections. “This Convention provides a comprehensive framework for preventing and managing biological workplace health and safety issues,” ...2 days ago
- 90% of NZ Lawyers Linked to Panama Papers Still Practicing
Back in 2016, the Panama Papers ripped the veil off New Zealand’s squeaky-clean image, exposing our foreign trust regime as a playground for tax dodgers and money launderers. The leak of 11.5 million documents from Mossack Fonseca, a Panamanian law firm, revealed how Kiwi lawyers facilitated secretive trusts for the ...2 days ago
- 41 questions
I’m pretty tied up for the next couple of weeks so unless there are significant new developments (things like, for example, complying with the OIA) this will be my final post on events around the Orr resignation for the time being. We know from what the Reserve Bank did choose ...2 days ago - Thinking about Chinese Australians: how to mention the war
After the federal elections of 2022 and 2025, a certain supposed truth is taking root in Australian political discourse—namely, that discussion of potential conflict involving China is politically disadvantageous, because it is likely to have ...2 days ago
- Wish Giver
For paid subscribers - Van Velden steers WorkSafe toward a softer touch has an interesting revelation about Brooke Van Velden’s Worksafe reforms.Not only is the Minister transforming Worksafe from enforcement to a soft ‘advisor’ mandate, she “wants to see more prosecutions of workers” and “reduce the obligations on directors.”Think about ...2 days ago - Read About It
You've got the words to change a nationBut you're biting your tongueYou've spent a lifetime stuck in silenceAfraid you'll say something wrongIf no one ever hears it, how we gonna learn your song?Songwriters: Emily Sande / Benjamin Kohn / Iain James / Peter Kelleher / Stephen Manderson / Thomas Barnes.Morena, ...2 days ago - Mapping India-Pakistan military power
India strives to render Pakistan strategically irrelevant to better focus its attention on China. But neither Pakistan nor China has an interest in allowing that to happen. It’s an ongoing saga of which we saw ...2 days ago
- The Life and Death of Alex
Note: This story contains sensitive content, including discussion of eating disorders and disordered eating. Please read with caution.Hi,Last week, Radio New Zealand published a story about a 17-year old trans man who had tragically died, alone, in 2023.It was an extensive, detailed piece from journalist Ruth Hill — over 3500 ...2 days ago - Resources & Support For Trans Teens
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The New Zealand Prime Minister, a Mr Christopher Luxon, pleads with the world to take him seriously. ...3 days ago - Why the Regulatory Standards Bill is dangerous to New Zealand’s democracy
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- Thursday 12 June
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Hi,I don’t think any Webworm readers will be surprised to know that I’m drawn to stories of narcissistic men getting away with terrible things for decades. Tickled was about a New Yorker pulling the strings from behind a computer. Mister Organ saw an over zealous parking attendant who liked to ...6 days ago - Adrian Orr Resigned Because of Nicola Willis’ Austerity
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After decades of watching the US prop up dictatorships in Central America, South America and the Middle East, there’s a certain irony in seeing authoritarian rule play out on the streets of Los Angeles. No doubt, Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard – and the US Marines! – to ...7 days ago
- ECE funding review must centre tamariki
The Government’s review of Early Childhood Education funding, announced today, is a clear and appalling reflection of its priorities, with a ministerial group being directed to balance “quality and affordability for services”. ...22 hours ago - ERA changes hurt workers, pander to big business
The Green Party says proposed changes to the Employment Relations Act announced today by the Government will further undermine workers’ rights while pandering to big business. ...24 hours ago
- Govt’s private hospital contracts little more than Band-Aid
The Government’s directive to give private hospitals 10-year outsourcing contracts to perform elective surgeries is yet another step down the path of privatisation in our healthcare system. ...1 day ago
- Sick Leave is a Right, Not a Reward- Ngarewa-Packer
Te Pāti Māori is calling out the Government’s proposed changes to sick leave entitlements as a cruel step backwards that punishes low-income, part-time, single parents and essential workers. We staunchly support the concerns raised by PSA National Secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons, that this move will disproportionately harm wāhine, who are most ...2 days ago
- Greens show Willis’ fiscal straight-jacket is junk, validate case for strong public investment
The Green Party has released its fiscal strategy, demonstrating how we can and must invest in the real-world needs of our country, planet and people. ...2 days ago
- Concern over signs Govt will reduce sick leave for workers
The Green Party is calling on the Prime Minister to stand up for workers’ rights for once and rule out reducing sick leave entitlements. ...2 days ago
- Out of Sight, Out of Mana- Rotorua Lakes Council’s Callous Attack on Homeless Whānau
Te Pāti Māori Co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi, has slammed the Rotorua Lakes Council’s treatment of homeless whānau as “inhumane and disgraceful,” following the forced police removal of people sleeping outside the Salvation Army on Amohia Street yesterday. “Our most vulnerable whānau were woken by police, trespassed like ...6 days ago
- Biodiversity credit won’t fix damage done by Luxon Govt
The Green Party says the Government’s newly announced Biodiversity Credit scheme is a tiny positive that doesn’t undo the biodiversity harm caused by the Luxon Government. ...6 days ago
- New report confirms Oranga Tamariki is failing tamariki and Government is failing Māori
A new report, ‘Outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi Māori and their whānau in the oranga tamariki system 2023/24,’ has confirmed that Oranga Tamariki is severely failing our most vulnerable Māori youth. ...7 days ago
- Government rightfully sued over illegal climate ‘plan’
Last week, world-leading climate scientists called out the Government’s approach to agricultural emissions. This week, climate lawyers have sued the Government because its Emissions Reductions Plans do not add up. ...1 week ago
- Te Pāti Māori Demands Safe Passage of Madleen to Gaza
Te Pāti Māori condemns the Israeli navy’s armed interception of the Madleen, a civilian aid vessel carrying food, medical supplies, and international activists to Gaza, including Greta Thunberg. Communications of the Madleen have been cut, and there is no knowing if the crew are safe and unharmed. This is the ...1 week ago
- Greens call for safe passage of Madleen and Government to sanction Israel
The Green Party is calling for the safe passage of the Madleen, a civilian aid vessel on course to Gaza, following the Freedom Flotilla being seized by the Israeli Military and urging the New Zealand Government to sanction Israel for its illegal occupation of Palestine. ...1 week ago
- Rich get much richer, driving inequality and poverty
The 2025 NBR Rich List makes immediately obvious the need for a fair tax system, says the Green Party. ...1 week ago
- Release: Manawatū Gorge replacement opens toll-free
Thanks to a successful community-led campaign backed by Labour, Lower North Island locals are today celebrating the toll-free opening of Te Ahu a Turanga – Manawatū Tararua Highway. ...1 week ago - Govt parent boost changes prioritise rich over poor
The Green Party is calling out the Government’s parent boost changes that benefit a wealthier minority while doing nothing to help reunite thousands of migrant families. ...1 week ago
- Release: Timid tariff response fails New Zealanders
The Government is failing New Zealanders by ‘being comfortable’ with a 10 percent tariff on all goods going into the US. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party condemns decision to suspend Te Pāti Māori MPs
The Green Party condemns the unprecedented decision to suspend Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi for 21 days, and MP for Hauraki-Waikato Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke for 7 days. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Reserve Bank predicts more job losses
The Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Statement predicts a sluggish economy with higher inflation and more job losses. ...2 weeks ago
- Luxon must end climate denial speculation
The Greens welcome the open letter from world-leading climate scientists to the Prime Minister, urging his Government to abandon any plan to water down climate targets. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt’s budget balanced on the backs of low-income families
The Government is quietly leaving some of our poorest families hundreds of dollars worse off, ignoring warnings that changes to the accommodation supplement and public housing subsidies will disproportionately target disabled, older, Māori, Pasifika, and young people. ...3 weeks ago
- Democracy Denied: Te Pāti Māori Slam Govt for Silencing Māori and Tangata Tiriti on the Regulator...
Today, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi slammed the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee’s refusal to extend the public submission period for the Regulatory Standards Bill, calling it a deliberate act to silence whānau, hapū, iwi, and community voices. Waititi had urged the Committee to extend the submission period by ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Mental health cuts lead to overwhelmed EDs
Workforce shortages that mental health Minister Matt Doocey tried to hide are now resulting in increasing pressure on our emergency departments as people needing help have nowhere else to go. ...3 weeks ago
- Te Pāti Māori Call on Te Whatu Ora to immediately Publish Gender Affirming Care Guidelines
Te Pāti Māori join health professionals, medical bodies, and community organisations across Aotearoa in calling on Te Whatu Ora to immediately release the updated Guidelines for Gender Affirming Healthcare. The guidelines were developed by medical professionals with expertise in this form of care and approved by Te Whatu Ora’s National ...3 weeks ago
- National direction changes mark dark day for people and planet
Today’s sweeping changes to environmental protections paint a damning picture of a government hellbent on profit at all costs, openly allowing more environmentally harmful activities under the guise of progress. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: National caves to ACT to ram through Regulatory Standards Bill
Once again National has caved to ACT by today agreeing to shorten the select committee process for the Regulatory Standards Bill. ...3 weeks ago
- Indonesia Press Remarks – Remarks to media alongside Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono
Good Morning. It is a pleasure to be in Jakarta again today. Indonesia is an absolute priority for the New Zealand government, which is why we have now visited here four times since re-taking office as New Zealand Foreign Minister in late 2023. Indonesia is one of New Zealand’s oldest friends ...5 days ago - Foreign Minister visit strengthens ties with Indonesia
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ visit to Indonesia today has secured tangible progress in New Zealand’s relationship with Southeast Asia’s most populous nation. “Indonesia is an indispensable partner for New Zealand,” Mr Peters says. “Demonstrating our commitment to the relationship, this is our fourth visit to Indonesia in the past 18 ...5 days ago
- Joint Statement: By the Foreign Ministers of the Republic of Indonesia and New Zealand at the 12th J...
His Excellency Sugiono, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, and Rt Hon Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, convened the 12th meeting of the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) on 13th June 2025 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Ministers welcomed meeting in person, underscoring the importance ...5 days ago
- New modular units will expand bed capacity during hospital upgrades
At least four new rapidly deployable relocatable inpatient units will be rolled out across the country to ensure hospitals can continue delivering care to patients while major infrastructure projects are underway, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. “These new inpatient units – part of the Government’s $1 billion Budget 2025 investment ...5 days ago
- Skilled trades on fast track to residence
The Government is tackling talent shortages in manufacturing and boosting New Zealand’s economic recovery by fast-tracking residency for skilled tradespeople. “We know how important skilled workers are to the resilience of the manufacturing sector. When we don’t have enough people to fill these roles, productivity slows, business growth stalls and the ...5 days ago
- High Court Associate Judge appointed
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Liz Gellert as an Associate Judge of the High Court. Associate Judge Gellert graduated from the University of Auckland in 2003 with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts. She was a law clerk with David Williams KC before ...5 days ago
- $33 million into more classrooms for Central North Island Schools
The Government is delivering 32 more safe, warm and dry classrooms and a major school redevelopment for Kiwi kids living in the Central North Island. “As communities continue to grow, we remain committed to future-proofing our education system so parents have certainty about where to send their child to school. ...5 days ago
- Supercharging residential solar power generation
The Government is expanding the permitted voltage range for electricity networks, so Kiwis with solar panels can send more power back to the grid. Changes are being made to clarify that a building consent is not needed to install rooftop solar panels on existing buildings. Councils will be required to ...5 days ago
- Successful childhood immunisation programme delivering results
A successful programme to help Māori health providers lift childhood immunisation rates will be renewed, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. "The Immunising our Tamariki programme, originally launched in 2023 by Hon Dr Shane Reti, invested $50 million in Māori health providers to deliver targeted, community-based immunisation outreach. It aims to ...5 days ago
- Stronger forestry ties with India driving export growth
Forestry, Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay, today announced at the Fieldays Forestry Hub, both inbound and outbound forestry trade missions with India this year, aimed at strengthening trade links, deepening industry ties, and unlocking greater value for both countries’ forestry and wood processing sectors. “India is one of the ...5 days ago
- Judicial Conduct Panel to inquire into Judge’s conduct
A Judicial Conduct Panel will inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken, Acting Attorney-General Paul Goldsmith says. “Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct at the Northern Club on 22 November 2024 was the subject of a preliminary examination by the Judicial Conduct Commissioner. “The ...5 days ago
- Prime Minister to visit China and Europe
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will travel to China and Europe next week. He will be joined in Shanghai and Beijing with a delegation of senior New Zealand business leaders. “China is New Zealand’s largest trading partner and a vital part of our economic story,” Mr Luxon says. The visit will focus on ...5 days ago
- Backing New Zealand’s native forest champions
Forestry Minister Todd McClay today congratulated the winners of the inaugural Growing Native Forests Champions Awards for driving real progress in native forest establishment and land use innovation. “This is what good land management looks like — native forests that support both the environment and the rural economy,” Mr McClay ...6 days ago
- Operation Gallant Phoenix deployment extended
New Zealand has extended its commitment the Operation Gallant Phoenix multinational intelligence mission in Jordan, the Government announced today. The deployment of up to 10 New Zealand Defence Force and Police personnel has been extended for two years until June 2027. “This operation is essential to our commitment to a ...6 days ago
- New and improved radiology services for Auckland City Hospital
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today announced funding for the first stage of a major project to upgrade and expand interventional radiology services at Auckland City Hospital. “This project will significantly improve access to radiology services for patients across Auckland and beyond,” Mr Brown says. “A $41.2 million investment will ...6 days ago
- Wool carpets for state houses a win-win
The return of wool carpets to state homes has been welcomed by Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson. State housing agency Kāinga Ora announced today that from next month, a new supplier agreement will deliver woollen carpets for the fit-out of new state homes. “The ...6 days ago
- Government backs voluntary nature credits
The Government is supporting the expansion of a voluntary credits nature market through the running of pilot projects across New Zealand. Establishing a market that is durable, measurable and transparent will help farmers, landowners, iwi, and conservation groups unlock new income streams for looking after nature on their land, Associate ...6 days ago
- New Zealand food and fibre exports on track to break new records
Farmers, growers, foresters, fishers and primary processors are driving New Zealand’s economic recovery with export revenue on track to surpass $60 billion for the first time, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced today at Fieldays. “The latest Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries (SOPI) report forecasts export earnings of ...6 days ago
- New Zealand hits digital economy milestone
A key milestone in the push for a more connected digital economy has been reached, with over one million businesses now registered with a New Zealand Business Number (NZBN), Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Chris Penk says. “The NZBN is a simple idea with a big impact. It gives each ...6 days ago
- Double-digit growth for aquaculture exports
New Zealand’s aquaculture sector has experienced double-digit growth in export revenue over the past year, sending a clear signal that more is to come from the enormously promising sector, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The forecast export results were released today as part of the latest Situation and ...6 days ago
- Elective boost delivers over 9,500 additional procedures so far
More than 9,500 additional procedures have now been delivered as part of the Government’s elective boost, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. “This is what putting patients first looks like. We are focused on increasing delivery of elective treatments – across both public and private hospitals – to reduce wait times ...6 days ago
- Foreign Minister strengthens relationship with Italy
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has concluded a constructive visit to Italy, marking 75 years of diplomatic relations. Mr Peters and Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani met in Rome overnight and confirmed the strength of the bilateral relationship that New Zealand and Italy share. “New Zealand and Italy are long-standing ...6 days ago
- Partnership approach to FMD signed and sealed
A new agreement between the Government and key livestock industry groups marks a major milestone in New Zealand’s readiness for a potential foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “The Foot and Mouth Disease Operational Agreement confirms how Government and industry will jointly prepare for, ...7 days ago
- Public consultation begins on legal aid review
Public consultation begins today aimed at improving the legal aid scheme for those who cannot afford advice and representation, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “We have a duty to ensure all New Zealanders have access to justice by means of a fair and open process. “To do so, we need ...7 days ago
- Solar on Farms: Unlocking farm cost savings
Energy Minister Simon Watts has announced the Government’s new Solar on Farms initiative, which will support farmers in taking the next step towards installing solar and battery systems, helping them reduce energy costs, increase on-farm resilience, and allow farmers to gain greater control over their power use, leading to increased ...7 days ago
- New Zealand Grass-Fed certification to take on global competitors
New Zealand is raising its game on the global stage with a new Grass-Fed certification scheme to help our red meat and dairy producers go head-to-head with competitors in premium international markets, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today at Fieldays. “International consumers are increasingly willing ...7 days ago
- Innovative pasture project to drive farmgate returns
The Government is backing a $17 million partnership with farmers to boost productivity, profitability, and sustainability by identifying the most resilient, high-performing pastures for New Zealand conditions, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today at Fieldays. Minister McClay confirmed the Government will invest $8.269 million in the Resilient Pastures project through ...1 week ago
- Radiology backlog cleared at Taranaki Base Hospital
Health Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the clearance of a significant radiology backlog at Taranaki Base Hospital, calling it a practical outcome that puts patients first. “In March, more than 6,000 x-ray reports were sitting unprocessed at Taranaki Base Hospital. That was causing unacceptable delays for patients needing diagnosis and ...1 week ago
- Saying yes to more housing
City-shaping changes are coming to New Zealand’s largest city, ensuring that Auckland can fully harness the economic growth benefits of the new City Rail Link, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say. The Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill (the Bill) has been ...1 week ago
- Primary Sector-Government partnership to boost rural health and resilience
The Government is stepping up support for rural New Zealand with a $4 million Rural Wellbeing Fund to expand investment in community-based initiatives, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced today at Fieldays. “The establishment of this fund is a result of advocacy by Federated Farmers Chair, Wayne Langford, who ...1 week ago
- Applications open for $30 million Coastal Shipping Resilience Fund
Applications have opened for a $30 million fund for projects that will enhance the resilience of New Zealand’s coastal shipping connections and help boost economic growth, Associate Transport Minister James Meager has announced. The Coastal Shipping Resilience Fund was established through the Government Policy Statement on land transport. Funding will ...1 week ago
- Foreign Minister focuses on Pacific resilience during visit to France
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has taken part in two major international events in Nice, France this week, focused on Pacific resilience, prosperity and security. The sixth Pacific-France Summit, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, took place in Nice overnight. “The Summit brought together Pacific countries for discussions with France on ...1 week ago
- NZ places travel ban on extremist Israeli politicians
New Zealand has joined Australia, Canada, the UK and Norway in placing travel bans on two extremist Israeli politicians, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. The bans will prevent Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from travelling to New Zealand. “Our action today is not against ...1 week ago
- 6th Pacific-France Summit – Intervention by New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs
6th Pacific-France Summit Intervention by New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rt Hon Winston Peters Nice, France, Tuesday 10 June 2025 Thank you, President Macron, for convening this meeting today, the sixth Pacific-France Summit. We were privileged to have also been at the second Pacific-France Summit, during the Presidency of ...1 week ago
- Tourism Growth Roadmap speech to Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA)
Tēnā koutou katoa. Thank you for the warm welcome. It is my pleasure to welcome you all to MEETINGS 2025. First, I would like to acknowledge Mayor Wayne Brown attending MEETINGS 2025 today and a special acknowledgment to Ngāti Whatua Orakei for their pōwhiri and welcome. I would also like ...1 week ago
- More funding to grow international tourism
The Government is increasing funding for attracting overseas visitors and investing in tourism infrastructure as part of its new Tourism Growth Roadmap, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says. “We’re investing $35 million to deliver the first stage of the Roadmap, which sets out the Government’s plan to double the ...1 week ago
- Major changes to proposed anti-stalking law
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is welcoming changes to toughen up the proposed anti-stalking law, including being triggered after two specified acts within 24 months. “This change better recognises patterns in stalking behaviour and time that can pass between incidents. For example, stalking that occurs around anniversaries would not be covered ...1 week ago
- Speech: APAC energy capital assembly, Singapore
I am delighted to be here in Singapore once again, to speak to you in my capacity as New Zealand’s Minister for Resources and Associate Minister for Energy. If you haven’t heard of me before today, I’m proud to declare myself the champion of New Zealand’s petroleum and minerals sector. ...1 week ago
- Speech to the Law Association 2025
Thank you all for the invitation to speak with you this morning. I have been looking forward to this opportunity. May is a busy month for the Government, and it is always a relief to have the Budget delivered. Today, I would like to speak about what I see as ...1 week ago
- Government backing rural resilience and wellbeing
The government is boosting support for rural resilience and wellbeing announced by Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson. “We’re backing Rural Support Trusts by committing $3 million over the next four years, to help improve rural communities’ access to primary mental health services and specialist ...1 week ago
- Swears, spending and ‘making shit up’: Inside scrutiny week, part one
A whole week dedicated to putting Budget 2025 spending under the microscope means a whole lot of bickering. Welcome to another edition of scrutiny week. Although our government is always supposed to be acting democratically or whatever, this relatively new process gives parliament’s select committees the chance to put recent ...1 hour ago - Government to spend $16.5m changing way inflation data reported
The government is changing how inflation data is reported. ...1 hour ago - Census to be scrapped from 2030, replaced with administrative data and annual surveys
The traditional Census will be replaced with a combination of government data and smaller annual surveys. ...2 hours ago
- ‘Population storm’: Govt Statistician must face questions about Census
Analysis: The decisions reliant on population statistics in any five-year period could be worth 100 times the $400m five-yearly cost of the Census The post ‘Population storm’: Govt Statistician must face questions about Census appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 hours ago - Number is up for error-ridden NZ census – so what fills the data void?
Analysis: Since early in the Old Testament, leaders have counted their population. Sometimes to raise taxes, sometimes to raise an army. They counted the men, their wives and children, their donkeys, goats and sheep … Indeed, the fourth book of the Christian Bible is named ‘Numbers’, because it starts and ...2 hours ago
- We tracked Aussie teens’ mental health. The news isn’t good – and problems are worse for girls
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scarlett Smout, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use and Australia’s Mental Health Think Tank, University of Sydney skynesher/Getty Images We know young people in Australia and worldwide are experiencing growing mental health ...2 hours ago - Australia could become the world’s first net-zero exporter of fossil fuels – here’s how
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Jotzo, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy and Director, Centre for Climate and Energy Policy, Australian National University Photo by Jie Zhao/Corbis via Getty Images Australia is the world’s third largest exporter of gas and second largest exporter of coal. ...2 hours ago
- Would a corporate tax cut boost productivity in Australia? So far, the evidence is unclear
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Isaac Gross, Lecturer in Economics, Monash University The Conversation, CC BY-NC The first term of the Albanese government was defined by its fight against inflation, but the second looks like it will be defined by a need to kick start Australia’s ...2 hours ago
- How high can US debt go before it triggers a financial crisis?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Hartigan, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney rarrarorro/Shutterstock The tax cuts bill currently being debated by the US Senate will add another US$3 trillion (A$4.6 trillion) to US debt. President Donald Trump calls it the “big, beautiful bill”; his erstwhile ...2 hours ago
- Jaws at 50: how two musical notes terrified an entire generation
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Cole, Composer and Lecturer in Screen Composition, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney Universal Pictures Our experience of the world often involves hearing our environment before seeing it. Whether it’s the sound of something moving through nearby water, or ...2 hours ago
- Chronic fatigue and me: the reality of a torrid illness and light at the end of the tunnel
The estimates for those with chronic fatigue (now known colloquially as ME) in New Zealand have risen sharply. Danny Rood shares his personal experiences of living with the illness for six years, and what eventually helped improve his quality of life. You may have heard of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, or chronic ...3 hours ago
- Court action threatens Ruapehu ski season
The post Court action threatens Ruapehu ski season appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago
- Government to give itself power to override councils on housing in RMA changes
The government will take back power from local councils if their decisions are going to negatively impact growth, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. ...3 hours ago
- Watch live: Housing Minister Chris Bishop releases more detail on RMA housing rule shake-up
Housing Minister Chris Bishop is providing more details on now proposed changes to housing rules will work. ...4 hours ago
- FMA confirms job cuts
The country's leading financial market regulator has confirmed it cut 20 jobs. ...4 hours ago
- Abuse in care survivors in line for under a third of government’s $774 package
Officials are "taking so much away from the pockets of survivors, who deserve better than this", a lawyer says. ...4 hours ago
- Can a new suicide prevention plan save more NZ lives?
The mental health minister says clear milestones and better accountability are among the reasons he’s hopeful the plan will work, writes Catherine McGregor in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A new strategy with sharper teeth Mental health minister Matt Doocey ...5 hours ago
- Foreign policy critics shouting ‘impotently at clouds’, Winston Peters says
Foreign Minister Winston Peters says critics of the government's foreign policy reset are ill-informed and shouting "impotently at clouds". ...5 hours ago
- New standards may be needed for NZ’s critical communications infrastructure
Government officials are looking at developing minimum standards for the protection of critical communications infrastructure. ...5 hours ago
- ‘The inequities aren’t closing’ – Māori still a long way from Smokefree 202...
The Smokefree 2025 goal is only months away, but Māori smokefree advocates are concerned that Māori smoking rates have remained more than double that of the general population. ...5 hours ago
- As Luxon heads to China, his government’s pivot toward the US is a stumbling block
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert G. Patman, Professor of International Relations, University of Otago Ahead of his first visit to China, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has been at pains to present meetings with Chinese premier Xi Jinping and other leaders as advancing New Zealand’s best interests. ...5 hours ago
- MFAT providing ‘extremely vague’ advice for Kiwis trapped in Iran
A friend of a New Zealander stuck in Iran says the government needs to help provide safe passage, and that the advice so far has been "vague and lacking any substance whatsover". ...5 hours ago
- Luxon arrives in China intent on building on positives amid global conflicts
The prime minister says the China visit is important right now given the immense global uncertainty. ...6 hours ago
- Windbag: The little decisions that make a big impact
Two overlooked votes on obscure council policies could make a significant difference to new housing in Wellington. It’s no secret that council rules and processes are arcane. Local government is a bureaucratic minefield of jargon and seemingly pointless minutiae. It’s not uncommon for councillors to sit through hours of explanations ...7 hours ago
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A British billionaire with links to offshore tax havens and a history of controversial political donations has been granted New Zealand residence, and he’s been meeting with government ministers in Wellington. This story is supported by The Spinoff Members. To join them in supporting independent journalism, please donate today. The ...7 hours ago
- Death done better: funeral costs in the spotlight
Paying to bury (or cremate) the person who meant the most in the world to you is going to be fraught with resentment right from the start. “It’s a grudge purchase and also a grief purchase isn’t it … it’s a purchase you don’t want to make,” says Gillian Boyes, ...7 hours ago
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Shining through the dirty NAct1 gloom….there are many rays of positive light. (I see many…people haven't given up).
And a win for Regeneration not Incineration !
Petition NZ
In america you'd hafta say there will be federal legalisation of cannabis…soon..
Rfk when campaigning for president called for that .
And in the state referendum in florida…which the prohibitionists won..trump supported legalisation…
I would guess he is eying the potential revenue stream for the gummint that will ensue ..
Paraphrasing Eric Stanford on Q & A:
'The number of Chinese being issued visas is only half pre-covid because their economic growth was so slow after covid'
No link at the moment. The bullshit flows freely.
https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2024/01/30/world-economic-outlook-update-january-2024
Yesterday, I got an interesting feed from Facebook.
From Nicola Willis, featuring her smiling from the cab of a Waitomo fuel tanker.
The accompanying text said something about how fuel prices immediately drop as soon as she approaches and how she would like to be a truck driver. Didn't mention that Waitomo temporarily drop their prices for a day (typically Thursday) most weeks even without her benevolent presence.
It seems she has fallen to the David Seymour deism fever, thinking she is God.
One question for Nicola, if your presence makes prices fall can you please clone yourself and be everywhere? It might go a long way to fulfilling your leader's promise on election debate TV where he promised to make the cost of living fall. He obviously has failed to do it, but it seems you can!
Unfortunately I can't post a link because Facebook feeds typically disappear quickly. Can;t find it in her Facebook page either. In fact I'm not even sure why I got a post from Willis's website, first time I can remember. Used to get plenty from Simeon Brown until I told him he looked like Alfred E. Newman and then silence!
The Nat Party PR machine churning out more PR tat, badly.
Just why does, for example, does The Herald keep video-clipping Luxon's 'announcements' of the Nats' latest policy? Today it's tourism, as if anyone cares, or would waste time on a Sunday clicking it.
Listening to Luxon waffle badly off a cardboard script about the Nats' latest aspirational 'sunlit upland' is absolutely the inverse of positive PR. And Willis has a special voice for 'connecting with the little people'.
It's on stuff as well…media buying government or government buying media?
I wonder where she got the idea from
Prediction:
Luxon has until about June to get his act together…to avoid bring rolled by Willis..
And if he can get to September..he will be safe until the election…
National would want 12 months + to bed in the new leader…
I wonder if luxon knows all this..?
(Disclaimer: I want luxon there until next election…
He is the best hope for the left to force a one-term gummint..)
Willis could almost be a better adversary than Luxon. There is not an ounce of humanity in her.
Willis is a girl, and girls don't cut it with a rightist electoral campaign.
Plus I haven’t seen much sign that Luxon is human and not a sock-puppet, either.
Act MP Simon Court lecturing on a cheap period product was intrusive, out of order and disrespectful. And to say go to the Chemist Warehouse – well the Chemist Warehouse is not in every town in NZ. Would he talk like that to one of his well-heeled constituents? I bet not. On the other hand "bottom feeders" are fair game for a lecture.
Yes, "mansplaining" at its most insulting.
And in Trump's US, the fight against 'gender ideology' is erasing the word 'woman', among others, from government websites and research grants.
Researchers at the University of California… for example, have said their work is now at risk if it contains language deemed potentially problematic, including the word “women”.
…[A] UCSD public health scientist, told KPBS that the list of banned words circling in scientific communities was Orwellian and would hamper important research. “If I can’t say the word ‘women,’ I can’t tell you that an abortion ban is going to hurt women,” Fielding-Miller said. “I guess a word that’s not on here is ‘men’, and I guess a word that I don’t see on here is ‘white’, so I guess we’ll see what’s going on with white men and what they need,” Fielding-Miller added.
The Chemist Warehouse has been "spawning" in NZ for eight years.
https://nz.trustpilot.com/review/chemistwarehouse.co.nz
I am looking forward to his lecture:
The clitoris:what is that all about anyway..
The best form of defence is attack. Seymour playing chess.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/david-seymour-accuses-labour-of-radical-leftward-shift-calls-for-policy-reform/P75SVGRTSBDB7NWQ4DKB4B4I7U/
A confession that Seymour can read polls and knows that the public can see ACT has steered National in the wrong direction and away from a centrist path.
The big lie is the ACT go to move.
Cheap, delicious and nutritious – Seymour should be expected to eat the meal 5 days a week, while those in schools do.
Thom Hartman gets all hot under the collar about Trump and Putin – labelling Trump's actions re Ukraine, treasonous.
Things are going to get decidedly worse in the USA in the coming months (IMO). 8.33 mins long.
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold." Yeats.
Hartman wants the proxy war to continue, with Ukrainian proxies dying and their sponsors supplying the weapons. It would be helpful if he signed up for the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion.
Maybe you could sign up for the Russian neo-Nazi Kornilovtsy or Rusich Battalions.
I don't want that proxy war to continue. How many more Ukrainian lives do you think the U.S. should sacrifice?
If Ukraine was doing this for the US, Zelenskyy wouldn't be doing diplomatic gymnastics to retain US support. A little commonsense and logic goes a long way. Have you tried?
If Ukraine was doing this for the US…
So why did the U.S. send Boris Johnson to squash Kiev's peace talks with Moscow a few weeks after the initial invasion?
https://www.dailysabah.com/world/europe/kyiv-official-says-ex-uk-pm-johnson-derailed-2022-talks-with-russia
Does it occur to you that Zelenskyy probably rightly concluded that based on Putin's disregard for international treaties when it doesn't suit his agenda, for example the Open Skies Treaty, New START, and the Budapest Memorandum, he couldn't be relied upon to hold to such a peace agreement, quite independently of anything Boris or the US might think?
That's an impressive reiteration of U.S. talking points. Are you working for free?
Sure, because the US just invented Ukraine and its desire for sovereignty just to annoy you.
Hartman has good reason to be hot under the collar. Trump's blundering into matters he knows f***- all about, is leading the entire world to the precipice. Putin, the puppet master, has him dangling on a piece of old string. As soon as Trump is no longer any use to him he'll cut him loose so he crashes to the floor taking the rest of us with him.
In the meantime Europe is calling an emergency summit this coming week and it includes Starmer, even though the Brits opted out of Europe:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c04nw1pg3k2o
What is the EU, dominated by Germany, going to do, Anne? Declare war against Russia and the United States?
How did fighting on two fronts work out for Germany the last time?
Hey saw some chat about our Oranga Programme a few days ago on this site. Here's the link: https://www.ttw.nz/oranga
So the 'playing whale songs to trees' is strange interpretation of what was actually being researched (5 projects in total). The soundscapes work was inspired by a number of things including research that showed an increase in marine life on denuded reefs after playing recorded sounds of a healthy ocean. I know, right? Nature is so incredibly unknown to us, despite all the science. (Would love to debate causality which has over 2,000 years of discussion in what is now European history but yunno, time and energy etc.)
Anyway, there's a link a funderaiser, buy a t-shirt to support our NGO. Times are tough, no such thing as bad publicity and so on…
There is a much larger return on government investment than just the research dollars: via input from unpaid local community volunteers, and by stimulating young people into environmental research. Forests and seashores instead of school labs.
Damien Grant hopes it is the Treaty Principles bill that is “delaying” ACT from picking up support from National.
Of course, this speaks to a battle for leadership on the right, not addressing the concern of the public that the C of C is going in the wrong direction.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360581859/damien-grant-acts-clarity-sticking-point-luxon-his-apparent-struggle-explain-why
One of the strengths of the Atlas Network is getting so many so-called "independent business commentators" such as Damien Grant to write "opinions" dressed up as fact to put the most positive spin on the dreadful lack of rational reasons put forward by Seymour in favour of his Bill. Perhaps a few more of the excellent opening posts on The Standard could be sent to stuff and other "news" sites as opinion articles . . .