Open mike 16/10/2022
Written By:
- Date published:
6:00 am, October 16th, 2022 - 23 comments
Categories: open mike -
Tags:
Open mike is your post.
For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.
The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
23 comments on “Open mike 16/10/2022 ”
- Comments are now closed
- Comments are now closed
Recent Comments
- Mutterings about Musk
Going to try to get into the blogging thing again (ha!) what with an election coming up and all that. So today I thought I'd start small and simple, by merely tackling the world's (second) richest man.I'm no fan of Elon Musk. You don't want to know why, but I'll ...20 hours ago - 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #3
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 15, 2023 thru Sat, Jan 21, 2023. Story of the Week State of the climate: How the world warmed in 2022 With a new year underway, most of the climate data for ...1 day ago - The Revenge of the Managerialists: Hipkins It Is
Well, that was a disappointment. As of today, the New Zealand Labour Caucus opted for Chris Hipkins as our new Prime Minister, and I cannot help but let loose a cynical cackle. ... 2 days ago - Bryce Edwards: PM Hipkins resets Labour to the right
Get ready for a major political reset once Chris Hipkins is sworn in as Prime Minister this week. Labour’s new leader is likely to push the Government to the right economically, and do his best to jettison the damaging perceptions that Labour has become “too woke” on social issues. Overall, ...2 days ago - 2023: a crucial year for Aotearoa already, fair thinking voters need to step up right now
Things have gone sideways… and it’s only the third week of January? It was political earthquake time. For some the Prime Minister made a truly significant announcement. For others – did you have this on your bingo card? – a body double did so (sit tight, you’ll understand later, ...2 days ago - Danyl Mclauchlan: The Visions of Jacinda ArdernBy the end of 2019, Jacinda Ardern was a political superstar heading towards an election defeat. She was an icon, internationally beloved, on track to be an ex-prime minister before the age of forty. It was the year of the Christchurch terror attack when Ardern’s response to the atrocity saw ...2 days ago
- Bullshit Work
People complain about their jobs being meaningless. Does it matter?David Graeber, author of Bullshit Jobs: The Rise of Pointless Work and What We Can Do About It, would have smiled at Elon Musk’s sacking half the Twitter workforce. Musk seems to be confirming the main thesis of the book, that ...3 days ago - Bryce Edwards: Why Jacinda Ardern’s resignation changes everythingShould New Zealand have a snap election? That’s one of the questions arising out of the chaos of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s shock resignation. There’s an increased realisation that everything has changed, and the old plans and assumptions for election year have suddenly evaporated. So, although Ardern has named an ...3 days ago
- The west vs the rest – the world is changing
I warned about the trap of virtue signaling in my article Virtue signaling over Ukraine. This video is still relevant – but have we moved on since then? The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was universally condemned at the time. Or was it? Certainly, the political atmosphere ...3 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #3 2023Open access notables Bad news delivered by an all-star cast of familiar researchers: Another Year of Record Heat for the Oceans. From the abstract: In 2022, the world’s oceans, as given by OHC, were again the hottest in the historical record and exceeded the previous 2021 record maximum. According to IAP/CAS data, ...3 days ago
- Into the Valley of Something Unexpected: The Resignation of Jacinda Ardern
One of my earliest political memories is the resignation of Prime Minister David Lange in August 1989. I remember this because of a brown felt-tipped pen drawing I did of the Beehive, the building that houses the Executive of the New Zealand Government. More than thirty years later, we ...4 days ago - Geoffrey Miller: Jacinda Ardern’s outsized New Zealand foreign policy legacyJacinda Ardern had an outsized impact on New Zealand’s international relations. While all Prime Ministers travel internationally, Ardern’s calendar was fuller than most. Ardern’s first major foreign trip came within weeks of her election in 2017, to the APEC summit in Vietnam. The meeting gave Ardern her first in-person encounter ...4 days ago
- Jacinda
She gave it her all. No New Zealand Prime Minister has ever dominated the political scene at home as she has done, or has established an international profile to match hers. No New Zealand Prime Minister has had to confront such a sequence of domestic and international catastrophes – from ...4 days ago - An amazing disappointment
Jacinda Ardern's shock resignation announcement today has left a lot of us with a lot of complicated feelings. In my case, while I've been highly critical of Ardern's government, I'm still sorry to see her go. We've had far too many terrible things happen during her term as Prime Minister ...4 days ago - Gordon Campbell on Ardern, business confidence, and the worth of sanctions
The decision by Jacinda Ardern to end her term as Prime Minister on February 7 has come as a stunning surprise. It turns the task of a centre-left government winning re-election this year from difficult to nigh on impossible. No-one else among the Labour caucus has Ardern’s ability to explain ...4 days ago - Jacinda Ardern: “For me, it's time”. So how will she be remembered?
Jacinda Ardern’s first press conference as Labour leader in August 2017 was a defining moment in the past decade of New Zealand politics. A young woman (by the standards of politics) who had long been tipped for higher office, she had underperformed as a minister and Andrew Little’s noble resignation ...4 days ago - Jacinda Resigns.
An Astonishing Rapport: Jacinda Ardern's "Politics of Kindness" raised so many progressive possibilities. Her own tragedy, and New Zealand's, is that so few of them were realised.MUCH WILL BE WRITTEN in the coming days about "The Ardern Years", some of it sympathetic and insightful, most of it spiteful and wrong.For ...4 days ago - Are the police following the law on DNA?Back in November, Newsroom reported that the police were racist in their collection of DNA samples from young people. The report came on the back of widespread police racism, illegality, and abuse of privacy in their policy of photographing and fingerprinting Māori youth. When I blogged about this, I highlighted ...4 days ago
- Political Roundup: 19 January 2022Items of interest and importance today PARLIAMENT Thomas Coughlan (Herald): National reshuffle awaits, Labour and Nat MPs descend on Napier for awkward week (paywalled) Felix Desmarais (1News): Analysis: The three Government announcements pundits expect next week Will Trafford (Whakaata Māori): No guarantee Māori-stacked cabinet will continue – Ardern Stuff: Wealthy donors ...4 days ago
- The rich are trying to buy the electionThe Herald this morning reports on the rich's efforts to buy this year's election. And you'll never guess who their chosen vehicle is: The National Party may start election year with a $2.3 million war chest raised from 24 big donors in 2022, while Labour has declared just $150,000 ...5 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: National can’t be allowed to sleepwalk to victoryChristopher Luxon’s National Party are the odds-on favourites to win the general election this year. They have been consistently ahead of Labour in the polls in recent months, and have a firm coalition partner in Act, which is often polling about 10 per cent. Betting agencies can’t take bets on ...5 days ago
- Can induction stoves convince home cooks to give up gas?This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Wesseler You walk into your kitchen to make pasta. After filling a pot with water, you place a small silicone mat in the middle of your counter, then set the pot above it and open a stovetop app on your phone. ...5 days ago
- Tolkien-Related Stress II: Scanning the Oath of Fëanor
I have just taken a stab at scanning Tolkien’s famous Ring Verse: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/01/17/tolkien-related-stress-scanning-the-ring-verse/ I noted that the problem with the Verse is that it is too loose in its accentual nature: it is sometimes unclear where the four stresses are supposed to fall on a given line. I ...5 days ago - Tolkien-Related Stress: Scanning the Ring VerseYou know it as well as I, the famous Ring Verse from The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien: Three Rings for the Elven Kings under the sky Seven for the Dwarf Lords in their halls of stone Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die One ...6 days ago
- Climate Change: A successful policyThe Herald has an annual roundup of electric vehicle stats this morning, and it shows us that the government's clean-car-discount - which sees buyers of dirty vehicles pay to subsidies purchases of clean ones - has been a hugely successful policy: New Zealand broke two records for electric vehicles ...6 days ago
- Westminster means hateWhen England was an empire, it used colonialism to spread bigotry and hate, leaving a legacy of homophobic legislation around the world. And now, they're using colonialism to force bigotry and hate on Scotland, by vetoing Scotland's gender recognition law: Rishi Sunak’s government has blocked legislation passed by the ...6 days ago
- Is The Prime Minister “Evil”?She’s Such A Scream! The Prime Minister’s enemies, those who want us to hate her, suffer from the not insubstantial handicap of being more than a little hateful themselves. Rendered nonsensical by their unwavering belief in the most absurd conspiracy theories, and dangerous by their relentless peddling of fake news ...6 days ago
- Political Roundup: 17 January 2023Items of interest and importance today PARLIAMENT Gordon Campbell. On National’s fraught journey back to the centre Duncan Garner (TodayFM): Could National lose it from here? Simon Wilson (Herald): The 2023 election is a choice between the best Government yet, and the worst (paywalled) Peter Bale (North & South): Home, and Away Thomas Coughlan ...6 days ago
- New paper: Assessing ExxonMobil’s global warming projectionsThis is a quick summary about the newly published paper "Assessing ExxonMobil’s global warming projections" by Professor of Environmental Science and Policy Geoffrey Supran, Professor of Physics of the Oceans Stefan Rahmstorf and Professor of the History of Science Naomi Oreskes. It leverages a thread tweeted by Geoffrey Supran shortly after ...7 days ago
- In Praise Of Individualism.Me, Myself, Eye: The great irony of individualism is that the nearer humanity comes to the point where every person can make their own life, the more doubtful many intellectuals become of its merit. But, before embracing the moral oblivion of collective identity; and the strictures of tribal tradition, they ...7 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on National’s fraught journey back to the centreEver since Christopher Luxon became leader, National has adopted a “small target” strategy. This consists of offering nothing to distract the media from its focus on the government’s shortcomings and the public’s discontent with its performance. In particular, the strategy involves releasing no policy alternatives whose own failings might then ...7 days ago
- Geoffrey Miller: What Japan’s foreign policy shifts mean for New ZealandJapan is a country on the move. Since World War II, Tokyo has largely been happy to outsource its security needs to Washington. But this is now changing to a more equal partnership. On Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called his country’s alliance with the United States ‘stronger than ...1 week ago
- 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #2A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 8, 2023 thru Sat, Jan 14, 2023. Story of the Week Relentless Rise of Ocean Heat Content Drives Deadly Extremes The heat of global warming will keep penetrating deeper into the oceans ...1 week ago
- The Economy in 2023?
The two most comprehensive forecasts of the New Zealand economy are by the Reserve Bank and the Treasury. They are especially important because they inform monetary and fiscal policy. What do they say?Shortly after the Reserve Bank and Treasury published their end-of-year forecasts, Statistics New Zealand announced a 2.0 percent ...1 week ago - ANPR should require a warrantOn Tuesday, the Herald broke the news of a massive increase in ANPR surveillance by police, from mere dozens of uses in 2020 to thousands in 2022, and that police had lied in their internal documentation when they said the system was audited to ensure use was legal. And today ...1 week ago
- Political Roundup: 13 January 2023Items of interest and importance today HEALTH, COVID Rachel Thomas (Stuff): Move to police financial interests in healthcare desperately needed, radiologists say Rachel Maher (Herald): 90-year-old left bleeding on bathroom floor with head injury for two hours while waiting for ambulance Selah Hart (Herald): Empowering communities to effectively combat alcohol ...1 week ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #2 2023Open access notables The authors don't discuss it but folks who follow our GHG sources & sinks, flux, related geochemistry section will likely form some immediate connections from this paper and ask "what's this going to release?" Significant underestimation of peatland permafrost along the Labrador Sea coastline in northern Canada just published in The Cryosphere ...1 week ago
- Review: Lilith, by George MacDonald (1895)
There’s the joke that the difference between the Victorians and our current era is that the Victorians were obsessed with Death and acted as though Sex didn’t exist, whereas current modernity is the other way around. It’s not actually true, of course, but it’s still amusing. Today, I’m going ...2 weeks ago - Gordon Campbell on the cult of political boldnessThe next recession is shaping up as the most predicted event since the Second Coming. While we have to take it on faith that it will arrive someday, it is hard to say when it will happen, or how great/how bad it will be if and when it ever does. ...2 weeks ago
- Political Roundup: 12 January 2023Items of interest and importance today PARLIAMENT Henry Cooke: Who are Labour’s lost voters? Anna Whyte (Stuff): Green Party lay down priorities for 2023 – ‘more influence over the next government’ Anna Whyte (Stuff): Summer off politics: James Shaw wants to make it past chapter one Glenn McConnel (Stuff): Summer ...2 weeks ago
- Trump’s toxic tail.
I was going to write about something else to start off the KP year but current events have intruded in the form of the craziness surrounding the selection of US House Speaker and the storming of the Brazilian seats of power (Congress, the Supreme Court and Presidential Palace) by (so-called ...2 weeks ago - Climate Change: End pollution subsidies now!Stuff reports that Tasman Steel - the latest name for what used to be NZ Steel - made a $340 million profit last year. The kicker? $117 million of that was from government pollution subsidies: New Zealand Steel’s holding company Tasman Steel increased its profit by 153% to a ...2 weeks ago
- Political Roundup: 11 January 2023Items of interest and importance today PARLIAMENT Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Te Pāti Māori plans for a big 2023, but happy to stay cross bench Toby Manhire (Spinoff): In which we earnestly predict the date of the 2023 New Zealand general election Anna Whyte (Stuff): Summer off politics: Marama Davidson heads ...2 weeks ago
- More wind, rain, flooding ahead for storm-battered CaliforniaThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob Henson and Jeff Masters A series of Pacific storms that’s taken aim on California since late December is on track to continue into mid-January. Ferocious winds will slam much of the state on Wednesday and Thursday, accompanied by heavy rain likely ...2 weeks ago
- How woke anti-racism fuels anti-Semitism
In this article from the website Radicalism of Fools Daniel Ben-Ami looks at some of the limitations of the new anti-racism movement One of the key tasks I have set myself this year is to examine the arguments around anti-Semitism in more depth. That is both those used by anti-Semites ...2 weeks ago - Gordon Campbell on Fiji’s journey back to the futureFor wealthier New Zealanders and Australians, Fiji is just one option among many for their tourism resort experiences, poolside. Obviously, the country amounts to a lot more to the people who actually live there. It also happens to be the Pacific’s key diplomatic listening post, the home of the Pacific ...2 weeks ago
- Prince Harry’s ProblemWhat is it with Prince Harry?. Most of us would probably acknowledge that he has a legitimate cause for complaint at the way he and his wife have been treated by the British media. But there is more to it than that. Harry seems to harbour resentment against the media ...2 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: MPs set for a big post-election pay increaseOne of the most popular moves Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern ever made was the pay freeze her government imposed on politicians back in 2018. The freeze may have only been grudgingly agreed to by other MPs and parties, but it had universal public support. The pay freeze is due to ...2 weeks ago
- 2022 was a remarkable year for the climate. Here’s what to expect in 2023This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The past year was full of milestones in the worlds of climate science and policy. The year 2022 saw one of the strongest La Niña events in the past half-century, second only to that in 2011. La Niña events draw cold water up to the ...2 weeks ago
- This is what the right stands for nowTwo years ago, supporters of failed presidential candidate Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to overthrow America's democracy and overturn the results of an election they had lost. And today, just a few days after the anniversary of that event, supporters of Trump's ally Jair Bolsonaro did ...2 weeks ago
- Political Roundup: 9 January 2023Items of interest and importance today PARLIAMENT Claire Trevett and Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Predictions: The NZ Herald politics team predicts the next year in politics (paywalled) Thomas Manch (Stuff): Party to shore up its position for the 2023 election Sasha Borissenko (Herald): ‘Now that’s what I call legislation vol. 1′ (paywalled) ...2 weeks ago
- 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #1A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 1, 2023 thru Sat, Jan 7, 2023. Story of the Week Scientists Report a Dramatic Drop in the Extent of Antarctic Sea Ice Links between global warming and the decline of sea ...2 weeks ago
- Old Phuul: Draft FinishedAbout half an hour ago, I became a very happy writer. My long-running effort at writing a sequel to Wise Phuul has finally borne fruit. Specifically, the draft manuscript for Old Phuul – starring Teltö’s elder sister, Rhea Phuul – is now complete at 102,172 words. This ...2 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: Can the Greens keep it together in 2023?The Green Party has a habit of sabotaging their election-year campaigns, risking electoral oblivion. Could the same thing happen in 2023? The last two election campaigns were particularly painful for the party. In 2017 then co-leader Metiria Turei had her story about her past as a welfare beneficiary unravel during ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #1 2023Open access notables In Conservation Biology, snapshots of two books that will probably launch a lot of objections, one by Vaclav Smil and the other yet more Bill Gates. Two doses of carbon budget realism review author Vojtech Novotny sums them up: "Sober assessments of our options for reducing carbon emissions in ...2 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: The Big predictions for 2023Pundits have been making their political forecasts for the year ahead. Here are some of their predictions about what we can expect in 2023. The Big issues of 2023: Economy and ethnicity There’s a consensus that the political year, and especially the election campaign, will centre around the economy, with ...3 weeks ago
- My favourite details from Glass Onion, a comprehensive and incredibly spoiler heavy list
I watched this movie three times in two days so you wouldn’t have to (but should anyway, it’s exquisite). You should definitely watch it at least once before reading this even if you don’t care about spoilers because most of this doesn’t give much context. Note “Children ...3 weeks ago - State, local governments increasingly turn to zoning reformsThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Wesseler Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gases in the United States, and passenger vehicles — the cars most Americans rely on to meet their daily needs — account for more than half of transportation emissions. Conversations about reducing these ...3 weeks ago
- Green Party looks forward to working with Chris Hipkins
The Green Party welcomes Chris Hipkins as the sole nominee for leader of the Labour Party, and the next Prime Minister of Aotearoa New Zealand. ...2 days ago - Greens recognise Prime Minister Ardern’s serviceThe Green Party is today acknowledging Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s service to Aotearoa. ...4 days ago
- Green MPs write directly to Grand Ayatollah Khamenei of IranMembers of Parliament for the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand have today written to Iran’s Grand Ayatollah Khamenei to condemn the ongoing violence and killing of women’s rights and democracy protesters, and to call on him to intervene immediately. ...2 weeks ago
- General Election to be held on 14 October 2023
The 2023 General Election will be held on Saturday 14 October 2023, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. “Announcing the election date early in the year provides New Zealanders with certainty and has become the practice of this Government and the previous one, and I believe is best practice,” Jacinda ...4 days ago - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces resignationJacinda Ardern has announced she will step down as Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party. Her resignation will take effect on the appointment of a new Prime Minister. A caucus vote to elect a new Party Leader will occur in 3 days’ time on Sunday the 22nd of ...4 days ago
- Trade and Agriculture Minister to attend World Economic Forum and Global Forum for Food and Agricult...The Government is maintaining its strong trade focus in 2023 with Trade and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visiting Europe this week to discuss the role of agricultural trade in climate change and food security, WTO reform and New Zealand agricultural innovation. Damien O’Connor will travel tomorrow to Switzerland to attend the ...7 days ago
- Government funding relief for flood-affected Wairarapa farmers and growersThe Government has extended its medium-scale classification of Cyclone Hale to the Wairarapa after assessing storm damage to the eastern coastline of the region. “We’re making up to $80,000 available to the East Coast Rural Support Trust to help farmers and growers recover from the significant damage in the region,” ...7 days ago
- Government provides support to flooded Tairāwhiti communitiesThe Government is making an initial contribution of $150,000 to the Mayoral Relief Fund to help communities in Tairāwhiti following ex-Tropical Cyclone Hale, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced. “While Cyclone Hale has caused widespread heavy rain, flooding and high winds across many parts of the North Island, Tairāwhiti ...1 week ago
- Government support for flood-affected Gisborne Tairāwhiti farmers and growersRural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor has classified this week’s Cyclone Hale that caused significant flood damage across the Tairāwhiti/Gisborne District as a medium-scale adverse event, unlocking Government support for farmers and growers. “We’re making up to $100,000 available to help coordinate efforts as farmers and growers recover from the heavy ...1 week ago
- Monkeypox vaccination available to eligible people from next week A vaccine for people at risk of mpox (Monkeypox) will be available if prescribed by a medical practitioner to people who meet eligibility criteria from Monday 16 January, says Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall. 5,000 vials of the vaccine have been obtained, enough for up to 20,000 ...2 weeks ago
- Stronger measures proposed to tackle youth vapingThe Government is seeking feedback on measures to help reduce the number of young people vaping. “Youth vaping is becoming increasingly popular, with many choosing to vape despite never having smoked,” Associate Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall said. “Alongside our efforts to reduce tobacco smoking, we want to ensure vaping ...3 weeks ago
- Govt reminds international arrivals to test for CovidThe Government is reiterating its advice to all international travellers to do a Covid test if they become symptomatic after arrival, while also stepping up awareness of free RATs available at airports, Covid-19 Response Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall says. “This follows growing global concerns, including from the World Health Organisation ...3 weeks ago
- We can still see these 5 traces of ancestor species in all human bodies today
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alice Clement, Research Associate in the College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University Elia Pellegrini/Unsplash Many of us are returning to work or school after spending time with relatives over the summer period. Sometimes we can be left wondering how on ...60 mins ago - When it comes to finding Australia’s future leaders, both the Liberals and Labor have a women prob...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Duncan McDonnell, Professor of Politics, Griffith University Shutterstock The Liberal Party’s recently published review of the 2022 federal election defeat does not mince words: the party has a problem with women. The party has struggled to connect with women voters in ...60 mins ago
- My teen’s vaping. What should I say? 3 expert tips on how to approach ‘the talk’Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Trigg, Research Fellow in Public Health, Flinders University Olena Bohovyk/Pexels You’ve dropped your daughter off at her friend’s house and while cleaning the car, you find what looks like a USB drive on the passenger seat. It’s a disposable vape. ...60 mins ago
- Exploding carp numbers are ‘like a house of horrors’ for our rivers. Is it time to unleash carp ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ivor Stuart, Fisheries ecologist, Charles Sturt University Ivor Stuart/The Conversation With widespread La Niña flooding in the Murray-Darling Basin, common carp (Cyprinus carpio) populations are having a boom year. Videos of writhing masses of both adult and young fish illustrate ...60 mins ago
- If you haven’t joined a union, it’s time you paid to benefit from union dealsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jim Stanford, Economist and Director, Centre for Future Work, Australia Institute; Honorary Professor of Political Economy, University of Sydney A long overdue public debate has started in Australia about “free riding” in industrial relations – when non-union members benefit from collective agreements ...60 mins ago
- Power Play: Speedy transfer of power a show of caucus unity
The Labour Party has entered a new era with the election of Chris Hipkins as prime minister and Carmel Sepuloni as his deputy, writes Jane Patterson. ...3 hours ago - ‘Stop trashing New Zealand!’ Inside the abandoned shopping trolley backlash
The stand-off continues, a petition is underway and one expert is fired up. The abandoned trolley situation appears to be worse than anyone realised. Ellen Schindler has a good life. From her Sandringham home, she doesn’t work, instead spending most of her time volunteering at local organisations and tending to ...3 hours ago - Chris Hipkins and the focus projectOn Wednesday a new prime minister will be sworn in, but he promises to have hit the ground running already. And the tone was palpably reset yesterday, writes Toby Manhire from parliament. When parties vote in a new leader, there is sometimes a push to fill the stage with MPs, ...7 hours ago
- Fiji’s Imrana Jalal awarded Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg medal for defending rule of lawBy Rashika Kumar in Suva Fijian national, jurist and lawyer Imrana Jalal has been awarded the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Medal of Honour by the World Jurists Association. The award is given in recognition of inspiring women jurists who fight to defend and strengthen the rule of law, and to consolidate ...7 hours ago
- Poor court etiquette, lack of respect ‘show drop in Fiji lawyer ethics’By Pekai Kotoisuva in Suva Arriving late to court, poor court etiquette and lack of respect are signs that the level of ethics among Fiji lawyers has dropped over the years, says the Attorney-General. Attorney-General Siromi Turaga highlighted this during a panel discussion at the Fiji Law Society (FLS) convention ...7 hours ago
- Jacinda Ardern will need 'more ongoing protection than any PM in NZ's history'A former intelligence worker says the PM faces an "unprecedented level of threat," driven by the enroachment of US-style politics and conspiracies. ...13 hours ago
- Chris Hipkins’ ‘Hutt-issue headgear’ and shades go up for auctionThe Labour Party has leapt on board the meme-wagon by offering up for auction the cap and sunglasses worn by Chris Hipkins in the interview with Newshub’s Amelia Wade on the streets of Napier Friday morning. It quickly went viral, mostly because of an ensemble that, if nothing else, confirmed ...14 hours ago
- Chris Hipkins appeals for his family's privacy to be respectedThe new leader of the Labour Party has asked New Zealanders to respect his family's privacy as he prepares to be sworn-in as New Zealand's 41st prime minister next week. ...14 hours ago
- A beginner’s guide to Carmel Sepuloni, our new deputy prime ministerNew Zealand has a new deputy prime minister. What’s her deal? New prime minister Chris Hipkins has confirmed that Carmel Sepuloni will take up the role of deputy prime minister. Here’s the backstory. New Zealand’s first Pasifika deputy prime minister Sepuloni has a Sāmoan-Tongan father and Pākehā mother. She has ...15 hours ago
- Te Pāti Māori: Tangata whenua ‘overlooked’ by Labour Party againTe Pāti Māori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer have expressed disappointment that tangata whenua were “overlooked” in the deciding and naming of the new prime minister and deputy prime minister. At 3pm, Chris Hipkins said that he was unanimously supported by Labour’s caucus and confirmed Carmel Sepuloni as the ...15 hours ago
- Labour leadership: Hipkins and Sepuloni to rein in projects that 'aren't essential right n...Incoming prime minister Chris Hipkins and new deputy PM Carmel Sepuloni are promising to rein in some government programs that are less "essential", after quickly establishing their new leadership team. ...15 hours ago
- Luxon on new Labour leadership: 'Nothing has changed'"New leader, same story," says National party leader Christopher Luxon after Chris Hipkins and Carmel Sepuloni were confirmed as the new prime minister and deputy today. ...16 hours ago
- Chris Hipkins speaks: ‘Our focus will be on the bread and butter issues’LIVE Incoming prime minister Chris Hipkins says his new role is the biggest privilege, and responsibility, of his life. Chris Hipkins has today been confirmed as New Zealand’s 41st prime minister, pending the official resignation of Jacinda Ardern in the coming days. Speaking to media, flanked by his new deputy ...17 hours ago
- Live: Hipkins and Sepuloni to speak for the first time as leadersChris Hipkins and Carmel Sepuloni are set to give their first press conference since being confirmed as incoming prime minister and deputy. The pair were voted into their new positions by Labour’s caucus at a closed doors meeting earlier this afternoon. Hipkins was the only nominee for the position of ...17 hours ago
- Hipkins and Sepuloni confirmed as PM and deputyWelcome to a special Sunday edition of The Spinoff’s live updates as we mark the confirmation of New Zealand’s next prime minister: Chris Hipkins. Stewart Sowman-Lund is on deck from Auckland, with Toby Manhire on the ground in Wellington. Get in touch at [email protected] ...17 hours ago
- Kelvin Davis safe as Labour deputyWhile there will be a new deputy prime minister, Labour’s current party deputy – Kelvin Davis – will remain in the role. In a slightly unusual turn, Labour opted to differentiate the roles of deputy prime minister and deputy party leader after the 2020 election. Davis’s role was confirmed by ...17 hours ago
- Confirmed: Carmel Sepuloni to become deputy prime ministerGrant Robertson will not stay on as deputy prime minister under new leader Chris Hipkins. The incoming prime minister will address media at 3pm, alongside his new deputy Carmel Sepuloni. The minister for social development has been confirmed to be taking up the number two slot after a closed doors ...17 hours ago
- Today’s agenda: Hipkins to become PM, Sepuloni tipped for deputyPrime minister-to-be Chris Hipkins has arrived at parliament, joined by outgoing leader Jacinda Ardern. The pair were cheered on by their Labour caucus colleagues as they entered a closed doors meeting at parliament. Here are the all important timings for today. We’ll have coverage from on the ground in Wellington ...17 hours ago
- Carmel Sepuloni: New Zealand’s new Deputy Prime MinisterCarmel Sepuloni has been named as New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister, with Chris Hipkins as the Prime Minister. ...17 hours ago
- Live: Chris Hipkins to become New Zealand's 41st prime ministerThe Labour caucus is gathering today to confirm Chris Hipkins as the party's new leader and New Zealand's 41st Prime Minister. ...20 hours ago
- Pleasure in the pulp: The tweenage thrills of early-90s Point Horror novelsA look back at the horror stories Erin Harrington devoured as a tween reveals some unsettling truths. A while ago I was digging through the musty outdoor book fridge on Kilmore Street – take one, leave one, don’t be messy – when I felt something like a snag, a little ...24 hours ago
- Labour gets ready to gather to officially pick HipkinsThe Labour caucus will gather in the capital today to confirm Chris Hipkins as the party's new leader and New Zealand's 41st prime minister. ...1 day ago
- Essay on Sunday: Growing up between two dealersTwo drug dealers can coexist in perfect peace, as long as they keep to either side of a small girl’s home. One was twenty-something and the other probably 60. They both mostly sold weed, a humble drug and a favourite in our community. Everyone’s parents did it, even my own. ...1 day ago
- I’m being bankrupted by butterfliesThese very hungry caterpillars are eating me out of house and home. I dreamt about caterpillars the other night. Fat wriggly beasties, ringed in black, white and yellow, squirming over my fingers. I was in the garden, carefully picking them up from the soil and placing them onto a plant. ...1 day ago
- Chris Hipkins' first decision: A deputy dilemmaAnalysis - While Chris Hipkins is all but confirmed as our next prime minister, there is less certainty in the race to be his deputy. Newsroom's Sam Sachdeva looks at the factors the next Labour leader will need to consider, and some of t ...1 day ago
- ‘Freedom for Assange and journalism are at stake’ – the Belmarsh TribunalANALYSIS: By Brett Wilkins As Julian Assange awaits the final appeal of his looming extradition to the United States while languishing behind bars in London’s notorious Belmarsh Prison, leading left luminaries and free press advocates gathered in Washington, DC, on Friday for the fourth sitting of the Belmarsh Tribunal, where ...1 day ago
- Pm Jacinda Ardern's Resignation Shocks New Zealand And The Pacific Region
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on January 19 that she would resign as Prime Minister by February 7. Currently, she does not see anything unusual about him participating in the next elections and remaining in his position as Prime ...2 days ago - On Jacinda Ardern's ResignationIn a shock announcement on Thursday, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told the media she would step down from the position by February 7 and leave parliament in April. After more than five years leading the Labour Party-led government, Ardern ...2 days ago
- Chris Hipkins becomes NZ’s new prime minister – there are two ways it can go from hereSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Duncan, Associate Professor, School of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University Getty Images Following the surprise resignation of Jacinda Ardern on January 19, the New Zealand Labour Party already has a new leader: Chris Hipkins. The handover from Ardern ...2 days ago
- Jacinda Ardern's burnout highlights the pressure world leaders faceIt is unusual for a politician to admit they are burnt out - but it's not surprising that the stress of leading a country can take its toll on leaders, from Austria to Estonia. ...2 days ago
- Hipkins energised and excited about chance to become NZ’s PMRNZ News Chris Hipkins says the opportunity to become Prime Minister of Aotearoa New Zealand is the biggest privilege of his life and his eyes are wide open for the challenges that lie ahead. Hipkins began a media briefing today by saying: “I can confirm that I have put my ...2 days ago
- ‘New Zealand, get me off this island,’ pleads 9-year Iran refugee on NauruBy Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist A second group of refugees detained in offshore Australian detention camps have arrived in New Zealand. Four people touched down on a flight yesterday. “I’m happy for them that they can get their freedom,” a friend of the recent arrivals who is still detained ...2 days ago
- Fight against crime in PNG’s Oro gains momentum – 22 suspects chargedBy Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Since the start of Papua New Guinea’s Operation Stabilising Oro last month, 22 rape, murder and armed robbery suspects have been to date charged — and more are to follow. There is also an estimated backlog of 105 outstanding cases that will be attended ...2 days ago
- New Prime Minister Chris Hipkins to address nationChris Hipkins says the opportunity to become Prime Minister is the biggest privilege of his life and his eyes are wide open for the challenges that lie ahead. ...2 days ago
- Christopher Luxon speaks to media on Hipkins as PMNational Party leader Christopher Luxon has spoken briefly to media in Hamilton about the man he will face in October's election. ...2 days ago
- Chris Hipkins to become New Zealand's next Prime MinisterChris Hipkins says a previously announced cabinet reshuffle will continue, and has been given a new impetus following Jacinda Ardern's resignation. ...2 days ago
- Chris Hipkins Sole Nominee For Labour Party LeaderChris Hipkins is the sole nominee to become the Labour Party Leader, Labour Whip Duncan Webb announced this morning. “The Labour Party caucus will meet at 1pm on Sunday to endorse the nomination and confirm Chris Hipkins as Party Leader,” Duncan ...2 days ago
- 'An Upper Hutt boy gets to be Prime Minister'In his maiden speech, Chris Hipkins described himself as a "genuine Hutt boy", how have his constituents reacted to the news he is the next Prime Minister? ...2 days ago
- ‘Energised and enthusiastic’: incoming PM Hipkins speaksChris Hipkins says he is “humbled and honoured” by caucus support for his candidacy to become the next leader of the Labour Party and then prime minister. Speaking to media on the parliamentary forecourt, he said he was “energised and enthusiastic about the challenge and “looking forward to getting into ...2 days ago
- ‘The guy just lives for DIY’: What to expect from Prime Minister Chris HipkinsThe ‘Mr Fix-it’ label applies to both home and politics, says Iain Lees-Galloway, who worked alongside the incoming PM in cabinet. Grant Robertson has meanwhile lauded an ‘amazing dad’. The practical approach of incoming Labour leader and prime minister is epitomised by his enthusiasm for DIY projects. That’s the assessment ...2 days ago
- Live: New Prime Minister Chris Hipkins to address nationWatch live: The next Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is due to hold a media briefing after being selected by the Labour Party to replace Jacinda Ardern as leader. ...2 days ago
- Kiri Allan rules out bid for deputy PM roleKiri Allan is not running to be Chris Hipkins' deputy, RNZ understands. ...2 days ago
- The Hipkins bit of the conjecture about Labour’s leadership has been settled – now for the deput...
Buzz from the Beehive Because our hard-working Ministers of the Crown are engaged in Labour Party caucus stuff in Napier, no doubt jockeying to ensure they keep their jobs or get a better one, Point of Order was not surprised to find no fresh news on the Beehive website this ...2 days ago - Politicians react to news of Chris Hipkins as PMPoliticians across the divide have released statements of congratulations for Chris Hipkins as he takes on the role of prime minister. ...2 days ago
- Power Play: There's a new Chris in town …Power Play: New Zealand has a new prime minister - at least in name - just a few days after Jacinda Ardern announced her shock departure. ...2 days ago
- The extraordinary Twitter diary of Hanif KureishiHanif Kureishi is currently in hospital undergoing extensive treatment after a serious accident, chronicling the experience in a series of tremendously vivid tweets. Books editor Claire Mabey has been hanging on his every word. On the 7th of January, the acclaimed British writer Hanif Kureishi told his Twitter followers that he’d ...2 days ago
- The beginner’s guide to Chris Hipkins, our next prime ministerNew Zealand has a new prime minister. What’s his deal? With nominations closed and only one name on the ballot, Chris Hipkins from the Hutt will be the 41st prime minister of New Zealand. Here’s his backstory. He’s been a leader before New Zealand’s new prime minister has always had ...2 days ago
- ‘Genuine Hutt boy’ Chris Hipkins will be NZ’s next prime ministerNominations have closed, and there is only one name. Less than 48 hours after Jacinda Ardern shocked New Zealand and the world by announcing her resignation, her successor as Labour leader and prime minister has been revealed. When nominations closed at 9am today, there was only one Labour caucus member ...2 days ago
- Return to Treasure Island: Josh Kronfeld and Joe Cotton are back after 20 years at seaIt’s been nearly two decades since Josh Kronfeld and Joe Cotton washed up on the original Treasure Island. Tara Ward finds out what drew them back for Fans v Faves. There aren’t many New Zealand celebrities who have been buried alive on national television, but Josh Kronfeld and Joe Cotton ...2 days ago
- Chris Hipkins: From Head Boy to Prime MinisterChris "Chippy" Hipkins is set to become New Zealand's Prime Minister, following an announcement from the Labour Party this morning. ...2 days ago
- Who is Chris Hipkins, set to become New Zealand's newest Prime Minister?Chris Hipkins will become the next Prime Minister of New Zealand, after being the sole nominee for the Labour Party leadership. ...2 days ago
- Live: Chris Hipkins to become New Zealand's next Prime MinisterChris Hipkins is the sole nominee to become the Labour Party Leader, Labour Whip Duncan Webb announced this morning. Follow the RNZ liveblog for the latest. ...2 days ago
- Live: Who will be New Zealand's next Prime Minister?As the deadline looms for Labour's leadership contest, New Zealand's next Prime Minister could be known as soon as this morning. Follow the RNZ liveblog for the latest. ...2 days ago
- Are backyard chickens the answer to the egg crisis?Considering getting a few chooks to cope with the egg shortage? Here’s what you need to know before you do. In a suburban West Auckland backyard, a pecking order has been established. Despite being the smallest chicken, Ivy, a Brown Shaver, gets the first pick of food scraps, and has ...2 days ago
- Jacinda and the media: a very complicated relationshipFew prime ministers have ever been as popular or polarising as Jacinda Ardern – a reality expressed in the highs and lows of her media coverage, writes Duncan Greive. The first time I really saw Jacinda Ardern was around the start of 2017. The Spinoff had decided to host a ...2 days ago
- Deadline looms for MPs wishing to contest Labour leadershipLabour MPs are preparing to pick the country's next prime minister in what will be the party's first vote of its kind since 2017. ...2 days ago
- New Zealand’s next prime minister could be announced tomorrow morningNominations for the vacancy of Labour leader, and therefore presumptive prime minister to succeed Jacinda Ardern, close tomorrow morning at 9am. If there is just one nominee, which according to sources is more likely than not, that person will be formally endorsed as leader by caucus on Sunday. Critically, nominations ...2 days ago
- Jacinda Ardern resigns: Social media 'cesspit' blamed for growing threats, abuse towards p...While Jacinda Ardern did not cite it as one of the reasons she is quitting politics, there is little doubt it took a toll, according to her former chief of staff. ...3 days ago
- Stuff NowNext Political Poll Shows 41% Of Respondents Say Chris Hipkins Should Be Next Labour Leader14% say Ardern’s resignation may, or will change the way they vote The first poll since Jacinda Ardern’s resignation has given a strong endorsement to Chris Hipkins as the next leader of the Labour party. However, 39% of respondents said that knowing ...3 days ago
- Social Credit Leader Passes AwayThe leader of the Social Credit party, Chris Leitch, passed away this morning after a long battle with neck cancer. He is survived by his wife Anne, son Andrew, two stepdaughters Tracey and Darian, and brother Tim. Mr Leitch was a long time activist ...3 days ago
- How the Labour Party vote will work – and why we might know the next PM by SaturdayNominations for the position of Labour Party leader must be received by 9am Saturday and if there is only one nominee, that person's name will be made public. ...3 days ago
- Former NZ PM Helen Clark calls for rethink on political debate in wake of Ardern resignationRNZ News Aotearoa New Zealand has become hugely polarised and it is little wonder Jacinda Ardern has decided to call it a day, says Helen Clark. The former New Zealand prime minister and Labour Party leader is no stranger to the ups and downs of politics. However, she said current ...3 days ago
- ‘The shoes needing filling are on the large side of big’ – Jacinda Ardern’s legacyANALYSIS: By Richard Shaw, Massey University Well, no one saw that coming. For those in New Zealand relieved that Christmas was over because it means politics resumes, this week held the promise of a cabinet reshuffle, the possible unveiling of some meaty new policy and — if we were really ...3 days ago
- The hatred and vitriol NZ’s Jacinda Ardern endured ‘would affect anybody’“History will judge Jacinda Ardern as a remarkable leader. She is genuinely kind and has an incredible intellect, she’s made more of a contribution than she will ever appreciate. I can’t help but feel like we need to find better ways to support women and mothers in politics.” – union ...3 days ago
- What is Chris Hipkins' record as he becomes a 'frontrunner' for prime minister roleOpinion - Chris Hipkins is a frontrunner to replace Jacinda Ardern, but he has an unfortunate tendency to play the man rather than the ball, writes Brigette Morten. ...3 days ago
- Communities look back on Jacinda Ardern's handling of crises: 'History will judge her well...From terrorism to a global pandemic, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's time in office has been punctuated with unparalleled tragedies. ...3 days ago
- TradeMe puts out the call for new PMWe’ve made it to the end of what turned out to be an extraordinarily busy news week – and it’s not over yet. This Sunday will see Labour’s caucus attempt to elect a new leader (and new prime minister). We’ll have coverage on the day, don’t you worry. In the ...3 days ago
- Labour’s leadership dilemmaExamples of the destruction caused by parties infighting in public abound. But that doesn’t make obsessive secrecy a good idea either. Like cardinals at a conclave choosing a new pope, the magic number for the Labour caucus is two-thirds. At least 43 MPs will need to back one candidate to ...3 days ago
- Ingredient of the week: CornCornfields hold versatile place in our collective imagination (wholesome, romantic, spooky…) And corn is equally adaptable in the kitchen: at home in soups, fritters, salsas and salads, on the BBQ or just with butter… mmmm… Oh, sweetcorn. The longer my mind lingers on this summery vegetable, the wilder the associations ...3 days ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘Ali dies of cancer and i am not allowed to visit’ by Lily HollowayA new poem by Lily Holloway. Ali dies of cancer and i am not allowed to visit Anxious in small groups, tetras will start nibbling at their tank-mates. I never see it happening. No piece of fin floating up, no bone stark against the charcoal filter. They must be swimming ...3 days ago
Welcome to neoliberal New Zealand.
Where citizens are consumers and our nation is a company called New Zealand inc.
is this 1980s retro day?
Weka lol!
WE DEMAND MARGARINE!!
The REAL stuff …. made from Whale Oil?
Margarine? Are you quite sure and have you got a prescription from your Doctor? Margarine was a forbidden good for most people in the Country when I was young.
It changed in 1974 IIRC. I wouldn't put money on that date mind.
Things are going well.
The head of Vladimir Putin's disastrous Ukraine mobilisation campaign has been found dead in “suspicious” circumstances.
Military commissar Lt-Col Roman Malyk, 49, a, was discovered near a fence at his home in a village in the Primorsky region of Russia.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/putins-head-ukraine-mobilisation-campaign-28247131
Musta been Poots eh
Guess the guy made it on to the Myrotvorets kill list, along with western journalists,300 children, Kissinger and Gerhard Schroder.
I'm sure Ukraine has all sorts of lists. But if you want an actual kill list;
https://cpj.org/data/killed/europe/russia/?status=Killed&motiveConfirmed%5B%5D=Confirmed&type%5B%5D=Journalist&cc_fips%5B%5D=RS&start_year=1992&end_year=2022&group_by=location
Whataboutism
One of the things about living in a Kafkesque nightmare under a murderous totalitarian despot, is that it makes one dream of freedom.
A number of former oligarchs, for instance, seem to have been touched by R. Kelly:
I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
And, with a little state assistance, many of them did.
Does anyone think this is serious policy from Peters – seems like the most dog-whistle of possible issues gathered together in one speech – with no attempt at any policy backing it up.
Does he still have enough backing from the grey brigade to launch a comeback?
Can he appeal to the centrist ground (almost certainly at the expense of TOP) – as a handbrake on either National or Labour?
Would any of those potential supporters 'trust' him to go with the 'right' party?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/nz-firsts-winston-peters-decries-seeds-of-apartheid-in-leaders-address/HG3UBJKCYCASL4AWK43DN4BGVI/?c_id=1&objectid=12558979&ref=rss
And, will the SFO appeal hit in the middle of campaign season?
The irony for me is at this point in our history we have never needed Peters more than we do now to counter Maori favouritism and aggression we are currently witnessing at the moment. However, Peters has used this rhetoric far too many times in the past for it to be as effective as it once was. If I was National, any coalition talks with Peters, would demand he goes with National if after elections results allow. Obviously Labour would have to offer Peters something massive in return for a coalition with Labour.
'Bloody Maari' "favouritism", although given a choice I might (reluctantly) trade that perceived “favouritism” for a longer, wealthier life. Seems some people just want it all.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/19-03-2022/danyl-mclauchlan-on-too-much-money-a-book-about-what-divides-us
I think you'll find it's act curious voters that are most likely to be swayed peters way by beating ,look out for the maoris drum
agreed–Different voters will be attracted to NZF for dif reasons.. but I think they will get votes mainly from their anti-immigration stance. People who a anti co-governance (like me) will be happy at ACT, but some older swing voters away from Lab may not be able to stomach ACT so may drift back to Winston. But as they said in the 'teapot tapes' surely Winston's core support is nearing 80-90 yrs old?
Well, apparently they're now 'pro-immigration' – but only of the 'right sort of people' (no idea who Peters would appoint to conduct the 'sniff test' and what criteria they would use)
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/nz-firsts-winston-peters-decries-seeds-of-apartheid-in-leaders-address/HG3UBJKCYCASL4AWK43DN4BGVI/?c_id=1&objectid=12558979&ref=rss
I'd be surprised – ACT has been very consistently anti-co-governance.
There seems little to choose between NZF and ACT on this policy – so little reason for voters to drift.
I'd say it was more likely that 'soft' National and Labour voters might be swayed more by him as a handbrake on power (an electioneering lever he used effectively in 2017). But that would require 'trust' in him choosing the 'right' party – and I doubt that many would give this unequivocally.
Of course, I could, indeed, be entirely wrong, and it's Peters' time in the sun (yet again)
Not even Lazarus got up twice to my knowledge.
I'm sure Peters sees himself higher up the hierarchy….
[Unkind, I know; but I really do not like that man – and believe that his principles are ‘what’s best for Winston Peters’]
Biden increases risks to financial markets by extending sanctions on China to include Human resources.
It seems the Government still thinks consultants are a good investment:
Meanwhile, the denuding of the most trusted news source begun under National continues unabated:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/476791/government-expects-to-spend-6m-on-contractors-working-for-public-media-mega-merger