And the due date for the report would be no surprise and would have been known for a long time,"how convenient" that Collins just happens, coincidentally, to be overseas?
Any New Zealander with the intelligence to look at what is happening in China – the incarceration of over 1 million Uyghurs in "re-education" camps, the ongoing persecution of the Tibetans and Christians, and now the pressure (and probable invasion) of Hong Kong, – and imagine that China, with its aim of world domination, won't do the same here when they take over, is dreaming.
Trump may be a complete f-wit, and he may be dangerous, but Xi Jingping is sinister.
Too much of the purist race thing from China – and stories of Falun Gong being allocated status of bad and so dispensable. What have we here; a country admired principally because it 'has the trains running on time' as was said of Mussolini's Italy.
Me, myself, I always see democracy as the end. Don't know how close Japan has got yet. Is that 'dogma' or over-idealisation? I'm proud of it, rather than the 'freedom' of WW 2 which lead to our present plutocracy. And the US Supreme Court refusing to defend 'democracy'. Makes you laugh your guts out.
It will be interesting to see if today Bennett persists with her line of questioning at QT. Even more interesting if Winston answers on behalf of the PM.
Newsroom Laura Walters has published in full the Simon Mitchell report on his declaration of the non appearance of Sarah's complaint.
The legal letter, and an accompanying statement from Mitchell, claims the woman – referred to in an article by The Spinoff as ‘Sarah’ – never raised allegations of sexual assault in her meetings or email correspondence with Mitchell or the panel.
Thanks Sacha for the link to Spinoff. Simon and Sarah cannot both be right. Maybe the emails did not arrive at their destination but Sarah also says she discussed the details with Simon and the Committee. Weird!
Seems to me they possess proof that the complainants are telling the truth, but it hinges on each email destination computer address – and if it reliably identitifies the owner/operator. To helpfully inform the public, they ought to publish each email as a photo so we can see the evidence for ourselves.
One can send an email but forget attachments but Sarah says she discussed the detail with the committee who say no she didn't. It would be very sad if Sarah has bigger problems of recall.
Dunno. That's another facet of the controversy that bothers me. Unidentifiable people can seem hypothetical! We assume they are actually real because Labour party sources say they are. Blind faith can work – the christians achieved hegemony for millennia using it – but I'd prefer politics to be based on real humans, their actual experience and evidence.
Mitchell writes he advised Sarah to email the assistant Labour gen sec rather than himself, and doesn't say that person provided the panel with copies, so Sarah could have been under a false impression. If deliberate, seems bad faith to me…
This interesting Correction in stuff Monday 16/9/19 P2 :
Richard Griffin's column published in The Nelson Mail on Saturday incorrectly stated that the alleged offender in the Labour scandal worked in the prime minster's office in the Beehive, and that he was a member of her "hand-picked staff". It also incorrectly stated that the role would require "daily, sometimes hourly, interaction with the prime minister".
[] The alleged offender worked in the Labour leader's office, a unit that helps MPs deal with the day-to-day business of Parliament. It is based in the Bowen House office block and is separate from the prime minister's office, on the ninth floor of the Beehive.
Stuff has printed the correction which reins in Richard Griffin's reckons to actual reality. ('There are things that you know, you don't know', and things you don't know that you don't know, etc. Refer to Donald Rumsfeld, USA Secretary of Defense speech. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiPe1OiKQuk)
A feature of newspaper presentation of content to the reader that stuff displays shows disrespect for prime people in our polity and their positions of authority. Notice how, in the item copied above, buildings such as Beehive and Bowen House begin with a capital letter. However 'prime minister' is in lower case! I think that says something about the lack of respect of the media barons for the people and our elected representatives and government itself. (I inserted a space to create a second paragraph in the correction piece which made its meaning clearer I thought.)
Who knew Ardern has two offices?? Hardly anyone, I suspect. I wonder if she uses both. Can't really blame the Dick for being confused.
Re capitalisation, could be the journo is caught between two worlds: that of those trained in traditional grammar & those not. Result is random capitalisation, to serve both audiences…
Yeah but using that logic you'd have to count a third office for the PM in her electorate. The two she seems to have in parliament do reflect her twin hats, of course. If they are staffed by folk performing different functions – those required by the twin processes of democracy & governance – then nobody can claim it's a waste of space & resources.
Just me. I blame my deceased father, who drummed it into me during childhood. That generation grew up in the depression, so `waste not, want not' permanently shaped their mind-set.
…in the item copied above, buildings such as Beehive and Bowen House begin with a capital letter. However 'prime minister' is in lower case!
It's actually a bit of a grey area. If you're thinking about it generically, ie as the office that's used by prime ministers of New Zealand, it's the prime minster's office. If you're thinking about it as the office of Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister, it's the Prime Minister's office. Either is fine in the context it was used in.
Don't blame me for it PM. Or that other commenter who calls themself Grey Area.
There are various rationalisations for changing capitalisation such as this one from The Guardian. The writer sounds as if he is Up Himself (to use a less formal style).
Most readers seem comfortable with a less formal style. A grand total of two people complained about our coverage of the pope's, rather than the Pope's, recent visit to the UK. We did receive a letter last week complaining that calling David Cameron the prime minister, not the Prime Minister (a style we have been following for more than a decade) reflected a "lowering of standards", but such complaints are few.
This is what Canterbury Uni says. But they don't make it clear about titles and honorifics. It appears that one could refer to the chancellor of The University of Canterbury, even though they would be of equal importance, one needing the other, I would think.
We are having great discussions about the lack of respect for complaints about bullying of people, and the casual acceptance of sexual urges being displayed and acted on. Perhaps we are all too bloody casual about what consideration good humans must have for others, respecting their bright and brief life on this earth, similar to our own beacon with an inestimable cornucopia of abundant gifts, so often unrecognised.
Rather despise Richard Griffin. Instrument. He has a column in Nelson? One of those doves freed by social democracy who doesn't come back to perform devotion like my polio uncle for CCS. Hard to like these freed fools as much as they obviously like themselves.
Because of my experience developing new ways to image the lungs and seeing the impact of inhaled smoke and gases on lung health, I have been disturbed that governments and regulators have taken a hands-off approach to the risk of e-cigarettes.
I am alarmed that e-cigarette marketing has become pervasive, persuasive and widespread in the US and Canada, especially when this marketing targets children and teenagers in whom lung growth and development has not yet completed.
seems a no brainer to me: regulate in the same way as tobacco (including in pubic spaces). Better yet, also make it a med that has to be bought from a pharmacy.
It's fucking ridiculous that people are saying inhaling chemical-carrying vapour multiple times a day deep into your lungs won't have harmful effects.
I mentioned in my responses about vaping a few days ago how Doctors don't advocate anyone start vaping, for the same reasons noted above about smoking tobacco or cannabis – Putting anything your lungs apart from clean fresh air is a bad decision. However, smokers are advised to switch, because it is deemed the safer option.
Ignoring the recent cluster of u.s cases, likely to be caused by contaminants, their bottom line is "Perhaps vaping should be viewed as a “lesser of evils” for current cigarette smokers." which is what the medics have told us.
For those smoking cannabis, the outlook is not so good.
People can make choices about which they want to do based on their own health, no problem with that. My concern is the people saying that vaping is benign for the vaper and those around them. It's not and it's daft to say that. We should be regulating this around advertising, public space and so on. The push for it to be trendy and everywhere is capitalist, hipster bullshit.
I would apply that to cannabis too. Same regs on public spaces (and enclosed spaces like cars), don't allow advertising. The capitalists are going to be all over cannabis too if they get the chance. Hoping we can legalise without making the mistakes the US has.
I know I've never bough a vape product, or been influenced to by a tobacco company, though of course that doesn't mean some haven't since they've entered the local market.
They're trying to get market share where they have historically had none, and with the big money comes big advertising and promotion, but that's not all going there way.
There are indications vapers feel the same. According to a survey of US and Canadian vapers conducted by Dr Tanusree Jain of Trinity College Dublin, a large proportion of vapers blame Big Tobacco for their past addiction to cigarettes and hold negative views of Big Tobacco owned e-cigarette brands.
I've never met someone or seen any advocate for vaping say they aren't without risk, which I suppose is why they are an r18 product, even the non nicotine e liquids.
Not being either I don't know if it's capitalist hipster bs, remembering how cigarettes use to be 'cool' too and they were/are really gross, but if more regulation is needed then so be it. Advertising should probably run along the lines of tobacco ie None, and public spaces like smoking should be off limits, if people aren't already considerate with their habit, which I know, some aren't.
I don't agree that flavours should be banned for consenting adults, but if they are, what will be etc… we can always add our own, though of course that makes a bit of an ass out of the law where nicotine is permitted but a flavour draws the foul and gets a red card.
I vape it got me off 2 packs a day. With the cases in the USA most of them are with CBD oils not normal juice, and i do agree juices need to be treated like smokes .
Vaping is to Labour as Cigarettes are to National.
The lesser of two evils is correct. I guess it's the marketing why some vapers think they're doing themselves no harm. As an ex-smoker and vaper I'm trying to keep my head out of the clouds, and looking to stop the vape in time – but addiction has its hooks deep. Other substances have been by comparison easy to give up while nicotine will mess with me psychologically for years after a quit event.
When you add mental health issues like depression into the mix, a malady known for exacerbating self destructive behavior, it is no surprise so many still partake.
Promoting it seems criminal, except as an alternate to smoking. The underlying causes of mental stress and depression range considerably, but much might be placed squarely at the feet of a society that competes rather than cooperates and places money before man; with governments and media that exacerbate division and derision of fairer human characteristics.
The opportunists aka capitalists with no moral compass have an awful lot to answer for. Opiate epidemic in US = money money money.
Promoting it seems criminal, except as an alternate to smoking.
I originally read this and was preparing to strongly disagree, until I noticed 'except'. lol
As an alternative to smoking, even without long term data to support it, it's a common refrain from those who have made the switch. I've said before I recommend it to every smoker I meet, not only for the real up change in lifestyle, but especially financially.
True weka 100% That vaping chemicals together in combinations that have never been toxicology analysed as together in a combined synergistic insult may be far more harmful than each component used separately.
Even more than that one must also consider the combined effects sitting in a room with several others vaping with other chemicals added into their vapor will be added to the air all are breathing and even add a more toxic soup to human health damage, so we need to stop vaping as it is just like playing Russian roulette.
Interesting to learn that the university is such a hot bed of smokers desperate to get off the cigs that the benevolent producers of vapes have taken to sponsoring slots on the student radio to help these students get the help they need.
In my post-grad classes there was maybe 1:30 smokers. Typically the only person out for a smoke break with me was staff. Undergrad probably twice that. Can only speak for the biological sciences…
Ngāti Kahu chief executive, Anahera Herbert-Graves, said the Ministry of Culture and Heritage did not consult with the iwi before including the Mangonui area in the list of destinations for the voyage.
"They never approached Ngāti Kahu, they were approached by a local tauiwi organisation and were invited to come into our rohe. I don't think it occurred to them to contact Ngāti Kahu.
"About four or five months ago we saw the programme come out.
"They were going to land in Mangonui, inside Tokerau, and we put it back to the mana whenua hapū. The three hapū were very strong in their opposition, they said no-way jose.
and the response is, well, an absolute joke and shameful imo
The deputy chief executive for the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, Tamsin Evans, said Mangonui was earmarked as a destination for the voyage because it was the home of the Waka Hourua expert, Sir Hector Busby.
She said the ministry thought it had sufficient iwi support, following talks with a single iwi representitive.
"I think the ministry engaged with a small community organisation, called the Doubtless Bay Promotions Trust, on which there was somebody in an iwi liaison role.
"It was felt sufficient that through the promotions trust we had a wider engagement with the community, which included someone we believed was liaising with iwi."
History eh – just make it up – now this is some history
Ms Herbert-Graves said Captain Cook never actually landed in the Ngāti Kahu rohe.
"Cook never came into our rohe, he sailed by, and apparently cast his eye to the port and said, 'oh, that's Doubtless Bay.' It's a fiction for him to 're-visit' us because he never came.
"He was a barbarian. Wherever he went, like most people of the time of imperial expansion, there were murders, there were abductions, there were rapes, and just a lot of bad outcomes for the indigenous people.
"He didn't discover anything down here, and we object to Tuia 250 using euphemisms like 'encounters' and 'meetings' to disguise what were actually invasions."
It's the one that isnt totally bias. Gives all sides a platform . This week is quiet a feature on how much pressure is supposedly being heaped on farmers from the governments massive reform programmes.
I put supposedly as it could be true but being just a lowly shepherd it’s all above me . ( just the way I like it)
I see a Herald headline today: Mike Hosking: 'Now I'm not so sure we are being fleeced on petrol prices." Was he a tobacco salesman and lobbyist in a previous life?
We actually have a disability parking permit – but seldom use it because the boy is doing well and he feels that the space can be left for someone who needs it more. I have always thought that society is able to function only because of a myriad of such small acts of virtue – far more so than merely obeying the law. But it looks like such good nature just provides an 'opportunity' for the Siggis of the world.
She was obviously in a hurry – pulled up and jumped out and was snapped in that second. She may have been busting to go to the loo, that is very disabling. We can give people the benefit of the doubt sometimes i think.
"This spring Target Malaria ran a carefully controlled experimental release in Burkina Faso. The test followed years of research and similar successful releases in Latin America and the Caribbean. None of that mattered to the coalition of 40 leading environmental and “civil society” organizations demanding the project be shut down immediately."
People are getting sick and tired of Boorish. I bet he would never sit and eat his meals nicely when his parents had him around. Now the EU feels like spanking him, but of course they are too civilised, and instead are developing a new nuke that personalises by going after your smell and DNA with cells that they have grown from a swab of a dog's nose. (No animals would have been hurt in the experiment except Boorish. They probably have got Eion Musk interested in it.) /sarc
It was the day BoJo went No Show. Boris Johnson, in Luxembourg for talks with EU officials, abruptly pulled out of a joint press conference with the country's prime minister Xavier Bettel, amid noisy anti-Brexit protests opposite the podiums. Mr Bettel, who heads one of Europe's smallest countries, promptly upstaged Mr Johnson by going ahead without him, describing Brexit as a "nightmare" for EU citizens. You can't hold people hostage for party political reasons, he said, and don't blame us for the mess you made. Mr Johnson is still insisting there is time to agree a Brexit deal.
The Charge of the Light Brigade I
HALF a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
'Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!' he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
II
'Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
That's the spirit, forward, follow me say the doughty warriors, and be remembered for being heroes who overcame rationality, rode forth trying to take the high ground and fell on your noses.
Boorish as the Black Night, (come on ya pansy) the EU is with the King of the Britons in this debacle.
The media can't help itself even while it pats itself on the back for being a virtuous outlet. Take note how they will reach into records of your past and will stick you at will with sad events you wanted to let lie. This in the Otago Daily Times which I thought had standards.
Paula Bennet can get up Parliament and under privilege mention the name of someone alleged to have done something but Winston Peters can't get up and mention Judith Collins as a person connected to Oravida?
Certainly a bit odd Peter. Mallard did refer to Ruling 23 as to why, but we amateurs may not reason why. Must be pretty compelling but of course most would know the Collins connection.
I agree with the idiot (/savant): http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2019/09/contempt.html – I hadn't noticed that the British legal establishment had decided to pull the plug on British arms manufacturers. Is there a whiff of revolution in the air over there??
Will the minister who broke the law get punished? Seems a real test of the traditional expectation of `rule of law' only applying to the wealthy & powerful when standard evasion strategies fail.
"The president of New Zealand's criminal lawyers' society supports legalising cannabis for personal use", reports Stuff. "The association said its membership comprised 700 practicing criminal lawyers across New Zealand… "I think most members would support legalisation of cannabis for personal use," Andersen said." https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/115818154/legalise-weed-criminal-lawyer-group-president-says
Seems significant, inasmuch as parts of the establishment making progress hardly ever happens. Sadly, the 80% of Aotearoans who have voluntarily embarked on the outlaw lifestyle are now threatened with the establishment seal of approval. I wonder, when the mystique evaporates, what other form of rebellion they will seek.
Listening to the 4pm RNZ news, I thought I heard Winston accusing Jacinda of issuing fake news. Apparently she told the media he was having a month off due to knee surgery, or something, so when he returned & media asked him about it he said no, that was fake news. Well, he could have said she misunderstood, eh?
So if there's headlines screaming `Deputy PM accuses PM of fake news' it will mean journos took it like I did. I doubt Winston had that intent. Just shows the fine line between perception & reality, eh? 🙄
The inquiry report published on Tuesday said a digger operated by a "contractor" suspected of damaging the fuel pipeline in 2014, setting in motion its later failure, was owned by Auckland company Oravida Kauri, which was renamed Kauri Ruakaka the following year
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Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
Responding to the long-awaited release of judges’ special allowances, including free air travel and hotels for spouses, generous sabbaticals, and access to limousines, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Alex Murphy said: “In what world does your employer ...
Analysis - The United States has unveiled plans to boost the weapons trade with Australia and the UK, on the same day that Winston Peters is expected to sketch NZ's position on AUKUS. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Carson, Professor of Political Communication, Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University Since Australia’s First Nations Voice to Parliament referendum in October 2023, diverse commentaries have sought to explain why it failed. But what does an analysis of media ...
Lawyers representing two iwi as well as the Māori Women’s Welfare League on Wednesday asked the Court of Appeal to overturn last week’s High Court decision on the Waitangi Tribunal’s decision to summons Children’s Minister Karen Chhour. The Tribunal is currently investigating the Government’s decision to repeal section 7AA of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will introduce legislation to ban deepfake pornography and provide more funding for the eSafety Commission to pilot age-assurance technologies. The contribution of internet sites to gender-based violence was one major issue ...
Average ordinary time hourly earnings, as measured by the Quarterly Employment Survey (QES), increased 5.2 percent in the year to the March 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. Annual wage cost inflation, as measured by the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dimitrios Salampasis, FinTech Capability Lead | Senior Lecturer, Emerging Technologies and FinTech, Swinburne University of Technology Clem Onojeghuo/Unsplash In the digital era, the job market is increasingly becoming a minefield – demanding and difficult to navigate. According to the Australian Bureau ...
As of the March 2024 quarter, we can now look back on 20 years of data related to youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET), as collected by the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS), according to figures released by Stats NZ today. "The ...
Thousands of workers attended public events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch today to celebrate International Workers’ Day (May Day), but union representatives are urging caution and vigilance over the Government’s blatantly "anti-worker" ...
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in the March 2024 quarter, compared with 4.0 percent in the previous quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. ...
The PSA is warning the Government that the sensitive information of New Zealanders held by various agencies will fall into the wrong hands if the latest round of proposed cuts goes ahead. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Talitha Best, Professor of Psychology, CQUniversity Australia Victoria Rodriguez/Unsplash How do sugar rushes work? – W.H, age nine, from Canberra What a terrific question W.H! Let’s explore this, starting with some of the basics. What is sugar? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karinna Saxby, Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne MART PRODUCTION/Pexels Increasing income support could help keep women and children safe according to new work demonstrating strong links between financial insecurity and domestic violence. ...
ANALYSIS:By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark A Gregory, Associate Professor, School of Engineering, RMIT University The telecommunications industry faces a major shakeup following the release of the post-incident report on last November’s 12-hour Optus outage. Telecommunications companies will have to share more information with customers during future ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoa’s booksellers. This week: Eden Denyer, bookseller at Unity Books Auckland.Weirdest question/request you’ve had on the shop floorA mother came in looking for anything we might have on Alaskan bison as that was her little boy’s ...
NZCTU Economist Craig Renney said new data released by Statistics New Zealand shows the need for Government to act now, with unemployment rising from 3.4% to 4.3%. ...
The outpouring of anger over Maiki Sherman’s hyperbolic presentation of this week’s ‘nightmare’ poll is itself an overreaction, argues Stewart Sowman-Lund. Politicians love nothing more than to pretend they don’t care about polls. This week, deputy prime minister Winston Peters said he didn’t give a “rat’s derriere” about a TVNZ ...
Asia Pacific Report Ngāti Kahungunu in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay region has become the first indigenous Māori iwi (tribe) to sign a resolution calling for a “ceasefire in Palestine”, reports Te Ao Māori News. Reporter Te Aniwaniwa Paterson talked to Te Otāne Huata, who has been organising peace rallies ...
By Dale Luma in Port Moresby “We want grants and not concessional loans,” is the crisp message from Papua New Guinea businesses directly affected by the Black Wednesday looting four months ago. The businesses, which lost millions after the January 10 rioting and looting, say they need grants as part ...
Happy May Day. Join a union. Q: What’s worse than a staff break room where the only place to sit and have a cup of tea is on a teetering stack of old pornography magazines? A: Your boss replacing the magazine stacks with chairs that are “heartily encrusted with ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Former opposition leader Matthew Wale has been announced as the second prime ministerial candidate ahead of the election in Solomon Islands tomorrow. He will face off against former foreign affairs minister Jeremiah Manele, who was announced by the Coalition for National Unity and Transformation ...
We get but one birthday a year – why not make it last as long as possible by scheduling as many meals with friends and family as you can? This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. How do you celebrate your birthday? Do you celebrate at ...
A Koi Tū discussion paper released today proposes sweeping changes to New Zealand’s media industry. The principal’s key author, Gavin Ellis, explains how journalists have a key role to play in making others value their role in society. This is an abridged version of a piece first published on knightlyviews.com ...
The Government’s spending cuts are again targeting support for Māori with proposed reform of the agency charged with advising on Māori wellbeing and development. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Douglas, Honorary Senior Lecturer, UNSW Aviation., UNSW Sydney The history of budget jet airlines in Australia is a long road littered with broken dreams. New entrants have consistently struggled to get a foothold. Low-cost carrier Bonza has just become the industry’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rosalind Dixon, Director, Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, UNSW Sydney Australia is finally having a sustained conversation about violence against women and what we can do about it. It is more than time. Australian women and girls continue to experience ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne stockfour/Shutterstock Preliminary bulk billing data released this week shows a 2.1% rise in bulk billing up to March. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Schulz, Senior Lecturer, University of Adelaide Australia is once again grappling with how we can stop gendered violence in our country. Protests over the weekend show there is enormous community anger over the number of women who are dying and National ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University AnastasiaDudka/Shutterstock What if the government was doing everything it could to stop thieves making off with our money, except the one thing that could really work? That’s how it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Harrington, Senior Lecturer in English and Cultural Studies, University of Canterbury The Conversation It seems to be a time of old favourites. This month our experts have recommended two new seasons – the second season of Alone Australia (although ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland A bright Eta Aquariid meteor photobombed this photo of comet C/2020 F8 (SWAN) in May 2020.Jonti Horner Meteors – commonly known as shooting stars – can be seen on any night of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Flannery, Honorary fellow, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Current concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in Earth’s atmosphere are unprecedented in human history. But CO₂ levels today, and those that might occur in coming decades, did occur millions of years ago. ...
Winston Peters has been keen to dismiss speculation on our involvement in Aukus but will give a speech tonight on the direction of our foreign policy, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Usmar, Lecturer in Critical Media Literacies, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images With the coalition government’s ban of student mobile phones in New Zealand schools coming into effect this week, reaction has ranged from the sceptical (kids will just get ...
Hospitals around the country are not allowed to make a single hiring decision without the approval of Te Whatu Ora's head office, including for cleaners and administration staff. ...
A new report on protecting journalism and democracy in New Zealand recommends a levy be charged on global platforms like Facebook and Google to fund media firms undertaking public interest reporting. It also calls for the reinstatement of a powerful Broadcasting Commission to distribute public funding for journalism and other ...
On International Workers' Day, also known as May Day, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi and the wider union movement are celebrating the proud history of the labour movement during a tough time for working people. ...
From bills to beards, a walk through the former Green co-leader’s time in politics. After close to a decade in politics, James Shaw is preparing to bid farewell to parliament. Tonight will see the former minister deliver his valedictory address, certain to be a speech filled with Shaw’s trademark wit ...
Two months ago, MPs unanimously voted to give themselves a week off in Efeso Collins’ honour. On Tuesday, most were too busy to give even an hour of their time. The day Fa’anānā Efeso Collins died, parliament felt different. In a building that operates at a breakneck pace, everyone stopped ...
India’s election involves hundreds of millions of people and is a months-long affair. Here’s how voting works and what’s at stake.The biggest-ever election in world history started on April 19, with more than 10% of the world’s population eligible to vote. Elections in India, the world’s most populous country ...
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Behind closed doors, NZ First will be arguing fiercely against any watering down of the ministerial decision-making powers in the Bill The post Bishop backtracks after fast-track backlash appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Emotional scenes played out in the Invercargill courthouse on the first two days of the coronial inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones, in which the boy’s mother was accused of disposing of her son’s body. The second season of Newsroom’s award-nominated podcast The Boy in the Water ...
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After the Christchurch earthquake, the then-national civil defence boss compared his experience to “putting a team on the rugby field who have never ever played together before”. Now, eight years later – and following a damning inquiry into the emergency response of cyclones Gabrielle, Hale and the Auckland anniversary weekend floods – ...
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Koi Tū New Zealand cannot sit back and see the collapse of its Fourth Estate, the director of Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures, Sir Peter Gluckman, says in the foreword of a paper published today. The paper, “If not journalists, then who?” paints a picture of an industry ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Foreign investment proposals with implications for Australia’s strategic or economic security will face tougher scrutiny, under a policy overhaul to be announced by Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Wednesday. At the same time, the government ...
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Inquiry confirms Marsden pipeline damager was connected with Oravida: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/115811300/fuel-firms-told-to-invest-at-auckland-airport-by-june-or-government-should-step-in
And the due date for the report would be no surprise and would have been known for a long time,"how convenient" that Collins just happens, coincidentally, to be overseas?
Bless her. All that kauri won't sell itself.. 🙂
incredibly shameless behaviour from the Nats, and it almost worked.
https://twitter.com/LewSOS/status/1173676394544414720?s=20
another scandal that the media have forgotten about
https://twitter.com/publicaddress/status/1173683740318588928?s=20
Any New Zealander with the intelligence to look at what is happening in China – the incarceration of over 1 million Uyghurs in "re-education" camps, the ongoing persecution of the Tibetans and Christians, and now the pressure (and probable invasion) of Hong Kong, – and imagine that China, with its aim of world domination, won't do the same here when they take over, is dreaming.
Trump may be a complete f-wit, and he may be dangerous, but Xi Jingping is sinister.
Too much of the purist race thing from China – and stories of Falun Gong being allocated status of bad and so dispensable. What have we here; a country admired principally because it 'has the trains running on time' as was said of Mussolini's Italy.
Me, myself, I always see democracy as the end. Don't know how close Japan has got yet. Is that 'dogma' or over-idealisation? I'm proud of it, rather than the 'freedom' of WW 2 which lead to our present plutocracy. And the US Supreme Court refusing to defend 'democracy'. Makes you laugh your guts out.
It will be interesting to see if today Bennett persists with her line of questioning at QT. Even more interesting if Winston answers on behalf of the PM.
Newsroom Laura Walters has published in full the Simon Mitchell report on his declaration of the non appearance of Sarah's complaint.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/09/16/811922/labour-party-doubles-down-on-its-version-of-events
Te Spinoff has the lawyer's statement and a response from the complainant: https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/16-09-2019/two-statements-on-the-labour-party-inquiry/
Isn't it great to see real journalism from new media organisations.
I'm relieved that Spinoff and Newsroom are on the scene.
Thanks Sacha for the link to Spinoff. Simon and Sarah cannot both be right. Maybe the emails did not arrive at their destination but Sarah also says she discussed the details with Simon and the Committee. Weird!
2+2= a twisted piece of string.
2+2/(sexual assault trauma+rape culture) = a twisted piece of string sticking out of a Gordian knot ball of string.
Yesterday the Spinoff published that with a response from the complainants' lawyer. Have a look, Ian, see what you think when you compare both statements. Rare to see such a stark incompatibility in regard to the assertions of fact! https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/16-09-2019/two-statements-on-the-labour-party-inquiry/
Seems to me they possess proof that the complainants are telling the truth, but it hinges on each email destination computer address – and if it reliably identitifies the owner/operator. To helpfully inform the public, they ought to publish each email as a photo so we can see the evidence for ourselves.
One can send an email but forget attachments but Sarah says she discussed the detail with the committee who say no she didn't. It would be very sad if Sarah has bigger problems of recall.
Have Spinoff/Newsroom Bennett actually met Sarah?
Dunno. That's another facet of the controversy that bothers me. Unidentifiable people can seem hypothetical! We assume they are actually real because Labour party sources say they are. Blind faith can work – the christians achieved hegemony for millennia using it – but I'd prefer politics to be based on real humans, their actual experience and evidence.
Mitchell writes he advised Sarah to email the assistant Labour gen sec rather than himself, and doesn't say that person provided the panel with copies, so Sarah could have been under a false impression. If deliberate, seems bad faith to me…
This interesting Correction in stuff Monday 16/9/19 P2 :
Richard Griffin's column published in The Nelson Mail on Saturday incorrectly stated that the alleged offender in the Labour scandal worked in the prime minster's office in the Beehive, and that he was a member of her "hand-picked staff". It also incorrectly stated that the role would require "daily, sometimes hourly, interaction with the prime minister".
[]
The alleged offender worked in the Labour leader's office, a unit that helps MPs deal with the day-to-day business of Parliament. It is based in the Bowen House office block and is separate from the prime minister's office, on the ninth floor of the Beehive.
Stuff has printed the correction which reins in Richard Griffin's reckons to actual reality. ('There are things that you know, you don't know', and things you don't know that you don't know, etc. Refer to Donald Rumsfeld, USA Secretary of Defense speech. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiPe1OiKQuk)
A feature of newspaper presentation of content to the reader that stuff displays shows disrespect for prime people in our polity and their positions of authority. Notice how, in the item copied above, buildings such as Beehive and Bowen House begin with a capital letter. However 'prime minister' is in lower case! I think that says something about the lack of respect of the media barons for the people and our elected representatives and government itself. (I inserted a space to create a second paragraph in the correction piece which made its meaning clearer I thought.)
Who knew Ardern has two offices?? Hardly anyone, I suspect. I wonder if she uses both. Can't really blame the Dick for being confused.
Re capitalisation, could be the journo is caught between two worlds: that of those trained in traditional grammar & those not. Result is random capitalisation, to serve both audiences…
Electorate MPs also have electorate offices in their electorates. Who knew? John Key used to have many hats, remember?
Yeah but using that logic you'd have to count a third office for the PM in her electorate. The two she seems to have in parliament do reflect her twin hats, of course. If they are staffed by folk performing different functions – those required by the twin processes of democracy & governance – then nobody can claim it's a waste of space & resources.
??
Nobody’s talking about “a waste of space & resources”!?
Just me. I blame my deceased father, who drummed it into me during childhood. That generation grew up in the depression, so `waste not, want not' permanently shaped their mind-set.
I hear you.
No I think that the writing form or rules has been declared on capitalisation – its not up to personal preference.
…in the item copied above, buildings such as Beehive and Bowen House begin with a capital letter. However 'prime minister' is in lower case!
It's actually a bit of a grey area. If you're thinking about it generically, ie as the office that's used by prime ministers of New Zealand, it's the prime minster's office. If you're thinking about it as the office of Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister, it's the Prime Minister's office. Either is fine in the context it was used in.
Don't blame me for it PM. Or that other commenter who calls themself Grey Area.
There are various rationalisations for changing capitalisation such as this one from The Guardian. The writer sounds as if he is Up Himself (to use a less formal style).
https://www.theguardian.com/media/mind-your-language/2010/oct/04/new-york-street-signs-capitals
Most readers seem comfortable with a less formal style. A grand total of two people complained about our coverage of the pope's, rather than the Pope's, recent visit to the UK. We did receive a letter last week complaining that calling David Cameron the prime minister, not the Prime Minister (a style we have been following for more than a decade) reflected a "lowering of standards", but such complaints are few.
This is what Canterbury Uni says. But they don't make it clear about titles and honorifics. It appears that one could refer to the chancellor of The University of Canterbury, even though they would be of equal importance, one needing the other, I would think.
https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/webguide/uc-style-guide/writing-for-the-web/language-usage/
We are having great discussions about the lack of respect for complaints about bullying of people, and the casual acceptance of sexual urges being displayed and acted on. Perhaps we are all too bloody casual about what consideration good humans must have for others, respecting their bright and brief life on this earth, similar to our own beacon with an inestimable cornucopia of abundant gifts, so often unrecognised.
Rather despise Richard Griffin. Instrument. He has a column in Nelson? One of those doves freed by social democracy who doesn't come back to perform devotion like my polio uncle for CCS. Hard to like these freed fools as much as they obviously like themselves.
imagine what would happen if the labour party or the greens had as an mp – a former(?) chinese-spook/member of the chinese communist party..?
and j.ardern/shaw went with said mp to china…for a meeting with the head of chinas’ spooks….?
the media would have such a meltdown – they would need to be put on life-support…
hosking would implode….
hooton would have palpitations..
the tories do it..?…nedia/r.w-spinners/toadys – totally unruffled..
I worry about how vaping is being promoted – please pass onto the vapers in your life
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-16/im-horrified-by-the-damage-vaping-does-to-lungs/11516316
seems a no brainer to me: regulate in the same way as tobacco (including in pubic spaces). Better yet, also make it a med that has to be bought from a pharmacy.
It's fucking ridiculous that people are saying inhaling chemical-carrying vapour multiple times a day deep into your lungs won't have harmful effects.
I mentioned in my responses about vaping a few days ago how Doctors don't advocate anyone start vaping, for the same reasons noted above about smoking tobacco or cannabis – Putting anything your lungs apart from clean fresh air is a bad decision. However, smokers are advised to switch, because it is deemed the safer option.
Harvard edu on vaping damage to lungs
Ignoring the recent cluster of u.s cases, likely to be caused by contaminants, their bottom line is "Perhaps vaping should be viewed as a “lesser of evils” for current cigarette smokers." which is what the medics have told us.
For those smoking cannabis, the outlook is not so good.
American lung Assoc on weed smoking damage to lungs
Vaping "may have similar respiratory health effects as e-cigarette use." but smokers have a far worse bottom line and projected end game.
Though obviously not as bad as tobacco smokers
https://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/smoking-facts/health-effects-of-smoking.html
People can make choices about which they want to do based on their own health, no problem with that. My concern is the people saying that vaping is benign for the vaper and those around them. It's not and it's daft to say that. We should be regulating this around advertising, public space and so on. The push for it to be trendy and everywhere is capitalist, hipster bullshit.
I would apply that to cannabis too. Same regs on public spaces (and enclosed spaces like cars), don't allow advertising. The capitalists are going to be all over cannabis too if they get the chance. Hoping we can legalise without making the mistakes the US has.
The 'push for it to be everywhere' is funded by tobacco companies. Enough said.
yep.
I know I've never bough a vape product, or been influenced to by a tobacco company, though of course that doesn't mean some haven't since they've entered the local market.
The current saturation marketing push seems timed to get in before the product is regulated. How it has not been mystifies me.
They're trying to get market share where they have historically had none, and with the big money comes big advertising and promotion, but that's not all going there way.
Big tobacco in NZ – Stuff
I've never met someone or seen any advocate for vaping say they aren't without risk, which I suppose is why they are an r18 product, even the non nicotine e liquids.
Not being either I don't know if it's capitalist hipster bs, remembering how cigarettes use to be 'cool' too and they were/are really gross, but if more regulation is needed then so be it. Advertising should probably run along the lines of tobacco ie None, and public spaces like smoking should be off limits, if people aren't already considerate with their habit, which I know, some aren't.
I don't agree that flavours should be banned for consenting adults, but if they are, what will be etc… we can always add our own, though of course that makes a bit of an ass out of the law where nicotine is permitted but a flavour draws the foul and gets a red card.
I vape it got me off 2 packs a day. With the cases in the USA most of them are with CBD oils not normal juice, and i do agree juices need to be treated like smokes .
Good news story
Vaping is to Labour as Cigarettes are to National.
The lesser of two evils is correct. I guess it's the marketing why some vapers think they're doing themselves no harm. As an ex-smoker and vaper I'm trying to keep my head out of the clouds, and looking to stop the vape in time – but addiction has its hooks deep. Other substances have been by comparison easy to give up while nicotine will mess with me psychologically for years after a quit event.
When you add mental health issues like depression into the mix, a malady known for exacerbating self destructive behavior, it is no surprise so many still partake.
Promoting it seems criminal, except as an alternate to smoking. The underlying causes of mental stress and depression range considerably, but much might be placed squarely at the feet of a society that competes rather than cooperates and places money before man; with governments and media that exacerbate division and derision of fairer human characteristics.
The opportunists aka capitalists with no moral compass have an awful lot to answer for. Opiate epidemic in US = money money money.
I originally read this and was preparing to strongly disagree, until I noticed 'except'. lol
As an alternative to smoking, even without long term data to support it, it's a common refrain from those who have made the switch. I've said before I recommend it to every smoker I meet, not only for the real up change in lifestyle, but especially financially.
True weka 100% That vaping chemicals together in combinations that have never been toxicology analysed as together in a combined synergistic insult may be far more harmful than each component used separately.
Even more than that one must also consider the combined effects sitting in a room with several others vaping with other chemicals added into their vapor will be added to the air all are breathing and even add a more toxic soup to human health damage, so we need to stop vaping as it is just like playing Russian roulette.
What chemicals and in what untested combinations are being vaped?
No surprises here.
https://twitter.com/dgaytandzhieva/status/1173300452924039168?s=20
http://armswatch.com/
Interesting to learn that the university is such a hot bed of smokers desperate to get off the cigs that the benevolent producers of vapes have taken to sponsoring slots on the student radio to help these students get the help they need.
In my post-grad classes there was maybe 1:30 smokers. Typically the only person out for a smoke break with me was staff. Undergrad probably twice that. Can only speak for the biological sciences…
wtf?
and the response is, well, an absolute joke and shameful imo
History eh – just make it up – now this is some history
Can I ask what position in the tribe the "single iwi representative " holds.
Missionary. 🙂
Hey B, is it the Farmers Weekly that's the good rural newspaper?
It's the one that isnt totally bias. Gives all sides a platform . This week is quiet a feature on how much pressure is supposedly being heaped on farmers from the governments massive reform programmes.
I put supposedly as it could be true but being just a lowly shepherd it’s all above me . ( just the way I like it)
I see a Herald headline today: Mike Hosking: 'Now I'm not so sure we are being fleeced on petrol prices." Was he a tobacco salesman and lobbyist in a previous life?
ouch
https://twitter.com/adamkotsko/status/1173051399967596544
What a disgraceful idiot this person is
ummm yeah nah it is totally IN character for you imo
We actually have a disability parking permit – but seldom use it because the boy is doing well and he feels that the space can be left for someone who needs it more. I have always thought that society is able to function only because of a myriad of such small acts of virtue – far more so than merely obeying the law. But it looks like such good nature just provides an 'opportunity' for the Siggis of the world.
She was obviously in a hurry – pulled up and jumped out and was snapped in that second. She may have been busting to go to the loo, that is very disabling. We can give people the benefit of the doubt sometimes i think.
Why would you leap to shine the best light on her behaviour? She has a track record.
She can't even steal a mobility park properly. Clown.
The law of unintended consequences and the genetically modified mosquito that has gone wild.
https://twitter.com/nntaleb/status/1172907395439312899
What;s that? Don't be enigmatic, be automatic to put your link so we can keep up with you, speedy.
click on photo show reference to SR
Just another culture war, don't get excited. Green fundies vs philanthropists & geneticists. https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2019/08/06/gmo-mosquitoes-could-save-millions-from-malaria-but-progressive-agroecologists-mobilize-against-gates-funded-project/
"This spring Target Malaria ran a carefully controlled experimental release in Burkina Faso. The test followed years of research and similar successful releases in Latin America and the Caribbean. None of that mattered to the coalition of 40 leading environmental and “civil society” organizations demanding the project be shut down immediately."
We should not forget that while there are plenty of philandering men out there,
there are also plenty of silly women.
[Please stick to one user name, thanks]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
What a terrible thing to say … being silly is irrelevant ..or having a drink or wearing what you please.
People are getting sick and tired of Boorish. I bet he would never sit and eat his meals nicely when his parents had him around. Now the EU feels like spanking him, but of course they are too civilised, and instead are developing a new nuke that personalises by going after your smell and DNA with cells that they have grown from a swab of a dog's nose. (No animals would have been hurt in the experiment except Boorish. They probably have got Eion Musk interested in it.) /sarc
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49715705 Brexit: Boris Johnson attacked by Luxembourg PM over 'nightmare'
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-49695563/passports-and-nationality-the-brits-going-dutch-over-brexit
Channel 4 News 846K subscribers
It was the day BoJo went No Show. Boris Johnson, in Luxembourg for talks with EU officials, abruptly pulled out of a joint press conference with the country's prime minister Xavier Bettel, amid noisy anti-Brexit protests opposite the podiums. Mr Bettel, who heads one of Europe's smallest countries, promptly upstaged Mr Johnson by going ahead without him, describing Brexit as a "nightmare" for EU citizens. You can't hold people hostage for party political reasons, he said, and don't blame us for the mess you made. Mr Johnson is still insisting there is time to agree a Brexit deal.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1178721/Brexit-news-Boris-Johnson-Benn-no-deal-delay-today-live-BBC-backstop-UK-EU
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-no-deal-boris-johnson-leave-legal-loophole-a9107051.html 'Flaw' in legislation passed by MPs means opponents of no-deal will need to take 'counter measures' to ensure UK does not crash out of EU next month, barrister says
A thinkpiece for constitutional law watchers. https://ukconstitutionallaw.org/2019/09/13/oliver-garner-the-benn-burt-extension-act-a-roadblock-to-a-no-deal-brexit/
The Charge of the Light Brigade I
HALF a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
'Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!' he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
II
'Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
That's the spirit, forward, follow me say the doughty warriors, and be remembered for being heroes who overcame rationality, rode forth trying to take the high ground and fell on your noses.
Boorish as the Black Night, (come on ya pansy) the EU is with the King of the Britons in this debacle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=886hNDgwfMk
Paula Bennett in the House today all concerned about ethics.
Was she the one who released the personal information about Winston Peters before the last election?
The media can't help itself even while it pats itself on the back for being a virtuous outlet. Take note how they will reach into records of your past and will stick you at will with sad events you wanted to let lie. This in the Otago Daily Times which I thought had standards.
https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/cricket/ben-stokes-family-tragedy-half-brother-sister-shot-dead-children
Paula Bennet can get up Parliament and under privilege mention the name of someone alleged to have done something but Winston Peters can't get up and mention Judith Collins as a person connected to Oravida?
Certainly a bit odd Peter. Mallard did refer to Ruling 23 as to why, but we amateurs may not reason why. Must be pretty compelling but of course most would know the Collins connection.
I agree with the idiot (/savant): http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2019/09/contempt.html – I hadn't noticed that the British legal establishment had decided to pull the plug on British arms manufacturers. Is there a whiff of revolution in the air over there??
Will the minister who broke the law get punished? Seems a real test of the traditional expectation of `rule of law' only applying to the wealthy & powerful when standard evasion strategies fail.
"The president of New Zealand's criminal lawyers' society supports legalising cannabis for personal use", reports Stuff. "The association said its membership comprised 700 practicing criminal lawyers across New Zealand… "I think most members would support legalisation of cannabis for personal use," Andersen said." https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/115818154/legalise-weed-criminal-lawyer-group-president-says
Seems significant, inasmuch as parts of the establishment making progress hardly ever happens. Sadly, the 80% of Aotearoans who have voluntarily embarked on the outlaw lifestyle are now threatened with the establishment seal of approval. I wonder, when the mystique evaporates, what other form of rebellion they will seek.
Listening to the 4pm RNZ news, I thought I heard Winston accusing Jacinda of issuing fake news. Apparently she told the media he was having a month off due to knee surgery, or something, so when he returned & media asked him about it he said no, that was fake news. Well, he could have said she misunderstood, eh?
So if there's headlines screaming `Deputy PM accuses PM of fake news' it will mean journos took it like I did. I doubt Winston had that intent. Just shows the fine line between perception & reality, eh? 🙄
did he say why he was off if it wasn't due to knee surgery?
No, and the evening tv news just called it a health reason. Featured Winston's condemnation of PB instead.
"Ardern said the operation was related to an old rugby injury he received many years ago.
A spokesman for Peters would not go into any further detail on the operation, other than to say the way Ardern had described it was accurate"
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12264185
Judith Collins must be ready to come home now to face our accusers of the 'Oridiva demolition pipe company' scandal now?
Welcome home Judith.
Queen Judith Orivida Collins. Digger operations Manager of the Kauri Swamp log & Auckland Airport Energy pipeline destruction cover-up It’d. (2014).
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/115811300/fuel-firms-told-to-invest-at-auckland-airport-by-june-or-government-should-step-in
The inquiry report published on Tuesday said a digger operated by a "contractor" suspected of damaging the fuel pipeline in 2014, setting in motion its later failure, was owned by Auckland company Oravida Kauri, which was renamed Kauri Ruakaka the following year
Shapiro's inerrant right wing logic at work here.
https://twitter.com/JasonSCampbell/status/1173628757221019651