I don't know how many people listen to RNZ these days, but their first report on Morning Report today on the National and Labour retreats in Napier was an astonishingly bad piece of lazy "journalism" that sort of sums up why I switch the radio off these days.
The narrative of modern political reporting is appallingly lazy, dumb and cynical.
First up we were told what to think ("What has Napier done to deserve these horrible people?") then it was couched as a horse race ("everything to play for") followed by a lazy fact ("Napier is a traditional Labour seat" Except for the six years it was a National seat… much better would have been HISTORICALLY Labour, but hardly a traditional seat these days) followed by some more horse race bullshit and then I had to switch off, but I assume the polls got a look in as well.
This is the quality of what passes for journalism on the publically funded news station these days.
If you want an example of something intelligent, watch this. A balm for the brain.
I like him too, he’s a prime example of an intelligent commentator who has a diverse range of opinions, that often runs counter to the conventional wisdom .You will not agree with everything he has to say., but neither should you
He’s also got conservative views on the family etc that I don’t 100% agree with , but he argues intelligently and rationally and is a pleasure to listen to.
"It would be unfair to entirely blame the Labour Party for this situation. Global capitalism has had a similar effect on politics everywhere. Anyone who steps out of line is quickly subject to market discipline, which is the real locus of power in modern politics – not a bunch of MPs yapping and smirking at each other in Question Time."
A relatively long read that personifies the short (almost everything is) history of the left in NZ ….sadly there appears no happy ending.
One does have to be a little bit careful about Ms Locke's research. In one of her previous books she named 2 people who worked for one of the SUP "front" organisations associated with the TUC in Auckland as being members of that Party. Neither were. One is now deceased, and the other is still a member of the N Z Labour Party as they were at the time. These "facts" are still repeated in other publications – being quoted or received from her book.
One must also recall the frequently bitter rivalry between the SUP and the Workers' Communist League (dubbed the "Weasels") and the Socialist Action League (the "Trots"). That rivalry dates back to student activist days in the 1970's between the more CPNZ orientated groups and the SAL.
I was very proud to have been one of the just under 200 people who voted for Bill Andersen in the 1978 General Election. I found myself in the Tamaki Electorate at the time and joined what was probably half of Kupe St in voting for Bill and not for Muldoon.
”Collins, who was the unsuccessful National leader at the last election, is now ranked at number 10 and has been given the new portfolios of Foreign Direct Investment and Digitising Government on top of Land Information and Science, Innovation and Technology. She was previously ranked 17th.”
No doubt the new ministry of Foreign Direct Investment will be as chilling as it sounds. A whole floor of public servants dedicated to selling off what remains of the silver.
And in Pythonesque news, Barbara Kuriger, who abused her position to pressure authorities to drop an investigation into her son and husband for abusing animals has been given…Conservation.
Luxon is tone deaf, but muddle NZ lap it up because house prices.
Taliban foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, has told the Russian special envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, that the group was listening to Moscow on forming an “inclusive government” and “human rights issues.”
Is that the same Judith Collins now the opposition Science spokeser that in 2020 reportedly stated that the Covid 19 virus was nothing to worry about as there had obviously been 18 before it. Nothing like putting the best intellects on to this sciencey thingo.
My feeling is that it was another intellectual heavy-weight and all-round nice person. A former leader within the Nats, Michelle Boag. From memory she uttered that brain fart on RNZ's Panel.
Be careful what you ask for, here is a link for some reading. (It covers the 18 other Covids too.) As a reminder as to what an unsavoury character she has been.
That is Luxon’s "Talented Team" Muttonbird. Never mind "Bottom Feeders."… What about "Bottom of the Barrel?"
Judith will do the praying.
Todd Muller will do the worrying,
Does this mean that the Caucus, the Party members and the Unions will all get to vote in a drawn out campaign like the one that made Andrew Little the leader or have they switched back to having the Caucus alone elect the leader?
Can anyone who is involved in the Labour Party explain what the current rules are?
Wellington had a rather famous Drag Queen who did pretty well in the Mayoral election in 1977. She finished fourth on election day, which is where Labour candidate Paul Eagle was when the polls closed last year.
She had a wonderful campaign slogan. It wasn't something boring and forgettable like "Lets keep moving". Carmen's was "Get in behind Carmen for Mayor"
I think we might be much better off if we had more Drag Queens in politics.
Carmen was a trans identified person – not a "Drag Queen". She had what they euphemistically call "top surgery" but still had male genitalia. She lived full time as a woman.
please don't get personal. If you have a specific argument to make about how we do politics you need to a) make an argument, and b) quote and link to the things you are referring to. But you still cannot harass TS authors here, so choose your framing and words carefully.
Certainly Weka I was just pointing out the hypocrisy of one of your TS writers.
[lprent: Leading with an opinion is fine. But doing so with neither an argument nor a link nor even an explanation on what in the hell you’re talking about is not. Especially since you assertion appears to have nothing to do with the content of the post.
Especially when you’re personally attacking one of my authors with a unsubstantiated smear in a post that has nothing to do with it. Continuing to do it after being requested to desist by a mod is worse.
Do anything like this piss-poor behaviour again and I’ll ban you until November or permanently.
If you want to comment here, then you need to act less like a lazy fuckwit troll with a grudge and more like someone who can think and can argue with some description or evidence about what you’re talking about and why.
Otherwise go back to TDB comments or Slaters site where making up stories up is encouraged. ]
[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.]
[banned until 1 month after Ardern’s resignation date ie 7/3/24. You trolled once too often, after multiple warnings and we’re having a clear out for election year. We don’t need dickheads here flaming people. – weka]
Looked at the title and photo, observed to myself that Jacinda spent much of the lock-down time in Parliament and was doing a lot of her work remotely prior to the lock downs when pregnant or with a young child.
It occurred to me that the comment was just a joke.
I also noted that the article was in entertainment which didn’t even interest me in the est-while topic. I read business and economics articles about the the struggle employers have justifying their office lease costs.
You hadn't provided any of your own opinion. Nor had you provided a reason for putting it up that related to the post. I didn't read the link because you hadn't provided me with any reason to do so.
This site is is for robust debate. That means that you as a commenter are expected to put skin into the debate and actually argue you opinion. Your comment didn't explain what your opinion was, nor why the link should be clicked into, nor why it was relevant to the post. In short, it didn't the site standard.
So I concluded that you must have mistaken this site for being twitter and generously moved the comment to our twit area.
BTW: Personally, I work from home, and have established a personal policy that a bikeable distance is the longest that I’m willing to tolerate as a commute. Since there is no bike path to Auckland’s north shore that isn’t less than 20km it means remote, central, south, or west fro 7km max.
GR to be acting PM, if Ardern is late back from her break, and after Feb 7 if the matter is not decided by then.
David Parker to manage the process (precedent as temporary leader during a previous contest and he is AG). He had earlier withdrawn from a contest to support Shearer.
1. Andrew Little who moved aside to make way for Ardern and it still there. For better and or worse is better known now than then.
2. Megan Wood, minister of a lot of stuff and occasional stand up partner of the PM
3. boy faced common stand up partner of the PM and minister of a lot of stuff and ready to go from shorts to trousers (but who wanted to wait till autumn).
The most bold of the options. More a chance later in the year … if they lose (or 2026 if they lose again).
They chose Palmer for the 1990 “poisoned chalice” holder role (by then Anderton had walked), Moore lost in 1993 (the Alliance votes cost him victory), and Clark in 1996 was blocked by Peters campaigning for the opposition and keeping National in power.
A sad decade/bookend on the hopes of the 1984 election.
I'm actually a Mt Albert NZLP member. I don't think any of your prospective candidates are willing or likely to pass my perusal.
But it is going to be interesting to see who stands for the position in Mt Albert. They're kind of demanding about the quality of their candidates.
BTW: I'd hardly call Micheal Woods 'new'. I ran across him at a Wellington Labour conference or congress – pretty sure that was in the late 90s. He was very active (and competent) in Mt Roskill electorate back in the Clark government days when I was still active.
I'm not sure who I'd vote for if it goes to members – but he would be up in the top few.
So citizen Thiel was boosting bitcoin while he was dumping it.
/
Founders Fund, the venture capital firm co-founded by billionaire Peter Thiel, closed almost all of its eight-year bet on cryptocurrencies shortly before the market began to crash last year, generating about $1.8bn in returns.
The San Francisco-based fund made its first investment in bitcoin in early 2014 and went on to invest large sums in crypto. About two-thirds of its overall investment was used to buy bitcoin, said people close to the fund.
Founders Fund sold out of the vast majority of its entire cryptocurrency portfolio by the end of March 2022 — before the digital assets market became swept up in a crisis in May last year, said one of the people close to the fund.
The fund currently has no significant exposure to cryptocurrencies, the people said. The winding-down of its crypto bet has not previously been reported. Founders Fund declined to comment.
[…]
In April 2022, about the same time that Founders Fund sold out of most of its cryptocurrency holdings, Thiel said he was optimistic about the future of bitcoin. He told a cryptocurrency conference in Miami that “we’re at the end of the fiat money regime” and suggested its price — which was then trading at about $44,000 — could increase by a factor of 100.
‘It has been said that figures rule the world. Maybe. I am quite sure that it is figures which show us whether it is being ruled well or badly.’ GoetheI was struck at a recent conference on equity for the elderly, how many presenters implicitly relied upon Statistics New Zealand. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveReporting on defence spending late last year, RNZ said the coalition government will have to make some tough calls this term to help the force address staff shortages and ageing infrastructure. “These are huge, huge amounts of government spending. It’s a significant proportion of the government’s ...
Peter Dunne writes – I am always wary when I hear that the Controller and Auditor-General has commented on or made recommendations to the government about an issue of public policy that does not relate strictly to public expenditure. According to the legislation, the role of the Controller ...
How Labour’s and National’s failure to move beyond neoliberalism has brought NZ to the brink of economic and cultural chaos Chris Trotter writes – TO START LOSING, so soon after you won, requires a special kind of political incompetence. At the heart of this Coalition ...
And why did the Crown not challenge the Tribunal’s jurisdiction? Gary Judd writes – Retired District Court Judge, David Harvey, has posted on his A Halflings View Substack an excellent summary of Justice Isacs’ judgment declining to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result?As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and ...
Macklemore isn’t someone I’d usually think about. Sure I liked his big hit from a few years back, everybody did it was catchy and cool with some memorable lines. But if I was going to think of artists who might speak out on political matters or world events, he wouldn’t ...
Another week goes by in the Luxon government’s efforts to roll back the past 70 years of social progress. The school lunches programme is to be downgraded by $107 million, and women need bother their heads no longer about pay equity, let alone expect ACC to provide adequate sexual violence ...
Brrr, the first cold snap of the year. Hope you’re rugged up nice and warm. Here are some stories that caught our eye this week… This Week on Greater Auckland On Monday, we had a post from a new contributor, Connor Sharp, who dug into the public feedback ...
Almost all of the Wellington City Council’s recommended zoning changes to allow many more apartments and townhouses in its inner-suburbs have been approved.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guest on geopolitics, ...
Open access notablesA Global Increase in Nearshore Tropical Cyclone Intensification, Balaguru et al., Earth's Future:Tropical Cyclones (TCs) inflict substantial coastal damages, making it pertinent to understand changing storm characteristics in the important nearshore region. Past work examined several aspects of TCs relevant for impacts in coastal regions. However, ...
Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result? As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and always answered “yes”, with very few ...
Thus far May has followed on from a quiet April in the blogging department, but in fairness, it has been another case of doing what I am supposed to be doing, namely writing original fiction. Plus reading. So don’t worry – I have been productive. But in order to reassure ...
Buzz from the Beehive A new government agency will open for business on July 1 – the Social Investment Agency. As a new standalone central agency effective from 1 July, it will lead the development of social investment across Government, helping ministers understand who they need to invest in, what ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The ...
Alwyn Poole writes – After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
Eric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
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. ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
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 ...
A banner notification alerts me to the fact that I’ve received an Instagram message from @felicity.loves. She always comments on my posts. I shouldn’t have opened the message, but clicked on the notification before rationalising this. OMG! Are you in Wellys? X I debate not replying, but Instagram will inform ...
In Melbourne’s hardscrabble western suburbs where AFL – Aussie rules football – is a state religion, Callum Donaldson has been quietly grafting away, four months into an odyssey that he hopes will take him to another promised land: the NRL. It was a solid 2023 for the softly spoken 20-year-old ...
Pacific Media Watch Television New Zealand Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to investigative journalism and Pacific communities in a ceremony at Government House, reports 1News. She has been the Pacific correspondent for 1News since 2002, breaking many ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tuesday’s budget will respond to the deepening public agitation over Australia’s housing shortages by pouring new money into crisis accommodation for women and children, social housing and infrastructure. A specially-convened national cabinet late Friday ticked ...
By Kaneta Naimatu in Suva Journalists in the Pacific region play an important role as the “eyes and ears on the ground” when it comes to reporting the climate crisis, says the European Union’s Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert. Speaking at The University of the South Pacific (USP) on World Press ...
Aldora Itunu is back in the Black Ferns squad after a three-year absence. The last of her 24 internationals was an underwhelming loss to France (7-29) in Castres to conclude the disastrous 2021 Northern Tour. The powerhouse prop won a Rugby World Cup in 2017 and thought she was done. ...
The fight to control major transport policy and projects in Auckland has burst into the open again, with councillors rejecting Mayor Wayne Brown’s latest attempt to steer things more under his influence. Councillors from the left and right broke ranks on the mayor’s bid to control Auckland Transport more directly ...
Exhausted by the general election campaign, horrified by the twilight zone of coalition negotiations, distracted by the silly season and waiting for the honeymoon to begin, Raw Politics has been in hibernation since October. From today, we’re back. Our weekly political video show and podcast returns for ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Authorities in the small town of Boulouparis have commemorated Armistice Day on May 8 with a new memorial honouring New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia during World War II. The ceremony took place in the township on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skylineAleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/ShutterstockRecent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell?Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
New Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...
New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams?The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
Wellington City Council should keep its 34% ownership share in Wellington International Airport, argue Unions Wellington spokespeople Finn Cordwell and Ashok Jacob. Insanity, as the saying goes, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Wellington City Council (WCC) is yet again proposing to dispose ...
New Zealand’s largest book publisher has undergone drastic changes this week, leaving its future role in local publishing uncertain. Two of the most recognisable local publishers in New Zealand are among those restructured out of Penguin Random House, it was announced this week. Head of publishing Claire Murdoch will leave ...
The Black Ferns Sevens appeared to be a mile behind Australia at the halfway point of the 2023-24 SVNS international circuit. Winless in three tournaments, a cup quarter-final exit in Perth was one of their worst results. To add insult to injury, talismanic skipper Sarah Hirini had been ruled out ...
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Successive governments have tried, and failed, to count Māori. But with the return of social investment, it’s more important than ever to get good data. The post Government looks for a better way to count Māori appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Experts in financing social investment initiatives say New Zealand is in a prime position to tackle social issues via a social investment approach The post What will Willis’ social investment fund look like? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
In 2021 the Public Interest Journalism Fund launched the Te Rito Journalism project, a $2.4 million initiative to boost diversity in New Zealand’s newsrooms. The initiative was in response to the decades-long shortage of Māori and Pacific journalists in the media industry. It was billed as New Zealand’s ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist A former Tuvalu prime minister says while the New Zealand government’s oil and gas plans show it is concerned about its economy, he is more concerned about the livelihoods and survival of the Tuvalu people. Enele Sopoaga — who still serves as an MP ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Many people who follow federal budgets know about the magnificent “budget tree” in a parliamentary courtyard, which turns a glorious red in time for the May event. This week Treasurer Jim Chalmers posed by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Bennett, Professor of Music, Australian National University Richard P J Lambert/flickr, CC BY The future belongs to the analogue loyalists. Fuck digital. As a tsunami of CDs, DAT tapes and samplers swept the recording industry in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate professor, Music Industry, RMIT University This week American rapper Macklemore released a new track, Hind’s Hall, which has gained a lot of attention because of its explicitly political nature. The track is unapologetically pro-Palestine. It declares the artist’s ...
Explainer - The government from 2025 is mandating how state schools teach children to read. But what is structured literacy and how does it compare to other teaching methods? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danica Jenkins, Lecturer in European Studies, University of Sydney On a freezing spring night in March, Georgia’s national soccer team beat Greece in a nail-biter penalty shootout to qualify for the Euro 2024 championships. The atmosphere on the streets of the capital ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam G. Arian, Lecturer (Accounting & Finance), Australian Catholic University Loic Manegarium/Pexels Imagine every ton of carbon dioxide a company emits is slowly inflating its costs — not just in terms of potential fines or fees but in the capital it ...
I don't know how many people listen to RNZ these days, but their first report on Morning Report today on the National and Labour retreats in Napier was an astonishingly bad piece of lazy "journalism" that sort of sums up why I switch the radio off these days.
The narrative of modern political reporting is appallingly lazy, dumb and cynical.
First up we were told what to think ("What has Napier done to deserve these horrible people?") then it was couched as a horse race ("everything to play for") followed by a lazy fact ("Napier is a traditional Labour seat" Except for the six years it was a National seat… much better would have been HISTORICALLY Labour, but hardly a traditional seat these days) followed by some more horse race bullshit and then I had to switch off, but I assume the polls got a look in as well.
This is the quality of what passes for journalism on the publically funded news station these days.
If you want an example of something intelligent, watch this. A balm for the brain.
Rnz paid the price for being decent once key was elected in 08, griffin gets dropped in and the slide commences.
It's not so much lazy journalism I'd say filtered/targeted depicts it better which requires focus to ensure the spins as intended.
Another killer blow to three waters! Or not.
Also recently a TV news item (can't find the link sorry) about the 84 boil water notices in New Zealand, some going back as long as 20 odd years.
I like him too, he’s a prime example of an intelligent commentator who has a diverse range of opinions, that often runs counter to the conventional wisdom .You will not agree with everything he has to say., but neither should you
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-11246381/PETER-HITCHENS-questions-wisdom-stoking-Ukraine-conflict-despite-threat-nuclear-armageddon.html
He’s also got conservative views on the family etc that I don’t 100% agree with , but he argues intelligently and rationally and is a pleasure to listen to.
I like to be challenged in that way
A most succinct appraisal of politics….
"It would be unfair to entirely blame the Labour Party for this situation. Global capitalism has had a similar effect on politics everywhere. Anyone who steps out of line is quickly subject to market discipline, which is the real locus of power in modern politics – not a bunch of MPs yapping and smirking at each other in Question Time."
A relatively long read that personifies the short (almost everything is) history of the left in NZ ….sadly there appears no happy ending.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/when-the-left-were-actually-left
One does have to be a little bit careful about Ms Locke's research. In one of her previous books she named 2 people who worked for one of the SUP "front" organisations associated with the TUC in Auckland as being members of that Party. Neither were. One is now deceased, and the other is still a member of the N Z Labour Party as they were at the time. These "facts" are still repeated in other publications – being quoted or received from her book.
One must also recall the frequently bitter rivalry between the SUP and the Workers' Communist League (dubbed the "Weasels") and the Socialist Action League (the "Trots"). That rivalry dates back to student activist days in the 1970's between the more CPNZ orientated groups and the SAL.
I was very proud to have been one of the just under 200 people who voted for Bill Andersen in the 1978 General Election. I found myself in the Tamaki Electorate at the time and joined what was probably half of Kupe St in voting for Bill and not for Muldoon.
Chris being brave promoting Judith, or is the talent so thin?
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/01/national-caucus-reshuffle-barbara-kuriger-falls-judith-collins-rockets-back-up-list.html
”Collins, who was the unsuccessful National leader at the last election, is now ranked at number 10 and has been given the new portfolios of Foreign Direct Investment and Digitising Government on top of Land Information and Science, Innovation and Technology. She was previously ranked 17th.”
No doubt the new ministry of Foreign Direct Investment will be as chilling as it sounds. A whole floor of public servants dedicated to selling off what remains of the silver.
And in Pythonesque news, Barbara Kuriger, who abused her position to pressure authorities to drop an investigation into her son and husband for abusing animals has been given…Conservation.
Luxon is tone deaf, but muddle NZ lap it up because house prices.
She knows where all the skeletons are so best keep her elevated and busy or risk dissent and mischief especially with her connections to the oily one.
Old saying – keep your friends close, but your enemies closer!
Charming.
Taliban foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, has told the Russian special envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, that the group was listening to Moscow on forming an “inclusive government” and “human rights issues.”
https://kabulnow.com/2023/01/taliban-we-are-listening-to-our-russian-friends-on-human-rights-issues/
Is that the same Judith Collins now the opposition Science spokeser that in 2020 reportedly stated that the Covid 19 virus was nothing to worry about as there had obviously been 18 before it. Nothing like putting the best intellects on to this sciencey thingo.
Where and when did she say that?
You can surely produce a link for the story.
My feeling is that it was another intellectual heavy-weight and all-round nice person. A former leader within the Nats, Michelle Boag. From memory she uttered that brain fart on RNZ's Panel.
Be careful what you ask for, here is a link for some reading. (It covers the 18 other Covids too.) As a reminder as to what an unsavoury character she has been.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/08-01-2021/the-insider-three-decades-of-amazing-michelle-boag-headlines-2
Oops, Barfly beat me to it.
You are mixing up your National Party lunatics Michelle Boag
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/michelle-boag-yes-that-really-happened/FCH2V4F6RWUWQAVVDOINLFBJ6E/
The Nats promoting Collins and Muller is like a dog returning to its own vomit.
Well, dogs do return to whatever they heaved up as a survival strategy so yeah, Collins and Muller as yesterday's upchuck.
That is Luxon’s "Talented Team" Muttonbird. Never mind "Bottom Feeders."… What about "Bottom of the Barrel?"
Judith will do the praying.
Todd Muller will do the worrying,
Yip the right live to frame leftwing politicians as career budgets but here we have 2 has been that can't find anything better to do, .
And all it took was a year of unrelenting barbarism and brutality. But spin away, tankies.
.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-01-17/kissinger-reverses-sheds-resistance-to-ukraine-joining-nato
https://archive.li/q2yuT
Jacinda is standing down.
Despite my political differences with her, I wish her well. Politics is a tough game, and I can’t blame her for wanting a life.
The PM is resigning from her job on Feb 7 and is not standing for MP at the 2023 election.
Basically saying she intended to but has not re-charged well enough during her break to return to the job.
An election on October 14.
Someone could have said make me acting PM to March and come back then … (GR is not seeking the leadership).
Does this mean that the Caucus, the Party members and the Unions will all get to vote in a drawn out campaign like the one that made Andrew Little the leader or have they switched back to having the Caucus alone elect the leader?
Can anyone who is involved in the Labour Party explain what the current rules are?
If caucus agrees they decide, if not it goes to party membership.
Goneburger. hahahahahahahaha
My comment from the 13th of December
Will Ardern make it to the next election?
Given the ways the polls it is likely that Labour will be the the opposition.
The PM will win the seat of Mt Albert but be in opposition.
Interesting times ahead for Labour. I must stock up on pop corn.
From the OMG files…
Apparently George Santos, liar, fraudster, fantasist, and avowed homophobe and transphobe, was a drag Queen in Brazil.
You couldn't make up shit as good as this about the wackos who inhabit the US Republican party.
https://twitter.com/MarisaKabas/status/1615858614022938626?cxt=HHwWhIC9gaW21-wsAAAA
What is odd about that?
Wellington had a rather famous Drag Queen who did pretty well in the Mayoral election in 1977. She finished fourth on election day, which is where Labour candidate Paul Eagle was when the polls closed last year.
She had a wonderful campaign slogan. It wasn't something boring and forgettable like "Lets keep moving". Carmen's was "Get in behind Carmen for Mayor"
I think we might be much better off if we had more Drag Queens in politics.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/69481625/carmens-scandalous-run-for-wellington-mayor—150-years-of-news
Carmen was a trans identified person – not a "Drag Queen". She had what they euphemistically call "top surgery" but still had male genitalia. She lived full time as a woman.
I'll take your word for it, although she was pretty routinely referred to by the term.
For example "An iconic drag queen from New Zealand, Carmen Rupe was well known for many things."
https://www.makingqueerhistory.com/articles/2019/10/20/carmen-rupe#:~:text=An%20iconic%20drag%20queen%20from,life%20was%20a%20full%20one.
I am so sad Jacinda has decided to leave.
Totally understandable though.
Do look at this as a liberation for her.
The very real risk of physical harm posed by the right of politics made the job a virtual prison for her and her family.
" We need to do politics better than this."
You mean like how you treated Chris Trotter late last year Greg ?
[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.]
please don't get personal. If you have a specific argument to make about how we do politics you need to a) make an argument, and b) quote and link to the things you are referring to. But you still cannot harass TS authors here, so choose your framing and words carefully.
Certainly Weka I was just pointing out the hypocrisy of one of your TS writers.
[lprent: Leading with an opinion is fine. But doing so with neither an argument nor a link nor even an explanation on what in the hell you’re talking about is not. Especially since you assertion appears to have nothing to do with the content of the post.
Especially when you’re personally attacking one of my authors with a unsubstantiated smear in a post that has nothing to do with it. Continuing to do it after being requested to desist by a mod is worse.
Do anything like this piss-poor behaviour again and I’ll ban you until November or permanently.
If you want to comment here, then you need to act less like a lazy fuckwit troll with a grudge and more like someone who can think and can argue with some description or evidence about what you’re talking about and why.
Otherwise go back to TDB comments or Slaters site where making up stories up is encouraged. ]
Anyone going through your comments would note how many times you have brought up the issue.
Hypocrisy would be posting here after what you say about the site over on TDB.
no you weren't, you were making an unsubstantiated accusations and I'm telling you to stop.
See my mod note.
Of Joy?
[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.]
[banned until 1 month after Ardern’s resignation date ie 7/3/24. You trolled once too often, after multiple warnings and we’re having a clear out for election year. We don’t need dickheads here flaming people. – weka]
GFY
mod note.
Comment was shifted from here https://thestandard.org.nz/jacinda-ardern-has-announced-she-is-standing-down-as-pm/#comment-1930896
POS can’t pronounce her name, but he has opinions about her policies….WTF they are.
https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1615881866371899392
Millennials Quit Workforce In Record Numbers After Being Forced To Return To Office Full Time
https://www.betootaadvocate.com/entertainment/millennials-quit-workforce-in-record-numbers-after-being-forced-to-return-to-office-full-time/
[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.]
Did the moderator look at the photo or read the link?
Looked at the title and photo, observed to myself that Jacinda spent much of the lock-down time in Parliament and was doing a lot of her work remotely prior to the lock downs when pregnant or with a young child.
It occurred to me that the comment was just a joke.
I also noted that the article was in entertainment which didn’t even interest me in the est-while topic. I read business and economics articles about the the struggle employers have justifying their office lease costs.
You hadn't provided any of your own opinion. Nor had you provided a reason for putting it up that related to the post. I didn't read the link because you hadn't provided me with any reason to do so.
This site is is for robust debate. That means that you as a commenter are expected to put skin into the debate and actually argue you opinion. Your comment didn't explain what your opinion was, nor why the link should be clicked into, nor why it was relevant to the post. In short, it didn't the site standard.
So I concluded that you must have mistaken this site for being twitter and generously moved the comment to our twit area.
BTW: Personally, I work from home, and have established a personal policy that a bikeable distance is the longest that I’m willing to tolerate as a commute. Since there is no bike path to Auckland’s north shore that isn’t less than 20km it means remote, central, south, or west fro 7km max.
Thanks for all your good deeds you have blessed Aotearoa with Jacinda nuf. said
Ka kite Ano
The contenders
GR to be acting PM, if Ardern is late back from her break, and after Feb 7 if the matter is not decided by then.
David Parker to manage the process (precedent as temporary leader during a previous contest and he is AG). He had earlier withdrawn from a contest to support Shearer.
1. Andrew Little who moved aside to make way for Ardern and it still there. For better and or worse is better known now than then.
2. Megan Wood, minister of a lot of stuff and occasional stand up partner of the PM
3. boy faced common stand up partner of the PM and minister of a lot of stuff and ready to go from shorts to trousers (but who wanted to wait till autumn).
4. Michael Wood, the new boy wonder
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23016878?search%5Bi%5D%5Bcentury%5D=1900&search%5Bi%5D%5Bcreator%5D=Listener+%28Periodical%29&search%5Bil%5D%5Byear%5D=1986&search%5Bpath%5D=photos
5. Nanaia Mahuta, because the National adverts would take us all back to 1975 when we were young.
Wild cards the PM enables via a by election
6. The new MP for Mount Albert, Helen Clark (someone they would want less than No 5).
7. The new MP for Mount Albert, Phil Goff (who offers his UK gig to Winston Peters).
8. The new MP for Mount Albert David Shearer.
9. The new MP for Mount Albert David Cunliffe.
10 Labour forms a coalition with Greens, if they make Chloe Swarbrick leader.
I'd like to see that old analysis of neolibs, careerists, leftists.
10 has the same energy as JA coming to power during the 2017 election.
11 Kiri Allan
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/BlackDimAtlanticblackgoby-max-1mb.gif
The most bold of the options. More a chance later in the year … if they lose (or 2026 if they lose again).
They chose Palmer for the 1990 “poisoned chalice” holder role (by then Anderton had walked), Moore lost in 1993 (the Alliance votes cost him victory), and Clark in 1996 was blocked by Peters campaigning for the opposition and keeping National in power.
A sad decade/bookend on the hopes of the 1984 election.
would prefer not to have flashing gifs embedded, thanks. (converted it to a link).
"5. Nanaia Mahuta, because the National adverts would take us all back to 1975 when we were young."
That… is comedy gold.
I'm actually a Mt Albert NZLP member. I don't think any of your prospective candidates are willing or likely to pass my perusal.
But it is going to be interesting to see who stands for the position in Mt Albert. They're kind of demanding about the quality of their candidates.
BTW: I'd hardly call Micheal Woods 'new'. I ran across him at a Wellington Labour conference or congress – pretty sure that was in the late 90s. He was very active (and competent) in Mt Roskill electorate back in the Clark government days when I was still active.
I'm not sure who I'd vote for if it goes to members – but he would be up in the top few.
It's just a roll call to identify the joke in David Parker saying he would support GR for the job this time round.
The PM is delaying her resignation to prevent the need for a by election.
And yeah its Megan Woods with seniority over Michael Wood.
Little and Woods in the Palmer mode, Hipkins in the Moore role and Wood and Allan in the future category.
So citizen Thiel was boosting bitcoin while he was dumping it.
/
Founders Fund, the venture capital firm co-founded by billionaire Peter Thiel, closed almost all of its eight-year bet on cryptocurrencies shortly before the market began to crash last year, generating about $1.8bn in returns.
The San Francisco-based fund made its first investment in bitcoin in early 2014 and went on to invest large sums in crypto. About two-thirds of its overall investment was used to buy bitcoin, said people close to the fund.
Founders Fund sold out of the vast majority of its entire cryptocurrency portfolio by the end of March 2022 — before the digital assets market became swept up in a crisis in May last year, said one of the people close to the fund.
The fund currently has no significant exposure to cryptocurrencies, the people said. The winding-down of its crypto bet has not previously been reported. Founders Fund declined to comment.
[…]
In April 2022, about the same time that Founders Fund sold out of most of its cryptocurrency holdings, Thiel said he was optimistic about the future of bitcoin. He told a cryptocurrency conference in Miami that “we’re at the end of the fiat money regime” and suggested its price — which was then trading at about $44,000 — could increase by a factor of 100.
https://www.ft.com/content/0a1d5597-7145-4035-987b-ff033bba3d75
Well that wiped Mr Luxon's reshuffle off the front page with gusto
And probably consigned their election planning to the bin as well.
Planning Graeme??? They have a simple plan. No to everything. It's a shambles. NZ is wrecked.
Saves having to detail and anything complicated.