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Open mike 22/09/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 22nd, 2012 - 44 comments
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44 comments on “Open mike 22/09/2012”

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  1. Logie97 1
    22 September 2012 at 6:49 am

    Education

    The Herald produces another intellectually powerful article on the failings of our school system. Apparently, according to some expert voice, if we get rid of cell phones, the problem will be solved. WTF. What suburb did she establish that evidence. Remuera perhaps?

    Quote… NZ Writers’ College principal Nichola Meyer said changes in language had been affecting children’s writing skills for years.
    “The language they are hearing is all jargon. There is a lot of slang and it’s almost phonetically based and not spelling based.
    “So when they have to sit down and write something, it is completely alien to them.”
    …unquote.

    Then surprise, surprise, in the next paragraph
    Quote …The fact that English was a second language to many students was also a big factor, Ms Meyer said, as other cultures were traditionally verbal and therefore reading and writing were not the norm….unquote.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10835754

    And in an article on literacy, they quote Hekia as saying that Reading Recovery is provided to assist children failing in Maths.

    • Carol 1.1
      22 September 2012 at 7:39 am

      Clever, Hekia.

      And the first comment below this stuff article sums up the excercise well:

      http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/7715044/Inside-New-Zealand-schools

      BrianBailey32 minutes ago
      Of course there will be 27 or so % below this stupid arbitrary standard. That’s the way the normal curve works, when it comes to intelligence, ability etc. We used to use the curve to establish that in all learning fields. 25% of students were classified as below average, the average ranged from the 25th%ile rank to the 75%. We then expected them to work up to their ability–and they did NOT fail at all. Well done, Tory politicians for classifying these children as unsuccessful. Keep it up! It’s part of your social agenda to stigmatize and disadvantage the children of the poor.

      And Nania Mahuta points to a problem with the Nat Standards focusing too much on individualistic competition:

      http://www.labour.org.nz/news/ropey-league-tables-agenda-just-dopey

      “The Government’s covert attempt to promote league tables will destroy the very best elements of a 21st century education system that requires greater collaboration – not mindless competition.

      • ianmac 1.1.1
        22 September 2012 at 9:37 am

        All that turmoil over National Standards so that it can be said that they have identified some children who are failing. Funny/sad thing is that they were already known. I mean how else did they believe that 20% of children were “failing”? Where did that data come from? The very precise assessments that have been around for years.
        What a pity that this extra “focussed help” that Tolley and Parata keep talking about wasn’t applied where it was needed for those underachieving kids who have been known about forever. Now they will say that smaller classes for underachievers would be a help and maybe decent food would help and cultural respect would. Hold your breath.

      • Dr Terry 1.1.2
        22 September 2012 at 4:34 pm

        The Government is doing more than “destroying” child education, it is positively “cruel” toward the children of New Zealand in virtually every respect.

        • OneTrack 1.1.2.1
          22 September 2012 at 5:15 pm

          Yes, collecting some hard evidence around educational achievement to help drive where effort and money should be expended. Oh the horror. Why wont they think about the children.

          • Draco T Bastard 1.1.2.1.1
            22 September 2012 at 6:12 pm

            We already knew that and so wasting money on National Standards was just that – a waste of money. On top of that they’ll actually destroy the great educational system we have in NZ and all because a few people can’t understand it.

    • Vicky32 1.2
      23 September 2012 at 6:00 pm

      Ms Meyer said, as other cultures were traditionally verbal and therefore reading and writing were not the norm….unquote.

      Which cultures would that be then? 😀 (None of the ones I have taught, and that’s about 10 of them)

  2. Stephen Doyle 2
    22 September 2012 at 8:42 am

    John Roughan in today’s Herald, calling for unbiased reporting. Not a trace of irony anywhere. He must live on Planet Key.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10835683

    • Paul 2.1
      22 September 2012 at 11:03 am

      Does he mention Larry Williams, Leighton Smith and the other ‘unbiased’ presenters on Planet ZB?

      • captain hook 2.1.1
        22 September 2012 at 11:27 am

        Hi Paul.
        there is no such thing as unbiased objective journalism in New Zealand.
        they are handpicked before they even get entry inot J school and then shoulder tapped when they show themselves to be craven apologists for the right.
        and wait there is more.
        they will never get a job with fox if they break ranks and that is the deciding factor.
        they all want a job with the plastic people at fox.

      • OneTrack 2.1.2
        22 September 2012 at 5:10 pm

        You mean the commentators who raise issues and ideas that you wish wouldn’t get raised? Not like the compliant left-wing media – yes John and Rachel, I especially mean you. But Duncan et al aren’t far behind either.

  3. mac1 3
    22 September 2012 at 9:06 am

    And on Planet New Zealand’s national radio news, highest ever nett migration figures of 40,000 to Australia. Key will say that this is how we keep up with Australia’s wages- by remittance.

  4. Hammer 4
    22 September 2012 at 9:33 am

    A refreshing bit of candour has been presented to the US Congress by a reputable Climatologist – turns out there  are no significant “extreme weather events” related to the ‘hoax’ known as Catastrophic Anthropogenic Global Warming.  Also turns out CO2 isn’t the nasty thing the doom sayers all talk about either.
    All in all – a good day for the planet.
    http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/09/21/dr-john-christys-testimony-before-congress/
    So, enjoy the weekend – turns out there are plenty more good ones ahead for us all.

    [lprent: ‘Reputable’ hardly. But I guess that is like saying Watts does peer reviewed research. Here is a rather scathing analysis of that presentation.
    http://skepticalscience.com/christy-once-again-misinforms-congress.html ]

    • Hammer 4.1
      22 September 2012 at 5:57 pm

      @ Lprent
      Ah yes – I’ve heard about the crazies at SkepticalScience.com
      To quote them:
      “And this isn’t about science or personal careers and reputations any more. This is a fight for survival. Our civilisations survival. .. We need our own anonymous (or not so anonymous) donors, our own think tanks…. Our Monckton’s … Our assassins.
      Anyone got Bill Gates’ private number, Warren Buffett, Richard Branson? Our ‘side’ has got to get professional, ASAP. We don’t need to blog. We need to network. Every single blog, organisation, movement is like a platoon in an army. ..This has a lot of similarities to the Vietnam War….And the skeptics are the Viet Cong… Not fighting like ‘Gentlemen’ at all. And the mainstream guys like Gleick don’t know how to deal with this. Queensberry Rules rather than biting and gouging.
      ..So, either Mother Nature deigns to give the world a terrifying wake up call. Or people like us have to build the greatest guerilla force in human history. Now. Because time is up…Someone needs to convene a council of war of the major environmental movements, blogs, institutes etc. In a smoke filled room (OK, an incense filled room)we need a conspiracy to save humanity.”
      [As quoted by Geoff Chambers in this Bishop Hill thread.
       http://www.bishop-hill.net/blog/2012/3/26/opengate-josh-158.html?currentPage=2#comments ]
      Yet climate skeptics are being painted as conspiracy theory nutters by the very same people who say “a conspiracy to save humanity” is needed. 

      • RedLogix 4.1.1
        22 September 2012 at 8:42 pm

        “a conspiracy to save humanity” is needed.

        Yes and why not? If the corporates and governments conspire to do nothing, then maybe the people will have to act?

        What are the choices, and what are their outcomes?

  5. just saying 5
    22 September 2012 at 9:33 am

    http://www.tumeke.blogspot.co.nz/

    A particularly good ‘Citizen A’ with Sue Bradford and Selwyn Manning.

    • Draco T Bastard 5.1
      22 September 2012 at 1:30 pm

      Actual Link

      Just have to mention here that I absolutely hate the Tumeke website.

      • Jokerman 5.1.1
        22 September 2012 at 7:01 pm

        Wow! Great to see some light being shone upon these Booze Barns by communities.

        Interesting, the impact that demographics is having, and will increasingly have, upon China’s Economy; the numbers of elderly and retired ever-increasing, projected to equal the entire population of Western Europe in 20 years Time, with a diminishing workforce to support them arising from 1-Child policy

        With younger generations being discouraged economically to remain in Aotearoa and inter-generational economic and cultural conflict being established through the hegemony of Neoliberalism, what future for our Boomers? Dormitories?

        Furthermore, our natural born citizens are increasingly being displaced through the immigration of economically neccesary cheaper labour; workers who are less likely to have economically dependent parents living here.

        Very Important!-There are numerous Christian Socialist/Social Political Parties and Movements around the world, particularly in Europe and South America (forget Tony Abbott and Tony Blair)

      • weka 5.1.2
        22 September 2012 at 8:19 pm

        “Just have to mention here that I absolutely hate the Tumeke website.”

        why? 

    • Carol 5.2
      22 September 2012 at 8:52 pm

      Yes, I watched the first part of it before I went to work this morning. I particularly like Manning’s description of the Herald as conservative – forget the actual phrase he used – but I liked it when I heard it.

      Will watch the rest tomorrow.

      Manning and Bradford are both very smart people, and not afraid to tell it clearly and well from a left perspective.

  6. Jackal 6
    22 September 2012 at 10:45 am

    Kate Wilkinson – Asshole of the Week

    Election to power shouldn’t allow a government to do anything it likes. Consideration must be given to New Zealand’s interests, our environment and especially what the general public wants on any given issue. National has arrogantly ignored both the economic benefit and our conservation ideals by voting not to save the Maui Dolphin, and that makes them a bunch of assholes through and through…

  7. marty mars 7
    22 September 2012 at 11:11 am

    Billy Bragg – I love that guy, his views, his music and his politics.

    Great song A New England and . great smackdown of BNP candidate

    plus he was on with our Kim this morning.

  8. Colonial Viper 8
    22 September 2012 at 1:03 pm

    Doublethink, propaganda and how far people will go to deny cognitive dissonance

  9. joe90 9
    22 September 2012 at 1:08 pm

    WRT to uncle Sam, our new BFF.

    Slim Gaillard Quartette – Atomic Cocktail.

  10. captain hook 10
    22 September 2012 at 2:03 pm

    So how come kweewee was out of the country when Leon Panetta was in town.
    I don’t think the Americans trust him.

  11. Jokerman 11
    22 September 2012 at 2:57 pm

    regarding FB and all that other twatting nonsense (recorded in albums)

    My son, if sinners (read people on the paths of deception) entice you, do not give in to them.
    If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for someone’s blood, let’s waylay some harmless soul; let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
    we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;
    throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse”-

    my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into sin (deception), for they are swift to shed blood.

    How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds! These men lie in wait for their own blood;
    they waylay only themselves (personal experience of that)!

    Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; Pr. 1: 10-

    rather,

    Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the the noisy streets (Christchurch) she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:

    How long will you simple ones (identify) love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? Pr. 1: 20-

    IT IS EXCELLENT to learn of the implementation of greater Reading programmes within Corrections; Teach a person to fish and all that..

  12. muzza 12
    22 September 2012 at 8:27 pm

    Having been somwhat uncomfortable at the lack of genuine propaganda on Iran of late, This from Senator Joe Lieberman

    In a taped appearance on C-SPAN’s “Newsmakers,” Lieberman said he believed reported attacks against the banks “were not done just by random hackers” and that there was “some basis for believing this was an Iranian-sponsored attack.”

    Earlier this week, the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center raised its cyber threat level to “high” from “elevated.” The center warned banks of “recent credible intelligence” about potential cyber attacks against financial institutions “that could make companies’ websites unusable for customers.”

    Experts have repeatedly warned about Iran’s ability to launch cyber attacks. In April, Ilan Berman, vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council, told a House panel that the Iranian regime has invested heavily in building up its cyber capabilities and has expressed an increasing desire to use it.

    Wondering what this could be actually be about, obvious war drums aside

    President Barack Obama’s administration is drafting an executive order that would create a program protecting vital computer networks from cyber attacks, according to two former government officials with direct knowledge of the effort.

    The program, to be managed by the Department of Homeland Security, would establish cybersecurity standards that companies could voluntarily adopt to better protect banks, telecommunication networks and the U.S. power grid from electronic attacks, the officials, who have seen the draft, said on condition of anonymity because the document hasn’t been made public.

    The draft, which remains under review and could change, seeks to implement a key provision in a cybersecurity bill that failed to advance in the Senate last month, the officials said. The administration is contemplating using an executive order because it isn’t clear Congress would pass a cybersecurity bill.

    “An executive order is one of a number of measures we’re considering as we look to implement the president’s direction to do absolutely everything we can to better protect our nation against today’s cyberthreats,” White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said in an e-mailed statement today. “We are not going to comment on ongoing internal deliberations.”

    Recently before Obama was to sign a UN treaty on gun control, the Aurora massacre happened, now while drafting an EO on cyber security, BAM, cyber attacks on banks, and its Irans fault too apparantly!

    Well the M.O is familiar and predictable….another stinking pile from the US sewer. No wonder NZ is starting to reek so badly!

    • BernyD 12.1
      22 September 2012 at 8:43 pm

      Interesting ….

      The IP network has always been open, again the majority of the time it’s left alone for the sake of commerce and communication.

      But it’s not the only one, and redundancy is what those institutions need if they are serious about “Cyber Protection”

      The problem is the “Mystery” when service fails, thruth is it’s a very easy thing to do.

      And yes it’ll affect everyone if you do the homework.

      Caches still need a “Source”, it’ll simply stop.
      Yas have to remember we are talking about government institutions

    • BernyD 12.2
      22 September 2012 at 9:01 pm

      The stuxnet thing sucks, no respect for human lives, let alone the equipment.
      It must’ve been written with evil intent to do what it did, which was f**k with the power supply.
      And based on the damage it was ramping up the voltages etc.
      (i.e it was designed to blow up local domestic and industrial appliances)
      That’s simply evil, and would cost civilians dearly.
      I’d be wondering if Iran still does blame America.

      • muzza 12.2.1
        22 September 2012 at 9:48 pm

        I’d be wondering if Iran still does blame America.

        Or perhaps the banks are being “attacked” by the same crew who launched Stux? You know, so as to create the perception of “motive” by Iran, because “you” want to launch a military war against that country!

        Or perhaps the banks are not being attacked at all…

        • Colonial Viper 12.2.1.1
          22 September 2012 at 10:25 pm

          BTW this US programme is just as likely to be used against US citizens as to defend against scary foreigners.

          http://www.zerohedge.com/news/%E2%80%9Cwe-are-far-turnkey-totalitarian-state-big-brother-goes-live-september-2013

          • muzza 12.2.1.1.1
            23 September 2012 at 7:06 am

            Yeah, that’s the one which has made it into the public domain so far.

            The digital grid – Like a prison which you can’t see, and most believe to “freedom”, you know, because they get to choose the gadgets to inprison yourself with!

            Genius!

        • BernyD 12.2.1.2
          22 September 2012 at 10:26 pm

          So true, networks fail etc, ultimately you’ll get a hit

          But if it rips the ground out from under citizens’ feet (Fear/Heartbreak/Loss)
          Where’s the thin blue line going to be drawn for their sakes?
          Is it really necessary, all prohibitive cultures being equal at the coal face,
          NZ and other experience tells us that fear will lead to Heartbreak.
          Which is where the “crazy” comes from … people expressing loss and fear.
          Heartbreak/loss also affects memory which is why it repeats itself in the community.

  13. millsy 13
    22 September 2012 at 9:41 pm

    Is it just me, or has Rodney Hide launched a one man campaign against the union movement?

    • BernyD 13.1
      22 September 2012 at 9:53 pm

      He pritty much announced it a week or more so ago.
      Good luck on that one M8!
      Yeah M8!, Snowballs chance!

    • Jokerman 13.2
      22 September 2012 at 10:15 pm

      how can he spend so long looking at himself in the mirror?
      Have you ever read his columns? they make less sense to most people than mine
      (there ya go rodders, a free lesson in self-depreciation) 🙂

      • BernyD 13.2.1
        23 September 2012 at 2:38 pm

        Too be honest I don’t recall reading any, but likely some twisted reflection of himself.

        Dime a Dozen in some ways, the the problem with a moderated “success driven” lifestyle.
        If ya didn’t understand the phrase and then repeat it as gospel, what does that really say?
        Do it for long enough, the success emotion becomes so great their body will get angry etc when it’s threatened, strange reaction when you didn’t understand the phrase in the first place.
        Almost childish.

    • Murray Olsen 13.3
      23 September 2012 at 12:39 am

      Rodney Hide and the Whalespew army are out to get the unions. I’d hardly be worried.

  14. Dr Terry 14
    23 September 2012 at 2:17 pm

    Just to think, we are currently exposed to such “columnists” as Rodney Hide, SIR Bob Jones, Paul Holmes (oh, welcome back indeed!), John Roughan, Fran O’Sullivan, and the rest (I will make some allowance for Armstrong, as has been known, from time to time, to strive for a degree of fair-mindedness).

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    SciBlogsBy Marcus Wilson
    6 days ago

  • Revolution in New Zealand? Not Even Close!
    No Fires Thanks, We're Kiwis: For the moment, in those close-to-home places where revolutions are born, there may be tetchiness and resentment, frustration and complaint, but nowhere is anybody uttering the cry that will bring a New Zealand revolution into being: “We have found the way to make tomorrow better ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #3
    Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Graphic of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Reviews... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... 'It's heart-wrenching': 80% of Blue Mountains and 50% of ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Britain exits the European Union and takes a sharp right turn
    by John Smith  Britain’s exit from the imperialist bloc known as the European Union (EU) is now irreversible. The crushing electoral defeat of the Labour Party has dismayed many workers and youth who had placed their hopes in Jeremy Corbyn, its left-wing leader. This article assesses these historic events, neither of which ...
    RedlineBy Daphna
    1 week ago

  • 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #3
    A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Jan 12, 2020 through Sat, Jan 18, 2020 Editor's Pick The Past and the Future of the Earth’s Oldest Trees Bristlecone pines have survived various catastrophes over the millennia, and they ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • How climate change influenced Australia’s unprecedented fires
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections, and has been adapted into a new myth rebuttal on climate-wildfire connections with the short URL sks.to/wildfires Australia’s frightening bushfires, which kicked off an early fire season in September 2019, have already had cataclysmic effects, and the continent is still just in the early ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Gender Identity Ideology – A Partial Bibliography of Online Coverage
    This great resource has been contributed to Redline by Janie Doebuck. Janie made some notes on the bibliography: 1) It is by no means exhaustive. There are tons more gender critical posts, essays, articles, podcasts, youtube videos, etc. online. 2) There are links in the bibliography that are behind paywalls. There ...
    RedlineBy Daphna
    1 week ago

  • About those biased Oscar Nominations
    There’s been a lot written about the 2020 Oscar Nominations and their apparent lack of diversity. It’s true, there are in fact no women nominated for the Best Director and very few nominees of colour across the board. But is this a result of a biased process or a symptom ...
    The Jackal
    1 week ago

  • How New Zealand media reports chronic pain
    Hemakumar Devan Around three million New Zealanders access news media (both paper and online) every week. Yes, you heard that right! So, the potential for news media to shape public health beliefs is common sense. As chronic pain affects one in five New Zealanders, we wanted to find out how ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    2 weeks ago

  • Still Waiting For American Democracy.
    Unfinished Republic: Though the United States' crimes against democracy are legion, most Americans are blissfully unaware of them. The brutal realities of American life: the officially sanctioned violence; the refusal to hold racists accountable for their actions; the seemingly endless tragedy of African-American suffering; of which White America is the ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 weeks ago

  • In Outrage Over Its Bunk Science, Goop Finds Fuel for Growth
    Michael Schulson For years, experts have said that Goop, the wellness and lifestyle brand founded by the actor and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow, markets pseudoscience and overblown cures. And for years, despite the criticism, Goop has just kept growing. Now the company, which was valued at $250 million in 2018, ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    2 weeks ago

  • Tobacco Excise Taxes and the Smokefree 2025 Goal: Some Ways Forward
    Janet Hoek, Richard Edwards, George Thomson, Andrew Waa, Nick Wilson Debate over tobacco tax increases has intensified as research indicates potentially conflicting policy directions. On the one hand, excise tax increases continue to stimulate quit attempts among smokers yet, on the other hand, they may lead to financial hardship for ...
    SciBlogsBy Public Health Expert
    2 weeks ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #2, 2020
    Conflation and how to fix it VIa AMS,  Raul Lejano looks at what in a layperson's thinking would be called conflation— confusion and blending of entirely different topics— when people think about climate change. Ideology and the Narrative of Skepticism  (open access) starts with some arguably frightening false connections between the science and ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 weeks ago

  • ‘Cranky Uncle’ smart phone game will show you how to disarm climate deniers
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bud Ward (Image: Courtesy of John Cook) When it comes to climate change, it seems every family has its own version of the proverbial Cranky Uncle. An uncle, cousin, grandparent, in-law, neighbor, whatever. Just think back to the recent holiday season’s large ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 weeks ago

  • Science in the ’20s – part 1
      Outrageous, immoral or downright dangerous. That’s a description of the lifestyle of women “flappers” in the 1920s. Could it apply to science (and scientists) in the 2020s? Actually, you could look back at the past decade and see those, or similar terms, used about some science and scientists. Sometimes ...
    SciBlogsBy Robert Hickson
    2 weeks ago

  • Postscript: Citizenship Granted.
    I am pleased to say that I have been granted NZ citizenship. I need to do the ceremony for things to be official, but the application was a success. I now join my son as a dual NZ-US citizen. To be fair, very little will change other than the fact ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 weeks ago

  • Hard News: Music: Morales is coming
    It will be no secret to longtime readers that I, Russell Brown, love the disco.   So I'm pretty excited by the fact that one of the greats of the game is returning this summer – and also pleased to say I have tickets to give away.Legendary mixer and DJ ...
    Public Address
    2 weeks ago

  • The WHO Vaccine Safety Summit – from someone who was actually there
    The conspiracy I saw a new conspiracy theory flying around the other day. According to the conspiracy (that seems to originate from Del Bigtree), the World Health Organization have been ‘caught on camera’ questioning the safety of vaccines. Gosh this sounds as though someone was a mole at a ...
    SciBlogsBy Helen Petousis Harris
    2 weeks ago

  • The timely death of the British Labour Party
    Below is an article submitted to Redline by Alec Abbott  At its inception, the British Labour Party was a vehicle for the propagation of racist and imperialist views within the working-class. Such views are still widespread in the party, as they are in Europe’s Social-Democratic parties, though, in the case of ...
    RedlineBy Daphna
    2 weeks ago

  • Mystery China pneumonia outbreak likely caused by new human coronavirus
    Connor Bamford, Queen’s University Belfast Since December 2019, there has been a cluster of 59 cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, eastern China. The pneumonia is associated with a previously unidentified coronavirus related to the deadly SARS virus. Seven of those cases are thought to be serious, and one person – ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    2 weeks ago

  • Yes, koalas are cute – but should we bring them to NZ? Errm, no
    It’s been hard to miss the extreme fires raging across Australia and the tragic plight of the animals – human and otherwise – affected by the fires’ insatiable spread. I know I’ve been captivated and concerned by the tales of how Australia’s famous wildlife has been coping. Koalas approaching cyclists ...
    SciBlogsBy Sarah-Jane O'Connor
    2 weeks ago

  • National’s negative campaigning
    Anybody who looked into the Dirty Politics saga knows all too well that honesty is often in short supply within the National Party. You would think that after the exposure the John Key government received over their untruthful attack politics, the National Party would learn from its "mistakes" and leave ...
    The Jackal
    2 weeks ago

  • Ending the government’s charade over water
    For the past decade, the government has been responding to the obvious Treaty issues raised by water allocation with the mantra that "no-one owns water". But last year, the Waitangi Tribunal ruled that actually, Māori owned it, and that those rights had never been extinguished. They recommended that iwi bring ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 weeks ago

  • Northern Ireland joins the civilised world
    Same-sex marriage has finally become legal in Northern Ireland. But not through any decision of the Northern Irish Executive or Assembly, which has only just reformed after a three year walkout by the DUP; instead, Westminster made that decision for them. I've talked before about the constitutional impropriety of this, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 weeks ago

  • I had an intense conversation at work today.
    Claire Cohen-Norris volunteers with Citizens Climate Lobby as a chapter founder and leader in rural New York. Her climate advocacy sprung from her drive to provide a secure, joyful and fulfilling life for her two wonderful children. It has become a life’s mission, shared with her like-minded husband and partner. Claire ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 weeks ago

  • French transport workers take on Macron over pension reform
    by John Edmundson Starting on December 5th, 2019 workers in the Parisian rail network commenced an open-ended strike in opposition to French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed changes to their pension scheme. Rail workers in the Metro Underground have, for decades, had retirement conditions that compensate them for the low wages, ...
    RedlineBy Admin
    2 weeks ago

  • What a difference the decimal point makes
    I’m back at work following a nearly three-week break over Christmas. We were fortunate to be offered a house to stay in for a week over Christmas, which enabled us to have a holiday in Dunedin and see the extended family reasonably cheaply. But the house came with a catch:  ...
    SciBlogsBy Marcus Wilson
    2 weeks ago

  • Who’s Going To Stop Him?
    Blank And Pitiless: Having ordered the assassination of the Iranian General, Qasem Soleimani, President Donald Trump promised to reduce the cultural monuments of Iran’s 3,000 year-old civilisation to rubble if a revenge attack was mounted. A breach of international law? Certainly. A war crime? Indisputably. Who’s going to stop him? Nobody.WHAT ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 weeks ago

  • A worker’s story
    This interview is from Aotearoa Workers Solidarity Movement (AWSM) and is the first of an ongoing series of interviews they plan to do with workers from various sectors who are having their well being and livelihoods damaged. They begin with an educator in Southland. Due to the attitude and actions ...
    RedlineBy Daphna
    2 weeks ago

  • 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #2
    A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Jan 5, 2020 through Sat, Jan 11, 2020 Editor's Pick Debunked Australian Bushfire Conspiracy Theories Were Pushed by Alex Jones, Murdoch Media   As unusually intense and widespread bushfires have ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 weeks ago

  • J.K. Rowling, the Seattle Library, and the Issue That Must Not Be Named
    This article was submitted to Redline by Seattle-based activist Lucinda Stoan J.K. Rowling recognizes repression when she sees it.  That’s why the author of the wildly popular Harry Potter books recently tweeted in defense of Maya Forstater. Forstater lost her job for stating that sex is real and immutable. A judge ...
    RedlineBy Daphna
    2 weeks ago

  • Rules of Empire: Laws simply do not apply and “National Security” excuses all else.
    Empires rise and fall, and the American Empire is absolutely no different. But while an Empire, in order to further the footprint, it seems to pay to do one primary thing above all else: project that everything – everything – is “simply for the good of the world” at large, ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 weeks ago

  • Indian lessons for NZ workers – the January 8 general strike
                    by Phil Duncan On Wednesday (January 8) another massive general strike took place in India.  Some 250 million industrial workers, white-collar workers, agricultural labourers struck against the government’s economic policies and attacks on the Muslim population through new proposed citizenship rules. This ...
    RedlineBy Admin
    2 weeks ago

  • Climate Change: The action that counts
    Over on Newsroom, Professor Jacqueline Beggs writes about the action she is taking on climate change. Its the usual list: reduce meat, don't fly, consume less. I'm doing some of this myself, and none of it hurts - but the way our economic system is constructed means the impact of ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 weeks ago

  • Fossil fuel political giving outdistances renewables 13 to one
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk Corporations, special interest groups, and individuals inject billions of dollars into the American political system every year. Much of the financial support in politics is concealed from public view, as some rules – and loopholes – allow “dark money” and ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 weeks ago

  • Animal response to a bushfire is astounding. These are the tricks they use to survive
    Dale Nimmo, Charles Sturt University Have you ever wondered how our native wildlife manage to stay alive when an inferno is ripping through their homes, and afterwards when there is little to eat and nowhere to hide? The answer is adaptation and old-fashioned ingenuity. Australia’s bushfire season is far from ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    3 weeks ago

  • Should I ditch my fossil-fueled car?
    Yes. Reducing the number of cars in your household, or switching from petrol/diesel to electric, will dramatically reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. It’s one of the easiest and highest-impact climate steps you can take. New Zealand is being flooded with cars The New Zealand vehicle fleet is increasing rapidly. In ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    3 weeks ago

  • Speaker: Planet History: Taking Tea with Quentin
    This interview with Quentin Crisp is part of a series of articles republished from Planet, the independent magazine I edited in the early 90s from a base at 309 Karangahape Road, along with Grant Fell, Rachael Churchward, Fiona Rae, David Teehan, Mere Ngailevu and others.Inevitably, you forget things, and over ...
    Public Address
    3 weeks ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #1, 2020
    Supply Side How are we doing with CO2 emissions? It's an important question, increasingly posed to a mixed bag of CO2 contributors who may or may not provide accurate reportage. Liu et al present a new, additional means of measurement based on satellite observations of nitrogen dioxide co-emitted from ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 weeks ago

  • Donald Trump’s strategic gamble
    There’s a meme going around the Internet at the moment claiming that Donald Trump is a bit of an idiot. To outside eyes it does seem as though the President of the United States thumbs his nose at his own countries laws and administration far too often to be taken ...
    The Jackal
    3 weeks ago

  • Is the prostitute the seller or the sold?
    Excerpts from Being and Being Bought, by Kajsa Ekis Ekman, Spinifex Press, 2013. Ekman, a Swedish journalist and critic, brings together a Marxist and feminist analysis of prostitution and surrogacy in this groundbreaking book. This is the third part of a synopsis and brief commentary of the book by Daphna Whitmore. Part 1 was ...
    RedlineBy Daphna
    3 weeks ago

  • The climate crisis is also a biodiversity crisis
    Dr Andrea Byrom Like many of us, the summer break has seen me transfixed with horror at the scale and magnitude of the bushfire crisis in Australia. As an ecologist, I can’t help but be appalled at the loss of some of Australia’s most beautiful ecosystems and landscapes. And ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    3 weeks ago

  • Week That Was: 2020
    We are back for 2020! From changes to Family Funded Care, to a record high number of Kiwis in construction in the trades - we're already back making progress on those long-term challenges. Read all about it and more ...
    Labour Blog
    3 days ago

  • Winston Peters: “Ihumātao deal still a long way off”
    Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters told Mike Hosking that a settlement deal regarding Ihumātao in Auckland is still a long way off. The Maori King's flag was lowered at the site near Auckland Airport yesterday, sparking suggestions an announcement of a deal could be made by Waitangi Day. Pania Newton, ...
    NZ First News
    4 days ago

  • Winston Peters accuses Gerry Brownlee of ‘politicising’ Holocaust memorial
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters is accusing Gerry Brownlee of "politicising" a Holocaust memorial event after the National MP questioned the lack of Kiwi representation there. The Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Centre in Jerusalem, Israel, is holding the World Holocaust Forum on January 23 to mark 75 years since ...
    NZ First News
    4 days ago

  • Provincial Growth Fund to help Waipukurau Pā sites attract thousands of tourists
    The Ngā Ara Tipuna - Waipukurau Pā Site Interpretation project is receiving $2.798 million from the Provincial Growth Fund. It is is expected to boost the town's employment and tourism, creating sixteen new jobs once completed and attract up to 15,000 visitors a year. Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development ...
    NZ First News
    5 days ago

  • “Common sense will prevail, not extremism” Winston Peters backs Shane Jones’ pro-meat stance
    New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is backing his MPs who have spoken out against a new climate change teaching resource that advises students to eat less meat to save the planet. The new teaching resource, announced by Education Minister Chris Hipkins and Climate Change Minister James Shaw, tells students ...
    NZ First News
    6 days ago

  • Violent assault on paramedic highlights need for law change
    Darroch Ball MP, Spokesperson for Justice Today’s horrific violent assault of an on-duty female paramedic which rendered her unconscious is truly unsettling. “Our thoughts are with the paramedic, her loved ones and the St John’s team at Warkworth Station,” says New Zealand First Justice Spokesperson Darroch Ball. “Harsher penalties for perpetrators ...
    NZ First Press Release
    1 week ago

  • Acting PM Winston Peters confirms NZDF troops in Iraq not hit by Iranian attacks
    Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters called for calm and diplomacy following Iranian missile strikes on bases housing United States troops in Iraq, but confirmed New Zealand's base in the country was not hit. The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) was earlier today investigating claims New Zealand's base in Iraq had ...
    NZ First News
    1 week ago

  • Kaikōura $10.88 million boost in tourism & business
    Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Parliamentary Undersecretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $10.88 million to boost business and tourism opportunities in Kaikōura, Parliamentary Undersecretary for Regional Economic Development, Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. As part of the Kaikōura Marina Development Programme, the following two projects will receive ...
    NZ First Press Release
    1 week ago

  • Delivering a stable water supply to Wairarapa
    Hon. Ron Mark, New Zealand First List MP based in Wairarapa The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $7.11 million to create a sustainable water supply for the Wairarapa. The PGF will provide a $7 million investment to Wairarapa Water Limited to progress the Wairarapa Water Storage Scheme towards procurement, consenting, ...
    NZ First Press Release
    2 weeks ago

  • Housing consents hit highest level since 1974
    Housing consents have hit a 45-year high, as Statistics NZ data shows a total of 37,010 residential consents were issued in the year to November --- the first time they have breached the 37,000 mark since the mid-1970s. Statistics NZ said the trend had been rising since late 2011, when ...
    NZ First News
    2 weeks ago

  • Darroch Ball MP: “Violence against first responders is a problem on the rise”
    New Zealand First MP Darroch Ball says that a paramedic being kicked unconscious last night in an attempted burglary in Warkworth, north of Auckland, is a symptom of a larger problem. "Incidents like this are becoming more and more frequent...and it’s getting worse," Mr Ball said. The MP is pushing for ...
    NZ First News
    2 weeks ago

  • Minister Ron Mark asks NZDF to conduct fire risk assessment from defence point of view
    Defence Minister Ron Mark said there was nothing to prevent similar large-scale bushfires seen in Australia from also happening in New Zealand, and has asked the New Zealand Defence Force to conduct a nfire risk assessment from a defence point of view. The defence assessment would help prevent a disaster ...
    NZ First News
    3 weeks ago

  • Defence Minister Mark expresses “absolute confidence” in NZDF forces stationed in Iraq
    While feeling worried about increased Middle East tensions, Defence Minister Ron Mark said he had "absolute confidence" in New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) leadership. His statements come as the fate of Kiwi troops stationed in Iraq comes under intense scrutiny. Forty-five Defence Force personnel were thought to be in the ...
    NZ First News
    3 weeks ago

  • Minister pays tribute to journalist, author and broadcaster, Gordon McLauchlan
    The Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, Kris Faafoi, has paid tribute to well-known New Zealand author, journalist and broadcaster, Gordon McLauchlan, following Mr McLauchlan’s death today. “Gordon held a statesman-like place in New Zealand’s media, which was fittingly acknowledged in last year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours, when he was ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago

  • Minister wishes best of luck to those heading back to school
    As Kiwi kids and teachers return to classrooms over the coming weeks, the families of around 428,000 students will feel a bit less of a financial pinch than in previous years, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “The Government’s decision to increase funding for schools that don’t ask parents for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • Health staff to meet flights from China as precautionary measure
    Public health staff will begin meeting flights from China from tomorrow, to actively look for signs of the novel coronavirus and provide advice, information and reassurance to passengers. Health Minister Dr David Clark says the additional measures are being taken following the arrival of the disease in Australia, via flights ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • National Yearling Sales 2020
    National Yearling Sales at Karaka   26 January 2020    [CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY] Good morning. It is a pleasure to be here on opening day of the 2020 National Yearling Sales Series. Let us all acknowledge Sir Peter Vela and the Vela family for their outstanding contribution to the New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government and construction industry to build big, lift productivity with Transformation Plan
    Delivering the workforce and productivity gains required to build the houses, schools, roads, rail and hospitals New Zealand needs will become easier with the Government-industry Construction Sector Transformation Plan launched today, Minister for Building and Construction Jenny Salesa says. “The action plan launched today delivers on the Government’s Construction Sector ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Log trains to begin on Wairoa-Napier line
    Log trains are about to start running between Wairoa and Napier following Provincial Growth Fund investment to reopen the rail line, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says. The Government invested $6.2 million to reopen the mothballed rail line which was closed after significant storm damage in 2012. “With PGF ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Minister of Defence concludes successful visit with his US counterpart
    Minister of Defence Ron Mark met with United States Secretary of Defense Mark Esper today. “This was an excellent opportunity to meet with one of our closest security partners,” Ron Mark said. “The main focus of the meeting was to discuss challenges that New Zealand and the United States share ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New Zealand acknowledges ICJ decision on Myanmar
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today acknowledged the ruling of the International Court of Justice in relation to the Rohingya people in Myanmar. The ruling ordered the Government of Myanmar to take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of acts of genocide in relation to members of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • NZ’s trade aims advanced at Davos meetings
    A proposal to cut “trade and production-distorting subsidies” in the agricultural sector by 2030 has set out important measures to ensure a fair agricultural trading system.  Speaking after attending meetings of trade ministers in Davos, Switzerland, Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker welcomed the joint proposal from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Great news for New Zealanders with cystic fibrosis
    Health Minister Dr David Clark says he is delighted that PHARMAC has struck a provisional deal to fund Kalydeco – a medicine which is set to improve the quality of life for about 30 New Zealand children and adults with cystic fibrosis. “While rare, cystic fibrosis is an awful inherited ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New Zealand least corrupt country in the world
    New Zealand has regained its position as the least corrupt country in the world for the second time under this Coalition Government, says Justice Minister Andrew Little. “New Zealanders can be proud that our reputation as one of the least corrupt countries in the world has been restored,” says Andrew ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Boost for Rēkohu/Wharekauri/Chatham Islands Community Conservation
    Community conservation in Rēkohu/Wharekauri/the Chatham Islands is receiving a boost, with grants to support local projects announced today by Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage. “Rēkohu/Wharekauri/ the Chatham Islands are home to 20 per cent of New Zealand’s threatened bird species and 11 per cent of New Zealand’s threatened plant species. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Rātana Pā goes high-tech with UFB
    Iwi, hapu and visitors to Rātana Pā near Whanganui now have access to ultra-fast broadband following its connection, completed in time for annual Rātana celebrations, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says. The connection and associated hardware were funded from the Provincial Growth Fund’s $21 million Marae Digital Connectivity programme, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s strong financial management acknowledged
    The Government’s strong financial management and plan to future proof the economy with new infrastructure investment has gained further recognition from an international ratings agency. Credit rating agency Fitch has upgraded one of its main metrics assessing the Government’s books, lifting its foreign currency AA rating outlook to ‘positive’ from ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Boost in Whānau Ora funding to keep changing lives
    Whānau throughout New Zealand are set to benefit from an extra three million dollars that will go directly to Whānau Ora Commissioning Agencies, the Minister for Whānau Ora Peeni Henare announced today.  Including previous funding boosts, the Agencies will now receive $87 million this year between them.  In Budget 2019 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • More people getting into work
    The December quarter benefit numbers released today show the Government’s plan to get people off the benefit and into work is starting to pay off,” Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni said.   “Nearly 19,000 people cancelled their benefit and went into work in the last few months of the year – ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Wairoa gets up to $6.1m to rebuild heart of CBD
    The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing up to $6.1 million to revitalise business and tourism opportunities in Wairoa, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. The PGF is funding: Up to $4.8 million for the Wairoa Integrated Business and Tourism Facility Up to $960,000 for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Major Events support for creative and cultural events
    Creative and cultural events that highlight New Zealand’s diverse culture and build national pride are set to get a funding boost through the Major Events Fund, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford said today. The new Creative and Cultural Events Incubator, which is funded through the Major Events Fund, will open ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Classroom internet in hundreds of schools to get a boost
    The Government has begun a massive IT upgrade to provide more seamless internet access to 200 schools around the country. Te Mana Tūhono – Technology in Schools work programme will launch with a pilot of 10 smaller state schools early this year. IT equipment that gives students access to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Construction workforce, apprenticeships hit record highs
    Working with industry and committing to rebuild New Zealand’s infrastructure has produced a record high number of Kiwis working in the construction industry and learning trades, says Minister for Building and Construction Jenny Salesa. New figures available today from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Tertiary Education ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • NZ concludes digital economy trade talks with Singapore and Chile
    A new trade agreement concluded today helps New Zealand exporters and consumers take advantage of opportunities from digital trade.    Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker together with Chile’s Vice Minister of Trade Rodrigo Yañez and Singapore’s Minister of Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing, have announced conclusion of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Provincial Growth Fund to fund Waipukurau cultural development and tourism
    The Ngā Ara Tipuna -  Waipukurau Pā Site Interpretation project will receive $2.798 million from the Provincial Growth Fund to create an authentic cultural tourism experience, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today “The project will inform visitors about the history of six pā sites in Waipukurau with a combination ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • 21 new judges boost diversity, improve access to justice
    Twenty-one new District Court judges have been appointed in a move that will improve access to justice and boost diversity on the bench. The new judges include replacements for retirements and 10 new positions. Attorney-General David Parker today announced the 14 judges who can immediately be named, with the remainder ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Puhinui to Auckland Airport in 10 minutes
    Aucklanders are another step closer to getting rapid transit to the airport, with the start of construction to upgrade State Highway 20B to the airport, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. SH20B will be upgraded with additional lanes in each direction, dedicated to bus and high-occupancy vehicles between Pukaki Creek ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Advancing New Zealand’s trade agenda focus of Europe meetings
    World Trade Organisation reform, agricultural trade and a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom will be the focus of Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker’s visit to Europe this week. David Parker leaves on Tuesday for a series of meetings in the UK and Switzerland that aim ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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  • Pacific partners work together to provide additional support to Australia
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  • Progress with new Police station in Mahia
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  • NZDF sends more support to Australia
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  • New Zealand joins partners in calling for full investigation into air crash in Iran
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