Open mike 24/06/2024
Written By:
- Date published:
6:00 am, June 24th, 2024 - 27 comments
Categories: open mike -
Tags:
Open mike is your post.
For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.
The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
Recent Comments
- What is Social Investment Analysis?
Evaluating the impact of social policies will be very difficult but the government does not seem to be doing much real evaluation. A couple of terms that have recently become fashionable are ‘cost-benefit analysis’ (CBA) and ‘social-investment analysis’ (SIA), typically proposed by people who have never done either. They sound ...1 hour ago - Translation #20 of The Conspiracy Theory Handbook published!
Conspiracy theories attempt to explain events as the secretive plots of powerful people. While conspiracy theories are not typically supported by evidence, this doesn’t stop them from blossoming. Conspiracy theories damage society in a number of ways. To help minimise these harmful effects, The Conspiracy Theory Handbook, by Stephan Lewandowsky ...1 hour ago - A debate to make the world tremble
Worst. Presidential. Debate Ever. President Joe Biden and former President have just squared off in the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign and the rest of the world has watched in slack-jawed horror as democracy’s once “shining city on the hill” hit a new low.The hyperbole in that introduction ...3 hours ago - Justice served?
Sun is up, I'm a messGotta get out now, gotta run from thisHere comes the shame, here comes the shameYesterday Golriz Ghahraman’s fall from grace was complete. Convicted and sentenced, more harshly that I’d anticipated. In my view Golriz had suffered quite disproportionally already, considering the nature of her crime. ...10 hours ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #26 2024Open access notables Tipping point in ice-sheet grounding-zone melting due to ocean water intrusion, Bradley & Hewitt, Nature Geoscience: Here we develop a model to capture the feedback between intruded ocean water, the melting it induces and the resulting changes in ice geometry. We reveal a sensitive dependence of the ...22 hours ago
- At the start of 2020, no-one was in a position to say where that virus was taking us
Some of the wilder things that have crossed our paths in the last couple of weeks:Wilder thing #1: A snake sunning itself on the hot asphalt as we came riding towards itDick was in front and was slowing down to take a picture, thinking it to be another carcass.But this ...1 day ago - Climate Change: A strapped chicken “review”
As part of its coalition agreement, the climate-change denier National government promised its climate-change denier coalition partners a review of our agricultural methane reduction target. Today they announced the members of their "independent" review, and released its terms of reference. I'm not familiar with the academic records of the panel, ...1 day ago - In Praise of National.
And you can see it in the way they look at youFeel it in the way they treat youAlways the last to knowAlways the first to leaveJust let them walk all over youLaugh through the punches and the painLet the life-blood drain away from youThey're right, you're wrongOK, first things ...1 day ago - Six incredibly popular climate policiesThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk Astrong majority of registered voters support certain policies aimed at tackling climate change, according to recent research by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (the publisher of this site) and the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason ...1 day ago
- Gordon Campbell on the freeing of Julian Assange
Finally, Julian Assange is free after 12 years of confinement, much of it spent while under the threat of rendition to the US to face charges carrying a term of 175 years in prison. Yet ultimately, Assange has not been set free because the charges (of espionage and conspiracy to ...1 day ago - Was the 2024 Auckland RLTP Competition Rigged?
A note to readers This satirical post is based on this document. Received from Auckland Transport under a LGOIMA request. the document reveals the ranking process used by the working group for the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP). It shows how the RLTP working group (Auckland Transport, KiwiRail, NZTA/Waka Kotahi, and ...1 day ago - Bernard’s mid-winter pick ‘n’ mix for Thursday, June 27
TL;DR: Six things from Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy I think are worth noting on the morning of Thursday, June 27:The NZIER has estimated almost a third of new spending in Budget 2024 will have worsened the Government’s Paris agreement climate liability, which Treasury has already estimated at up to $23.7 billion. ...1 day ago - The Strange Split Reality of Brooke Fraser
Hi,Four days ago New Zealand pop royalty Brooke Fraser broke yet another record — largest attendance for a Kiwi solo artist at her Spark Arena gig.She was joined on stage by the Auckland Philharmonia orchestra, Radio New Zealand gushing that it was “hard to pick a singular high point of ...2 days ago - Tax the rich!Whenever people make the perfectly sensible suggestion that the world could solve its problems by taxing billionaires, the latter's stooges flood the zone with claims it would never work. Apparently billionaires are so inherently criminal that they would evade such taxes, laundering their money and hiding it in criminal jurisdictions ...2 days ago
- Climate Change: Beaten by the DanesThis week the National government introduced legislation to remove agriculture from the ETS, ensuring our largest polluters continue to get a free ride for as long as they hold power. But while National is dragging us backwards, Denmark is moving forwards, and is making its farmers pay for their pollution: ...2 days ago
- King of the Cookers
Breathe.Inhale deeply through your nose, and hold it.Open your mouth slightly. Exhale slowly, feel the breath passing over your lips.Hear it. You’re alive.Statistically, if the last government hadn’t taken the actions it did, about twenty of you, even in my small audience, would be dead now. If I do a ...2 days ago - Growing affordability concerns over power and housing
TL;DR: Electricity affordability is a growing concern for households and small businesses, despite falling generation costs for solar and wind, a survey has found.Meanwhile, Stats NZ is forecasting more than a third of 19-29 year olds will stay living at home within the next two decades, no doubt because of ...2 days ago - Some fine ideas for making Aotearoa saferThis is a guest post by Darren Davis, reposted with his kind permission. It originally appeared on his excellent blog Adventures in Transitland, which we warmly encourage you to check out. Aotearoa has one of the worst road safety records in the developed world. Australia is doing quite a bit ...2 days ago
- Saying Goodbye To a Friend
The audio in today’s newsletter contains a conversation I had last year with journalist Elizabeth Williamson, author of an incredibly moving book on Sandy Hook. We talked America, conspiracies, and Alex Jones. It’s been gathering dust for reasons we’ll get to, but I wanted to share our conversation today. ...2 days ago - The real reasons why Councils opposed Three WatersThe anti Three Waters campaign which seemed so simple during the election campaign is now bogged down in a Select Committee as submitter after submitter raises issues with the replacement legislation. The so-called “Local Water Done Well” has now morphed into the Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill, which ...3 days ago
- At a glance – What caused early 20th Century warming?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 ...3 days ago
- A privilege
3 days ago - Unbridled power againThere's a couple of pieces about architect-of-our-constitution Geoffrey palmer's views on the current government doing the rounds today. The first, on Newsroom is an excerpt from a speech he gave to a Young Labour meeting last weekend, in which he says NZ an executive paradise, not democratic paradise. The Spinoff ...3 days ago
- National’s secret schoolsThe government just introduced its Education and Training Amendment Bill to the House. The name is deliberately obfuscatory, because what the bill actually does is reintroduce charter schools - effectively allowing National to privatise the education system. That's corrupt and it stinks, but to add insult to injury, National's new ...3 days ago
- Bernard's mid-winter pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, June 25
Confidence about future job availability collapsed after Budget 2024 to lows last seen during the the Global Financial Crisis of 2008/09. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Employee confidence in more jobs being available in a year’s time collapsed in the first two weeks of June after the Budget, falling ...3 days ago - “I Don't Care”
Walking through the rooms in my headI came across your image,You looked at me with that sweet smile and saidSomething they won't let me repeatWe hurt the ones we love the mostIts a subtle form of complimentAfter you’ve watched Christopher Luxon for a while you think to yourself - that ...3 days ago - Gordon Campbell on cancer drugs, and the Great Ferries Cancellation Disaster of ’23The decision taken last December to cancel the contract for the two purpose-built Cook Strait ferries – without having a Plan B in mind, let alone in place – has been a calamity that’s going to haunt New Zealand for decades to come, long after the Luxon government has been ...3 days ago
- June-24 AT Board MeetingToday the Auckland Transport board meets again,so I’ve taken a look through the items on their public agenda to see what’s interesting. Musical Chairs The first item of note is another change to the make-up of the AT Board. The legislation that established Auckland Transport allows for Waka Kotahi to ...3 days ago
- Colonial oppression in KanakyHow does France deal with opponents of its colonisation of the Pacific? Arrest them and deport them to France to face prosecution in a foreign court: A group of pro-independence leaders charged with allegedly organising protests that turned into violent unrest in New Caledonia last month was indicted on ...4 days ago
- Media Link: Post-pandemic economics and the rise of national populism” on “A View from Afar.”
On this edition of AVFA Selwyn Manning and I discuss post-pandemic economics and the rise of national populism. It seems that a post-pandemic turn to more nationalist economic policies may have encouraged the rise of populists who use xenophobia and … Continue reading ...4 days ago - Climate Change: National’s vice-signallingTwo weeks ago the climate denier government announced they would be giving farmers what they want and removing agriculture from the ETS. On Friday they introduced the bill for it to the House. Due to past efforts and backdowns, the Climate Change Response Act has a lot of inactive clauses ...4 days ago
- The Left’s Joyous Cherub: Keith Locke, 1944 – 2024.
The Struggle Continues: Keith Locke belonged to a generation that still believed in a world that could be, through struggle, relieved of its chains. That struggle constituted the core of a life lived with purpose, courage and determination. MANY NEW ZEALANDERS would, no doubt, have been surprised to discover that Keith Locke was ...4 days ago - The Night Before Yule: A Reprint
A couple of my stories – A Breath Through Silver, and The Last Libation – have previously earned themselves reprints. Well, I am pleased to report that the nice people at Heroic Fantasy Quarterly (https://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/) have included my narrative horror-poem, The Night Before Yule, in their newly-compiled Best Of anthology. ...4 days ago - Bernard’s mid-winter pick ‘n’ mix for Monday, June 24
TL;DR: Responding to the grounding of the Aratere over the weekend, the Government has signalled it will buy new replacement ferries, but only enough to replace existing freight capacity.That would effectively limit Aotearoa-NZ’s ability to handle any growth in population or the need to reduce emissions by shifting freight from ...4 days ago - Greater Auckland 2.0 – we need your help!Hi, we’re Greater Auckland. We’ve been a part of the landscape for over 15 years now. Over that time, we’ve provided informed commentary, evidence-based analysis, and inspiring visions for the future of Tāmaki Makaurau. You might know us from such hits as: The Congestion-Free Network 2013 (and its 2017 ...4 days ago
- Distractions and Inaction.
Fancy, a fast carA bag full of lootI can nearly guaranteeYou'll end up with the bootThe Prime Minister arrived home, perhaps a bit surprised, maybe even secretly a little pleased at the diversion, to find the country falling apart. Things going more badly that even his c-list, self back-slapping, trip ...4 days ago - KiwiRail aground while Government obfuscatesThe problems at KiwiRail go further and deeper than the maintenance issue, which caused the inter-island ferry Aratere to run aground on Saturday. The company is also the subject of a damning report published last week about the way it runs its rail operations from the Transport Accident Investigation Commission. ...5 days ago
- 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #25A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, June 16, 2024 thru Sat, June 22, 2024. Stories we promoted this week, by publication date: Before June 16 ‘Unprecedented mass coral bleaching’ expected in 2024, says expert, ...5 days ago
- The Realm Of The Possible.5 days ago
- Public Service Day
Good morn or evening friendsHere's your friendly announcerI have serious news to pass on to everybodyWhat I'm about to sayCould mean the world's disasterCould change your joy and laughter to tears and painIt's thatLove's in need of love todayDon't delaySend yours in right awayHate's goin' 'roundBreaking many heartsStop it pleaseBefore ...5 days ago - When is a road of National significance not a road of National significance?
I loved everything about my first Cook Strait ferry crossing: a day parked in the car in howling Wellington wind and driving Wellington rain, waiting to hear if they were going to sail or not; watching the huge black ministerial limousines come and go; listening to the adventures of Chicken ...6 days ago - Fact Brief – Was the Medieval Warm Period a global event?Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by John Mason in collaboration with members from the Gigafact team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Was the Medieval Warm Period a global ...6 days ago
- Aotearoa Runs Aground
Your face has fallen sad nowFor you know the time is nighWhen I must remove your wingsAnd you, you must try to flyCome sail your ships around meAnd burn your bridges downWe make a little history, babyEvery time you come aroundWhen I went to bed last night I thought the ...6 days ago - Wagon keeps movin'
6 days ago - Mainstreaming Māori
Mainstreaming need not be inherently anti-Māori. It will be if it is done badly because it will be anti-those-in need, and proportionally more of them are Māori.That the Coalition Government says it will deliver public services on the basis of need rather than, say, race deserves consideration, even though many ...7 days ago - National says “fuck you”The Justice Committee has reported back on the government's racist bill to eliminate Māori representation in local government. The report duly notes the Waitangi Tribunal's finding that the bill breaches te Tiriti, and the bill's inconsistency with our international human rights obligations - and then proceeds to ignore both. Instead, ...1 week ago
- Christopher Luxon is – Big in Japan
This week our Prime Minister Christopher Luxon… mmm, let’s take a moment to consider just how good that sounds. Hope you weren’t eating.Anyway that guy. Better? That bloke from the telly, he said - what I would say to you is… I’m big in Japan. My kind of people, hard ...1 week ago - Weekly Roundup 21-June-2024Tis the winter solstice! The shortest day and longest night of the year. The good news: we’re on our way back to summertime. Here’s another roundup of stories to brighten up your Friday. Our header image is from CRL and shows Waihorotiu Station lit up for Matariki 2024. The ...1 week ago
- Bernard’s mid-winter pick ‘n’ mix for Friday, June 21
1 week ago - The Futility of Punishment
Hi,I was in Texas recently and couldn’t stop thinking about how in some parts of America they really like to kill their prisoners. As a society we tend to agree murder is wrong, but somewhere along the way Texas figured it’s fine if it’s after 6pm and the killing is ...1 week ago - The new Beehive approach to the environmentA persistent theme has been weaving between the Committee rooms at Parliament all this so-called “Scrutiny” week as MPs have probed Ministers and agencies about their work and plans. The question has been simply what the environmental price might be if the country begins to accelerate its infrastructure building to ...1 week ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #25 2024Open access notables Climate Change Is Leading to a Convergence of Global Climate Distribution, Li et al., Geophysical Research Letters: The impact of changes in global temperatures and precipitation on climate distribution remains unclear. Taking the annual global average temperatures and precipitation as the origin, this study determined the climate distribution with the ...1 week ago
- You take nicer pictures when you’re not drunk
Readers keeping count will know it's more than five years since I gave up booze. Some of you get worried on my behalf when I recount a possibly testing moment. Anxious readers: today I got well tested.All the way across France I've been enquiring in my very polite and well-meaning but ...1 week ago - Cancer
Turn awayIf you could, get me a drinkOf water 'cause my lips are chapped and fadedCall my Aunt MarieHelp her gather all my thingsAnd bury me in all my favourite coloursMy sisters and my brothers, stillI will not kiss you'Cause the hardest part of this is leaving youI remember the ...1 week ago - Gordon Campbell on why we shouldn’t buy new planes for the PMIts not often that one has to agree with Judith Collins, but yes, it would indeed cost “hundreds of millions of dollars” (at least) to buy replacement aircraft to fly the Prime Minister on his overseas missions of diplomacy and trade. And yes, the public might well regard that spending ...1 week ago
- The Stadium Debate – What About the Transport Options?A few weeks ago, Auckland Council took another step in the long-running stadium saga, narrowing its shortlist down to two options for which they will now seek feasibility studies. The recommendation to move forward with a feasibility study was carried twenty to one by the council’s Governing Body for the ...1 week ago
- Bernard’s mid-winter pick ‘n’ mix for Thursday, June 20
Social Development Minister Louise Upston has defended the Government’s decision to save money by dumping a programme which tops up the pay of disabled workers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: It has emerged the National-ACT-NZ First Government decided to cut wages for disabled workers from the minimum wage to $2 an hour ...1 week ago - Where the power really resides in WellingtonThe new Chief Executive of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) yesterday gave a Select Committee a brutally frank outline of the department’s role as the agency right at the centre of power in Wellington. Ben King, formerly a deputy Chief Executive at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ...1 week ago
- Climate Adam: Why we're still losing the fight against MethaneThis 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). Carbon dioxide is the main culprit behind climate change. But in second place is methane: a greenhouse gas stronger than CO2, ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: More ETS failureA few weeks ago, I blogged about the (then) upcoming ETS auction, raising the prospect of it failing, leaving the government with a messy budget hole. The auction was today, and indeed, it failed. In fact, it was such a failure that no-one even bothered to bid. Its easy to ...1 week ago
- The Return of Jacinda.
Oh, take me, take me, take meTo the dreamer's ballI'll be right on time and I'll dress so fineYou're gonna love me when you see meI won't have to worryTake me, take mePromise not to wake me'Til it's morningIt's all been trueEarly morning yesterday, well before dawn, doom-scrolling.Not intentionally, that’s ...1 week ago - How good is the interim NW busway?This is a guest post by Pshem Kowalczyk, a long-time follower of the blog. With great fanfare, just over six months ago (on 12 November 2023), AT launched its interim busway for the NorthWest region, with the new WX express service at the heart of the changes. I live ...1 week ago
- Consumer confidence collapses after Budget, in contrast with rest of world
The first widespread survey of consumers and voters since the Budget on May 30 shows a collapse in confidence. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The belt-tightening and tax-cutting Budget delivered on May 30 has not delivered the boost to confidence in the economy the National-ACT-NZ First Government might have ...1 week ago - The end for the Air Force 757sThe Air Force 757 that broke down with the Prime Minister on board in Port Moresby on Sunday is considered so unreliable that it carries a substantial stock of spare parts when it travels overseas. And the plane also carries an Air Force maintenance team on board ready to make ...1 week ago
- At a glance – Was 1934 the hottest year on record?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 ...1 week ago
- It's not New Zealand they've never heard of, it's him
Sometimes you’ll just be so dog-tired, you can only keep yourself awake with a short stab of self-inflicted pain.A quick bite of the lip, for instance.Maybe a slight bite on the tongue or a dig of the nails.But what if you’re needing something a bit more painful?The solution is as ...1 week ago - Some “scrutiny” IILast month I blogged about the Ministry of Justice's Open Government Partnership commitment to strengthen scrutiny of Official Information Act exemption clauses in legislation", and how their existing efforts did not give much reason for confidence. As part of that, I mentioned that I had asked the Ministry for its ...1 week ago
- Gordon Campbell on why the Biden “peace plan” for Gaza is doomedAfter months and months of blocking every attempt by the UN and everyone else to achieve a Gaza ceasefire, US President Joe Biden is now marketing his own three-stage “peace plan” to end the conflict. Like every other contribution by the US since October 7, the Biden initiative is hobbled ...1 week ago
- Raised crossings: hearing the voice of vulnerable pedestriansThis is a guest post by Vivian Naylor, who is the Barrier Free Advisor and Educator at CCS Disability Action, Northern Region, the largest disability support and advocacy organisation in Aotearoa New Zealand. She also advises on AT’s Public Transport and Capital Projects Accessibility Groups. Vivian has been advocating and ...1 week ago
- Leaving on a Jet Plane
So kiss me and smile for meTell me that you'll wait for meHold me like you'll never let me go'Cause I'm leavin' on a jet planeDon't know when I'll be back againOh babe, I hate to go“The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its ...1 week ago - Bernard's mid-winter pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, June 18
The election promises of ‘better economic management’ are now ringing hollow, as NZ appears to be falling into a deeper recession, while other economies are turning the corner. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy and the housing market are slumping back into a deep recession this winter, contrasting ...2 weeks ago - Scrutiny week off to rocky startParliament’s new “Scrutiny” process, which is supposed to allow Select Committees to interrogate Ministers and officials in much more depth, has got off to a rocky start. Yesterday was the first day of “Scrutiny Week” which is supposed to see the Government grilled on how it spends taxpayers’ money and ...2 weeks ago
- The choice could not be more stark’: How Trump and Biden compare on climate changeThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Barbara Grady Illustration by Samantha Harrington. Photo credits: Justin Lane-Pool/Getty Images, Win McNamee/Getty Images, European Space Agency. In an empty wind-swept field in Richmond, California, next to the county landfill, a company called RavenSr has plotted out land and won ...2 weeks ago
- Differentiating between democracy and republicAlthough NZ readers may not be that interested in the subject and in lieu of US Fathers Day missives (not celebrated in NZ), I thought I would lay out some brief thoughts on a political subject being debated in the … Continue reading ...2 weeks ago
- Bernard's mid-winter pick 'n' mix for Monday, June 17
TL;DR: Chris Bishop talks up the use of value capture, congestion charging, PPPs, water meters, tolling and rebating GST on building materials to councils to ramp up infrastructure investment in the absence of the Government simply borrowing more to provide the capital.Meanwhile, Christopher Luxon wants to double the number of ...2 weeks ago
- Tell National to stop its destructive and undemocratic Fast Track Approvals Bill
Thousands of people have taken to the streets and voiced their concerns about National’s destructive and undemocratic Fast Track Approvals Bill. Add your voice and tell National why this legislation needs to be stopped in its tracks. ...3 hours ago - Matariki: A chance to reflect and celebrateCelebrating Matariki as a public holiday over the past two years has made sure everyone gets to spend some extra time with friends and family, as well as the chance to learn more about what makes this time of year meaningful. ...1 day ago
- Govt takes transport system further down dead end road
The Government’s Land Transport GPS is another example of short-term thinking that will hurt our climate and communities. ...1 day ago - Release: Labour remembers Lady Glen RowlingLady Glen Rowling, wife of the late Prime Minister Bill Rowling, will be remembered as loyal, kind, clever and supportive. ...2 days ago
- Release: Govt quietly downgrading hospital buildsThe Government needs to be transparent about the cuts they are making to hospital infrastructure, so that cities are clear on the health resources they will have into the future. ...2 days ago
- Release: Govt must release the fast track projects listThe National Government is keeping the public in the dark about projects that have applied for approval under the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...2 days ago
- Tell the Govt you value students' wellbeingOur students deserve access to fresh, healthy food to fuel their busy school days and lives. That’s why Labour introduced the Ka Ora, Ka Ako healthy school lunch programme. Teachers, parents, principals and health experts all saw the benefits of it. ...3 days ago
- The new Covid-19 Inquiry we campaigned and fought for will start in November
The new Covid-19 Inquiry we campaigned and fought for will start in November. The current Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 response will be divided into two phases. ‘Phase Two’ of the inquiry will start from November 2024 and will be the independent, full scale, and public inquiry we ...3 days ago - Release: Live exports not in New Zealand’s futureLabour will reinstate a ban on live exports of cattle by sea when re-elected. ...3 days ago
- Statement from Willow-Jean Prime“Today’s announcement is simply a repeat of the Government rejecting decades of evidence and expert advice, as they forcibly try to turn marketing slogans into policy,” said children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...3 days ago
- Statement from Labour Leader Chris Hipkins“I am relieved Pharmac will be funded more to buy medicines for Kiwis. It is important that decisions on which drugs get funded remain independent from politics,” Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...3 days ago
- A step forward on cancer drug funding but more to doThe Green Party welcomes the announcement of more funding for cancer treatments and medicines, however, calls for more to be done to address the severe health inequities that come with cancer. ...4 days ago
- Government prioritises punishing beneficiaries againFrivolous check-ins with beneficiaries are the Government’s latest plan to find excuses to punish those on the Job Seeker allowance and add to the stigma they face. ...4 days ago
- Labelling kids serious offenders sets rangatahi up to failThe Government’s archaic ‘tough on crime’ approach is weak on evidence and will do little to nothing to keep our communities safe. ...5 days ago
- Aratere grounding highlights urgent need for replacement shipsThe grounding of the Aratere Interislander Ferry is a wake-up call to the Coalition Government; they need to front up with a realistic long term solution to moving people and freight between our islands. ...6 days ago
- National is choosing to put our health at riskNew Zealanders need and deserve a strong public health system. Throughout the country, we need to ensure hospitals, clinics and community providers have the resources needed to provide the best level of care. ...1 week ago
- Green Party pays tribute to former MP Keith LockeThe Green Party pays tribute to former MP and prominent activist Keith Locke who died yesterday, peacefully in hospital. ...1 week ago
- Release: Govt choosing cost savings over victims of family violenceVictims of family violence could fall through the gaps in New Zealand, as Police stop responding to some call outs and the Government chooses to prioritise other things. ...1 week ago
- Release: Government used ghost families in its glossy tax cut brochuresIt’s been revealed the tax cut pamphlet released with the Budget was based on made-up people. ...1 week ago
- Failure of climate auction highlights government inactionThe lack of bids at today’s ETS auction is a sad indictment on this Government's staggering indifference to the climate crisis and their lack of a plan. ...1 week ago
- Your top concerns about the Budget“I am deeply disappointed in the National Party's budget. Their broken promises and cuts to essential services, including health, education, and support for vulnerable groups, will have long-lasting negative impacts” – Raymor, Auckland ...1 week ago
- Release: Birds of a feather perish together under NationalThe kākāpo, kea and kiwi alongside our other iconic and threatened national species are at risk under this Government. ...1 week ago
- Budget cuts chances of liveable futureScrutiny of Budget 24 and advice to the Minister of Finance shows the Government is knowingly increasing emissions and shredding climate action. ...1 week ago
- Release: Pride in schools more important than everToday marks the beginning of Schools Pride Week in New Zealand, an important calendar event largely run by rainbow rangitahi to advocate for safer, more inclusive school environments. ...2 weeks ago
- Statement: Labour wishes Marama Davidson well in recoveryThe Labour Party is sad to hear of Marama Davidson’s breast cancer diagnosis and is wishing her well. ...2 weeks ago
- Statement: Safer workplaces must be the goal of Minister's health and safety reviewThe Labour Party has always advocated for strong effective health and safety measures in New Zealand workplaces. ...2 weeks ago
- Government sets out to undermine workplace safetyThe Government’s announcement of a roadshow consultation on work health and safety is a smokescreen for its plan to throw out regulations which keep workers safe. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Women don’t need a voluntary calculator to know there’s a pay gapThe Government has reportedly scrapped a policy that would have gone far to fix gender and ethnic pay gaps and instead is implementing a watered-down voluntary system. ...2 weeks ago
- Risks far outweigh rewards in speed limit increasesThe coalition’s careless approach to speed limits will come at the cost of community safety and see our road toll continue to climb. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour supports inquiry into rural bankingWith farmers under increasing pressure financially, Labour supports a rural banking inquiry. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: School lunch programme being set up to failThe Government knew its changes to the school lunch programme would risk achievement, attendance, nutrition and wellbeing of New Zealand children, as well as having wider impacts on reducing child poverty, and made the changes anyway, new documents show. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt must recognise Palestine nowTwo months have passed since the National Government said it was a question of ”when, not if” New Zealand would recognise Palestine, in response to Labour’s call. ...2 weeks ago
- Banking Inquiry on its way.Today the coalition government has announced that a select committee inquiry into banking competition will be led by the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee. New Zealand First campaigned to take on foreign owned banks, and we committed to that in our coalition agreement by ensuring the inquiry has a broad ...2 weeks ago
- Free Kanaky, Free Te Moana-Nui-a-KiwaTe Pāti Māori stand with the people of Kanaky who are fighting for their independence and their lives against oppressive French occupation. The colonisation of the Pacific relies on the manufactured disconnection of Aotearoa from our Pasifika whanaunga. The moana does not separate us, it connects us. ...2 weeks ago
- Delaying climate action won’t help rural communitiesThe National Government is doing everything it can to delay taking action on climate as it announces that years of work on agricultural emissions will start from scratch. ...2 weeks ago
- Farmers among first and worst hit by climate changeThe Government has once again kicked the climate action can down the road by removing agricultural emissions from the Emissions Trading Scheme. ...2 weeks ago
- Fast Track, Wrong Track: Thousands stand up for democracy and natureTens of thousands of people showed up to have their voices heard and march against National’s unpopular Fast Track Approvals Bill in Auckland over the weekend. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Oil and gas must stay in the groundReversing the ban on oil and gas exploration is a disaster for the climate and will take New Zealand’s climate action backwards. ...3 weeks ago
- Government to add oil and gas to climate fireThe Government deciding to lift the oil and gas ban in the middle of a climate crisis is a severe step backwards that will have serious consequences for our future. ...3 weeks ago
- Select Committee Hearings Prove Racist Motives Behind Govt Removal of Māori Wards.This week the Justice Select Committee has heard numerous submissions on the removal of Māori Wards. “I am feeling invigorated by the powerful oral submissions that I have heard throughout the week.” Said Local Government spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “People from all facets of life: whānau Māori, whānau Pākehā, rangatahi, kaumātua, ...3 weeks ago
- Government passes Clean Car Importer Standard Bill
Changes to the Land Transport (Clean Vehicle Standard) Act will enable changes to the emissions targets more easily with a review of the Clean Vehicle Standard currently underway, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Large changes in technology, fuel efficiency, and consumer trends and preferences means that the Clean Car Importer Standard ...1 day ago - Fire and Emergency New Zealand board reappointmentsInternal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden has today announced that four members have been reappointed to the Fire and Emergency New Zealand [FENZ] board. “I am pleased to announce that Rebecca Keoghan has been reappointed as chair for a two-year term of office,” says Ms van Velden. Rebecca was appointed ...1 day ago
- Therapeutic Products Act repeal bill gets 1st readingThe Government has taken further steps to providing better regulation for medicines, medical devices, and natural health products with the first reading of a bill to repeal the Therapeutic Products Act 2023. Repealing the Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) shows the Government is listening to the concerns of industry and consumers, says Associate ...1 day ago
- $343.5 million allocated by Te Puna Tahua Lottery Grants BoardMinister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says $343.5 million in lottery profits have been allocated to New Zealand communities across the country – an increase of around $29.8 million from previous years. “The distribution of lottery profits can have a significant and enduring impact on the lives of New ...1 day ago
- Emergency support for East Coast floodingCivil Defence payments are now available for people affected by the severe weather in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti to help cover some emergency costs, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston has announced. “We want to make sure those communities that are doing it tough because of the latest severe ...1 day ago
- Government progressing commitment to reinstate livestock exports by seaThe coalition Government is progressing its commitment to reinstate livestock exports by sea, with public consultation set to start before September, Associate Minister of Agriculture Hon Andrew Hoggard says. Reinstating livestock exports by sea will require an amendment to the Animal Welfare Act 1999 and strengthened welfare standards will be ...1 day ago
- Minister releases Tauranga District Plan decisionsRMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today released his decisions on elements of Tauranga City Council’s Intensification Planning Instrument. Two recommendations were referred to the Minister after the Council rejected two of those made by the Independent Hearings Panel. “I was asked by the Tauranga City Council to reject two ...1 day ago
- High-level political delegation to visit PacificDeputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a high-level political delegation to Solomon Islands, Nauru and Niue next week. "New Zealand's relationships in the Pacific are fundamental to our foreign policy, and we are determined to continue strengthening them,” says Mr Peters. “We look forward to engaging with ...1 day ago
- Wānaka’s first primary birthing unit openedPrime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Health Minister Dr Shane Reti to officially open a new primary birthing unit in Wānaka today. Dr Reti says the event demonstrates the Government’s commitment to improving health infrastructure and is particularly special as it will support many families before birth and in the first ...1 day ago
- GPS 2024: Record transport investment to drive economic growthThe final Government Policy Statement on land transport 2024 (GPS 2024) outlines the Government’s ambitious $22 billion transport plan to boost productivity and support economic growth, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Upon being elected, the Government was clear that we wanted to make good on our transport promises to New Zealanders ...1 day ago
- King’s Counsel appointments 2024Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointments of 19 King’s Counsel. Also known as a silk, in reference to a gown traditionally worn as part of their robes, the rank of King’s Counsel is awarded to barristers sole who have demonstrated excellence in their careers or, from time to time, ...1 day ago
- Crime data underpins need for law & order actionNew crime data highlights how critical the Government’s plan is to restore law and order, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “The latest New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey data is shameful, with New Zealanders experiencing 1.88 million incidents of crime between November 2022 and October 2023. “There were 185,000 New ...1 day ago
- Independent panel to review methane science and targets appointedThe Government is delivering on its promise to commence an independent review of the methane science and targets for consistency with no additional warming from agriculture emissions, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay say. “An independent panel announced today, will report back to the Government by ...1 day ago
- Government repeals costly log trade legislationThe Government today repealed legislation requiring the compulsory registration of log traders and forestry advisers. “The existing legislation fails to deliver outcomes and places unnecessary costs on forest businesses,” Forestry Minister Todd McClay says. “I am confident that voluntary registration through the New Zealand Institute of Forestry is a better ...2 days ago
- Build To Rent Bill passes first readingThe Overseas Investment (Build To Rent and Similar Rental Developments) Amendment Bill has passed its first reading this evening, Housing and Associate Finance Minister Chris Bishop says.“We need to take every option available to increase the supply of housing in New Zealand, and Build to Rent is one of those ...2 days ago
- Minister welcomes opening of BrynderwynsTransport Minister Simeon Brown welcomes the opening of State Highway 1 through the Brynderwyn Hills from midnight tonight, following four months of closure to complete critical recovery and maintenance works. “Northlanders, local businesses, drivers, and freight operators will be relieved to have this important lifeline open. The Government thanks them ...2 days ago
- Secondary legislation drafting toolkit launchedAttorney-General Judith Collins today welcomed the release of the Parliamentary Counsel Office’s (PCO) Secondary Legislation Drafting Toolkit. "Both businesses and people tell us they find it hard to understand their obligations under secondary legislation,” Ms Collins says. “This toolkit, with its focus on design and content, will help with both ...2 days ago
- Tougher sentences coming for criminalsThe Government is reforming sentencing to ensure criminals face serious consequences for crime and victims are prioritised, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. "In recent years, there has been a concerning trend where the courts have imposed fewer and shorter prison sentences despite a 33 per cent increase in violent crime. ...2 days ago
- Improving educational choice for families and studentsThe Education and Training Amendment Bill, which will set up charter schools, encourage more early learning centres to open, and provide increased transparency on school attendance, has been introduced for its first reading in Parliament, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. “Every child deserves an education that enables them to ...2 days ago
- Government receives final report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in CareThe coalition Government welcomes the presentation of the final report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care to the Governor-General. “This marks the end of the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden ...2 days ago
- Scope of the Northland transmission tower failure review announcedEnergy Minister Simeon Brown has today released the terms of reference for the Electricity Authority’s investigation into the Northland transmission tower failure that occurred on 20 June 2024, causing significant power outages in the region.“What happened in Northland last week was unacceptable, with tens of thousands of consumers left without ...2 days ago
- Minister celebrates students’ space successSpace Minister Judith Collins is applauding students from Canterbury University’s Aerospace Club on their success at the world’s largest inter-collegiate rocket engineering competition, the Spaceport America Cup. “More than 120 teams from 20 countries participated in Spaceport America Cup, with the team from Canterbury University winning in their ‘30,000 Foot’ ...3 days ago
- Address – Commemoration of the 74th Anniversary of the Commencement of the Korean WarTena koutou.Ki nga kaumatua,Ki nga whanau,Ka maumahara tonu tatou ki a ratou. Greetings.To the elders,To the families,We will remember them. Firstly, a special welcome to all the veterans here this morning and their families. I want to acknowledge the veterans who are marking this day but cannot be with us ...3 days ago
- New WorkSafe board appointments to address a history of poor financial managementWorkplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says three appointments to the WorkSafe board have been made to strengthen the organisation, ensuring it has the skills and expertise it needs to carry out its functions. “WorkSafe has faced a number of recent challenges, including accumulating an almost $18 million ...3 days ago
- Next phase of the Royal Commission into COVID-19Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says this coalition Government is delivering on our commitment to expand the terms of reference for the independent Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons Learned. “There will be a second phase to the Royal Commission which features new commissioners and an expanded terms of ...3 days ago
- Government introduces Three Strikes BillThe Government has introduced a Bill today to restore the Three Strikes sentencing law, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says. “New Zealanders are rightly concerned about violent crime. We are delivering on our commitment to introduce a revised Three Strikes law as one of our key law and order priorities. ...3 days ago
- New support for agricultural emissions reductionThe Government and the Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) are together committing an additional $8 million towards AgriZeroNZ to boost New Zealand’s efforts to reduce agricultural emissions. Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says the strength of the New Zealand economy relies on effective and affordable emission reduction solutions for New Zealand’s ...3 days ago
- Government actions strengthening Māori successTākina Puanga. Ko Puanga kei runga. Ko Puanga e Rangi. Tākina mai te ara o Puanga nui o te rangi. Tākina ngā pou o te tau. Ki te whai ao ki te ao marama. Puanga or Rigel celebrations reflect a renewed energy across our communities – to acknowledge those who ...3 days ago
- Transformative investment in cancer treatments and more new medicinesThe coalition Government is delivering up to 26 cancer treatments as part of an overall package of up to 54 more new medicines, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. “Pharmac estimates that around 175,000 people will benefit from the additional treatments in just ...4 days ago
- More support for drought-affected communitiesThe coalition Government is providing more financial support to drought-stricken farmers and growers in many parts of the country to help with essential living costs. “Rural Assistance Payments have been made available in 38 districts affected by dry conditions to help eligible farmers and growers whose income has taken a ...4 days ago
- Job seekers to report on progress after six months from todayA new requirement for people on Jobseeker Support benefits to meet with MSD after six months to assess how their job search is going gets underway today. About 20,000 Jobseeker beneficiaries with full-time work obligations are expected to attend MSD’s new ‘Work check-in’ seminars over the next 12 months, Social ...4 days ago
- New cops means more Police on the beatThe decision to deploy more Police on the beat in Auckland CBD has been welcomed by Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Associate Police Minister Casey Costello. Starting from 1 July, an additional 21 police officers will be redeployed in Auckland City, bringing the total number of beat police in the ...5 days ago
- Government takes action to address youth crimeThe Government is introducing a new declaration for young offenders to ensure they face tougher consequences and are better supported to turn their lives around, Children’s Minister Karen Chhour announced today. The establishment of a Young Serious Offender declaration delivers on a coalition Government commitment and supports the Government’s target ...5 days ago
- Reserve Bank chair reappointedProfessor Neil Quigley has been reappointed as Chair of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Board for a further term of two years, until 30 June 2026. “Professor Quigley has played a key role in establishing the new Board after the commencement of the new RBNZ Act on 1 July ...1 week ago
- School attendance increasesSchool attendance data released today shows an increase in the number of students regularly attending school to 61.7 per cent in term one. This compares to 59.5 per cent in term one last year and 53.6 per cent in term four. “It is encouraging to see more children getting to ...1 week ago
- Record investment in public transport servicesThe Government has announced a record 41 per cent increase in indicative funding for public transport services and operations, and confirmed the rollout of the National Ticketing Solution (NTS) that will enable contactless debit and credit card payments starting this year in Auckland, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“This Government is ...1 week ago
- GDP data shows need to strengthen and grow the economyGDP figures for the March quarter reinforce the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows GDP has risen 0.2 per cent for the quarter to March. “While today’s data is technically in ...1 week ago
- Women continue to make up over 50 per cent on public sector boardsWomen’s representation on public sector boards and committees has reached 50 per cent or above for the fourth consecutive year, with women holding 53.9 per cent of public sector board roles, Acting Minister for Women Louise Upston says. “This is a fantastic achievement, but the work is not done. To ...1 week ago
- Government supporting Māori business successThe Coalition Government is supporting Māori to boost development and the Māori economy through investment in projects that benefit the regions, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka say. “As the Regional Development Minister, I am focused on supporting Māori to succeed. The Provincial Growth Fund ...1 week ago
- Better solutions for earthquake-prone buildingsBuilding and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced that the review into better managing the risks of earthquake-prone buildings has commenced. “The terms of reference published today demonstrate the Government’s commitment to ensuring we get the balance right between public safety and costs to building owners,” Mr Penk says. “The Government ...1 week ago
- Russia bans another 36 New Zealanders from entering borders
Journalists, scholars, defence personnel, public servants and mayors are all on the list. ...46 mins ago - ‘Things started to look dire’: our deep-dive into past climates sounds a warning for this unique...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sean Buckley, Lecturer in Molecular Ecology and Environmental Management, Edith Cowan University Stephen Beatty Climate change threatens plants and animals around the world, but some regions are particularly exposed. Some are vulnerable simply due to the huge diversity of species they ...57 mins ago - At this year’s Rising festival, I was most excited by the new and unexpected audiencesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Austin, Lecturer in Theatre, The University of Melbourne Rising Rising situates itself as a festival of new art, performance and music that takes place in the heart of Naarm/Melbourne just as the weather turns cold and the days get darker ...57 mins ago
- If you’re pregnant, how accurate is your ‘due date’?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hazel Keedle, Senior Lecturer of Midwifery, Western Sydney University MART PRODUCTION/Pexels More than 1,700 pregnant women in South Australia have reportedly been given the wrong “due date” due to a technical error in their computerised medical records. This has prompted concerns ...2 hours ago
- Government stands by Matariki funding cutsAs the government defends reduced funding for Matariki events, the holiday is experiencing a resurgence throughout the Pacific. ...2 hours ago
- The UK election gambling scandal shows the dangers of inside information – but what exactly is it?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jack Anderson, Professor of Sports Law, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne Richard M Lee/Shutterstock In the iconic 1980s movie Back to the Future II, the elderly villain, Biff Tannen, steals a Grays Sports Almanac. He travels back in ...2 hours ago
- The Week in Politics: Strong medicine for a bad headacheAnalysis - The government solves its cancer drugs problem by delivering twice as much as it promised, Peter Wilson writes. ...4 hours ago
- Paul Gauguin was a violent paedophile. Should the National Gallery of Australia be staging a major e...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sasha Grishin, Adjunct Professor of Art History, Australian National University Paul Gauguin Three Tahitians (Trois tahitiens) 1899 oil on canvas 73 × 94 cm National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh. Presented by Sir Alexander Maitland in memory of his wife Rosalind 1960, NG ...4 hours ago
- We analysed the entire web and found a cybersecurity threat lurking in plain sightSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Saric, Computer Scientist & Mechatronic Engineer, CSIRO Ar_TH/Shutterstock Our latest research has found that clickable links on websites can often be redirected to malicious destinations. We call these “hijackable hyperlinks” and have found them by the millions across the whole ...5 hours ago
- The AFL’s illicit drug policy is under fire but the bigger issue is that not all sports have oneSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney In March, Australian MP Andrew Wilkie used parliamentary privilege to allege the Australian Football League (AFL) was operating an “off the books” illicit drug testing regime that is at odds with ...5 hours ago
- Citizens Advice Bureau Breaches Bill Of Rights By Discriminating In Booking Cancellation
“CAB claim the booking cancellation occurred because the Party misrepresented the event as endorsed by CAB. But the New Zealand Women’s Rights Party only referred to CAB in a Facebook event when listing the location for where the meeting was to ...5 hours ago - The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending June 28
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. First, a quick PSA: Unity Books has a flash new website that lets you search and purchase ...8 hours ago - What’s next for the Climate Change Authority under Matt Kean’s leadership?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lesley Hughes, Professor Emerita, Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University The appointment of high-profile New South Wales Liberal politician Matt Kean to chair the Climate Change Authority has sparked questions about what this body does. How does it influence climate policy in ...9 hours ago
- Want to help our precious nocturnal bugs during Matariki’s longer nights? Turn the lights down lowSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janice Lord, Associate Professor in Botany, University of Otago Getty Images In a world increasingly affected by light pollution, we can take time during the shorter days and longer nights around Matariki to appreciate the superpowers of our nocturnal bugs. As ...9 hours ago
- Young people hate making phone calls – could it be hurting their careers?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Narelle Hopkin (Towie), Academic chair of journalism, Murdoch University DenPhotos/Shutterstock Ironically, younger generations are using smartphones for anything but actual phone calls. Many people under 40 appear far more comfortable letting their fingers do the talking, using text or images, ...9 hours ago
- ‘Near death experience’: Angela Bloomfield’s Shortland Street stunt gone wrongAngela Bloomfield looks back on a television history filled with reality TV romance, soap lightning strikes and a disturbing mermaid experience. It’s been 31 years since a teenage Angela Bloomfield first stepped onto the set of Shortland Street, but those early days on the iconic New Zealand soap are still ...9 hours ago
- A ‘trilobite Pompeii’: perfectly preserved fossils of ancient sea critters found buried in volca...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Paterson, Professor of Earth Sciences, University of New England A. El Albani (University of Poitiers) If you’ve ever visited the fossil gallery of a natural history museum — or its gift shop, for that matter — you’ve probably seen the ...10 hours ago
- Explainer: What’s at stake in France’s election, and could it make Macron’s government even we...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Romain Fathi, Senior Lecturer, School of History, Australian National University Just one hour after the far-right’s surge in the European elections on June 9, French President Emmanuel Macron made the surprising decision to dissolve the French national assembly and call for snap ...10 hours ago
- Most aged care homes are falling short of minimum care standards – new reportSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Woods, Professor of Health Economics, University of Technology Sydney In Green/Shutterstock New analysis has revealed many Australian aged care residents are not receiving the levels of care they need and are entitled to. The UTS Ageing Research Collaborative, which ...10 hours ago
- Engineering New Zealand Supports Shared Vision To Close Infrastructure GapBridging the Infrastructure Gap – Funding and financing for a resilient Aotearoa New Zealand was launched on Wednesday night, with both National and Labour talking about being open to a bipartisan approach to long term infrastructure. ...10 hours ago
- Matariki whetū heri kaiWhat food traditions should we incorporate into our Matariki celebrations? The chef behind Feast Matariki has some simple suggestions. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. 2024 will be the third year Aotearoa has celebrated Matariki with a public holiday. Over the last two years, I’ve ...11 hours ago
- A brief conversation with Tama Potaka on law and order
Analysis: On Wednesday, the Government unveiled its fourth law and order policy in a week. All policies are geared at cracking down on lawlessness; all policies have a punitive focus; and all policies are expected to disproportionately impact Māori. One Government Minister who is walking a fine line on his ...11 hours ago - Three deep: A review of the Matariki public holidayDespite ongoing attempts of commercialisation and initial awkwardness around when the holiday should be, Matariki is quickly becoming an integral part of our nation’s cultural identity. Here I am in the middle of Sylvia Park, a chasm of consumerism, nervously fumbling with my phone trying to figure out which way ...14 hours ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘Matairangi Ka mua Ka muri’ by Hana BuchananA new poem by Te Aro Pā poet Hana Buchanan. Matairangi Ka mua Ka muri for my friend Philip O’Leary 1970 – 2023 Ka mua, ka muri Walking backwards into the future Have you ever tried it? Walking backwards I mean Try it! After hours and days and years ...14 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Friday 28 JuneThe post Daily crossword, Friday 28 June appeared first on Newsroom. ...14 hours ago
- Bestselling books at Matariki weekendFICTION 1 At the Grand Glacier Hotel by Laurence Fearnley (Penguin Random House, $37) A copy of the novelist’s latest novel – number one for the third consecutive week – was up for grabs in last week’s free book giveaway. The novel is set in a grand old rambling hotel; ...14 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 28 JuneLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 28 June appeared first on Newsroom. ...14 hours ago
- Hawai’i’s Rimpac war games begin, but academic condemns them as harmful ‘how to invade’ acti...SPECIAL REPORT: By Te Aniwaniwa Paterson Hawai’ian academic Dr Emalani Case has condemned the 2024 Rimpac military exercise that began off the coast of Hawai’i today, saying the military personnel from 29 countries taking part are “practising to invade”. “They call it practising defence but they’re really learning how to ...18 hours ago
- Grattan on Friday: the Assange light and sound show overshadows government problemsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As scripted political dramas go, Julian Assange’s (welcome) arrival in Canberra on Wednesday night would be hard to beat. Even before Assange exited the plane, Anthony Albanese was on the phone in a pre-arranged ...19 hours ago
- Indonesia accused of subverting Pacific push for UN rights mission to PapuaBy Stefan Armbruster, Victor Mambor and BenarNews staff An unheralded visit to Indonesia’s Papuan provinces by a leading Pacific diplomat has drawn criticism for undermining a push for a United Nations human rights mission to the region where pro-independence fighters have fought Indonesian rule for decades. The Melanesian Spearhead Group’s ...20 hours ago
- Migrant group horrified by 'ruthless' changes to visa schemeA group representing migrant workers has described changes to visa rules as "heart-wrenching" and "insensitive". ...20 hours ago
- Submissions Now Open On The International Treaty Examinations Relating To ASEAN-Australia-New Zealan...The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee is inviting public submissions on two related international treaty examinations. The two agreements are: • Second Protocol to Amend the Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free ...22 hours ago
- Submissions Now Open On The Education And Training Amendment BillThe Chair of the Education and Workforce Committee is inviting public submissions on the Education and Training Amendment Bill. The bill would amend the Education and Training Act 2020 by: • repealing the early childhood education (ECE) network ...22 hours ago
- Care Experienced Young People Call On Government To Rethink Punitive Measures, As Petition Delivered...VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai was one of more than 30 organisations to deliver a petition to political leaders yesterday opposing moves to introduce measures to criminalise young children. ...22 hours ago
- Raw Politics: The glasses clink in the coalition bunkerPrime Minister Christopher Luxon doesn’t care if you say a policy works or doesn’t work – he’s damned well going to get on with it anyway. The Raw Politics team this week examines the Prime Minister’s exasperation with calls for ‘evidence’ to back his policies, and ...23 hours ago
- The MrBeast effect: an expert explains why we’re drawn to videos of random people winning bigSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian R. Camilleri, Associate Professor of Marketing, University of Technology Sydney Yesterday, thousands of Sydneysiders gathered at the Opera House to watch the world’s most subscribed-to YouTuber, MrBeast, give away ten mostly luxury cars. Beyond people who can drive, the crowd ...24 hours ago
- Minister Brooke van Velden confirms meeting with Uber over contractor law changeBrooke van Velden has confirmed the meeting, as she considers banning contractors from going to court over their employment status. ...1 day ago
- Other countries have struggled to control how kids access the internet. What can Australia learn?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa M. Given, Professor of Information Sciences & Director, Social Change Enabling Impact Platform, RMIT University Rawpixel/Shutterstock Debate continues to rage in Australia over whether children should (or can) be banned from social media. Following politicians’ recent promises to ban those ...1 day ago
- Submissions Open On The Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Scheme Agricultural Obligations) ...The chairperson of the Primary Production Committee is calling for submissions on the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Scheme Agricultural Obligations) Amendment Bill. The bill would amend the Climate Change Response Act 2002 to remove agriculture ...1 day ago
- RIMPAC Deployment Highlights New Zealand’s HypocrisyMultiple conflicts with NZ’s stated commitment to nuclear disarmament, the rules-based order, international law, and human rights ...1 day ago
- How former Greens MP Keith Locke often became a voice for the PacificOBITUARY: By Philip Cass of Kaniva Tonga A New Zealand politician and human rights activist with a strong connection to Tonga’s Democracy movement and other Pacific activism has been farewelled after dying last week aged 80. Keith Locke served as a former Green MP from 1999 to 2011. While in ...1 day ago
- Shane Jones defends links to industry and diary omissionResources Minister Shane Jones says accusations that he may be too close to industry executives are minor details and political games. ...1 day ago
- Former Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman convicted, ordered to pay fine and court costsGolriz Ghahraman has to pay a fine of $1600, and $260 in court costs, for shoplifting offences. ...1 day ago
- Can I take antihistamines everyday? More than the recommended dose? What if I’m pregnant? Here’s...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janet Davies, Respiratory Allergy Stream Co-chair, National Allergy Centre of Excellence; Professor and Head, Allergy Research Group, Queensland University of Technology Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels Allergies happen when your immune system overreacts to a normally harmless substance like dust or pollen. Hay fever, ...1 day ago
- What’s really inside vapes? We pulled them apart to find outSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Miles Park, Senior Lecturer, Industrial Design, UNSW Sydney Christopher Kidall Park While vapes or e-cigarettes first appeared around 20 years ago as an alternative to smoking, their prevalence and use have increasingly become problematic. Governments and regulators are now catching up ...1 day ago
- Dozens of jobs on the line as Justice and Corrections look to cut duplicationThe Ministry of Justice and the Department of Corrections are looking at combining two of their teams. ...1 day ago
- Civil Defence payments made available for severe weather supportThe government has announced civil defence payments are now available for people affected by severe weather in Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti. ...1 day ago
- 'Just shame, shame,' – Former MP Golriz Ghahraman speaks in first interviewIn her first in-depth interview after her arrest for shoplifting, she tells John Campbell it was an act of "self-sabotage." ...1 day ago
- Care Workers To Rally Across Aotearoa For Pay EquityThe rallies are the next step in a long campaign for the workers’ pay equity claim, with recent developments including filing with the Employment Relations Authority. ...1 day ago
- Latest polling shows UK Labour likely to win landslide at next week’s election, while Biden gains ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The United Kingdom general election will be held in a week, on July 4. Polls close at 7am AEST on July 5. ...1 day ago
- Govt will weaken methane target in defiance of Climate Commission – McClayAnalysis: Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says the Government will reset New Zealand’s methane emissions targets in line with the principle of “no additional warming”, a move the independent Climate Change Commission has warned will lead to “higher emissions and an increased amount of warming than the current target”. While the ...1 day ago
- Revealed: The shocking drag storytime event Brian Tamaki didn’t want you to see The Spinoff goes inside the controversial event deemed too dangerous for the New Zealand public. Brian Tamaki was too scared to watch WillySmacknTush’s drag king storytime, but I was not. The latest target in Destiny Church’s campaign against rainbow events and road markings across Aotearoa, Tamaki and Destiny Church members ...1 day ago
- New Crime Statistics Back Up Need For Multi-agency Coordinated Response To ScamsNetsafe, New Zealand's leading online safety organisation, said today’s crime survey statistics released by the Ministry of Justice shows a critical gap in our justice system's ability to protect citizens and pursue cybercriminals when it comes to tackling ...1 day ago
- “Heartless” Immigration Changes Show Govt Is Turning Its Back On Migrant WorkersMigrant workers had been welcomed to Aotearoa during the Covid-19 pandemic due to worker shortages, and the Government’s new changes would leave many migrant workers out of pocket and in the dark regarding future plans to bring family members to the ...1 day ago
- Annual Plan 2024/25 And Tertiary Education 2022 Audit Results PublishedA key accountability document for our Office, the annual plan sets out the discretionary work that we intend to carry out during 2024/25. This includes performance audits, inquiries, special studies, commentaries and research, regular reports and updates, ...1 day ago
- Greenpeace Aotearoa says the appointment of former Fonterra director Nicola Shadbolt to the Government’s so-called ‘independent’ methane review panel highlights that the panel’s true purpose is to delay climate action. ...1 day ago
- A funding boost for NZ’s drug-buying agency Pharmac to pay for cancer drugs is welcome – but it ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paula Lorgelly, Professor of Health Economics, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images This week the coalition government made a significant investment in Pharmac, increasing funding by NZ$604 million over the next four years. In doing so, it ...1 day ago
- ‘I didn’t care’: How Captain Sandy broke Below Deck’s glass ceilingDuring her recent visit to New Zealand, Below Deck’s Captain Sandy Yawn spoke to Tara Ward about what it takes to survive the high seas. Captain Sandy Yawn is leaning perilously over the side of a luxury superyacht. She may be surrounded by stunning Mediterranean scenery, but Yawn is too ...1 day ago
- Former Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman denied discharge without conviction for shopliftingThe former Green Party MP has to pay a fine of $1600, and court costs. ...1 day ago
- Achieving net zero with renewables or nuclear means rebuilding the hollowed-out public service after...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Steve Tritton/Shutterstock Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s plan to build seven nuclear power plants in Australia has attracted plenty of critical attention. But there’s a striking feature which has received relatively little ...1 day ago
- Watch: Government unveils transport plan after feedbackTransport Minister Simeon Brown is speaking to media about the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport, which covers the next 10 years. ...1 day ago
- ECE Network Management’s Removal A Case Of CommonsenseThe policy has long been criticised as onerous and unworkable, having been implemented and expanded without adequate sector consultation, with the subsequent lack of certainty scaring off community groups and small private providers alike. ...1 day ago
- Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thao Phan, Research Fellow, Emerging Technologies Research Lab, Monash University Wing The chief executive of drone delivery company Wing says 2024 is “the year of drone delivery”. The company first went public in 2014 as a Google “moonshot” project and now ...1 day ago
- What we’re watching over the long Matariki weekendThe Spinoff writers share what they’re popping on their watchlist ahead of the long weekend. Mānawatia a Matariki 2024 (TVNZ1, TVNZ+) Stacey Morrison (Te Arawa, Ngāi Tahu) and Mātai Smith (Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri) return to present the live coverage of our national Matariki celebrations from 6am on Friday. They’ll ...1 day ago
- Federated Farmers: Independent Methane Review Long OverdueAn independent review of New Zealand’s methane reduction targets is long overdue and will be welcome news for farmers, says Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford. ...1 day ago
- Bid to stop Wellington Airport share sale failsAn eleventh-hour attempt by three Wellington City Councillors to stop the sale of the council's airport shares has failed. ...1 day ago
- FIRST Union Cut From Contractor Consultation As Govt Omits CriticsFIRST Union General Secretary Dennis Maga said he has received a notice from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) that confirms that the union will be omitted from consultation on Minister Brook Van Velden’s intended changes ...1 day ago
- Kids become myrtle rust busters with new gameA pair of apps aims to create a new crop of kaitiaki with the help of augmented reality. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Viewed through the iPad screen, a pōhutukawa tree branch is growing up through the carpet of the meeting room ...1 day ago
- ‘More to connect us than to divide us’: How tauiwi are celebrating MatarikiTauiwi (non-Māori) are taking cues from their own heritage and Māori traditions as they prepare to mark Matariki, the Māori new year. Eda Tang speaks to those celebrating in their own way. With many non-Catholics celebrating the Gregorian New Year, there’s no reason why non-Māori shouldn’t celebrate, observe or acknowledge ...1 day ago
- Negotiating a new salary or a pay rise? Here’s what you need to know to succeedSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ray Fells, Professor of Negotiation, The University of Western Australia Yuri A/Shutterstock Almost half of all Australian workers are currently watching for or actively seeking a new job, according to a recent Gallup report. High stress levels, murky work-life boundaries ...1 day ago
- A woman who blindly conformed or feisty creator of her own story? What we know about the real Lady J...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Broomhall, Director, Gender and Women’s History Research Centre, Australian Catholic University Prime Video History remembers Jane as the ultimate damsel in distress – known for her death, rather than her life. Fuck that! What if history were different? ...1 day ago
- Help Me Hera: How do I become a writer?How do I get published? Do I need an agent? And how important is social media really? Two letters, one answer. Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Dear Hera, I recently finished a Masters’s degree in Creative Writing and absolutely loved it; I was stoked with my mark and my supervisor ...1 day ago
- Planning a country escape these school holidays? 4 ways to avoid clogging up the emergency departmen...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Riley, Lecturer, School of Nursing, University of Wollongong Jason Vanajek/Shutterstock Winter school holidays are either here or coming up, depending on where in Australia you live. Maybe you’re planning a rural escape. Rural tourism is crucial for job growth ...1 day ago
- Australians will soon only be able to buy vapes from pharmacies. Should New Zealand follow suit?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janet Hoek, Professor of Public Health, University of Otago Getty Images Australia will become the first country to restrict vape sales to pharmacies from next week. This new policy represents a very different approach to the path Aotearoa New Zealand is ...1 day ago
- Devastating coral bleaching will be more common, start earlier and last longer unless we cut emissio...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Camille Mellin, Senior Lecturer and ARC Future Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide Sarah_lewis/Shutterstock Coral bleaching is becoming much more common as a result of increasingly severe and frequent marine heatwaves. Four global mass bleaching events have happened since ...1 day ago
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350306339/more-deaths-and-injuries-expected-auckland-roads-due-governments-plans
More deaths an injuries due to national party policies!
Oh well, another addition to the Bingo card….
Simeon Brown (or other senior Nat) seriously injured in car crash caused by driver going too fast for situation / conditions.
At current rate it's hardly a game of chance.
The faster you go, the bigger the mess ?
NActFirst are updating….
The faster you go, the faster you get there.
There being subjective…..
There was this re…trucks.
And having travelled that Kaikoura road a bit, WHY isnt Rail….and Coastal Shipping used more !
Are we talking about roads that are unsafe, or are we talking about making the roads more safe?
The two are different things.
Improving the safety of an unsafe road should be a priority.
However just making an already safe road, even more safe, for the sake of being extra safe, while looking good, doesn’t achieve anything or very as a result.
Did you read the article, or did you jump straight to dedend the idiot act/nat coalition?
Yes I did read the article.
The blanket reduction in speed will not achieve anything. It’s a knee jerk reaction, made under the guise of safety.
In order to be really safe, we could require a man waving a red flag walking in front of vehicles..,
Blanket ideas like this will just annoy the voters.
It’s like having 4 mobile speed cameras, along transmission gully, on a fine sunny Sunday afternoon, to catch speeding drivers. Also known as revenue gathering.
My experience with driving in urban areas, and residential streets, is that traffic speeds are often self governing
You small dick, tough talking cunts (I know what a mixed image!) should piss off and send in some one tough like a Queenslander:
When public safety is about safety not bullshit culture wars my link title to a post with a much more moderate lexis used throughout, but the conclusion is much the same
@newsence; Hmm not to sure what the “you small dick, tough talking cunts” means? I generally don’t associate with people like that, so am at a bit of a loss, but I feel that I wouldn’t be missing much
Sure we could reduce the speed limit of the residential street I live on to 30km/hr, along with the speed humps already in place. This may give the appearance of a safer road, but when the car crash rate is already at zero, or close to zero what’s the point? Personally I’m in favour of speed humps on residential streets, as they force drivers to slow down. Lowered speed limits will only work if they are enforced, and the only way to do that is to have speed cameras every 100m or so, or GPS tracking on every vehicle. This may be possible, but will the public support it?
We live in a society where we are policed by consent, we are not a police state, we expect some give and take. The courts would most likely wave excessive fines, or multiple fines for the same offence anyway, just like they work to avoid the 3 strikes sentencing laws.
I think the resources should to be allocated to the stretches of highway or roads where we have the most incidents, in these areas visible speed camera vans, along with increased traffic police patrols would be a very visible deterrent, which should lead to fewer road deaths and crashes. The downside is that we issue fewer speeding tickets, which is less revenue.
When the speed cameras were first introduced, they were generally located on the high crash, or more hazardous locations. The intended purpose was to deter speeding, and reduce crashes and deaths. Since then they are now generally located in areas that have higher volumes of speeding vehicles, and we issue a lot of tickets. However these stretches of road are often far safer than the high crash areas.
From what I see, we are policing the safer stretches of road or highway, and not the most dangerous stretches of highway. Personally I’d like to see more emphasis on the latter. Just like I'd like the police to arrest baby murders, and other violent criminals, rather than arrest people for tagging rainbow painted pedestrian crossings.
One more gap our CoC govt will fail to close, like the visionary honest John et al.
Australia: 4.5 deaths per 100,000 people; 4.9 deaths per billion vehicle-km
Aotearoa: 7.8 deaths per 100,000 people; 7.2 deaths per billion vehicle-km
New Zealanders are bad drivers, far worse than most countries I’ve been to and driven cars in.
Drink driving is still an issue, texting while driving, failing to properly give way at intersections, stopping other drivers from changing lanes, running stop signs and red lights, not indicating, the list could go on… The speed is not the problem, it’s the way we drive. Someone driving at 30km/hr, not paying attention and hitting a pedestrian will cause carnage.
Anyway, we reduce the speed limit, how are you going to enforce it? We can’t enforce all the rules that we as drivers ignore as it is.
Sure, not "the problem", but vehicle speed is a risk factor.
https://www.transport.govt.nz/statistics-and-insights/safety-annual-statistics/sheet/speed
The faster a bad and/or unlucky driver is travelling, the greater the risk. Many Kiwis would know of a 'wrong place, wrong time' crash victim.
It's not rocket science – the faster you go, the bigger the mess. If one simply must travel over the speed limit, then please – not on a shared road.
As for enforcement, speed cameras can educate – 3 strikes and you're out?
I reckon your a speeder, proof is your comment about revenue gathering, but I bet you have an inflated belief in your ability.
I'd almost bet you drive a Ford falcon or a BMW.
From the article linked above:
The oft-held tenet that traffic fines is revenue raising is strictly speaking true as money is collected. But this ignores the fact that the only way drivers are raising revenue is by them breaking the law. We don’t question punishments for behaviour that could injure or kill people except, apparently, when those behaviours are committed behind the wheel of a vehicle.
Well I guess you are right. The law is the law, it’s black and white.
Someone speeding at say 110km/hr on the transmission gully motorway, is just as guilty of breaking the law as someone else doing the exact same speed on the narrow and winding stretch of SH1 about 100km further north.
The risks/consequences of an accident on the transmission gully motorway are much, much less than the accident black spot further north.
But I’ve yet seen the same concentration of speed cameras and mobile traffic police on the accident black spot that I do on the transmission gully motorway.
Sorry to disappoint you, I have never driven a BMW, and never willingly chosen to drive fords, holdens, commodores, or falcons.
As for revenue gathering, see my comment about four mobile speed cameras along Transmission gully, on a perfect day for driving, on a very safe road.
The speed cameras would be more effective on roads that have higher crash rates, where the crashes are much more serious.
But if we are being black and white, sure speeding on a very safe highway, or speeding on an much less highway is against the law. But the chances of a serious crash with a serious outcome is more likely on the unsafe road.
Small-scale nuclear power, as being pushed by the Liberals in Oz, is unaffordable: Peter Dutton’s nuclear plan could cost as much as $600bn and supply just 3.7% of Australia’s energy by 2050.
The same amount would fund a change to 100% renewables.
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/europes-solar-power-surge-hits-prices-exposing-storage-needs-2024-06-21/#:~:text=Strong%20hydro%20and%20nuclear%20power,according%20to%20SolarPower%20Europe%20data.
Meanwhile in the forward looking part 9f the world
FYI its paywalled..but having previously seen stuff about Winton Land, I did a quick search…
And there was this…
Nothing to see here…..unless you look
Oh, and I was maybe not surprised to see…..
Steven Joyce
Oh and to be be full of snide and snark for this time on a Monday morning, did you know?
'gals, black is the new black if you work for Winton and, guys, did you know that to be a person of the people and approachable when you work for Winton you just need to take off your tie'
[Please stick to your approved user name here, thanks – Incognito]
Mod note
Joyce seems to be able to help his rich-prick mates while at the same time feathering his own nest whether he is in the cabinet or not. Remember the auditor general's strong criticism here:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/515880/auditor-general-criticises-way-university-of-waikato-contracted-steven-joyce
Then there were the dodgy government grants to his radio station etc etc.
Absolutely. And all pretty legal.
88 years old and still robbing banks.
It's better to burn out, than to fade away.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/88-year-old-montana-man-sentenced-prison-2-bank-robberies-rcna158501
Luxon being a jerk at the post-Cab.
Reti says (direct quote) "I apologise" (for the cancer shambles).
Luxon immediately asked if he will apologise too.
Answer: "What I would say to you …" bluster, bluster. Minister forced to apologise, but PM won't. Pathetic.
And there was much more in similar vein, the journos asking about broken promises and Luxon refusing to engage, just constantly repeating his self-praise. They were still asking when he walked away at the end.
Does he really think this works? Does he believe that voters (including Nat voters) admire him more for refusing to say sorry, to acknowledge any fault?
It's not even smart politics.
Why did/does he want to be in politics?
But it’s also refreshing to see that bullheaded conservative patriarchy that just dictates its will and throws its temper around gaslighting everyone. Luxon just gets to a point where Dad has decided now everyone shut up!
There’s been plenty of charming salesmen for this section of society, so it’s at least honest to see how these men in powerful positions are. Here even with everyone watching.