Open mike 25/07/2022
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7:14 am, July 25th, 2022 - 38 comments
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- The Greens, the media, and democracy
The big news over the weekend was that Green party delegates at their AGM voted to re-open nominations for James Shaw's co-leadership position, effectively toppling him as co-leader. I'm not a member of the Greens, so its not really my place to have an opinion on who should lead them ...4 hours ago - Bryce Edwards: Why James Shaw needs to go
James Shaw has lost his co-leadership position in the Green Party, and there’s a good chance he won’t be able to get it back. And he shouldn’t – it won’t be good for either him or his party. When delegates at the Green Party AGM voted on his position as ...4 hours ago - Gordon Campbell on the Greens, and on free market myopia
Climate change has gone from being one of those allegedly wacky Green ideas to wide mainstream acceptance. In their own ways, leaders like Jeanette Fitzsimons, Russel Norman and James Shaw each added to the increased credibility the Greens’ now have among the voting public. The decision not to re-endorse Shaw ...6 hours ago - 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, July 17, 2022 through Sat, July 23, 2022. The following articles sparked above average interest during the week (bolded articles are from SkS authors): Cranky Uncle Cartoon 14/20 - Hitting the Ground, Cranky Uncle ...1 day ago - The Choice
So, now we know for sure. The “protesters” who defiled the grounds of parliament and who (according to their own account) intended to create in three of our major cities “maximum disruption and inconvenience” to other citizens, are not interested in democracy – indeed, quite the contrary. Their objective, quite ...1 day ago - The last of the Ford car plant series
Don Franks was interviewed by Dr Toby Boraman in December 2013 about his time working in the militant Ford car plant in the 1970s. This is the fifth and final installment of that interview. The first installment is here, the second installment here, the third here and fourth installment here. (The interview has ...1 day ago - Winston Peters – Arsehole of the Week
2 days ago - Bryce Edwards: Green Party divisions over their futureImagine being a Green Party activist at the moment. You joined the party because climate change is an existential threat and truly radical change needs to be undertaken immediately. You’re deeply upset by inequality. You think that conventional politicians are part of the problem. However, you begin to realise that ...2 days ago
- In Defence of Modern Students: A Reply to Chris Trotter
Chris Trotter has put out a piece, lamenting the myopic focus of modern student activism on, well, students, and the tendency of university-educated policy-makers to take care of their own: https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2022/07/poverty-is-indivisible-ms-swarbrick.html I think he raises some fair points, at least in the sense that assisting New Zealand’s university ...3 days ago - Trade Deals Are a-Changin'
Are We Keeping Up With the Changing Global Trade Patterns?Much of the response to the recent New Zealand-European Union Free Trade Agreement was disheartening, especially the complaints about the limited gains for our meat and dairy products. Yes, the gains were small, but significant in the circumstances.About a decade ago ...3 days ago - Taking the Temperature: a dispatch from the UKWell, it has happened. Forty degrees Celsius. It was bound to happen eventually, given the lack of determined action to halt our rising temperatures worldwide. Those who insisted such a temperature was impossible here in the UK have been left with egg on their faces. It was not a case ...3 days ago
- Corroboration: The key January 6 moment where Trump is exposed
Today’s January 6 committee hearings from Washington DC captured a series of remarkable, damning moments that make it clear Donald Trump is not fit for any role in public office, let alone the highest in the land. A series of moments, but one above all that leaves us in no ...3 days ago - Bryce Edwards: If the NZ First Foundation accused are not guilty, then who is?It’s shocking that the accused in the NZ First Foundation trial were declared “not guilty” in the High Court today. But it’s not actually surprising. There was always a strong chance that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) was not going to get a conviction over the machinations used to keep ...3 days ago
- So its worse thenWhen news about the New Zealand First Foundation broke, electoral law expert Andrew Geddis put it succinctly: [T]he alternative conclusion is, if anything, even more worrying. If it turns out that the foundation and the party somehow are operating lawfully, as we should note Winston Peters maintains, then that ...3 days ago
- Poverty Is Indivisible, Ms Swarbrick.
3 days ago - Hard News: 60
Tomorrow, I will be 60 years old. It’s the impossibly distant age at which people used to retire with a pension and a mortgage-free house. It's okay. I've been thinking of myself as basically there for a while now – and the same thing appears to be happening to some ...3 days ago - Understanding wokeness as a make-work strategy for the privileged class
Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with Swedish Marxist Malcom Kyeyune, who argues that nominally progressive theories of race and gender are actually aimed at securing influence, employment, and prestige for underemployed university graduates. https://quillette.com/2022/07/19/understanding-wokeness-as-a-make-work-strategy-for-privileged-white-collar-workers/ ...4 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2022How does the IPCC know? With the passage of time our scientific understanding improves. Thanks to the fundamental purpose and scale of the effort, our arc of progress is especially swift and brightly visible in the shape of our (unfortunately) growing collection of IPCC Assessment Reports. With better vision comes more clarity, ...4 days ago
- Climate Change: A quarter-billion dollar delayBack in 2020, the government realised that the industrial allocations in the ETS - supposed to protect large polluters from unfair competition from countries who didn't pay for their carbon - was overallocated. They were giving away too many free credits, resulting in windfall gains to polluters. Having noticed this, ...4 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the Covid surge, and re-infectionHate to sound “fearful” and “inward”in my thinking, but it seems Covid can’t be beaten simply by a dose of positive thinking and a “can do” Kiwi attitude. The virus doesn’t seem to respect our mindset. The Omicron BA. 4 and BA.5 variants also don’t seem to respect the mRNA ...4 days ago
- Mainstream media defends poor journalism by smearing good journalism
One of the results of the current partisanship and ideological motivation of the mainstream media is that the old journalistic skills of objective research and basing articles on evidence have largely disappeared. In many cases, journalists have just become stenographers faithfully parroting and quoting think tanks and anonymous political ...4 days ago - Bryce Edwards: Public submissions on political donation reform releasedIs it ironic that the Government is reforming rules around secret political donations in a very secretive way? There has been overwhelming public demand for more openness about how politicians raise their money, but the Government and officials have been less than transparent and very restrictive over the whole submission ...4 days ago
- Ministry of Justice OIA release of information on political donationsThe Ministry of Justice has released a copy of the public submissions on the Government’s proposed political donation law reforms – see here: OIA 96540 – Edwards 1 July 2022. This information was requested in early April under the Official Information Act, and was finally provided this month. Note the ...4 days ago
- A conspiracy against the publicEarlier this year the government held a public consultation on proposed changes to the election donations regime. Naturally, political parties - who have a strong interest in the rules around donations and what they have to disclose - submitted to it. But the Ministry of Justice cooked up a crooked ...5 days ago
- Playing the World’s Smallest Violin: A Rant About New Zealand’s Supposed Labour Shortage
Inflation is Back, in New Zealand as much as in anywhere else. Fuel costs and supply-chain issues and all that – and, yes, the loose monetary policy in 2020 has had an impact too, though it was the right thing to do at the time. 7% inflation in ...6 days ago - People, protests and politics at the Ford car plant in the 1970sDon Franks was interviewed by Dr Toby Boraman in December 2013 about his time working in the militant Ford car plant in the 1970s. In this installment Don talks about speedup, antiapartheid protests, the Maori land march and different views on Norm Kirk (The interview has been lightly edited. For ...6 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: How much of our cost-of-living crisis is due to incompetence?It’s ordinary people who are suffering the most from the current cost of living crisis. In other words, working people and the poor are paying the price of higher prices. Rising living costs have greater consequences for those in the bottom half of the wealth hierarchy, who are pushed into ...6 days ago
- Climate Change: A case to watchBack in 2019 our parliament passed the Zero Carbon Act. The Act was modelled on the UK's Climate Change Act, and has a similar scheme of five-yearly budgets, with detailed government plans to meet them. But after initial success, its no longer working out so well in the UK - ...6 days ago
- The Danish Solution: How Repudiating Co-Governance Could Be the Saving Of Labour.Copenhagen Was Worth A Mass* The Danish Social-Democratic Party leader, Mette Frederiksen, greeted by supporters during her successful 2019 general election campaign.THINK OF DENMARK – go on, think of Denmark. What springs to mind? Lego? The Little Mermaid? Squishy little segments of surprisingly tasty cheese? Bacon? Slaughtered Minks? How many of ...6 days ago
- Ukraine war – a shocking failure of our mainstream mediaThe well-known, and well-respected, international journalist John Pilger describes the war between Ukraine and Russia as “above all, a war of propaganda.” He says that nothing in the western press about this war can be trusted implicitly. That the reader or viewer must ...6 days ago
- 104°F? A Continental heat wave heads for EnglandThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob Henson with contributions from Jeff Masters Relentless heat that’s been plaguing much of Europe this summer is now making a run for the United Kingdom, which appears likely to experience the hottest temperatures in its long history of record keeping on or ...7 days ago
- Corrupt cops should be named, shamed, and firedOn Thursday the Independent Police Conduct Authority found that a senior Northland police officer had improperly involved himself in a prosecution to protect a mate's son from an assault charge. As usual for the IPCA, they refused to name the officer, despite a finding that fundamentally called into question their ...1 week ago
- An Unvarnished, Straight-Talking Working-Class Man?Unrepentant Scrapper: Any normal candidate would have run a mile from Guy Williams – rightly fearing the humiliation the comedian would be straining every muscle to inflict upon his hapless victim. But, Leo Molloy is not a normal candidate. The former jockey, qualified veterinarian, highly successful businessman, restauranteur and philanthropist ...1 week ago
- Gordon Campbell on the US attempt to regain lost groundThe brief fist bump between Joe Biden and Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader Mohammad bin Salman was the most memorable image from the US President’s journey last week to the Middle East. To many, it was a humiliating sign of American impotence. Fist bump the hand of the Crown Prince ...1 week ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Joe Biden’s controversial trip to Saudi Arabia could help New Zealand reset its o...Joe Biden’s controversial fist-bump with Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the Saudi crown prince, may help New Zealand to forge its own new direction in the Middle East. The US president’s trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia showed that despite real concerns over human rights, the Middle East’s strategic importance in ...1 week ago
- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #28Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, July 10, 2022 through Sat, July 16, 2022. The following articles sparked above average interest during the week (bolded articles are from SkS authors): Cranky Uncle Cartoon 5/20 - Dark Night, Cranky Uncle Cartoon 7/20 ...1 week ago
- Enough Is EnoughEnough is enough! Ian Foster must go – and if he doesn’t do so of his own accord (as he should do), he must be pushed. That became apparent in the first minute of the match, when it became clear that neither the coach nor the team had learned any ...1 week ago
- Human rights campaign for solidarity with supporters of banned Tamil groupA human rights groups in Germany is calling for international solidarity for two Tamils who have been on trial for collecting funds for the Tamil Tigers (the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) a decade ago. The defendants Nathan Thambi and Anandarajah position is that the LTTE were not terrorists, rather a legitimate ...1 week ago
- The relevance of Piketty’s 'A Brief History of Equality' to New Zealand.
The ongoing decline in market income inequality stopped in the 1980s. Since then it has been stable, while 1990 public policy actively increased disposable income inequality.Thomas Piketty has a reputation for (literally and figuratively) weighty tomes. His 2013 best seller – 2.5 million copies – Le Capital au XXIe Siècle ...1 week ago - “Well, I’m back”: The July Rings of Power Trailer
It’s July in Dunedin – grey winter skies, plague-carrying pedestrians, and omnipresent, soul-destroying damp. Which means it’s time for my review of the freshly released two-and-a-half minute trailer for The Rings of Power. (Technically released at 12:30 a.m. on 15th July here, but I decided to sleep on it ...1 week ago - Bryce Edwards: Labour wants to be tough on crime – and tough on the causes of crimeThe Labour Government has managed to get one major issue right this week, at least in an electoral sense. The Government has been under pressure to deal with escalating public concerns about crime and gang activity. On Wednesday the newly appointed law and order duo of Chris Hipkins and Kiri ...1 week ago
- Rumours of [Civil] War.2 weeks ago
- Performative Caring.Political Sledging: On Sky News Australia, conservative columnist and commentator, Rita Panahi, coined the not-so-kind "Performative Caring" alternative to Jacinda Ardern's trade-mark promotion of "Kindness". There will be plenty on this side of the Tasman happy to pick up the Australian Right's all-too-accurate political sledge.SKY NEWS AUSTRALIA has reformulated Jacinda ...2 weeks ago
- Straight-up police corruptionAnother report from the Independent Police Conduct Authority today, on a senior police officer who improperly involved himself in a prosecution to protect a mate's son from an assault charge. The IPCA finds that this was improper and a conflict of interest (well, duh), but they fail to call it ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on Labour’s bunker mentalityIt seems very odd that RNZ thought it was worth breaking into its normal programming yesterday in order to provide Christopher Luxon with a platform from which to try and explain away his latest outbreaks of foot-in-mouth disease. Can we now assume that any time that National wants a media ...2 weeks ago
- The nexus between the climate change and democracy crisesThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Roger Karapin The crises the U.S. is facing regarding global warming and representative democracy are similar in some ways. Both have been serious problems for several decades, but have taken on new urgency in the past five years. In both, the Republican Party ...2 weeks ago
- More British war crimesBack in 2017, the ABC revealed that Australia's SAS committed war crimes in Afghanistan, murdering prisoners and civilians, and taking body-parts as trophies. Now, the BBC has exposed the same behaviour in the British SAS: SAS operatives in Afghanistan repeatedly killed detainees and unarmed men in suspicious circumstances, according ...2 weeks ago
- The Strange Case Of The De-Selected Professor.Insufficiently Woke? It is difficult to read the leaked review which sank Professor Richard Jackson's bid to become a co-director of the Centre for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism as anything other than evidence of the ongoing and destructive conflict between the Professor and the Tiriti-centred, iwi-directed, bi-culturally-driven commissars of ...2 weeks ago
- NZ Rugby’s ProblemYesterday’s match between the Maori All Blacks and Ireland confirmed the sad state of New Zealand rugby. The contrast (and skills gap) between the two teams was at times painfully obvious and reinforced the conclusions which had to be drawn from last week’s test match. In both matches, the locals ...2 weeks ago
- What’s next after Supreme Court’s climate ruling?This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The Supreme Court’s June 30 ruling in the West Virginia v. EPA, as detailed by Lexi Smith on this site, substantially curtailed the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate climate pollutants. Though the language of the decision itself appears to be narrow – limiting the extent of ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #28 2022Innocent until...? "Loss" in the dollars and cents sense of the insurance industry stemming from our accidental, too-rapid instigation of climate change are already a feature of our present. We can look to multiple attribution studies of hydrometeorological anomalies (aka "destructve floods") to confirm this. Multiple projections conducted by a ...2 weeks ago
- Tour of Duty: Ardern out on the world-stage and gets things done, Luxon goes off the rails. Again.
For a Government and Prime Minister apparently “with no substance apart from a talent for photo ops” it seems as if an awful lot of substance has, in fact, been achieved abroad. Multiple Prime Ministers have failed to get a reasonable deal for New Zealanders on pathways to ...2 weeks ago - Today’s radicals are proud to make a black woman shut her trapBrendon O’Neil on Spiked looks at the poison of cancel culture and the attack on Macy Gray When today’s radicals were fresh-faced youths, reading their Gramsci and putting up their Malcolm X posters, I wonder if they could ever have imagined that their proudest achievement in the year 2022 would ...2 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: Are we spending too little – or too much – on the military?New Zealand has once again been ranked the second-most peaceful nation in the world. When it comes to the Asia-Pacific region and the Southern Hemisphere, New Zealand is at the top of the peace rankings. This is according to the Institute for Economics and Peace, which recently released its annual ...2 weeks ago
- Limiting rights needs justificationIf the government wants to violate the Bill of Rights Act, does it need to actually justify it, and what happens if it doesn't? That's basicly the issue in question today in the Supreme Court, where activists of the Make it 16 campaign are challenging the voting age. The ...2 weeks ago
- The sin of cheapnessOn Monday, RNZ reported on the results of testing CO2 levels in various places, which showed that Auckland buses had CO2 levels of 5737ppm, making them effectively covid-filled sewers (CO2 is a proxy for exhaled air, which in the current situation is a proxy for covid). As with school classrooms, ...2 weeks ago
- David Seymour Enlists History In Act’s Struggle For Power.History Man: Does David Seymour have a case? Does history confirm that National campaigns from the right when it’s in opposition, only to govern from the left when it’s in government? The answer to this question is ….. complicated.DAVID SEYMOUR is on to something with History. Shrewd use of the past can ...2 weeks ago
- Supreme Court sharply limits EPA power plant authorityThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Lexi Smith The Supreme Court’s closely watched decision in West Virginia v. EPA held that the EPA exceeded its statutory authority in attempting to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act through the Obama-era Clean Power Plan. The six conservative justices ruled against EPA, the ...2 weeks ago
- Ford car plant in the 1970s: The first strike against sexual harassment in a factory in NZDon Franks was interviewed by Dr Toby Boraman in December 2013 about his time working in the militant Ford car plant in the 1970s. In this third installment Don tells of a fight against sexual harassment of women. (The interview has been lightly edited. For citations please acknowledge the interviewer ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on the Pacific Island Forum gatheringIn recent months, China has been widely portrayed as a major strategic threat to the Pacific region, yet the Pacific states themselves beg to differ. Pacific leaders insist that climate change is a far more pressing existential threat. A month ago, Fiji’s defence minister Inia Seruiratu made that point very ...2 weeks ago
- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #27Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, July 3, 2022 through Sat, July 9, 2022. The following articles sparked above average interest during the week (bolded articles are from SkS authors): Cranky Uncle Cartoon 2/20 - Boiling Frogs, Ocean Time Lag, ...2 weeks ago
- All Black DebacleWatching the All Black debacle against Ireland yesterday was a painful experience. And Silver Lake must be having second thoughts about their investment. The obvious reaction from All Black supporters is that something has to change. How could such good players perform so badly as a team? But how do ...2 weeks ago
- How is the war going?The war in Ukraine is dragging on and many people have lost interest in it. But those who want to follow the progress of the war, and possibly speculate on how it will finish, must find it hard to find objective information. Like all wars, there is so much fake ...2 weeks ago
- Things We Already Knew – Jonathan Freedland is a Pillock
Jonathan Freedland uses the fall of Boris Johnson to continue to fight two wars that any sane, non-obsessed man would have put behind him. In an article titled Everything Tainted By Johnson's Lies Needs To Be Undone, he first decides 2022 is CLEARLY the most opportune time to have another ...2 weeks ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #27 2022Stuck at 68% The Policy Institute of King's College, London this week provides us a report from our government/NGO section, Public perceptions on climate change (pdf). The authors survey citizens of six European Union countries. A key finding is a bit disturbing: despite the scientific consensus on anthropogenic (human caused) climate ...2 weeks ago
- The Boris StrategyStand by! If I read Boris correctly, we might expect to see the following scenario unfold. Boris will declare that he is himself a candidate for the leadership. He will argue that the fact that he is the incumbent, at least pro tem, is an advantage, not a disqualification. He ...2 weeks ago
- Are We Facing Secular Stagnation?
We cannot be sure, but the answer matters even in the short term.If you think you know what is happening to the economy, you have not been following it closely enough. Clearly the tenor of the economy is changing – I think – but who can be sure following the ...2 weeks ago - Countering coercive politics
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s two week foreign mission to Europe and Australia was by all accounts a success. She met with business and government leaders, signed and co-signed several commercial and diplomatic agreements including a EU-NZ trade pact, conferred with NATO officials as an invited participant of this year’s NATO’s ...2 weeks ago - 13,000There's a lot going on today - the political circus in Westminster, an apparent political assassination in Japan, the ongoing war in Ukraine - but the only story that matters is this one: there were 13,344 new community cases of Covid-19 reported in Aotearoa today, and a further 23 deaths. ...2 weeks ago
- The Void.2 weeks ago
- Defending Dame Lynley.Bone Of Contention: Fantastic classics though they may be, opines Perth’s Edith Cowan University academic, Dr Helen Adam, books such as Harry the Dirty Dog, Where the Wild Things Are, Hairy McClary and Possum Magic no longer “accurately reflect the diversity of the modern world.”DAME LYNLEY DODD’S Hairy Maclary and his ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on the trade deal with the EuropeansWe’ve grown so used to thinking the “we punch above our weight” cliché is real that the shortcomings in our free trade deal with the European Union may have come as something of a shock. That ingrained sense of Kiwi exceptionalism dies hard. Surely our produce is so good and ...2 weeks ago
- Karl Marx’s philosophy detailed – how his work continues to influenceThis excellent short summary of Karl Marx’s outlook and lasting influence was published by Newshub 5 July 2022. It was written by Christopher Pollard for The Conversation In 1845, Karl Marx declared: “philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it”. Change it he did. ...3 weeks ago
- An average day and an impetuous strike at the Ford car plant in the 1970sDon Franks was interviewed by Dr Toby Boraman in December 2013 about his time working in the militant Ford car plant in the 1970s. In this second installment Don tells of some of the work, the culture and organising on the job. The first installment is here. (The interview has ...3 weeks ago
- Some light in AustraliaBack in 2013, a former ASIS agent blew the whistle on how the Australian government had illegally bugged the leaders of East Timor in order to listen in on their negotiating position over oil and gas rights in the Timor Sea. When the issue was raised in the International Court ...3 weeks ago
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- Making housing more affordable
Every New Zealander deserves a healthy, affordable place to call home. We have a comprehensive plan to make it happen, and we’re making good progress. Here's the latest on how we're supporting Kiwis into homes: ...4 days ago - Greens call for overhaul of ‘double standards’ in investor category visa
The Government is allowing wealthy individuals to ‘purchase’ residency while entrenching a system that keeps low-waged workers on a precarious and temporary status, the Green Party says. ...5 days ago - Accessible elections a step closer, thanks to the GreensThe Election Access Fund established by a Green Party members’ bill opened for submissions this week, showing positive progress towards more accessible elections. ...5 days ago
- New evidence boosts case for urgent pay transparency reformThe Green Party is calling on the Government to pass legislation to increase pay transparency, saying it is an urgent step that needs to be taken in response to shocking new evidence that most of the pay gap for Pacific, Māori, and other ethnic minorities cannot be explained. ...6 days ago
- Green Party AGM to move onlineThe Green Party has made the decision to move its 2022 AGM online. Members of the party will not be gathering in Christchurch this weekend. ...6 days ago
- Bold solutions needed to ease inflation pressuresAction is needed to address the inequality crisis and support New Zealanders on the lowest incomes, the Green Party says. ...1 week ago
- Inquiry reveals thousands of students living in povertyThe Government must lift student incomes now, says the Green Party, as new evidence shows thousands of students are living in poverty, with many struggling to pay rent and put food on the table. ...1 week ago
- Free public transport better for climate and inequalityThe Green Party is on board with the extension of half-price public transport, but once again calls on the Government to go further and make public transport free - for good. ...1 week ago
- Alcohol action is suicide prevention – MPs must actEvidence published today showing that acute alcohol use is a factor in more than a quarter of suicides in New Zealand is a shocking wakeup call and politicians must respond, the Green Party says. ...1 week ago
- Greens demand answers as Crown agency backs deep sea miningBanning deep-sea mining is more urgent than ever following the news that a New Zealand Crown Research Institute, NIWA is set to support what could easily become a damaging mining project in the Pacific Ocean. ...2 weeks ago
- Free masks a Green winFollowing pressure from the Green Party, the Government has announced that medical masks will be available free for everyone, with N95 masks free for those most at-risk. ...2 weeks ago
- More tools to tackle gangs and keep our communities saferWe’ve announced the next steps in our work to tackle crime and gangs – because all New Zealanders deserve to live in communities that are safe. These new practical tools build on our strong law and order record, which includes delivering New Zealand’s largest ever Police service, targeting illegal firearms, ...2 weeks ago
- Government must focus on the underlying causes of crime to combat gang violenceWe need action to address the underlying causes of crime, not more of the same simplistic solutions that we know do not work and risk harming communities, the Green Party says. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens say fuel tax cut could have saved regional passenger rail, reduce fossil fuel relianceFor the cost of cutting taxes to petrol for three months, the Government could have ensured the future of a transformational increase to passenger rail services between Wellington, the Wairarapa and Manawatū, says the Green Party. ...2 weeks ago
- Easing the pressure on New ZealandersSince taking office in 2017, our Government has worked hard to lift wages and make life more affordable for New Zealanders, as we move forward with our plan to grow a secure economy for all. ...2 weeks ago
- Taxing drug revenue would mean drug reformIf ACT is serious about taxing illicit drug revenue then let’s talk about drug reform, the Green Party says. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party calls on PM to stop deep sea miningThe Green Party has written to the Prime Minister on the eve of the Pacific Islands Forum calling on the Government to support a moratorium on deep sea mining. ...2 weeks ago
- 106 years of supporting KiwisIt’s our birthday this week! For more than a century, we’ve remained committed to supporting New Zealanders and securing a better future for all. As we mark 106 years of the New Zealand Labour Party, here’s a look at how our work has made a difference for New Zealanders and ...2 weeks ago
- Make N95 masks free for everyoneThe Green Party is once again calling on the Government to supply free masks to everyone. ...2 weeks ago
- Rent controls and income boost essential for kids’ wellbeingThe Green Party is calling on the Government to immediately introduce rent controls and expand the cost of living payment to those most in need. ...2 weeks ago
- Protecting our environment and marine life from plasticsOur Government is taking further action on plastics to turn around New Zealand’s rubbish record on waste, and to restore our environment for future generations. It’s now been more than three years since our Government banned single-use plastic bags, to help clean up our environment and protect marine life. Before ...3 weeks ago
- Pricing must cut agriculture emissionsCutting climate pollution must be the number one priority for Cabinet when considering how it intends to price agricultural emissions, the Green Party says. ...3 weeks ago
- Defence Force to support Pacific on maritime security
The New Zealand Defence Force will support Pacific Island partners through a range of maritime security and other support in the next three months, Minister of Defence Peeni Henare announced today. “The Pacific is who we are as well as where we are. The challenges our region faces are New ...3 days ago - Speech to Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners conferenceTēnā koutou katoa Tenei te mihi ki a koutou Kua tae mai i runga i te kaupapa o te ra Ara ko Te Royal New Zealand College of GPs hui Tēnā tatou katoa Thank you for the opportunity to address you today. I acknowledge Samantha Murton, President of the Royal ...3 days ago
- Congratulations for Niuean COVID-19 vaccination programmeAssociate Health Minister and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs Aupito William Sio has congratulated the Premier of Niue, Dalton Tagelagi who is visiting Aotearoa New Zealand this week, for the tremendous success of Niue’s COVID-19 vaccination programme. Niue has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with 99 percent ...3 days ago
- Joint Statement – Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Niue Premier Dalton TagelagiPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Premier Dalton Tagelagi signed a new Statement of Partnership between Aotearoa New Zealand and Niue during talks in Wellington, today. The leaders reaffirmed the close friendship, forged through shared people and constitutional ties. The new Statement of Partnership reflects our long-term cooperation on priority areas ...4 days ago
- Reforming the resource management system – governance and decision making in the new systemSpeech to Local Government New Zealand, 21 July 2022 Tēnā koutou katoa. I am pleased to be here today to discuss the reform of the resource management system with you and in particular to update you on governance and decision making in the new system. This speech is one ...4 days ago
- Benefit numbers continue to fallJune Quarter Benefit statistics released today show the number of people receiving a Main Benefit continues to fall. “There are 3,717 fewer people on a Main Benefit compared to March 2022,” Carmel Sepuloni said. “However, while we are still seeing a good number of people move off benefit and into ...4 days ago
- Infrastructure funding unlocks 8000 new homesSeven centres first to get Government housing infrastructure funding, enabling over 8,000 more new homes to be built New homes to be enabled in Rotorua, Ōmokoroa, Kaikōura, Ōtaki, Napier, Gisborne and New Plymouth 28 further projects undergoing due diligence and negotiations for allocation from $1 billion Infrastructure Acceleration Fund ...4 days ago
- Big emitters will have to do more to cut emissionsThe biggest polluters will have to do more to help meet climate targets because of changes the Government is making to decade-old settings that have allocated far too many free climate pollution credits to New Zealand’s largest emitters, Climate Change Minister James Shaw announced today. “Tackling climate change is a ...4 days ago
- Govt launches first nationwide tsunami evacuation mapThe Government has taken a further important step in improving Kiwis’ preparedness in the event of a tsunami with the launch of Aotearoa’s first nationwide tsunami evacuation map, says Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty. “All of New Zealand’s coastline is at risk of tsunami which means most of us ...4 days ago
- Speech to LGNZ conferenceKia ora koutou katoa and thank you for the invitation to speak to you all today. I would like to acknowledge Local Government New Zealand President Stuart Crosby, and Chief Executive Susan Freeman-Greene, and our host, Mayor Grant Smith of Palmerston North City Council. I also acknowledge all elected members ...5 days ago
- Poroporoaki: Ricky HoughtonE mara a Riki, ko koe tērā i tu mai i mua ra, hei pou matakana mo mātou te hunga noho taone, arā ko Tamaki Makaurau. Nāu ano i mātua mai te haumarutanga o ta tātou whānau, hapori, hapū me ngā iwi, arā ko te mauria mai o ngā whare ...5 days ago
- New investor migrant visa will bring growth opportunities to Kiwi companiesA new Active Investor Plus visa category is created to attract high-value investors. The new visa will replace the existing Investor 1 and Investor 2 visa categories. Eligibility criteria includes a minimum $5 million investment and encourages greater economic benefit to New Zealand companies by capping passive investment in ...5 days ago
- Government steps up protections against foot-and-mouth diseaseMeasures to further protect New Zealand’s economy from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) continue as the Government focuses on strengthening biosecurity settings, Biosecurity and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said today. “Biosecurity New Zealand will this week begin using foot mats with disinfecting chemicals for arrivals from Indonesia to step onto in a ...5 days ago
- Niuean Premier visits New ZealandNiuean Premier Hon. Dalton Tagelagi will visit Aotearoa New Zealand this week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. Premier Tagelagi will be officially welcomed to New Zealand on Thursday 21 July. During his visit to Wellington he will undertake a number of official engagements, including meetings with the Prime Minister, ...5 days ago
- Speech to Electricity Networks AssociationGood morning. It’s great to be here again and speak with you. The past few months have been momentous for climate policy in New Zealand. As you know, the Government has now set New Zealand’s emissions budgets for the first three budget periods, and have released our ambitious package of ...6 days ago
- More measures to build more affordable homesFirst home buyers and renters are set to benefit from measures getting underway to support more new affordable homes for people and their whānau, says Housing Minister, Dr Megan Woods. “Since we came into Government, we have been hitting the housing crisis we inherited with initiatives to get new housing ...6 days ago
- Government provides Three Waters support for councilsEvery Council in New Zealand will receive at least $350,000 of additional funding to ensure they have the resourcing necessary to implement the Three Waters reforms, Associate Minister of Local Government Kieran McAnulty announced today. The Government has set aside a $44 million fund to assist Councils with the costs ...6 days ago
- Consumer Advocacy Council members appointedFour appointments have been made to the Consumer Advocacy Council, Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs announced today. The four appointees are: Desiree Mahy (Tūhoe); currently the Manukura (Chair) of Te Hou Ora Whanau Services, a Director of Thankyou Payroll Limited, a Director of Pāmu and a Trustee of the ...6 days ago
- New Porirua Mental Health and disability facility openedHealth Minister Andrew Little has opened a new purpose-built mental health and intellectual disability facility in Porirua today, marking another milestone in the Government’s billion dollar investment in mental health services and facilities. Manawai, the National Individualised Service Unit (ISU), was built to support a small number of people with ...6 days ago
- Trucking toward lower emissions heavy transportThe Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods is celebrating today’s launch of two firsts for energy decarbonisation in the transport sector in New Zealand; an electric milk tanker and a hydrogen truck, made possible with the help of Government funding. New Zealand’s (and possibly the world’s) first electric milk ...7 days ago
- New Zealand’s 10th Youth Parliament event beginsYoung people from across Aotearoa New Zealand will take centre stage in the capital as Youth members of Parliament (MPs), Youth Press Gallery members, and the Youth Clerk at the two-day Youth Parliament event in Wellington. Youth Parliament is an opportunity for young people from across Aotearoa New Zealand to ...1 week ago
- CPI figures highlight challenges amid volatile global environmentThe latest inflation figures reflects the volatile and uncertain global environment though New Zealand is well positioned to respond and help households and businesses through this difficult time. The Consumer Price Index released by Stats NZ today showed a 1.7 percent increase in prices over the June quarter, taking the ...1 week ago
- Govt provides more cost of living supportPetrol excise duty cut by 25 cents a litre for more than five months until 31 January 2023 Road User Charges reduced by the equivalent until 31 January 2023 Half price public transport fares ...1 week ago
- Local Government commissioners appointedLocal Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of three commissioners to Mana Kāwanatanga ā Rohe | Local Government Commission. The appointed commissioners are: Brendan Duffy, Chair Bonita Bigham Sue Bidrose The Local Government Commission was initially established in 1947 to consider proposals for local government reorganisation. Over time, ...1 week ago
- Five lay members of the High Court appointedAttorney-General David Parker announced today the appointment of five lay members of the High Court under the Commerce Act 1986. Lay members assist the Court in cases involving appeals from decisions of the Commerce Commission and in other matters under the Commerce Act, and play a key role in ensuring ...1 week ago
- Fish Passage remediation in Tasman District to boost fish numbers and employmentA joint Government and Tasman District Council project is investing to bring more freshwater fish to the Tasman region, protect local waterways and employ local people. Environment Minister David Parker said the five-year $2 million Tasman Fish Passage project will see more than 4,000 in-stream structures assessed, with around 1,500 ...1 week ago
- New measures to tackle COVID-19 and fluExpanded eligibility for antivirals Making COVID-19 medicines available in pharmacies to help ease pressure on GPs Significantly expanding access to free RATs and masks Schools provided with mask supplies and more support for ventilation and winter heating costs Second COVID-19 booster available to those over 50 Extra measures for ...2 weeks ago
- Empowering Pacific Aotearoa to achieve home ownershipPacific peoples in Aotearoa are now on the road to achieving their ultimate goal of home ownership, one year after the launch of the Pacific Financial Capability Development programme, said the Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. “We successfully secured funding of up to $41.315 million over four years ...2 weeks ago
- More tools for Police to tackle gangs and intimidating behaviourNew targeted warrant and additional search powers to find and seize weapons from gang members during a gang conflict Expanding the range of offences where police can seize and impound cars, motorbikes and other vehicles Up to five years prison for a new offence of discharging a gun with ...2 weeks ago
- Sustainable manufacturing businesses in Manawatū-Whanganui to receive Govt investmentTwo sustainable manufacturing businesses, Techlam in Levin and Plentyful in Rangitikeī, will receive investment from the Government’s Regional Strategic Partnership Fund (RSPF), Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash announced today. Techlam, a company that manufactures sustainable timber, will receive up to $1.75 million to procure and install machinery for ...2 weeks ago
- Drought assistance to Kiribati as drinking water supplies dry upThreats to the drinking water supplies of Kiribati from a prolonged drought are being targeted with a joint assistance package from Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia. Foreign Affairs Minister Hon Nanaia Mahuta today announced that New Zealand and Australia are investing a further NZ$1.1 million between them in a new desalination ...2 weeks ago
- Government support for equality and empowerment of Fijian women and girlsPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta have announced New Zealand will make a significant contribution to support the implementation of the Fiji Gender Action Programme to advance women’s empowerment and social protection. “Gender equality and women’s empowerment is a priority for Aotearoa New Zealand, and for ...2 weeks ago
- Funds for Manuherekia project will help restore waterway’s healthThe Thompsons Creek projects, part of the wider Manuherekia catchment programme in Central Otago, have been granted Jobs for Nature funding to help improve water quality and restore freshwater habitats. It is expected to generate about eight full time equivalent roles across three years. “The Thompsons Creek projects are based ...2 weeks ago
- Final section of the Waikato Expressway now openThe Hamilton Section of the Waikato Expressway opens today, marking the final chapter of a 30 year roading project that will improve safety, reduce travel times, and boost economic growth, Transport Minister Michael Wood says. “It’s terrific to see the last 22-kilometre piece of the Expressway falling into place. “This ...2 weeks ago
- Final section of the Waikato Expressway completeThe Hamilton Section of the Waikato Expressway will open this week, marking the final chapter of a 30 year roading project that will improve safety, reduce travel times, and boost economic growth, Transport Minister Michael Wood says. “It’s terrific to see the last 22-kilometre piece of the Expressway falling into ...2 weeks ago
- Mountain bike festival gears up with new Govt fundingAn international mountain bike festival will receive Government funding to secure events in Rotorua and across the South Island, offering significant economic, social and cultural benefits to New Zealand, Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash announced today. Crankworx will receive up to $8.1 million from the Government’s Major Events ...2 weeks ago
- Hundreds of Kiwis awarded scholarships to Asia and Latin AmericaNew Zealand’s connections with Asia and Latin America are set to grow with 30 groups, made up of 387 New Zealanders, awarded Prime Minister’s scholarships, Chris Hipkins said today. “New Zealand is reconnecting with the world, and for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, New Zealanders will embark on ...2 weeks ago
- Pacific crop resilience supported though climate aidPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta have announced the first investment from the recently boosted $1.3 billion climate aid fund, a contribution of $10 million to the conservation of Pacific crop seeds impacted by climate change. $10 million will be allocated to the Fiji based Centre ...2 weeks ago
- Government announces refreshed Commemorations Programme 2023-2027The programme of historical anniversaries to be acknowledged by the New Zealand Government over the next five years includes some of our nation’s most important events, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Carmel Sepuloni said. “We’re continuing to lay the foundations for a better future by ensuring all New Zealanders ...2 weeks ago
- First Peoples International Business Forum – “Looking back to move forward”Before I commence, as I did at the beginning of the day, I would once again like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet, and pay my respects to the original occupants of these ancestral lands, and to the Elders past, present, emerging and yet ...2 weeks ago
- Is there really such a thing as an ‘addictive personality’?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Lee, Professor at the National Drug Research Institute (Melbourne), Curtin University Shutterstock We’ve all heard of someone referred to as having an “addictive personality”. Some even say it about themselves. But you may be surprised to know there is ...1 hour ago - Opinion: Failing To Govern
The current Labour government is a government that doesn’t know how to govern. Today on the TV3 morning show we heard the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern talking about the wearing of masks for school children. Jacinda said that we want children ...2 hours ago - Chloe Swarbrick rules out bid to be Greens co-leader
Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick has ruled herself out of running for the Green Party co-leadership. ...3 hours ago - Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Why James Shaw needs to go3 hours ago
- Live: Post-Cabinet briefing with PM Jacinda Ardern, MP Damien O'ConnorPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor are speaking to media after this week's Cabinet meeting. Watch live. ...3 hours ago
- Jacinda Ardern, Damien O'Connor talk foot and mouth disease at post-Cabinet briefingAs foot and mouth disease spreads in Indonesia, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand has never had an outbreak - and wants it to stay that way. Watch live. ...3 hours ago
- ‘Narco-drones’ are the newest form of drug trafficking. Our laws aren’t yet ready to combat th...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Natalie Klein, Professor, UNSW Sydney Chris Jackson/Getty Images This month, Spanish police authorities seized autonomous underwater vehicles, each capable of transporting around 200 kilograms of drugs. It’s not the first time police authorities have caught an uncrewed vessel carrying illicit ...4 hours ago
- James Shaw and the challenge for the Greens: how to get the politicking right when you want to stee...
A week ago Point of Order noted how James Shaw was fending off challenges, first from his political opponents on his climate change policies, and then against his co-leadership of the Green Party. He emerged unscathed from the first but then lost his co-leadership. Yet beneath that quiet exterior lurks ...4 hours ago - Urban patchwork is losing its green, making our cities and all who live in them vulnerableSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock One delight of flying is seeing our familiar landscapes in a new way from above. At low altitude most of us know where things ...5 hours ago
- Armed PNG election supporters cause chaos in capital, attack bystandersBy Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Running like a pack of animals, a group of political party supporters in Papua New Guinea’s capital Port Moresby were armed with bush knives, iron bars and other weapons as they chased down two men outside the national elections counting centre yesterday afternoon. They ...5 hours ago
- New Zealanders Have An Increased Sense Of Urgency On The Climate CrisisAmong the 32 countries surveyed by Ipsos, New Zealand is most worried about the impact of climate change around the world with the majority (81%) of New Zealanders expressed concerns about the impacts of climate change that can already be seen in other countries ...5 hours ago
- Refugee and migrant women are often excluded from mainstream domestic violence services and policySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Maturi, Post Doctoral Research Fellow, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland Shutterstock In Australia, the discussion around gendered violence is increasingly focused on diversity. However, policy and services continue to be based mostly on the ...5 hours ago
- The peer review system is broken. We asked academics how to fix itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly-Ann Allen, Associate Professor, School of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Education, Monash University Shutterstock The peer review process is a cornerstone of modern scholarship. Before new work is published in an academic journal, experts scrutinise the evidence, research ...6 hours ago
- One Week Left To Apply For 2021 Resident VisaWith one week to go until the closure of the 2021 Resident Visa, Immigration New Zealand encourages those who are eligible for the 2021 Resident Visa to submit their applications before the category closes at 11:59pm on 31 July 2022. Immigration New ...7 hours ago
- Maritime Union Of New Zealand Affiliates To International Dockerworkers CouncilNew Zealand’s waterfront workers have affiliated to a global organization of dockworkers. The Maritime Union of New Zealand voted at its July 2022 National Council meeting to affiliate to the International Dockworkers Council. That meeting was addressed ...7 hours ago
- Post-Courier: Our capital Port Moresby our last stand for peaceEDITORIAL: By the PNG Post-Courier editor Matthew Vari For weeks, we have seen the election violence as it spread in horrific proportions around the Highlands region, mainly in Enga and other provinces there. Men, women, and even children caught up in the fray costing lives and properties into the millions. ...7 hours ago
- Three killed, including former mayor, in Manila university campus shootingBy Jairo Bolledo in Manila A day before the first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr in Quezon City, a shooting incident inside the Ateneo de Manila University claimed the lives of at least three individuals, including the former mayor of Lamitan, Basilan, Rose ...7 hours ago
- Siouxsie Wiles mini-doco funding criticism does vanishing act onlineBy Colin Peacock, RNZ Mediawatch presenter Why did criticism of a modest sum spent on a single mini-documentary made two years ago suddenly spring up in the news in two national networks this week — and then disappear? “I’m just so sick of everything getting taxpayer money for these projects. ...7 hours ago
- Withdraw The Data And Statistics Bill“The Data and Statistics Bill is a step backwards for transparent and open government,” says Anne Tolley, Chair of Transparency International NZ. “We believe that allowing the Government statistician to delegate their powers to others fractures the long ...7 hours ago
- LGNZ Proposes Delaying Transition Of Stormwater Into New Three Waters EntityLGNZ is calling for a phased transition to Three Waters reform in its select committee submission on the Water Services Entities (WSE) Bill. “It’s abundantly clear that when it comes to the management and delivery of the country’s drinking, waste ...7 hours ago
- Overly Rigid Isolation Rules Creating “Business Long Covid”As our tourism, hospitality and retail businesses see a glimmer of recovery with a busy winter season and the imminent opening of the borders, hotels are closed, skiers are queueing in the cold for a bus that will not come to get to the ski fields, ...8 hours ago
- SFO National and Labour donations trial adjourned due to Covid-19A High Court trial due to begin in Auckland today scrutinising political donations to both Labour and National has been adjourned after one of the defendants tested positive for Covid-19. ...8 hours ago
- Stats NZ says law change will not erode independenceStats New Zealand is rejecting criticism that law changes will erode its independence, saying it is at best a misunderstanding, or else misleading. ...9 hours ago
- 'It's illegal behaviour' – Auckland mayor Phil Goff slams Brian Tamaki-led prot...Auckland mayor Phil Goff says the actions of anti-government protesters who shut down part of Auckland's motorway on Saturday put lives at risk. ...10 hours ago
- Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she has confidence in James ShawJacinda Ardern says ministerial portfolio allocations are always the prerogative of the prime minister of the day and James Shaw will keep his ministerial portfolios. ...10 hours ago
- Green Party's James Shaw confirms he will run as co-leader againJames Shaw says he will contest the Green Party's co-leadership after being ousted from the role, he tells RNZ's Morning Report. ...11 hours ago
- Does Amber Heard really have the world’s most beautiful face? An expert explains why the Golden Ra...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Britz, Senior Lecturer, UNSW Sydney Amber Heard has one of the world’s most beautiful faces – that is, according to cosmetic surgeon Julian De Silva. The claim has been recycled for some years now, and recently resurfaced in the wake of ...11 hours ago
- People who lived in the UK in the ‘mad cow disease’ years may now be able to give blood. The ris...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hamish McManus, Biostatistician, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock From today, eligible people who were in the United Kingdom in the 80s and 90s will be able to donate blood in Australia again. That’s because the risk of acquiring variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob ...11 hours ago
- 4 lessons for the Albanese government in making its climate targets law. We can’t afford to get th...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anita Foerster, Associate professor, Monash University Shutterstock As the new parliament sits for the first time this week, one issue will be in sharpest focus: enshrining a climate target into law. The Albanese government’s pre-election promise was to cut Australia’s ...11 hours ago
- Green Party's James Shaw announces he will stand again for leadershipJames Shaw has confirmed he will contest the Green Party's co-leadership after being ousted from the role, he tells RNZ's Morning Report. ...12 hours ago
- SFO National and Labour donations trial beginsThe National and Labour donations cases are set to be heard from today in a combined trial set down for 10 weeks. ...13 hours ago
- Green Party members divided on co-leadership challengeIt's unclear who will lead the Greens into the next election after co-leader James Shaw was ousted from his role and party members are expressing mixed views on the challenge. ...14 hours ago
- Government pulls teeth of Australian Building and Construction CommissionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government this week will take the first step in killing off the controversial Australian Building and Construction Commission by stripping back its powers “to the bare legal minimum”. The government promised before the ...22 hours ago
- John Minto: From Raglan to Palestine – let our voice be heard out loudCOMMENTARY: By John Minto During World War I, the New Zealand government took a big area of land at Raglan from the local Tainui Awhiro people to build an airfield and bunker as part of local war preparations. The airfield was never built and, instead of returning the land to ...1 day ago
- Assassins gun down Philippine broadcaster outside homePacific Media Watch newsdesk Radio broadcaster Federico “Ding” Gempesaw has been shot and killed in broad daylight in front of his home in Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao, reports the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The IFJ and its affiliate, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), ...1 day ago
- Disgruntled PNG voters destroy ballot boxes, set fire to voting papersPNG Post-Courier Angry voters in East Sepik and Hela have destroyed ballot boxes and set fire to ballot papers after finding that their names were not on the common roll in Papua New Guinea’s general election. No reports were received of people or election officials being hurt in the violence. ...1 day ago
- Aupito to attend Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji instead of MahutaRNZ Pacific Pacific Peoples Minister Aupito William Sio will attend the Pacific Islands Forum in Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta’s stead as she recovers from covid-19. In a statement confirming the move this afternoon Aupito, who is also the Associate Foreign Minister, said he looked forward to the opportunity to talanoa ...1 day ago
- Vanuatu elects new president after eight rounds of votingRNZ Pacific Nikenike Vurobaravu has been voted the 12th President of the Republic of Vanuatu. It took eight rounds of voting by the 58-member Electoral College before he secured the required minimum number of 38 this afternoon. In the end he got a resounding 47 votes, after the Prime Minister, ...1 day ago
- ‘A bit of a surprise’ – Greens co-leader James Shaw’s job on the lineBy Craig McCulloch, RNZ News deputy political editor A shellshocked Climate Change Minister James Shaw has been ejected from the New Zealand Greens’ leadership by a minority of party delegates and has yet to decide whether he will fight to stay on. Thirty-two out of 107 delegates voted at the ...1 day ago
- RSF criticises charges against Timor-Leste reporter over revealing minors given virginity testsPacific Media Watch newsdesk Anything concerning the Catholic Church is extremely sensitive in Timor-Leste, as Raimundos Oki, the editor of The Oekusi Post website can confirm, reports the Paris-based global media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders. Oki is facing a possible six-year jail sentence under article 291 of the penal ...1 day ago
- Tokelau family under house arrest for nearly a year over vaccine defianceBy Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist A family has been under house arrest in Tokelau for almost a year after they refused to get vaccinated against covid-19. The tunoa — house arrest — was imposed on the family of four by the Taupulega (council) on Nukunonu, one of the three ...1 day ago
- Second Kanak party, Palika, joins boycott of French statute talksRNZ Pacific New Caledonia’s pro-independence Palika party has joined the Caledonian Union in rejecting talks in Paris announced by the French Interior Ministry. The ministry called a meeting of the signatories to the 1998 Noumea Accord for September as France plans to draw up a new statute for New Caledonia ...1 day ago
- Three vote defeat in PNG election and Rabaul’s Marat set to retireBy Paul Bungtabu and Poreni Umau in Rabaul It took 20 years and just three votes to unshackle anti-corruption champion Dr Allan Marat’s grip on the Rabaul Open seat in East New Britain Province in Papua New Guinea’s general election. His reign finally came to an end at 5pm yesterday ...1 day ago
- Kāpiti Coast councillor wants govt to also invest in trainsThe government's $29 million investment into infrastructure in Ōtaki should come with a promise of new trains, a Kāpiti Coast councillor says. ...1 day ago
- James Shaw may not have been green enough – DelahuntyIt's not easy being Green: Party co-leader's abrupt ousting may have been for not taking a strong enough stance on climate change, a former party leader says. ...1 day ago
- Researchers warn of growing potential for mass killings in Papua regionBy Victor Mambor and Alvin Prasetyo in Jayapura The US Holocaust Memorial Museum is warning in a new report that mass killings of civilians could occur in Indonesia’s troubled West Papua region in the next year to 18 months if current conditions deteriorate to a worst-case scenario. Although large-scale violence ...2 days ago
- NZ local government: ‘We’re ready for change – it’s about youth and iwi’By Moana Ellis, Local Democracy Reporter A district mayor says the Aotearoa New Zealand local government sector is ready to launch into a future that embraces more youthful members, Māori and climate change action. Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall said the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) annual conference underway in Palmerston ...2 days ago
- Delegates At The Green Party AGM Have Voted To Re-open Nominations For Co-leaderDelegates at the AGM of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand have voted to retain Marama Davidson as Green Party co-leader and to re-open nominations for the other co-leader position. Co-leaders of the Green Party are elected every year at the party’s ...2 days ago
- Green Party's James Shaw to face leadership challengeGreen Party members have voted at an online annual general meeting today to re-open nominations for James Shaws's spot as co-leader. ...2 days ago
- Coming up with a new name for this commission was a walkover? Not when it is developing a Treaty par...
The news from an outfit called the Walking Outdoor Access Commission was startlingly summed up in four words in a press statement headline: We’re changing our name. The fundamental change should have be no more than the removal of the word “walking”, because (as the press statement tells us): “Our ...2 days ago - Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Green Party divisions over their futurePolitical Roundup: Green Party divisions over their future Green Party co-leader, James Shaw. Image, Green Party New Zealand. Imagine being a Green Party activist at the moment. You joined the party because climate change is an existential threat and truly radical change needs to be undertaken immediately. You’re deeply upset ...2 days ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: If the NZ First Foundation accused are not guilty, then who is?Political Roundup: If the NZ First Foundation accused are not guilty, then who is? It’s shocking that the accused in the NZ First Foundation trial were declared “not guilty” in the High Court today. But it’s not actually surprising. Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. There was always a strong chance that ...2 days ago
- Porgera villagers helpless, unsafe in their homes as ‘warlords’ kill freelyBy Melisha Yafoi of the PNG Post-Courier “It’s okay, we’ll just sit here and they can come kill us.” These chilling words are from a defenceless woman (name withheld) who has seen first-hand the continuous killings in Papua New Guinea’s Porgera Valley, Enga province and accepting what could be the ...3 days ago
- Fiji elections chief tells local media to ‘upskill’ overseas reportersBy Wanshika Kumar in Suva Fiji’s Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem has called on local media to upskill their overseas counterparts in the wake of an article by the public broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that raised questions on whether Fiji’s upcoming elections would be free and fair. He said ...3 days ago
- ‘Doorstops’ at the Pacific Forum – why no tough questions on West Papua?By Asia Pacific Report editor David Robie A lively 43sec video clip surfaced during last week’s Pacific Islands Forum in the Fiji capital of Suva — the first live leaders’ forum in three years since Tuvalu, due to the covid pandemic. Posted on Twitter by Guardian Australia’s Pacific Project editor ...3 days ago
- Master of their domain? Mayor candidates clash over digital diversionThe race for the Auckland mayoralty is heating up with candidates in a spat over a website domain mystery. ...3 days ago
- Climate change: 'We need both central and local government working together'Local and central government officials are taking a strong line on climate change: wanting to act stronger and more collaboratively to make change. ...3 days ago
- A penguin farm in the Australian desert: a thought experiment that reveals the flaws our in environm...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, The Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University Shutterstock Imagine this fictitious scenario. The federal environment minister announces government approval for a large-scale penguin farm near Alice Springs. It will produce 300,000 penguins each year ...3 days ago
- Roger Watkin To Stand For Porirua-Tawa Seat On Regional Council“When I stood for Greater Wellington Regional Council in 2019 I said I was in for the long haul win, lose or draw. I am pleased to announce I am standing again to represent the people from Tawa to Pukerua Bay in the Porirua Electorate,” says ...3 days ago
- Three-month Pacific Islands maritime patrol mission to start next weekDefence Minister Peeni Henare has announced two NZDF ships and Orion aircraft will be taking part in Operation Mahi Tahi in partnership with Fiji, Niue, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. ...3 days ago
- A cosmic tango: this distant planet’s very strange orbit points to a violent and chaotic pastSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adriana Errico, Computer engineer, MSc Bioinformatics, University of Southern Queensland kevinmgill/flickr, CC BY If you close your eyes and imagine a system of planets orbiting a distant star, what do you see? For most people, such thoughts conjure up ...3 days ago
- In a cold July, Adelaide comes to life with art of light, sound and movementSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Speck, Emerita Professor, Art History and Curatorship, University of Adelaide Tyr Liang/Illuminate Adelaide On cold nights in July, Adelaide audiences are flocking to an extraordinary festival of light and sound. The top bill of the Illuminate festival is ...3 days ago
- Week in Politics: Opposition wants inflation to decide the next electionAnalysis - Opposition parties see inflation as their ticket to victory in the next election, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern finds an unusual ally after the controversial maskless photo and a new book reveals the horror story behind National's lea ...3 days ago
- GPs get a good dose of Little’s rhetoric – and a reassurance that there will be a better tomorro...
Buzz from the Beehive Just as you we failed to find the word “democracy” in the PM’s speech to the Local Government New Zealand this week, so the word “crisis” ... 3 days ago - Boris Johnson says his time as UK PM was ‘mission largely accomplished’. How does that actually ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Wellings, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, Monash University Boris Johnson has declared his time as United Kingdom prime minister was “mission largely accomplished”. How does that self-diagnosed legacy stack up? Nothing is inevitable in politics, but Johnson’s political demise ...3 days ago
- Christchurch To Host Next Local Government New Zealand ConferenceThe 2023 Local Government New Zealand Conference will be held in Ōtautahi Christchurch from 26-28 July next year. “The LGNZ Conference will be the first time the entire sector will get a chance to get together after the local body elections,” says ...3 days ago
- Innocent AgainHon Winston Peters From the moment these spurious allegations were first raised and then perpetuated by many in the media, day after day, and month after month, I maintained that there had been no wrongdoing. Today the High Court confirmed that ...3 days ago
- Small changes could bridge communication and cultural gaps for people from refugee backgrounds who n...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Angela Dew, Associate Professor, Deakin University Getty/Alia Youssef People with disability and their family members from non-English speaking refugee backgrounds come up against language and communication barriers when they try to access services, including the National Disability Insurance Scheme ...3 days ago
- Government advertising spending out of control – NationalAdvertising spending by government departments has increased at least 121 percent since Labour was elected, and it cannot be explained solely by the pandemic, National says. ...3 days ago
- Even in the political afterlife, Morrison departs from the normSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, PhD Candidate, School of History, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University In the past fortnight, former prime minister Scott Morrison has reemerged as a subject of public discussion. First, there was rumour about his interest in securing work with ...3 days ago
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"However, it is understood the former co-leader is trying to shore up his support, in part, by listening to the members who had voted against his leadership and reflecting on their concerns. Shaw was not available for comment on Sunday evening."
Listening and reflecting???
Rather than dismissing and denying?
He's the Green Gandhi!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/129367816/pm-jacinda-ardern-throws-support-behind-james-shaw-as-he-mulls-green-coleader-race
Ya gotta wonder..in disbelief ! But agree re James Shaw !. And…Jacinda just reinforces my belief and estimation for her . A true Gem. : )
(oh re this Green “trouble” Within Labour…and on this very site..there are white-anters plotting. “Ardern Tanking” Ha . BS
Pretty sad that none of the current Green MPs have come out publicly for him.
Not much point being in politics if you can't figure out how to speak.
Marama has. Last I checked, she was an MP.
Wait to see how today goes. I'm sure they want to have a caucus meeting about it first. You know, party discipline and all that.
Missed that. Good to hear.
Shaw said they all met yesterday.
Shaw said on RNZ they had a caucus meeting yesterday. But anyway, the plotters of this high school common room coup got a cold dose of reality from the PM this morning. Jacinda gave a master class on RNZ in not interfering in Green party affairs whilst giving the anti-Shaw activists a giant two finger salute. No matter what happens, Shaw will retain his ministerial warrant until the next election.
Don’t see the connection between being a Minister and being a coleader.
Sure, you don't. Because you understand politics.
The general public don't. And that's what Jacinda cleared up for them.
What’s the connection? I can’t see a reason that the climate minister needs to be a coleader.
if you understand politics so well then just explain it.
I'm picking Ardern backing Shaw just makes the 25%ers think they are right in kneecapping Shaw
They would be foolish to get rid of James Shaw. He is the "sensible green one". Marama, Gloriz and Ricardo are hardly concerned with the environment and seem to only be concerned with increasing benefits. If James decides to stay on, I cant see Chloe challenging him for leadership (although one day she will be a co-leader I reckon). If James does decide to step down, surely Chloe would be a no brainer to take his place.
Marama not concerned about the environment, what a ridiculous thing to say. Do you understand that parties have spokespeople for different issues? They can't all be spokesperson for Climate Change.
The Green party is like two parties merged together and thus why they are referred to as watermelons by some. Green on the outside but red on the inside. Marama is clearly more of the red. She is clearly the more dominant co-leader too and rule changes regarding leadership clearly favour her.
People can hold environmental ideas at the same time as social ideas.
More to the point, how can you have one without the other. It's a deeply conflicted individual that thinks they can care for, and do the right thing for, the planet, and then turn around and fuck over their fellow inhabitants of that planet.
It is why I like the Green Party and switched my vote from Labour several elections ago.
It is much more difficult to care for the environment if you are struggling day to day to survive and feed your kids – lifting people out of poverty is better for all sorts of reasons but does include the ability to have some space to breathe and think about environmental issues.
Consumption obviously increases as you move out of poverty but it isn't a trade-off of one for the other.
Labour on the other hand seem wedded to neo-liberal growth and austerity for the poorest.
— Chico Mendes
don't know where you get your ideas about the GP, but it might help if you looked at their website, their history and the history of the Green movements. Social justice has always been part of that, do you know why?
Start here,
https://www.greens.org.nz/charter
If you believe that, I have a cycle bridge to sell you.
.
If only Woke Dogmatists within the Green Party would “listen and reflect” for the first time in their cosseted lives.
"If only…"
Well, they won't, will they, especially in response to witherings such as yours.
Perhaps you could take a different approach to achieve the change you hope for?
Prime Minister Orban of Hungary strongly yesterday discouraged 'race mixing'.
Viktor Orbán sparks outrage with attack on ‘race mixing’ in Europe | Hungary | The Guardian
With Hungary's population headed into accelerated decline, sure looks like they could do with some vigorous 'race mixing'.
Hungary Population 1950-2022 | MacroTrends
Get it on people.
Orban wants to be careful on this race mixing stuff, if the Hungarians had remained "pure" Magyars he'd look like a Mongolian herdsman.
No it is well known that the Hungarian intellectual elite were Martians.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Martians_(scientists)
Nicaragua's President Ortega: US/EU waging war to stop multipolar world
I guess the countries surrounding the US know this to be true better than most….
This palm oil issue has legs.
Indonesia is taking the EU to the World Trade Organisation court, as is Malaysia.
Both are chaired by Manzoor Ahmad, Pakistan's former permanent representative to the WTO. Members are Sarah Paterson, of New Zealand, and Arie Reich, of Israel.
What are EU′s options in palm oil row with Malaysia and Indonesia? | Asia | An in-depth look at news from across the continent | DW | 22.07.2022
Of course like New Zealand's coal imports, what the EU says it wants to do and what it actually does is completely different. EU need all the energy sources it can get its hands on, despite the obvious deforestation and carbon emissions.
Can Europe defeat a palm oil ′monster′ of its own making? | Human factor | DW | 22.08.2018
If the EU really does crash Palm Oil imports, will New Zealand's dairy industry still be able to import the waste kernels for dairy feed?
Maybe the farmers need to find that seaweed substitute a whole bunch faster.
Or farmers could just go back to farming 2-4 cows to the hectare and growing there own inputs
this
If NZ is still importing palm kernel to feed the diary cows – know that the palm kernel they are buying was always placed back on the ground under the palm trees to rot down and feed the next crops. I saw that first hand and am dismayed palm kernel was ever allowed to be imported into NZ to unsustainably boost the NZs dairy cows diet.
I have lodged questions about PKE and the threat it represents, to Environment Southland and The Southland Times. I will report back when those questions are aired, and, I hope, answered.
For those who are keeping track of the influence of Stonewall's Diversity Champion's programme in the UK, TENI in Ireland, ACON in Australia and ARC in Canada, I think this may be the NZ equivalent – including Ministries as clients and members.
Diversity Works NZ
Reading some of previous award blurbs, group think starts at recruitment, and is honed by bias training.
The diversity industry is booming.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/with-global-spending-projected-to-reach-15-4-billion-by-2026–diversity-equity–inclusion-takes-the-lead-role-in-the-creation-of-stronger-businesses-301413808.html
How successful is this spending is a relevant question.
https://time.com/5696943/diversity-business/
It's a bit more practical than that. The existence of the programmes at least in New Zealand is simply a criteria for doing business.
It's very hard to win any decent public sector contract without it.
And it's much harder to retain younger staff without it.
"it is very hard to win any public sector contract without it"………shows how these programmes have infiltrated our supposedly neutral public service.
Young workers I think you mean the ones who have come out of the universities with Arts degrees, but correct me if I am wrong.
Procurement is a perfectly acceptable place for policy implementation. The neutrality is in the evaluation of all bids.
Arts, Marketing, Engineering, Accounting … it's simply an expectation. And nothing wrong with arts degrees by the way.
Thanks Molly. That helps to explain why people are so invested in diverstity and inclusion training. Its an industry. And I read recently a great article about corporates and the Rainbow tick which stated words to the effect, that the corporates don't care about that community. It is corporate virtue signalling.
The link below is a fascinating take on this by a Swedish Trotkyite. The title is the give away. Among other things he is saying there are not enough jobs for all the arts graduates so these diversity and inclusion jobs are job creation for middle class graduates. Workers pay their taxes to fund this stuff.
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2022/07/21/understanding-wokeness-as-a-make-work-strategy-for-the-privileged-class/
That author sounds so old they have more in common with Orban and Trump than having any modern understanding of people under 40. People are just more complex now, more sensitive. It's neither good nor bad; it's just what it is.
Quite keen on "diversity and inclusion training" myself, but it isn't for eveyone
I think he has some interesting things to say. That doesn’t necessarily mean I am going to March for him.
“The neutrality is in the evaluation of all bids”…..as long as all bidders can tick the inclusion and diversity training. It sounds great doesn’t it. Who wouldn’t agree with inclusion and diversity. Problem is that it’s tick box diversity. Not diversity of thought. A public servant challenged the trainers in I and D regarding whether her sister who is a lesbian should to sleep with male bodied people and got pinged for it. This included the DCE meeting with her to tell her the trainers were very upset that she had used the term male bodied people and it wasn’t acceptable. So basically the I and D training is about right think.
btw I have an arts degree. It was ticket into more vocational training. So was helpful to me