I read an earlier posting here with respect to the leaked e-mails from EA University.
The tenor of the post was to minimise the seriousness of the leaks, and try to explain the apparent meanings as due to e-mails being taken out of context. However, as the e-mails are being delved into further, it is obvious that the situation is very much more serious.
Notice that the author considers: “The emails extracted by a hacker from the climatic research unit at the University of East Anglia could scarcely be more damaging. I am now convinced that they are genuine, and I’m dismayed and deeply shaken by them.”
and that: “Phil Jones, should now resign. Some of the data discussed in the emails should be re-analysed.”
In depth, detailed analysis by other sites, including extensive contextual material can be found at these links:
1. Manipulate and distort data that the authors consider poor or conflicting with their hypothesis.
2. Wilfully conceal or destroy data to prevent it being analysed by other researchers.
3. Manipulate computer code by including arbitrary factors to force the programs to produce the desired results.
4. Attempt to force out editors of journals considered to be too accomodating to scientists with opposing points of view; as one of the articles points out, a number of the editors referred to have subsequently resigned from their positions. As pointed out, the scientists who have been trying to manipulate the freedom of journals to publish what they see fit are the very same scientists who have criticised their opponents for not producing enough published work!
This behaviour, seems to me, to be highly unethical at the least, and bordering on criminal given Britain’s OIA laws.
Furthermore, these sort of efforts are undermining legitimate research into the field. The article below makes this point:
It’s a complete PR disaster for sure, but I think this Monbiot piece puts things in perspective rather well. Here’s an excerpt.
“Phil Jones (…) wrote “I can’t see either of these papers being in the next IPCC report. Kevin and I will keep them out somehow – even if we have to redefine what the peer-review literature is!”
One of these papers which was published in the journal Climate Research turned out to be so badly flawed that the scandal resulted in the resignation of the editor-in-chief. Jones knew that any incorrect papers by sceptical scientists would be picked up and amplified by climate change deniers funded by the fossil fuel industry, who often as I documented in my book Heat use all sorts of dirty tricks to advance their cause.
Even so, his message looks awful. It gives the impression of confirming a potent meme circulated by those who campaign against taking action on climate change: that the IPCC process is biased. However good the detailed explanations may be, most people aren’t going to follow or understand them. Jones’s statement, on the other hand, is stark and easy to grasp”
I think what the leak does does demonstrate is the dangers of mixing activism with science.
When the goal is to persuade the public with research, then there is a great temptation to shoe-horn the research to fit the political aims of the researchers.
I don’t believe there is anything so silly as a global conspiracy by AGW scientists. However, I do believe that the same drivers are likely to exist for any scientist trying to mix activist type goals with science. This being the case, there may be other research that is called into question on the same basis.
Next to capital punishment incarceration is the most severe sanction the state can impose upon a citizen and should be administered seriously. Crush ’em and crate ’em Collins McPrisons in no way take this responsibility seriously. Private prisons serving beans on paper plates, run by police rejects and failed security guards really do indicate where the ship is headed. And they are abusing urgency again to boot.
So you saying that murderers and rapists and robbers and house breakers
deserve hotel status while being penalised for committing their henious crimes?
Hotels? have you ever been to Mt Eden wiggie? I am saying that prisons are unfortunately part of the mix in current society so should be run properly. Strangely enough it is the private operators that want to run hotels with a bums on seats model with little regard to rehab and education of inmates. Criminals do not exist in a vacuum, but in a society that we all contribute to one way or another.
pentwig – your kneejerk reaction is exactly why it’s hard to have a proper debate about prision conditions. But yep, I agree wotj Toger that murderers, rapists and robbers and house breakers deserve to be housed appropriately. Badly run prisons aren’t good for anyone. We (the people) locked them away, they’re our responsibility.
The general public doesn’t know who Nick Smith is. The vast majority of people in this country don’t follow politics closely or with any interest (and yes, the ETS is politics, despite it’s far-reaching consequences).
Tigger
Your kneejerk reaction to my reply to Tigger Mountain belies comprehension and belief.
The purpose of incarceration is to take away the dignity and privileges that a person would normally enjoy had he not committed crime.
In these days only the worst offenders get imprisonment.
How does giving them the same enjoyment of life while in prison that they would enjoy if they where law abiding and outside prison in any way help their rehabilitation procedure?
The idea of inprisonment is a deterent as well as a penalty.
captcha – ago
A driving confidence program Safe with Age for older people is being scrapped by Land Transport because it is only reaching 40,000 people for cost $500,000. (Heard Morn Report Nat.) Not enough people they say, when there are 800,000 that fit the criteria which is people over 55! Why on earth would people at 55 have to be tutored on how to drive suitably?
This is just another example of stupid, misdirected policies that are bound to be found too expensive, and sure to not deliver on targets which are too broad. Sort of like expectations heaped on ACC.
Long ago were things better? Could we actually achieve better policies? We seem to go round in circles with the running of this country.
Because old people in my experience tend to lose awareness and/or confidence.
[driving around a round about]
“Oh I wonder where that noise is coming from, someone must be doing wheelies”
“ah grandma, that noise is coming from your tires”
killinginthenameof
When I talked about policy-making going round in circles (and getting nowhere worthwhile) it appears that your mind drove off in a different direction and thought I was referring to road roundabouts.
Actually seeing you refer to roundabouts, it would be good if drivers all slowed slightly before entering them, checking the car’s speed for a second also the road, thus making accidents less likely (instead of approaching and driving through at a steady 45 or higher). The seconds taken are a small loss to the day’s mass of seconds, and outcomes would be a smoother, happier flow of drivers. And there would be less grief and killing in the name of getting somewhere fast on some probably trivial pursuit.
Actually when it comes to roundabouts, the right hand rule has too much power. It is assumed that the cars in the big long stream of a rush-hour queue have priority over all other users. If we had a Stop sign at roundabouts rather than a Give Way, other users of the road would have a chance of negotiating the junction, without the need to gamble on their being a gap big enough to get through.
A number of people over 55 have never driven before. Cars used to be expensive and not everybody needed drive.
In my driving I’ve seen two instances of older people driving along completely impervious to what’s going on around them. Red lights didn’t faze them – they drove straight through without slowing down.
Strange how common that driver behaviour is in the younger age group Draco. Let’s all have defensive driving tests each time we have our licences renewed.
Role of Infamy and Politician du jour
Nov 2009 – Infamous
Anne Tolley for closing school that is only bi-lingual one in large area. For taking a kiddies story book to meeting with educators implying they are at kindy level. (And for thinking if Trevor Mallard closed schools so can she).
Nov 2009 – Infamous
Judith Collins for overseeing privatising of a prison and saying that it isn’t a money matter. She says it is to benchmark best practice – I think that is the policyspeak.
It’s known that businesses make profits, and they will exert influence for longer sentences and harsher treatments with less programmes, especially when they sell out to some other business. Perhaps it will lead to one of those healthy, open-air Arizona jobs.
Nov 2009 – Politician du jour
Tim Groser for being an intelligent, experienced bloke with business sense working for New Zealand’s interests. He can see Turners & Growers connections misusing the WTO process over our kiwifruit marketing control which maintains standards and continuing dominance and profit for New Zealand in our own hands.
T’is interesting that often you can get a handle on which ministers are doing a good job/getting on with things by their relative lack of profile compared to their colleagues.
And gitmo we will probably never find out as they aren’t making sensational copy for the media. They would get covered perhaps if there was a specialty reporter who knew his or her field but there are less of those, so perhaps its left to the Press gallery who might just give an overview.
Then backbenchers at election time suffer from comments in the media that they haven’t been heard from, implying that they haven’t been working hard. But the public wouldn’t know what the truth was.
Main criticisms are of the tax cut aspects put in to appease right wingers and that those made less money available for the parts that, you know, worked.
There is a secret anti counterfeiting treaty which could be written into NZ law in complete secrecy to comply with USA. The talks in NZ are through officials from the Min of Economic Development. (Colin Jackson on 9tonoon 26/11).
Our politicians are forcing through so much on urgency, making a complete hash of policy, and thumbing their nose at expected democratic procedures and we have no chance of preventing such damaging and sinister controls being passed.
The USA President says that everything must be secret because of national security. We are as much at risk from such secret machinations on the part of decision makers as we are from those of terrorists, just with differing types of damage.
The bigger risk with FTA type negotiations is that undoubtedly those bastards in Wellington will bend over and take it from the likes of Monsanto and ADM in exchange for a few beads and blankets.
I don’t hold much hope for the continuation of our (relatively) GE free status…
Sensible sentencing trust losing its charitable status? Perhaps we might hear less from Garth McVicar and get more Kim Workman, and others with ideas on how to change crime trend line from up to down, and not just through employment options improving.
Well once again a member of this Tory Government has been found abusing the system to get a bit more money. This time its Lindsey Tisch . An already very rich man, (,what a greedy lot these Right -Wing people are ). I just hope the good people of Waikato/Waipa are informed obout this mans juggling of the system in order to gain a measly $140 extra in his already bulging bank balance. This, the man who vehemently spoke out against raising the mininum wage . Every time it came up in parliament he voted against it. Who the bloody hell votes for such sleazy character ? It beats me ! .
pinkpostman – About politicians being creative at personal money grabbing – interesting contrast in Britain. While the British ones were padding their expenses with phantom mortgage payments for properties already sold, they were ignoring their nuclear handling system which is in disarray and they have “in tan cans at Sellafield” tonnes of separated uranium I think. It will cost millions to deal with, but first requires politicians to actually work hard alongside their advisors to make real effective policy (and heaven help us literally, if they decide to outsource or contract it out.)
Mr Joyce said his barber told him he loved travelling to work by train and, when asked why, explained they were cheaper than buses.
The minister said last month that he did not know the reason for the difference in fares, and was keen to find an answer.
Now, after the Government’s final commitment to the $1 billion electrification project, he says he believes rail fares should rise to match those of buses to ensure ratepayers and taxpayers do not pay unfair subsidies.
Now we know where National MPs get their information from, ie, not their ministries. It obviously didn’t occur to him that the reason why trains were cheaper is because they’re cheaper to run.
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New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? In November last year, I was working a very busy day in the newsroom of a large online news site, interviewing whānau about their concerns over the imminent closure of one of the few puna reo ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Knight, Researcher, Queensland University of Technology Have you ever felt sick at work? Perhaps you had food poisoning or the flu. Your belly hurt, or you felt tired, making it hard to concentrate and be productive. How likely would you be ...
Despite heavy criticism and an ongoing select committee process, the Police Minister says the Government will forge ahead with a ban on gang patches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
A new survey says ‘outlook not great’ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The “financial sustainability target”, which was “allocated” to Waitaha, is consistent with what’s happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
A look at the state of the previous government’s affordable housing scheme, and what could come next.Remind me: What’s KiwiBuild again?First announced in 2012, KiwiBuild was a flagship policy of the Labour Party heading into both its 2014 and 2017 election campaigns. With Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, ...
Labour in opposition will be shocked to learn which party had six years in power but squandered any chance to make real change. Grant Robertson’s valedictory speech was a predictably entertaining trip down memory lane. The acid-tongued incoming Otago University chancellor administered a sick burn to the coalition government. He ...
Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is seen some as its ‘silicon shield’ against invasion – but how will overseas expansion affect that protection? The post The state of Taiwan’s silicon shield appeared first on Newsroom. ...
There’s relief for building owners bending under the weight of earthquake strengthening rules – and costs – that came into force seven years ago. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced a scheduled 2027 review of the earthquake-prone building regulations will now start this year. Owners will also get ...
Opinion: It has been announced that nine percent of roles at Oranga Tamariki will be disestablished, presumably to help fund the tax cuts promised by the coalition Government. I am reminded of the graphics used to illustrate pandemic events, where five thousand people are standing in a field and then ...
After more than two sleepless days, running through savage terrain, Greig Hamilton didn’t know if he was going to finish one of the most gruelling psychological assaults in sport. He was metres away from the finish line, a yellow gate made famous in a Netflix documentary; a race he’d dreamed ...
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The following interview with former Green Party MP Sue Kedgley came about because she features in the new memoir Hine Toa by activist Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku; the two knew each other at the University of Auckland in the early 70s, when they were both took on leadership roles in the ...
COMMENTARY:By Murray Horton New Zealand needs to get tough with Israel. It’s not as if we haven’t done so before. When NZ authorities busted a Mossad operation in Auckland 20 years ago, the government didn’t say: “Oh well, Israel has the right to defend itself.” No, it arrested, prosecuted, ...
NEWSMAKERS:By Vijay Narayan, news director of FijiVillage Blessed to be part of the University of Fiji (UniFiji) faculty to continue to teach and mentor those who want to join our noble profession, and to stand for truth and justice for the people of the country. I was privileged to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Lowry, Ice Sheet & Climate Modeller, GNS Science Hugh Chittock/Antarctica New Zealand, CC BY-SA As the climate warms and Antarctica’s glaciers and ice sheets melt, the resulting rise in sea level has the potential to displace hundreds of millions of ...
The government's plan to reintroduce a three strikes regime is being strongly opposed by lawyers, who argue there is no evidence it reduces crime or helps people rehabilitate. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Jerker B. Svantesson, Professor specialising in Internet law, Bond University Do Australian courts have the right to decide what foreign citizens, located overseas, view online on a foreign-owned platform? Anyone inclined to answer “yes” to this question should perhaps also ask ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giovanni E Ferreira, NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney Last week in a post on X, owner of the platform Elon Musk recommended people look into disc replacement if they’re experiencing severe neck or back pain. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University anek.soowannaphoom/Shutterstock NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey caught the headlines yesterday, courtesy of a blistering speech condemning the latest GST carve-up. New South Wales, he claimed, would be A$11.9 billion worse off over the ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived at Kokoda Station, Northern province, at the start of his state visit to Papua New Guinea. Both Albanese and Prime Minister James Marape will meet with the locals and the Northern Provincial government before they begin their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Wallace, Professor, School of Politics Economics & Society, Faculty of Business Government & Law, University of Canberra Shutterstock An important principle was invoked by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week in defence of the government’s Future Made in Australia industry ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Security forces reinforcements were sent from France ahead of two rival marches in the capital Nouméa today, at the same time and only two streets away one from the other. One march, called by Union Calédonienne party (a component of the ...
A poll last August found that just 16% of New Zealanders oppose bringing back the ‘Three Strikes’ law. The nationwide poll of 1,000 New Zealanders was commissioned by Family First NZ and carried out by Curia Market Research. ...
The solo show from Ana Scotney is both sprawling and intimate, and a must-see, writes Mad Chapman. In the opening moments of Scattergun: After the Death of Rūaumoko, writer and performer Ana Scotney lays out the groundwork, literally. Silently moving around the square stage, Scotney is not so much dancing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Burridge, Professor of Linguistics, Monash University Who makes the words? Why are trees called trees and why are shoes called shoes and who makes the names? – Elliot, age 5, Eltham, Victoria Good question Elliot! Let’s start with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne at amRawpixel.com/Shutterstock Roles of health professionals are still unfortunately often stuck in the past. That is, before the ...
COMMENTARY:By Malcolm Evans Last week’s leaked New York Times staff directive, as to what words can and cannot be used to describe the carnage Israel is raining on Palestinians, is proof positive, since those reports are published verbatim here in New Zealand, that our understanding of the conflict is ...
In the case of New Zealand, the results confirm that there is no popular support for the vicious austerity program being imposed by the National Party-led government, which is backed in all fundamental respects by the opposition Labour Party. ...
The ‘Vampire’ singer has never visited our part of the world, but that might all be about to change. We assess the evidence.Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour is pulling in massive crowds as it whips around the US and Europe, even helping to catapult regular supporting act Chappell Roan ...
Testing of drinking water in rural Canterbury over the weekend by Greenpeace revealed that several public town supplies were reaching levels of nitrate above 5 mg/L - the threshold which a growing body of scientific evidence has linked to increased ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rohan Fisher, Information Technology for Development Researcher, Charles Darwin University It may come as a surprise to hear 2023 was Australia’s biggest bushfire season in more than a decade. Fires burned across an area eight times as big as the 2019–20 Black ...
Responding to the Government’s announcement of changes to resource management laws, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said: “These changes are a step in the right direction in terms of removing ideological and unworkable ...
More than two years after the Human Rights Council called for the establishment of a national human rights commission, such a body has yet to be formed. ...
Comment:An emergency management system with wide variations in performance, significant capability gaps, funding shortfalls and above all a setup that is not meeting the needs of New Zealanders at times of crisis. The Government’s inquiry into the response to Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events in the North ...
Welcome to the whirring wonders of one brain trying to align its actions with its beliefs within a system it thinks is evil. My brain has been spiralling in a woke conundrum ever since I found out a bookshop I’ve never been to was shutting down. Good Books, a bookshop ...
We repeat our call for criminal justice policy to be based on evidence, something the three strikes regime neglects to recognise – with no evidence that it either reduces crime or assists with rehabilitation. ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Honiara With only four more seats in the 50-member Parliament yet to be officially declared, there is no outright winner in the Solomon Islands elections. As of Monday, the two largest blocs in the winner’s circle, independents and the incumbent Prime Minister Manasseh ...
Two/fiftyseven is a multi-purpose space hidden in the heart of Wellington that is paving a way for sustainable building and responsible landlording in Aotearoa and beyond.By 2060 the world is predicted to double its entire building stock, which equates to building an entire New York City every 34 days, ...
Popstars wasn’t just a reality television revolution, it was also a huge moment for Y2K fashion.It’s 25 years since girl group TrueBliss was formed on New Zealand national television, breaking new ground for both the reality television industry and the shiny clothing industry. With the first episode on NZ ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Pepping, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology, Griffith University Marvin / Shutterstock Are all single people insecure? When we think about people who have been single for a long time, we may assume it’s because single people have insecurities that make ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Geary, Lecturer in Quantitative Ecology & Biodiversity Conservation, The University of Melbourne Trismegist san, Shutterstock Landscapes that have escaped fire for decades or centuries tend to harbour vital structures for wildlife, such as tree hollows and large logs. But these ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Gladstone-Gallagher, Lecturer in Marine Science, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Shutterstock/S Curtis Why are we crossing ecological boundaries that affect Earth’s fundamental life-supporting capacity? Is it because we don’t have enough information about how ecosystems respond to change? Or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Crocker, PhD Student in Economics, Deakin University Here’s something for the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia to ponder as it meets next month to set interest rates. It has pushed up rates on 13 occasions since it began its ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a charity director outlines how she’s saving for retirement and buying secondhand. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Female Age: 45 Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: Charity director, mum of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sophie Yates, Research Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Many Australians with disability feel on the edge of a precipice right now. Recommendations from the disability royal commission and the NDIS review were released late last year. Now a ...
It’s been called a failed experiment and a judicial straightjacket but the government says the revised three strikes law will be a more workable regime, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Three ...
New Zealand’s Palestinian community and Palestinian Youth Aotearoa are voicing alarm and disappointment with the lack of factual rigour present during the Israeli Ambassador’s appearance as a guest on TVNZ’s Q+A With Jack Tame Sunday (21/04). ...
Both ACT leader David Seymour, who played a key role in drawing up the assisted dying law, and hospice leaders say it's time the legislation was changed. ...
Public submissions on proposed gang control laws are being heard today. Rising gang membership has been cited as rationale for a crackdown – but what do we actually know about how many people belong to gangs in New Zealand?What’s all this then?A rise in the number of gang ...
Climate activists are setting their sights on an unpopular target, and hoping to bring lots of the public with them. It’s hard to miss the Majestic Princess: the enormous cruise ship, docked at Auckland’s Prince’s Wharf, looms over the nearby buildings. The ship, which can fit nearly 6,000 people, ...
Opinion: We’ve kicked the tyres on the perception NZ’s economy is in a parlous state compared to Australia. We take a quick tour of relative trends in GDP, housing markets, labour markets, trade, the fiscal situation, and the outlooks for inflation and interest rates. We find the cyclical positions of ...
I read an earlier posting here with respect to the leaked e-mails from EA University.
The tenor of the post was to minimise the seriousness of the leaks, and try to explain the apparent meanings as due to e-mails being taken out of context. However, as the e-mails are being delved into further, it is obvious that the situation is very much more serious.
Here are some recent revelations:
1. An article by a pro-AGW commentator:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cif-green/2009/nov/23/global-warming-leaked-email-climate-scientists
Notice that the author considers: “The emails extracted by a hacker from the climatic research unit at the University of East Anglia could scarcely be more damaging. I am now convinced that they are genuine, and I’m dismayed and deeply shaken by them.”
and that: “Phil Jones, should now resign. Some of the data discussed in the emails should be re-analysed.”
In depth, detailed analysis by other sites, including extensive contextual material can be found at these links:
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/11/24/taking_liberties/entry5761180.shtml
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/11/24/the-people-vs-the-cru-freedom-of-information-my-okole%E2%80%A6/
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/three-things-you-absolutely-must-know-about-climategate/
What is emerging is an orchestrated effort to:
1. Manipulate and distort data that the authors consider poor or conflicting with their hypothesis.
2. Wilfully conceal or destroy data to prevent it being analysed by other researchers.
3. Manipulate computer code by including arbitrary factors to force the programs to produce the desired results.
4. Attempt to force out editors of journals considered to be too accomodating to scientists with opposing points of view; as one of the articles points out, a number of the editors referred to have subsequently resigned from their positions. As pointed out, the scientists who have been trying to manipulate the freedom of journals to publish what they see fit are the very same scientists who have criticised their opponents for not producing enough published work!
This behaviour, seems to me, to be highly unethical at the least, and bordering on criminal given Britain’s OIA laws.
Furthermore, these sort of efforts are undermining legitimate research into the field. The article below makes this point:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/earth-environment/article6896152.ece
It’s a complete PR disaster for sure, but I think this Monbiot piece puts things in perspective rather well. Here’s an excerpt.
“Phil Jones (…) wrote “I can’t see either of these papers being in the next IPCC report. Kevin and I will keep them out somehow – even if we have to redefine what the peer-review literature is!”
One of these papers which was published in the journal Climate Research turned out to be so badly flawed that the scandal resulted in the resignation of the editor-in-chief. Jones knew that any incorrect papers by sceptical scientists would be picked up and amplified by climate change deniers funded by the fossil fuel industry, who often as I documented in my book Heat use all sorts of dirty tricks to advance their cause.
Even so, his message looks awful. It gives the impression of confirming a potent meme circulated by those who campaign against taking action on climate change: that the IPCC process is biased. However good the detailed explanations may be, most people aren’t going to follow or understand them. Jones’s statement, on the other hand, is stark and easy to grasp”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2009/nov/25/monbiot-climate-leak-crisis-response
Bill,
I think what the leak does does demonstrate is the dangers of mixing activism with science.
When the goal is to persuade the public with research, then there is a great temptation to shoe-horn the research to fit the political aims of the researchers.
I don’t believe there is anything so silly as a global conspiracy by AGW scientists. However, I do believe that the same drivers are likely to exist for any scientist trying to mix activist type goals with science. This being the case, there may be other research that is called into question on the same basis.
Ooh oops it seems even NIWA is involved in the gentle massaging of data to a required outcome
Just a quick one to register my complete disgust at Key and Turiana for the ETS fiasco, may they rot.
Next to capital punishment incarceration is the most severe sanction the state can impose upon a citizen and should be administered seriously. Crush ’em and crate ’em Collins McPrisons in no way take this responsibility seriously. Private prisons serving beans on paper plates, run by police rejects and failed security guards really do indicate where the ship is headed. And they are abusing urgency again to boot.
Tiger Mountain
So you saying that murderers and rapists and robbers and house breakers
deserve hotel status while being penalised for committing their henious crimes?
Get real!!
Greg Palast writes about the Free Market In Human Misery.
Hotels? have you ever been to Mt Eden wiggie? I am saying that prisons are unfortunately part of the mix in current society so should be run properly. Strangely enough it is the private operators that want to run hotels with a bums on seats model with little regard to rehab and education of inmates. Criminals do not exist in a vacuum, but in a society that we all contribute to one way or another.
pentwig Which planet are you from?
pentwig – your kneejerk reaction is exactly why it’s hard to have a proper debate about prision conditions. But yep, I agree wotj Toger that murderers, rapists and robbers and house breakers deserve to be housed appropriately. Badly run prisons aren’t good for anyone. We (the people) locked them away, they’re our responsibility.
What is the public mood on the ETS? I suspect Nick Smith is widely regarded with at least suspicion, if not as a downright liar by the general public.
The mood is against National on immigration, ETS and slowly turning against them on ACC – two out of three for Nick.
The general public doesn’t know who Nick Smith is. The vast majority of people in this country don’t follow politics closely or with any interest (and yes, the ETS is politics, despite it’s far-reaching consequences).
Tigger
Your kneejerk reaction to my reply to Tigger Mountain belies comprehension and belief.
The purpose of incarceration is to take away the dignity and privileges that a person would normally enjoy had he not committed crime.
In these days only the worst offenders get imprisonment.
How does giving them the same enjoyment of life while in prison that they would enjoy if they where law abiding and outside prison in any way help their rehabilitation procedure?
The idea of inprisonment is a deterent as well as a penalty.
People are sent to prison AS punishment, not FOR punishment.
Pentwig – the fact that you believe prison should remove a person’s dignity indicates to me that it’s not worth bothering arguing with you.
captcha – ago
A driving confidence program Safe with Age for older people is being scrapped by Land Transport because it is only reaching 40,000 people for cost $500,000. (Heard Morn Report Nat.) Not enough people they say, when there are 800,000 that fit the criteria which is people over 55! Why on earth would people at 55 have to be tutored on how to drive suitably?
This is just another example of stupid, misdirected policies that are bound to be found too expensive, and sure to not deliver on targets which are too broad. Sort of like expectations heaped on ACC.
Long ago were things better? Could we actually achieve better policies? We seem to go round in circles with the running of this country.
Because old people in my experience tend to lose awareness and/or confidence.
[driving around a round about]
“Oh I wonder where that noise is coming from, someone must be doing wheelies”
“ah grandma, that noise is coming from your tires”
It appears that you are much younger than age 55 and don’t know or think much yet.
killinginthenameof
When I talked about policy-making going round in circles (and getting nowhere worthwhile) it appears that your mind drove off in a different direction and thought I was referring to road roundabouts.
Actually seeing you refer to roundabouts, it would be good if drivers all slowed slightly before entering them, checking the car’s speed for a second also the road, thus making accidents less likely (instead of approaching and driving through at a steady 45 or higher). The seconds taken are a small loss to the day’s mass of seconds, and outcomes would be a smoother, happier flow of drivers. And there would be less grief and killing in the name of getting somewhere fast on some probably trivial pursuit.
Actually when it comes to roundabouts, the right hand rule has too much power. It is assumed that the cars in the big long stream of a rush-hour queue have priority over all other users. If we had a Stop sign at roundabouts rather than a Give Way, other users of the road would have a chance of negotiating the junction, without the need to gamble on their being a gap big enough to get through.
A number of people over 55 have never driven before. Cars used to be expensive and not everybody needed drive.
In my driving I’ve seen two instances of older people driving along completely impervious to what’s going on around them. Red lights didn’t faze them – they drove straight through without slowing down.
Strange how common that driver behaviour is in the younger age group Draco. Let’s all have defensive driving tests each time we have our licences renewed.
Role of Infamy and Politician du jour
Nov 2009 – Infamous
Anne Tolley for closing school that is only bi-lingual one in large area. For taking a kiddies story book to meeting with educators implying they are at kindy level. (And for thinking if Trevor Mallard closed schools so can she).
Nov 2009 – Infamous
Judith Collins for overseeing privatising of a prison and saying that it isn’t a money matter. She says it is to benchmark best practice – I think that is the policyspeak.
It’s known that businesses make profits, and they will exert influence for longer sentences and harsher treatments with less programmes, especially when they sell out to some other business. Perhaps it will lead to one of those healthy, open-air Arizona jobs.
Nov 2009 – Politician du jour
Tim Groser for being an intelligent, experienced bloke with business sense working for New Zealand’s interests. He can see Turners & Growers connections misusing the WTO process over our kiwifruit marketing control which maintains standards and continuing dominance and profit for New Zealand in our own hands.
T’is interesting that often you can get a handle on which ministers are doing a good job/getting on with things by their relative lack of profile compared to their colleagues.
And gitmo we will probably never find out as they aren’t making sensational copy for the media. They would get covered perhaps if there was a specialty reporter who knew his or her field but there are less of those, so perhaps its left to the Press gallery who might just give an overview.
Then backbenchers at election time suffer from comments in the media that they haven’t been heard from, implying that they haven’t been working hard. But the public wouldn’t know what the truth was.
All with degrees???? Heaven forbid!
NYT has a round up of economists (both from academia and the private sector) on the US stimulus:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/21/business/economy/21stimulus.html
with graph, strangely hidden behind a sidebar link:
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/11/21/business/21stimulus_graphic.html
rumours of it’s failure; unsupported.
Main criticisms are of the tax cut aspects put in to appease right wingers and that those made less money available for the parts that, you know, worked.
There is a secret anti counterfeiting treaty which could be written into NZ law in complete secrecy to comply with USA. The talks in NZ are through officials from the Min of Economic Development. (Colin Jackson on 9tonoon 26/11).
Our politicians are forcing through so much on urgency, making a complete hash of policy, and thumbing their nose at expected democratic procedures and we have no chance of preventing such damaging and sinister controls being passed.
The USA President says that everything must be secret because of national security. We are as much at risk from such secret machinations on the part of decision makers as we are from those of terrorists, just with differing types of damage.
The bigger risk with FTA type negotiations is that undoubtedly those bastards in Wellington will bend over and take it from the likes of Monsanto and ADM in exchange for a few beads and blankets.
I don’t hold much hope for the continuation of our (relatively) GE free status…
Sensible sentencing trust losing its charitable status? Perhaps we might hear less from Garth McVicar and get more Kim Workman, and others with ideas on how to change crime trend line from up to down, and not just through employment options improving.
Well once again a member of this Tory Government has been found abusing the system to get a bit more money. This time its Lindsey Tisch . An already very rich man, (,what a greedy lot these Right -Wing people are ). I just hope the good people of Waikato/Waipa are informed obout this mans juggling of the system in order to gain a measly $140 extra in his already bulging bank balance. This, the man who vehemently spoke out against raising the mininum wage . Every time it came up in parliament he voted against it. Who the bloody hell votes for such sleazy character ? It beats me ! .
No doubt our Populist Smiler will be relaxed about it!
pinkpostman – About politicians being creative at personal money grabbing – interesting contrast in Britain. While the British ones were padding their expenses with phantom mortgage payments for properties already sold, they were ignoring their nuclear handling system which is in disarray and they have “in tan cans at Sellafield” tonnes of separated uranium I think. It will cost millions to deal with, but first requires politicians to actually work hard alongside their advisors to make real effective policy (and heaven help us literally, if they decide to outsource or contract it out.)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10611727
Now we know where National MPs get their information from, ie, not their ministries. It obviously didn’t occur to him that the reason why trains were cheaper is because they’re cheaper to run.
This did seem to be exceptionally dumb. I wonder what policy decisions he has made based on advice from taxi drivers?