An EU-type group across the Pacific seems more workable:
A Pacific leader has called on New Zealand and Australia to live up to their “Pacific family” rhetoric and look into a European Union-style free movement of people around the region.
Samoan Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa also revealed she suggested the idea to Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni at a recent meeting in Fiji but was told it would only see “all other people in the islands” wanting to come and live in New Zealand and Australia.
The Green Party, which has been calling for visa waivers to be introduced for Pacific countries, says it supports Fiamē's proposal and wants the Government to seriously look into it.
Far Better wages, a better healthcare system, stronger unions, lower cost of groceries, lower house prices, far better working conditions, much higher top tax rates, less centralized power, a far better economy and a far more diversified economy, Aussie banks would now be domestic banks, New Zealanders would have more choice, better education.
Our inclusion would always tilt the Senate and parliament a bit more left of center.
New Zealanders like to pretend we refused to join the federation for altruistic reasons, which is baloney, NZ didn't join the federation because the NZ government wanted to be a national/dominion government not a state/province govt.
Nz govt at the time wanted to have its own mini empire in the Pacific, it didnt want to be just some state in a federation.
NZ and Australia used to have comparable quality of life and wealth distribution, since the 80s Australia has soared while NZ has floundered due to 39 years of consecutive misgovernment.
Australia is a far more egalitarian country than NZ which is a classist neoliberal backwater with delusions of grandeur.
Bomber Bradbury puts out two excellent posts this morning highlighting that a class war has been waged for nearly 40 years by the rich in New Zealand….
and that the liberal 'woke' left are silent on this and instead focus on identity politics.
The woke are great at the low hanging fruit of identity politics because the solution is always exclusion of those who don’t accept identity politics dogma, but they are very quiet when it comes to class warfare in the form of a rigged capitalism because they themselves want to benefit from that rigged capitalism….
There’s a class war in NZ but we don’t have the political vocabulary to articulate it because identity politics and not class is the only lens the middle class activists want to view society through!
Bomber is obsessed with "woke middle-class identity politics" (WMCIP) and claims in the article that this is shutting out ideas such as a Wealth Tax.
This is rubbish.
He ignores the fact that the Greens, who he would accuse of being the prime proponents of WMCIP, had an excellent and workable Wealth Tax in their manifesto in 2020, and that the Greens still support a WT, which will doubtless form part of their 2023 manifesto.
The proposed tax was never going to be workable. It never discussed how they proposed to value peoples wealth. It simply glibly talked about wealth without proposing any way of measuring it in money terms. What method were they going to use to value a business that was not a listed company? How much, as an example, is the value of a small panel beating business with 10 employees? How do you suggest we measure it? It would be essential to come up with some way as that is where a great deal of wealth is held.
“the liberal 'woke' left are silent on this and instead focus on identity politics”
Does he get to the point where he says that only TOP and ACT can save us from the "liberal woke left" who won't take on the rich? Or is that that hilarious example of standing on his head and tying himself in knots something we can look forward to?
And isn't the tax report itself 'woke' – people showing the ways in which their essential humanity gets crushed – poor and middle class people in this instance rather than say black people or trans people? How can Bradbury say the 'woke' oppose it when it's such a woke thing? Maybe he should define his terms – but when it comes to 'woke' we know that's an unmeetable demand.
Right – so the problem with the 'woke' is that they are insufficiently woke, i.e. they care only about the oppression and indignities people suffer due to their race, gender and sexual identity, not those suffered due to social and economic class. Therefore they should be condemned for being 'woke' but then actually urged to be more 'woke'.
There's a better phrase to describe these people – insofar as they exist in sufficient numbers to be worth thinking about – and it's "selective morality". And that's a phrase that could be equally applied to people who show the reverse bias, e.g. care about economic oppression but are quite happy with a bit of discreet racism here and there.
We definitely need a new word for describing the excesses of upper middle class "lefty's" who obsess over identity.
Frankly what we call woke I consider undiluted neoliberalism because of its worship of individualism and it's breaking down of people into their gender, sexuality or race.
They don't care about poor gays , poor trans , poor women or poor brown people, just themselves and people they associate with and the idea of solidarity with groups outside their little boxes is outrageous to them
So because 'the woke' represents a war on truth, ah
We have no other recourse but to wage a war on 'woke'.
We fight 'the woke' in the schools.
We fight 'the woke' in the legislature.
We fight 'the woke' in the corporations.
We will never ever surrender to the 'woke' mob.
Florida is where 'woke' goes to die.
Would ‘anti-woke’ fly in Aotearoa New Zealand – aren’t we're too 'woke' for school?
The War on Woke [18 March 2023]
With those responsible for defending Otago University having been captured by the woke brigade, the question is what can be done.
Any wonder some young white males rebel? [18 April 2023]
When merit doesn’t matter, young white males no longer strive for it but instead experience a sense of hopelessness which is the goal of the woke ideology. And to cap it all they have to cope with the imposition of the complicated, half-baked gender ideology.
Is it any wonder that some of them rebel and turn to macho heros like the former world champion kickboxer and social media hero Andrew Tate, or others languish, smoking marijuana, which destroys their motivation and IQs, and playing pointless, violent video games?
I must say the word doesn't appeal to me either (hence the quote marks).
I much prefer the description by Chris Hedges in his brilliant book 'Death of the Liberal Class.
In this searing polemic Chris Hedges indicts liberal institutions, including his former employer, the New York Times, who have distorted their basic beliefs in order to support unfettered capitalism, the national security state, globalization, and staggering income inequalities.
I've seen it used in so many different and contradictory ways that it has lost its meaning. However for Martyn Bradbury it is the word du jour and because it has become so amorphous many don't think the description applies to them or anyone they know so his arguments lose their punch.
We definitely need a new word to describe the worst excesses of upper middle class identity politics.
The kind of self indulgent pure temple virtue signaling outrage Olympics , faux activism that uses left wing social justice talking points to advocate for a quite bluntly, an authoritarian style of politics that shuts down debate, ideas, speech and art it doesn't like.
Lefty's should call it out more often because it's toxic and freaks voters out.
This kind of politics is the left wing version of puritans and bible bashers.
There’s a class war in NZ but we don’t have the political vocabulary to articulate it because identity politics and not class is the only lens the middle class activists want to view society through!
All obsessions are bad. They cloud judgment and narrow or close off the mind to other things and alternative views. Obsessed people are boring, repetitive, predictable and frankly uninteresting unless one has a morbid fascination with other people’s habits & behaviours.
We have the vocabulary, but like with identity politics we are in the process of criminalizing that vocabulary to benefit the very few at the expense of the majority.
I mean we are calling men women, and have arrived at a point where a grown penis haver of importance is having a panic attack when asked to define the word' women', something that penis haver can't do because they were not 'pre-asked' that question and thus their million dollar speech writers could not provide them with a 'pre-formulated answer', and thus that person would risk upsetting the identity purity police, and well that would be so bad. And that grown penis haver would be our current PM person Chippy.
Heard an ad on the radio today offering free entry to the Warriors game for people who turn up and complete the census at the gates prior to going into the match. Also go into a draw to win a trip to see an NRL game in Oz, or something like that.
WHAT?
Rewarding lazy, non-compliant behaviour while the rest of us suckers who actually got off our arses and did the census on time get SFA.
What do you see as an alternative? Do you really expect the Government, and the Government Statistician, to admit they have stuffed up the Census for the second time in a row, tell us that the results are useless and have the people responsible apologise and resign?
Well I rather think that when you proceed by assigning responsibility to a Minister who still has training wheels as the most junior Minister we have, and then try and do exactly the same things as was done in 2018 I don't suppose we can expect to do any better can we? The only difference I can see is that we seem to have an even lower response rate after expending a great deal more money.
Should they go? Well I suppose it is no more a failure than Kiwibuild, or the ridiculous re-organisation of the Health system, or the Polytech merger farce or perhaps the phantom cycle bridge across the Waitemata so why should they be the only ones to pay the price of failure?
You sound like an angry NACT voter, all stick, no carrot. The ones who want to hand out stickers to rule-breaking youth and then send them to boot camps upon their third sticker. Your cognitive dissonance is even the more grating because you fail to recognise that this is an initiative by a private enterprise, which you should be applauding to the hilt. BTW, it took me less than 10 mins. to complete the Census form and I slept really well that night knowing that I had fulfilled my duty.
Brown claims that the postal voting system allows fraud to take place. His specific allegation (no evidence is provided) is that voters take their postal ballots to one place – like a community centre in South Auckland and the choices are made there. The implication is, of course, that people are urged to vote for a particular candidate and may have their voting paper filled out for them. The further implication is that this was done by supporters of rival candidate Efeso Collins, although he doesn't specifically say that you know that he means it.
Brown actually may be right. The postal voting system is riddled with problems and inconsistencies and it is very easy to manipulate voters when they vote other than in a public booth with Electoral Commission staff to keep an eye on things.
What Wayne Brown didn't mention however is that anecdotally it happens in other places. I have heard stories in the past of retirement village staff collecting ballot papers so they could be taken to the office "to help the retirees cast their vote properly, save them time…."It is a very hard thing to prove because you need witnesses who will talk. If the staff talk they lose their job and the retirees would normally be too nervous to object.
I agree with Wayne Brown in that the postal voting system is very vulnerable to fraud and should be abolished. It was established in the first place because it was thought it would increase voter turnout (it hasn't) and of course because it is much cheaper than having election booths open.
I have been a persistent opponent of postal voting for ANY local body or higher elections and it should be scrapped. If it costs more to have proper and fair elections – too bad!
Wayne Brown is looking and sounding more like Donald Trump every day. If he has any ‘evidence’ of voter fraud then he should not sit on his arse, as he did when that weather event hit Auckland, but do something about it, to help fix it. For example, take it to the Electoral Commission or the Police. Put up or shut up, Wayne Brown.
Key trends within civic engagement [PDF]
Local trends in civic engagement should be considered within the context of the general decline in voter engagement across
western democracies. In the last 30 years, voter turnout in New Zealand has fallen from a high of 89 percent in the 1984
general election to a low of 70 percent in 2011.
I am aware that Justices of the Peace are used to ensure that many elderly people in retirement villages / rest homes / hospitals are able to vote as they wish without coercion. Australia is able to impose fines for those that do not vote – whether that improves the quality of the election is arguable. Many critics are however short on answers to perceived problems – there do not seem to be many ideas for improving our election process. . .
There will be better and more substantive testimonials and remembrances of this great, great man published this week. I met him briefly, on limited terms, but on news of his death, I found myself reliving the entire encounter. The worst of it left me dazed, shaking my head at myself, incredulous that it happened as it did. And while most of the joke is on me, there is enough in this tale to deliver some insight into how sharp, savage and charming a man Harry Belafonte was. In short, it’s always a shame to not share a good anecdote, so here we go: A few years back, HBO execs brought me in to look at a project that had been languishing at the network for too long: A proposed long-form miniseries on Taylor Branch’s magisterial trilogy of America in the King Years, perhaps the most definitive account of the critical years in the civil rights movement. Those who have read those three tomes will immediately understand that there is enough power and content in any one of them for…
These are junior officers. Imagine the scale of the thievery senior officers are engaged in and how the Russian military kleptocracy degrades the ability of Ru forces.
1/ Six Russian logistics officers have been found guilty of stealing more than 360 tons of aviation kerosene in the Irkutsk region. Each got off with fines equivalent to $627 or less, according to a regional Russian news outlet.
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shahram Akbarzadeh, Convenor of the Middle East Studies Forum (MESF), and Acting Director the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University Iran’s leadership has been a direct beneficiary of the months-long war in Gaza. With every missile that Israel fires ...
Claire Mabey reviews the haunting and sexy debut novel from Sinéad Gleeson, who is about to touch down in Aotearoa for a string of live events.When Irish writer Sinéad Gleeson was in Aotearoa in 2018 with her spectacular collection of essays, Constellations, she told me she was working on ...
PNG Post-Courier Bougainville Affairs Minister Manasseh Makiba has described the Post-Courier’s front page story yesterday regarding a meeting between Bougainville and national government leaders as “sensationalised” and without substance. The Autonomous Bougainville Government (AGB) had warned it might use “other avenues to gain its independence” should the PNG government “continue ...
Where some saw the worst press conference given by the government to date, Anna Rawhiti-Connell recognised girl maths game.Nicola Willis, recently exasperated by comparisons to Ruth Richardson, said she was “a bit sick of being compared with every female finance minister that’s ever been out there.”Some think that’s ...
The March results are reported against forecasts based on the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update 2023 (HYEFU 2023), published on 20 December 2023 and the results for the same period for the previous year. ...
Jamie Arbuckle, the district councillor who became an MP but decided to keep getting paid for both roles, will instead donate one salary to charity. ...
Adding gender to the Human Rights Act would simply make the implicit explicit. So why is it so controversial? Paul Thistoll explain. At present, Aotearoa’s 1993 Human Rights Act (HRA) includes sex, marital status, religious belief, ethical belief (meaning a lack of religious belief), colour, race, ethnicity or national origin, ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, an 18-year-old who’s studying and working in hospo shares their approach to spending and saving. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Transmasc Age: 18 Ethnicity: Pākehā/Māori Role: Student, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Kelsey, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Resources Minister Shane Jones has reportedly asked officials for advice on whether oil and gas companies could be offered “bonds” as compensation if drilling rights offered by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Gleeson, Associate Professor of Law, Macquarie University Shutterstock The Albanese government is weighing up the costs of delivering an election promise to protect religious people from discrimination in Commonwealth law. Such protections were relatively uncontroversial when included in state anti-discrimination ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yen Ying Lim, Associate Professor, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio Dementia is often described as “the long goodbye”. Although the person is still alive, dementia slowly and irreversibly chips away at their memories and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Judy Bush, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of Melbourne Adam Calaitzis/Shutterstock I met with a friend for a walk beside Merri Creek, in inner Melbourne. She had lived in the area for a few years, and as we walked ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Throsby, Distinguished Professor of Economics, Macquarie University Arts companies and individual artists in Australia are supported by government arts agencies, philanthropists, industry bodies, private donors and patrons. However, it is frequently overlooked that a major source of support for the arts ...
Harm Reduction Coalition Aotearoa, a new incorporated society dedicated to ending harmful drug policies, officially launched today, seeks a new fit-for-purpose drug law for Aotearoa New Zealand, rooted in science, experience and evidence. ...
The Corrections Minister admits he "muddied the water" after he and the Prime Minister repeatedly provided incorrect information about a $1.9 billion prison spend-up. ...
It took a post-post-cabinet statement to confirm that 810 new beds will be built at Waikeria, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Lili Tokaduadua was only 15 when she left her family in Fiji to pursue her netball dream in New Zealand. She’d been playing the sport for 10 years and was offered a netball scholarship at Auckland’s Howick College. Now, in her first year out of high school, the 19-year-old defender ...
The beloved local grocers lost a legal challenge to stop a new cycleway outside their store. Joel MacManus reports. In the annals of New Zealand legal history, there are a few brave people who have dared to stand up to the powers that be, no matter how bleak the odds ...
How what we produce and what we eat connects us to the world beyond our shores, visualised. Walking around a supermarket or vege shop, it might be obvious that everything on the shelves came from somewhere. But you might ...
Professor Jemma Geoghegan, of the University of Otago, Otakou Whakaihu Waka, co-leads a Te Niwha project aimed at understanding how and where avian influenza could affect Aotearoa New Zealand, as the highly infectious H5N1 virus spreads globally. The virus has now spread to all continents except Oceania and was recently ...
Thirty years on from Rwanda’s genocide, is guilt over the atrocities is blinding the world to the true nature of its current leadership? The post The repressive underside of Rwanda’s regime appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Opinion: Last week, important recommendations for our criminal justice system were made by the international community. Every five years, each member of the United Nations has its human rights practices reviewed. This rolling event – the Universal Periodic Review – is the culmination of a government reporting on its human ...
Highly pathogenic avian influenza – H5N1, or bird flu – has been flying around the world since the late 1990s. New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands are so far free of it, but now it’s been discovered in mainland Antarctica and scientists say it’s only a matter of time ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 7 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The following interview with auto electrician and former caver Stu Berendt, 68, of Charleston on the West Coast, came about because he was part of the caving team that found the rare and amazing fossil remains of the giant Haast eagle, the subject of one of the year’s best books, ...
A $1.8b funding boost for Pharmac still won’t enable it to buy more drugs, raising questions about the Government’s approach to the agency The post Can Pharmac do more with the same pot of money? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eric Stokan, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Maryland, Baltimore County If you live in one of the most economically deprived neighborhoods in your city, you might think the government is directing a smaller share of public funds to your community. ...
Wansolwara The news media’s crucial role in climate change and environment journalism was the focus of The University of the South Pacific’s Journalism Programme 2024 World Press Freedom Day celebrations. The European Union Ambassador to the Pacific, Barbara Plinkert, and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna were the chief ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Adams, Professor of Corporate Law & Academic Director of UNE Sydney campus, University of New England Last August, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched legal proceedings against Qantas. The consumer watchdog accused the airline of selling thousands of tickets ...
This episode of A View From Afar was recorded LIVE on May 6, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, May 5, 2024 at 8:30pm (USEST). In an analytical essay titled ‘A moment of friction’ political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan wrote how we are living within a decisive moment ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Taylor, Assistant Professor, Bond University Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures At the crux of the critical response to Luca Guadagnino’s new movie Challengers is one word: “sexy”. The film charts a love triangle between three up-and-coming tennis players: Tashi (Zendaya), ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Stewart, Professor of Public Policy, ADFA Canberra, UNSW Sydney For years, First Nations people have been telling governments they want to be listened to. In particular, they want more ownership of the programs and services that are supposed to help them. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Why do trees have bark? Julien, age 6, Melbourne. This is a great question, Julien. We are so familiar with bark on trees, that most of us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Nasser, Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy, University of Technology Sydney PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an important ligament in the knee. It runs from the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia) and helps stabilise ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne I covered the May 2 United Kingdom local government elections for The Poll Bludger. The Blackpool South parliamentary byelection was also held, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanna Grant-Smith, Professor of Management, University of the Sunshine Coast The federal government has announced a “Commonwealth Prac Payment” to support selected groups of students doing mandatory work placements. Those who are studying to be a teacher, nurse, midwife or social ...
We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+. If you love a dark comedy: Bodkin (Netflix, May 9)An English podcaster, an Irish podcaster and American podcaster walk into a pub and…make a TV show? ...
By Eleisha Foon, RNZ Pacific senior journalist A Pacific regionalism academic has called out New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS and says the security deal “raises serious questions for the Pacific region”. Auckland University of Technology academic Dr Marco de Jong ...
How worried should we be about the cloud? This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. I currently have a few thousand unread emails languishing in my inbox, mostly old marketing newsletters and piles of unread science journal press releases. I have a similar number ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nuurrianti Jalli, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies College of Arts and Sciences Department of Languages, Literature, and Communication Studies, Northern State University Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Southeast Asian governments not only have to deal with the virus but also with the false ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Murakami Wood, Professor of Critical Surveillance and Securities Studies, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa The skyline of Riyadh, the capital and largest city of the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia.(Shutterstock) There is a long history of planned city building by both governments ...
The LIVE Recording of A View from Afar podcast will begin today at 12:45pm May 6, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, 8:30pm (USEST). In an analytical essay titled ‘A moment of friction’ political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan wrote how we are living within a decisive moment of ...
The Boil Up’s Lucinda Bennett considers the oyster – from freshness to pearls to the joy of shucking your own. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. In Carmen Maria Machado’s short story ‘Eight Bites’, a woman begins her last supper before bariatric surgery with “a cavalcade ...
Asia Pacific Report A group of 65 Auckland University academics have written an open letter to vice-chancellor Dawn Freshwater criticising the institution’s stance over students protesting in solidarity with Palestine. They have called on her administration to “support” the students who were denied permission to establish an “overnight encampment” by ...
The Student Volunteer Army is on the march, generating approximately 1.6 million hours of volunteering from roughly 35,000 secondary school students in just five years. For Rebekah Brown, the pathway to volunteering started with her singing coach. With a passion for the arts, the suggestion to volunteer at Acting Antics, ...
Keeping up with online communication can be exhausting, so Fran Barclay enlisted the help of Meta’s new ‘intelligent assistant’ to respond to all her messages. Could her mates tell the difference? For centuries, technology has ruled the ways in which we communicate. From the dawn of written language, to the ...
Jamie Arbuckle, a councillor who has become an member of parliament, says he has settled into having two roles so comfortably he's going to keep both pay cheques. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luis Gómez Romero, Senior Lecturer in Human Rights, Constitutional Law and Legal Theory, University of Wollongong Fifty years ago, Australian feminist Anne Summers denounced “the ideology of sexism” governing over so many women’s lives. Unfortunately, sexism is as lethal today as it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jose Antonio Lara-Hernandez, Senior Researcher in Architecture, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images The COVID-19 pandemic and the hybrid work patterns it fostered have changed the way we think about office space, and central business districts in general. While fears ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dale Boccabella, Associate Professor of Taxation Law, UNSW Sydney There’s a good reason your local volunteer-run netball club doesn’t pay tax. In Australia, various nonprofit organisations are exempt from paying income tax, including those that do charitable work, such as churches. ...
https://i.stuff.co.nz/opinion/300863277/hey-mate-heres-why-new-zealand-should-become-a-state-of-australia
Would we benefit from becoming a state of Australia,
What would it mean for the treaty
An EU-type group across the Pacific seems more workable:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/samoa-pm-calls-out-nz-and-australia-over-pacific-family-urges-eu-style-free-movement-of-labour-and-travel/E2JBKV5OU5CEXJBCIRJL3GFPSM/
Yeah but the eu is mutually beneficial, what would the benefit for nz be ?
Greater mobility of labour, goods, services and capital.
An economist who dosnt mention currency in his piece…
Far Better wages, a better healthcare system, stronger unions, lower cost of groceries, lower house prices, far better working conditions, much higher top tax rates, less centralized power, a far better economy and a far more diversified economy, Aussie banks would now be domestic banks, New Zealanders would have more choice, better education.
Our inclusion would always tilt the Senate and parliament a bit more left of center.
New Zealanders like to pretend we refused to join the federation for altruistic reasons, which is baloney, NZ didn't join the federation because the NZ government wanted to be a national/dominion government not a state/province govt.
Nz govt at the time wanted to have its own mini empire in the Pacific, it didnt want to be just some state in a federation.
NZ and Australia used to have comparable quality of life and wealth distribution, since the 80s Australia has soared while NZ has floundered due to 39 years of consecutive misgovernment.
Australia is a far more egalitarian country than NZ which is a classist neoliberal backwater with delusions of grandeur.
Bomber Bradbury puts out two excellent posts this morning highlighting that a class war has been waged for nearly 40 years by the rich in New Zealand….
and that the liberal 'woke' left are silent on this and instead focus on identity politics.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2023/04/29/why-the-woke-are-so-silent-over-the-tax-report/
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2023/04/29/dear-nz-how-does-it-feel-knowing-the-rich-have-rigged-the-economy-and-made-you-debt-slaves/
Bomber is obsessed with "woke middle-class identity politics" (WMCIP) and claims in the article that this is shutting out ideas such as a Wealth Tax.
This is rubbish.
He ignores the fact that the Greens, who he would accuse of being the prime proponents of WMCIP, had an excellent and workable Wealth Tax in their manifesto in 2020, and that the Greens still support a WT, which will doubtless form part of their 2023 manifesto.
The proposed tax was never going to be workable. It never discussed how they proposed to value peoples wealth. It simply glibly talked about wealth without proposing any way of measuring it in money terms. What method were they going to use to value a business that was not a listed company? How much, as an example, is the value of a small panel beating business with 10 employees? How do you suggest we measure it? It would be essential to come up with some way as that is where a great deal of wealth is held.
Alwyn-You are just putting obstacles in the way because you hate the idea. Professional valuations of businesses are common when they are sold.
I agree that a Land Tax would be simpler. Given that you only seem to oppose a WT on practicalities I assume you would support a LT?
“the liberal 'woke' left are silent on this and instead focus on identity politics”
Does he get to the point where he says that only TOP and ACT can save us from the "liberal woke left" who won't take on the rich? Or is that that hilarious example of standing on his head and tying himself in knots something we can look forward to?
And isn't the tax report itself 'woke' – people showing the ways in which their essential humanity gets crushed – poor and middle class people in this instance rather than say black people or trans people? How can Bradbury say the 'woke' oppose it when it's such a woke thing? Maybe he should define his terms – but when it comes to 'woke' we know that's an unmeetable demand.
AB in a nutshell.
Woke is a silly word and I'm thoroughly sick of it. It's become an excuse for lazy and superficial thinking.
The fact is that the liberal left are focused on identity politics as opposed to class politics.
Are they mutually exclusive?
Is there any connection?
Who are the ‘liberal left’ here in NZ?
Ed-No we aren't.
A tiny (but noisy and somewhat entitled) percentage of the population go on and on about "woke" and so-called identity issues.
Right – so the problem with the 'woke' is that they are insufficiently woke, i.e. they care only about the oppression and indignities people suffer due to their race, gender and sexual identity, not those suffered due to social and economic class. Therefore they should be condemned for being 'woke' but then actually urged to be more 'woke'.
There's a better phrase to describe these people – insofar as they exist in sufficient numbers to be worth thinking about – and it's "selective morality". And that's a phrase that could be equally applied to people who show the reverse bias, e.g. care about economic oppression but are quite happy with a bit of discreet racism here and there.
We definitely need a new word for describing the excesses of upper middle class "lefty's" who obsess over identity.
Frankly what we call woke I consider undiluted neoliberalism because of its worship of individualism and it's breaking down of people into their gender, sexuality or race.
They don't care about poor gays , poor trans , poor women or poor brown people, just themselves and people they associate with and the idea of solidarity with groups outside their little boxes is outrageous to them
It is not an excuse, it is a symptom. And anybody who uses it as an excuse is symptomatic.
Would ‘anti-woke’ fly in Aotearoa New Zealand – aren’t we're too 'woke' for school?
Anti-woke 'heroes' (the antidote to ‘woke’) everywhere – Kiwis can't move for them all.
I must say the word doesn't appeal to me either (hence the quote marks).
I much prefer the description by Chris Hedges in his brilliant book 'Death of the Liberal Class.
https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/13477640-the-death-of-the-liberal-class
I agree.
Woke
I've seen it used in so many different and contradictory ways that it has lost its meaning. However for Martyn Bradbury it is the word du jour and because it has become so amorphous many don't think the description applies to them or anyone they know so his arguments lose their punch.
absolutely.
I agree. Woke is the wrong word.
We definitely need a new word to describe the worst excesses of upper middle class identity politics.
The kind of self indulgent pure temple virtue signaling outrage Olympics , faux activism that uses left wing social justice talking points to advocate for a quite bluntly, an authoritarian style of politics that shuts down debate, ideas, speech and art it doesn't like.
Lefty's should call it out more often because it's toxic and freaks voters out.
This kind of politics is the left wing version of puritans and bible bashers.
That there is irony!
You might think they are excellent but for me they just represent Bradbury's obsessions and say nothing that he hasn't said a thousand times before.
His obsession. Extreme inequality in New Zealand.
And that is bad?
Yes, the liberal classes have much more important things to worry about…
All obsessions are bad. They cloud judgment and narrow or close off the mind to other things and alternative views. Obsessed people are boring, repetitive, predictable and frankly uninteresting unless one has a morbid fascination with other people’s habits & behaviours.
No, his obsessions with "wokeism", identity politics and all its connotations.
You knew that I meant that and are just trying to look superior, exactly what Martyn Bradbury does in his arguments.
We have the vocabulary, but like with identity politics we are in the process of criminalizing that vocabulary to benefit the very few at the expense of the majority.
I mean we are calling men women, and have arrived at a point where a grown penis haver of importance is having a panic attack when asked to define the word' women', something that penis haver can't do because they were not 'pre-asked' that question and thus their million dollar speech writers could not provide them with a 'pre-formulated answer', and thus that person would risk upsetting the identity purity police, and well that would be so bad. And that grown penis haver would be our current PM person Chippy.
Heh. Sad but true
It is getting hard to tell the difference between Hipkins and Luxon.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/131888924/chris-hipkins-uses-budget-season-to-start-to-craft-his-economic-story
Heard an ad on the radio today offering free entry to the Warriors game for people who turn up and complete the census at the gates prior to going into the match. Also go into a draw to win a trip to see an NRL game in Oz, or something like that.
WHAT?
Rewarding lazy, non-compliant behaviour while the rest of us suckers who actually got off our arses and did the census on time get SFA.
Stupid.
What do you see as an alternative? Do you really expect the Government, and the Government Statistician, to admit they have stuffed up the Census for the second time in a row, tell us that the results are useless and have the people responsible apologise and resign?
Can you see any possibility of that happening?
Your ‘solution’: heads off. [typical RW response]
Peter Davis’ solution: look at international best practice.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/census-turnout-low-despite-37m-blowout
"Your ‘solution’: heads off"?
Well I rather think that when you proceed by assigning responsibility to a Minister who still has training wheels as the most junior Minister we have, and then try and do exactly the same things as was done in 2018 I don't suppose we can expect to do any better can we? The only difference I can see is that we seem to have an even lower response rate after expending a great deal more money.
Should they go? Well I suppose it is no more a failure than Kiwibuild, or the ridiculous re-organisation of the Health system, or the Polytech merger farce or perhaps the phantom cycle bridge across the Waitemata so why should they be the only ones to pay the price of failure?
You sound like an angry NACT voter, all stick, no carrot. The ones who want to hand out stickers to rule-breaking youth and then send them to boot camps upon their third sticker. Your cognitive dissonance is even the more grating because you fail to recognise that this is an initiative by a private enterprise, which you should be applauding to the hilt. BTW, it took me less than 10 mins. to complete the Census form and I slept really well that night knowing that I had fulfilled my duty.
yea right, spin it however you like if that makes you feel better.
So what's your solution old angry white man??
A similar thing might work getting the lazy entitled non compliant farmers off their arses,
On mayor Wayne Brown's claim about vote fraud in the last mayoral election.
http://www.newsroom.co.nz/wayne-brown-called-out-on-voter-fraud-claim
Brown claims that the postal voting system allows fraud to take place. His specific allegation (no evidence is provided) is that voters take their postal ballots to one place – like a community centre in South Auckland and the choices are made there. The implication is, of course, that people are urged to vote for a particular candidate and may have their voting paper filled out for them. The further implication is that this was done by supporters of rival candidate Efeso Collins, although he doesn't specifically say that you know that he means it.
Brown actually may be right. The postal voting system is riddled with problems and inconsistencies and it is very easy to manipulate voters when they vote other than in a public booth with Electoral Commission staff to keep an eye on things.
What Wayne Brown didn't mention however is that anecdotally it happens in other places. I have heard stories in the past of retirement village staff collecting ballot papers so they could be taken to the office "to help the retirees cast their vote properly, save them time…."It is a very hard thing to prove because you need witnesses who will talk. If the staff talk they lose their job and the retirees would normally be too nervous to object.
I agree with Wayne Brown in that the postal voting system is very vulnerable to fraud and should be abolished. It was established in the first place because it was thought it would increase voter turnout (it hasn't) and of course because it is much cheaper than having election booths open.
I have been a persistent opponent of postal voting for ANY local body or higher elections and it should be scrapped. If it costs more to have proper and fair elections – too bad!
Wayne Brown is looking and sounding more like Donald Trump every day. If he has any ‘evidence’ of voter fraud then he should not sit on his arse, as he did when that weather event hit Auckland, but do something about it, to help fix it. For example, take it to the Electoral Commission or the Police. Put up or shut up, Wayne Brown.
We were 'sold' postal voting as a mechanism to address the decline in voter turnout in local body elections.
The theory being that people didn't vote because it was inconvenient.
The decline has continued.
No way (absent alternative history) to know if the decline would have been greater if in-person voting had continued.
Personally, I think that postal voting has made it *less* likely that people will vote.
People who are committed to democracy will vote – either in person or via postal ballot.
People who don't care or believe their vote has no impact, won't bother – regardless of the medium.
Influencing someone to get out and vote, is more effectively done when there is a real deadline (it's Saturday or never).
Much like the census. The most effective way of getting people to fill it out, is to stand at the door, and wait while they do it.
The census!
O God! what you can say about the census!
What an unmitigated pack of b…s it was!
I seriously considered not doing it at all because it was so bad.
I bet a whole lot of people didn't do it.
Postal voting is the “O’Reilly” system (Fawlty Towers) = it’s cheap (and nasty)
OMG the census – so much worse than COVID and cyclone Gabrielle put together. And it happens every 5 years – talk about effing onerous – never again!
Still, against colossal odds, I completed the 2023 census forms – don't ask me how.
“Ask not what your country can do for you…” – how times, and people, have changed. Is Aotearoa New Zealand becoming a nation of ‘special’ crusading wizards?
I am aware that Justices of the Peace are used to ensure that many elderly people in retirement villages / rest homes / hospitals are able to vote as they wish without coercion. Australia is able to impose fines for those that do not vote – whether that improves the quality of the election is arguable. Many critics are however short on answers to perceived problems – there do not seem to be many ideas for improving our election process. . .
https://twitter.com/yanisvaroufakis/status/1651998106848833552?cxt=HHwWoMC9hdHhie0tAAAA
A wee tale of humiliation.
Mr. Belafonte, sir.
[…]
There will be better and more substantive testimonials and remembrances of this great, great man published this week. I met him briefly, on limited terms, but on news of his death, I found myself reliving the entire encounter. The worst of it left me dazed, shaking my head at myself, incredulous that it happened as it did. And while most of the joke is on me, there is enough in this tale to deliver some insight into how sharp, savage and charming a man Harry Belafonte was. In short, it’s always a shame to not share a good anecdote, so here we go: A few years back, HBO execs brought me in to look at a project that had been languishing at the network for too long: A proposed long-form miniseries on Taylor Branch’s magisterial trilogy of America in the King Years, perhaps the most definitive account of the critical years in the civil rights movement. Those who have read those three tomes will immediately understand that there is enough power and content in any one of them for…
https://davidsimon.com/mr-belafonte-sir/
.
These are junior officers. Imagine the scale of the thievery senior officers are engaged in and how the Russian military kleptocracy degrades the ability of Ru forces.
1/ Six Russian logistics officers have been found guilty of stealing more than 360 tons of aviation kerosene in the Irkutsk region. Each got off with fines equivalent to $627 or less, according to a regional Russian news outlet.
https://twitter.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1651966786345091072
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1651966786345091072.html