Did anyone else hear yesterday's early around the 7am RNZ news when Lisa Owens was stating that a leakier has released a document linking NZ First to arranging funding for the party?
It seemed at the time to be a hot story she was sending, among the current investigation going on by the Electoral Commission and may have been a hoax?
So since then the story was not repeated again, – did anyone hear that?.
That would have been a promo for her Checkpoint show between 5 and 6pm cleangreen. They always pick a soundbite from the previous evening which is supposed to whet the cerebral appetite.
Yes maybe it was a promo as I had just awaken and turned RNZ on and she was going hard at it so I tuned out and never heard the end because it was off the wall for me at that early time.
Cheers for that, a promo from Lisa Owens is most probably was.
Document leak: Why the NZ First Foundation was set up
Key documents about a mysterious foundation loaning money to New Zealand First have been leaked to RNZ, detailing why the New Zealand First Foundation was set up, how it would operate and who knew about the idea from the outset.
"The precedent is clear. It is the National Party's National Foundation. In essence this proposal suggests a cloning of that model into the New Zealand First Foundation," the document says. "There can be little doubt that the model is legally sound and is operated in a manner that meets all legal and ethical obligations."
But Bridges is calling for a full enquiry so will that be extended to National's Foundation?
I think its Owen (singular @cleangreen, though I can't be certain given a lot of people's desire to pluralise S'John (going forward)
And if you heard it in the mouring, was more likely to be a Fergusson.
Can't be certain these days tho' eh bro? A Fergusson here and an Owen there.
What's a big of partisan populist fuckwittery 'tween and twixt frenz (even those that come with benefits).
I think the problem is with all those 'other people' – possibly all those "ONES" the gummint's official stakeholders are unwilling to consult with (in this space, going forward, AND in the fullness of time)
Could be wrong tho' eh bro'! Good things apparently take time these days eh?
So even as spatial awareness diminishes (and all that goes with that), AND as change becomes faster and faster, we're assured that the responses to it should get slower ans slower – might be better to just drop the big OD now and be done with it eh?
Yes that was the one for sure, and Lisa was banging it out like it was a 21st century miracle development but it appears to be cloned to most political parties now for reasons we are awaiting to find out.
Media are very hungry for any story now it seems..
The Ministry of Health continues to exhibit symptoms…the latest is insisting on telling cute little girls who once were overflowing with joy and confidence "fat".
But Carey said it was a bizarre measure. As a result of the test: "Short people think they are thinner than they are, and tall people think they are fatter.
"What worries me is families who may really want support don't get it because their child has been categorised as being a healthy weight and some families don't actually need the referral but they think they do," Carey said.
Wellington mum Kym Clough said her daughter Abby, now 7, was told by a Plunket nurse she was fat at the age of 4 and, three years on, the comment has stuck.
"She'll finish a two-hour tap class and say 'Mummy do you think I've lost weight?'
"As a parent it's awful knowing she is constantly thinking about her body image like that," Clough told the Herald.
The mum-of-two said she remembers coming home after the B4SC and crying thinking she was a bad mother.
"I was horrified because she eats healthy, we grow our own vegetables and are not the type of family who sit in front of the TV for ages.
"The next day I took my daughter to kindy and asked the kindy teachers if they thought she was fat, because I knew they would be honest, and they said absolutely not."
Clough said hearing the nurse tell her daughter she was fat came as a huge shock because she was always an active kid.
"Even from a young age we would go to the park and she wouldn't walk, she'd run and my brother would always say she's going to be a gymnast or a long-distance runner."
Well that was before, now after assistance from the Ministry of Health she might end up with an eating disorder instead. I hope she learns to love herself more than the opinions of healthcare professionals.
Is this going to be an intelligent investment in a world being ruined by technical developments and their consequences?
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) commissioned Deloitte Access Economics to develop the plan which sets out goals and actions for how the city will become a world recognised aerospace hub.
The port moving and the four lane highway are two different things. We have to keep on doing things. The economy has to keep grinding on, but keeping on dropping a cog, trying for an adequate sustainable level not 8-10% return on capital, and keeping climate change in mind all the time.
Like I think a railway north would be a good idea for transporting the goods. But what about extreme heat on the rail tracks I wonder. They could buckle and derail. I will have a look on google.
Practical methods: How we prevent tracks from getting too hot: We work closely with specialist weather forecasters and local weather stations to make necessary plans and take action so rails are less likely to buckle.
Our teams check track stability each winter as part of ongoing maintenance, and strengthen any weak parts before summer.
We paint certain parts of the rail white so they absorb less heat – and expand less. Typically, a rail painted white is 5°C to 10°C cooler than one left unpainted.
As most track is made up of long pieces of rail that are stretched and welded together, there is much less chance of buckling in very high temperatures because there is reduced compression.
When a track is made up from short rails bolted together, we leave small gaps between each one so that expansion doesn’t cause a problem.
We’re always improving how we measure and calculate rail temperatures. One way we’re doing this is by installing probes that alert us when track temperatures rise to give us chance to take action and stop a problem before it happens.
you dont' really have to explain trains to me.- I grew up in Germany, lived in France and have never owned a car. Not even in NZ have i owned a car.
Seriously, i grew up with them, they are my preferred method of transport and no one is gonna build a train up to Whangarai. You are lucky if you get a 4 lane highway that will then be destroyed by trucks like any other highway in NZ that is covered in Trucks.
In this country we can't even build a commuter train to hamilton/rotorua/wellington etc. Heck we can't even build a train to AKL Airport.
But they are gonna build a train to Whangarai. Yeah, right Tui.
All those rail projects are coming, despite any amount of denial or whinging about them. A 4-lane motorway north on the other hand is just a Nat/banker fantasy.
Subject; Article below entitled; “The Hidden Trucking Industry Subsidy” This US based article shows we ‘public’ give an exorbitant unfair amount of subsidy to the trucking industry. We now want the Transport Minister to please drive around regional NZ and just see the impacts of 50 to 60 tonne “B train ‘trucks and their destruction of our “soft roads” that do not even have an adequate under base to carry the 50+ tonne laden weight trucks, as they need a ‘steel mesh reinforced concrete base’ as US/Canadian and EU roads have installed under their truck routes.
Quote; Freight trucks cause 99% of wear-and-tear on US roads, but only pay for 35% of the maintenance. This $60B subsidy causes extra congestion and pollution, and taxpayers pay the bill. SO; This is a question for NZTA “why is it fair that the NZ taxpayer gives trucking industry a subsidy and not our own publicly owned rail”? We must now request ‘public’ money for roading must also be given to restoring our public owned regional rail. Since this document came out we know that the public is massively funding road repairs for private trucking companies so now we need to level the playing field for rail as it is a public owned entity owned by us taxpayers so we now desperately need at least an equal 50% contribution of the ‘public road funding’ be given to rail to restore the regional rail services around NZ. Here are the plain facts;
hidden-trucking-industry-subsidy/ The Hidden Trucking Industry Subsidy Freight trucks cause 99% of wear-and-tear on US roads, but only pay for 35% of the maintenance. This $60B subsidy causes extra congestion and pollution, and taxpayers pay the bill….. more to come so read all.
There used to be a train to the Far North – the North Auckland Line went to Whangarei. The grading for most of the tracks still remain.
The Okaihau branch which went from Opua on the North Auckland line, was intended to reach Kaitaia but was never completed. Some of the graded tracks are part of the northern cycleway.
I think there will be a train and a 4 lane highway to Whangarei, they will need them when the port moves their. It might take another ten or fifteen years.
I am posting in relation to the Julian Assange matter, which drew a lot of attention here on TS yesterday, but this is not entirely Julian Assange specific, so I post it today on Open Mike.
The treatment of both remand and convicted prisoners by prison authorities, including assessing and intervention in an attempt to ensure that both the physical and mental well being of the prisoner is adequate, can often be seen as equating to, or consistent with the general attitude and culture of the both the state, and society in any ne jurisdiction.
So for example, compare our prisons with prisons in say, Thailand or South America, and equate it to attitude, demographic and both culture and what is believed to be acceptable.
If we were to take a look at the Jeffery Epstein incarceration and death in custody, we might detect that many in New York probably privately believe that it was the best outcome and acceptable given the allegations. Of course, rightly or wrongly, New Zealand takes a lot of markers and cues from the United States of America in relation to justice, law and order principles, even though we are more closely aligned to England, Australia and even Canada.
So, in relation to what happened to Epstein, why have many throughout the United States, or at least throughout New York not expressed seriously concerns, and why are they not insisting on finding out just what occurred?
Well, perhaps they should be, not so much out of a concern as to what Epstein went through personally once incarcerated, but in relation to what they or others they care about might also undergo if they were ever to find themselves on remand, and subject to less publicly visible hostility of one sort or another.
I have no doubt that the Jeffery Epstein attitude held by many also applies to people considered to be traitors or whistle blowers leaking national security material.
The litmus test in relation to the above "traitor" assessment might relate to the general determination of motivation and the overall detrimental impact or damage caused by such disclosures. Also, the extent (if any) of any subversion attempt if subversion was believed to be an objective.
Many believe Julian Assange to be a traitor, but many also consider him simply to be a former political commentator or journalist who is being politically targeted, and perhaps quite cruelly.
Who will win out in relation to this (suspected) game of cat and mouse is anybody's guess.
Whichever way it pans out, it seems very unlikely that Julian Assange will emerge from it gaining or winning much of anything at all.
Mainstream media have utilised him and dropped him, and they have latterly had their fun with him as well. He certainly brings in advertising revenue for them by way of the various news article presented and associated with him.
Despite cries of little or no transparency and of prisoner maltreatment, most people just leave the system, or the law of the prison jungle to "do what it wilt" on many occasions. This is how society usually behaves, especially when their focus is regularly redirected (and occasionally misdirected) here, there and elsewhere. There is so much going on.
Prison managers and all staff have duty of care to the prisoners they manage and house.
Both psychiatric and psychological evaluations should be regularly made on high (personal and health) risk prisoners such as Assange, and the evaluations should be both free of any personal bias by the assessors, and free from any undue influence further up the ladder.
This of course is an idealised, would be, should be, could be deliberation by me. In reality, who really can determine how it works from one day to the next, or from one situation to another?
Locally, and more especially on Howard League, it is clear that so many support an overhaul of one kind or another. This is healthy. Never stop taking an interest in these matters, and never stop asking questions when they need to be asked.
Perhaps this would be an opportune time to continue to vocalise as a lobby group whilst also lending support to those MP's and both those local body representatives and candidates who have a track record of approaching the matter realistically and supporting change if or where it is needed.
I can think of two MP's already, (focused less on the driving licence aspect and more on the generic). Both are Labour Crown Ministers, and are well respected.
Another ran for Auckland mayoralty recently and appears to have had a lot of support in relation to attempting to realistically address many social reform issues, and where prison reform is actually one of them.
Why not seize the opportunity to push for positive change this time if you believe that change must take place in New Zealand?
The Tohu (symbol) is shaped by our natural landscape which stretches from the top of the Southern Alps to the depths of our moana. Taking the form of the letter 'C' but expressed in a way that is unique to us. It nods to our legacy while moving us forward.
…
Ultimately, it was decided that no name better represented the club's commitment to living its values – crusading for social improvement and inclusiveness, and crusading with heart for our community and for each other – than 'Crusaders' did.
Yep, it's some sort of Māori social improvement agency, not a ruddy sporting entertainment corporation rooted in posh school classics.
1. (verb) (-a,-ina,-ngia,-tia) to instruct, advise, save the life of, spare, guide, direct, instruct, appoint.
2. (verb) (-a,-ina,-ngia,-tia) to point out, show, indicate, point at, gesticulate.
3. (verb) (-a,-ina,-ngia,-tia) to preserve, conserve.
4. (verb) (-a) to perform a ritual.
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The commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Ruapekapeka represents an opportunity for all New Zealanders to reflect on the role these conflicts have had in creating our modern nation, says Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Kiri Allan. “The Battle at Te Ruapekapeka Pā, which took ...
Babies born with tongue-tie will be assessed and treated consistently under new guidelines released by the Ministry of Health, Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Around 5% to 10% of babies are born with a tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, in New Zealand each year. At least half can ...
The prisoner disorder event at Waikeria Prison is over, with all remaining prisoners now safely and securely detained, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says. The majority of those involved in the event are members of the Mongols and Comancheros. Five of the men are deportees from Australia, with three subject to ...
Travellers from the United Kingdom or the United States bound for New Zealand will be required to get a negative test result for COVID-19 before departing, and work is underway to extend the requirement to other long haul flights to New Zealand, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today. “The new PCR test requirement, foreshadowed last ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zareh Ghazarian, Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Monash University Despite many young Australians having a deep interest in political issues, most teenagers have a limited understanding about their nation’s democratic system. Results from the 2019 National Assessment Program – Civics and ...
Pinged $65 for overstaying 10 minutes in a parking block? Put away your hard-earned cash and read this first.Hopefully, by now, I’ve already established myself at The Spinoff as the resident tightarse, determined to avoid all unfair and unnecessary punishments (see: oversize baggage charges). Today, I’m focusing my attention on ...
Nuclear weapons states and their allies risk reputational ruin if they flout a new UN Treaty, Carolina Panico argues The United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will come into force this month, on January 22, 2021, turning nuclear weapons into illegal objects. It is an achievement that ...
How does one turn into a rabid extremist over the description of a children’s bike? Emily Writes looks at Facebook comments so you don’t have to.You’ve been there, I know it. You’re scrolling along, trying to avoid QAnon conspiracy theories and Trump apocalypse memes when a story catches your eye. ...
Joe Biden is now the President of the United States and many people across America and throughout the world will consequently be breathing more easily. But while the erratic, unpredictable and irresponsible years of the Trump Presidency may be over, ...
Tough border testing for New Zealand honey imports to Japan is re-igniting the conversation about the use of the weed killer glypohsate in New Zealand. ...
The Taxpayers Union should be aware of the law and of the history of ACC. The ACC is a legal system introduced in 1974 to replace the common law right of accident victims to sue for damages for personal injury sustained as a result of negligence ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, University of Melbourne Terrorism, political extremism, Donald Trump, social media and the phenomenon of “cancel culture” are confronting journalists with a range of agonising free-speech dilemmas to which there are no easy answers. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nial Wheate, Associate Professor of the Sydney Pharmacy School, University of Sydney You’ve just come from your monthly GP appointment with a new script for your ongoing medical condition. But your local pharmacy is out of stock of your usual medicine. Your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanna D’Alessandro, Professor & ARC Future Fellow, University of Sydney On Wednesday this week, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was measured at at 415 parts per million (ppm). The level is the highest in human history, and is growing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Renwick, Professor, Physical Geography (climate science), Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington It might be summer in New Zealand but we’re in for some wild weather this week with forecasts of heavy wind and rain, and a plunge in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zareh Ghazarian, Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Monash University Despite many young Australians having a deep interest in political issues, most teenagers have a limited understanding about their nation’s democratic system. Results from the 2019 National Assessment Program – Civics and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle O’Shea, Senior Lecturer, School of Business, Western Sydney University Last week, the McIver’s Ladies Baths in Sydney came under fire for their (since removed) policy stating “only transgender women who’ve undergone a gender reassignment surgery are allowed entry”. The policy was ...
There are good grounds for optimism after the guardrails of American democracy held firm through to Joe Biden's inauguration today as President, writes Stephen Hoadley Pessimism abounds about the perilous condition of American democracy. Commentators and headline writers proffer memes such as ‘broken and divided nation’, ‘the threat from within’. ...
*This article was originally appeared on RNZ and is republished with permission. Donald Trump will forever be remembered as the president who was impeached twice - and for his rhetoric that struck a chord so deep in America that it will take years to dissipate. Donald Trump leaves Washington with the lowest approval ...
A new plan shows how and where the Government will build 8,000 new state housing places it funded in Budget 2020, Marc Daalder reports Jacinda Ardern has kicked off the political year with a major announcement, promising hundreds of new state housing places in regional centres across the country. With ...
This is the full transcript of President Joe Biden's speech after being sworn in at his inauguration this morning in Washington DC Chief Justice Roberts, Vice President Harris, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Vice President Pence, and my distinguished guests, my fellow Americans, this is America's day. This ...
Analysis: President Donald Trump has left the White House, and his deputy chief of staff confirms he is withdrawing his candidacy to lead the OECD. New Zealander Christopher Liddell withdrew his nomination to be Secretary-General of the powerful 37-member OECD and was one of the last members of the Trump Administration to depart ...
Some costs associated with meetings speak for themselves, others are less conspicuous. Victoria University of Wellington's Val Hooper lays those costs out, making suggestions on where we can rein them in. Meetings – when last did we count the costs? And so it’s back to work and one of the ...
Andrew Paul Wood assesses the best-selling picture book by Grahame Sydney It's no great secret the commercially very successful Grahame Sydney has a long-standing beef that his work doesn’t receive more critical and institutional approval. I sympathise about the lack of critical attention, but I can understand why. The Discourse™ ...
This story was produced in collaboration with the Center for Public Integrity and Columbia Journalism Investigations. It was originally published by Public Integrity, Mother Jones, The Arizona Republic and Orlando Sentinel. It is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the ...
Kate Wills is facing stage four cancer with the same fierce approach she takes into her ocean swimming - never say can't. Even on the mornings Kate Wills feels wretched from her fortnightly chemotherapy treatment, she drags herself up at 5am and goes swimming. “I have to. It’s my job – to ...
Analysis: It has been easy to ignore anyone daring to criticise or even question any aspect of the government’s Covid-19 response. Their voices have rarely been heard, and when they have been raised they have been quickly and decisively howled down by the favoured coterie of academics. ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s US presidential inauguration live blog: inauguration news, analysis and reaction, updated through Wednesday and Thursday. The inauguration ceremony begins at 5.15am Thursday, NZ time, and Joe Biden takes the oath of office around 6am. 7.25am: And what about Trump?In the early hours of this morning, NZ ...
In 10 x 100, we survey a group of 100 people via Stickybeak and ask them 10 questions. Last month we quizzed Wellingtonians. Today, we ask NZ drivers how they’ve found a holiday period without international tourists, and what they get up to while they’re on the road.Across Aotearoa roads ...
Emmanuel Macron's anti-separatist policies have garnered backlash from the international Muslim community. Now, a global coalition has complained to the UN. ...
Summer reissue: Join Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden as they go on an odyssey of women’s rage, and find out how we can channel our anger into good. First published September 15, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by ...
By Lorraine Ecarma in Cebu City The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) will continue to stand against any threats to human rights, chancellor Clement Camposano has declared in response to the termination of a long-standing accord preventing military incursion on campus. In a Facebook post, Camposano said the academic ...
ANALYSIS:By Jennifer S. Hunt, Australian National University Every four years on January 20, the US exercises a key tenant of democratic government: the peaceful transfer of power. This year, the scene looks a bit different. If the last US presidential inauguration in 2017 debuted the phrase “alternative facts”, the ...
By Lulu Mark in Port Moresby In spite of Papua New Guinea’s mandatory mask-wearing requirement under the National Pandemic Act 2020, many public servants attending a dedication service in Port Moresby have failed to wear one. They were issued masks before entering the Sir John Guise Indoor Complex but took ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond University How do scabs form? — Talila, aged 8 Great question, Talila! Our skin has many different jobs. One is to act as a barrier, protecting us from harmful things in the ...
US President Donald Trump is pardoning former White House adviser Steve Bannon, who is accused of fraud in a case involving funds for the border wall. ...
Joel Little with Lorde, Dera Meelan with Church & AP, Josh Fountain with Maala and Randa and Benee – producers make good songs great. Now a new fund from NZ on Air is putting the focus on them.Six months ago it looked like the music industry was on the brink ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denise Buiten, Senior Lecturer in Social Justice and Sociology, University of Notre Dame Australia On average, one child is killed by a parent almost every fortnight in Australia. Last week, three children — Claire, 7, Anna, 5, and Matthew, 3 — were ...
This commendable and realistic decision again underlines that it is the police, not government, who are largely responsible for the reduction in cannabis prosecutions over the past 15 years, writes Russell Brown.The news that New Zealand police have discontinued the annual Helicopter Recovery Operation, which has, each summer for more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ilan Noy, Professor and Chair in the Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington We will not be able to put the COVID-19 pandemic behind us until the world’s population is mostly immune through vaccination ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s US inauguration live blog: inauguration news, analysis and reaction, updated throughout Wednesday and Thursday, NZ time. Reach me at catherine@thespinoff.co.nz.4.00pm: What will Trump be doing tomorrow?It’s pretty well known by now that outgoing president Donald Trump intends to throw out the rulebook when it comes to ...
The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance is calling out Mayor Phil Goff for his undignified comment that the claim made by Councillor Greg Sayers asking why Auckland Council is funding yoga classes is “bullshit.” Yesterday, Councillor Greg Sayers penned ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne At 4am Thursday AEDT, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be inaugurated as president and vice president of the United States, replacing Donald Trump and Mike Pence. What follows is ...
*This article was originally published on RNZ and is republished with permission. New Zealanders flocked to beaches and lakes this summer, but it wasn't enough to fill the gap left by international tourists in other regions. The tourism industry is struggling to fill a $6 billion hole left by international tourists ...
Summer reissue: Chef Monique Fiso joins us for a chat about Hiakai – her acclaimed Wellington restaurant, and the title of her stunning new book.First published November 3, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by its members – click here to learn ...
A new trough was brought to our attention this morning, although ethnicity will limit the numbers of eligible applicants. If you are non-Maori, it looks like you shouldn’t bother getting into the queue – but who knows?We learned of the trough from the Scoop website, where the Kapiti ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Britta Denise Hardesty, Principal Research Scientist, Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship, CSIRO Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing costs economies up to US$50 billion globally each year, and makes up to one-fifth of the global catch. It’s a huge problem not only for the ...
Police stopping major cannabis eradication operations has given the green light to drug dealers and gangs to expand operations, make more profit, and continue to wreak havoc on the most vulnerable in our society, says Sensible Sentencing Trust. ...
Varieties of merino wool footwear are emerging faster than Netflix series about British aristocracy. Michael Andrew takes a look at the rise of the shoe that almost everyone – including his 95-year-old grandma – is wearing.Some might say it all started with Allbirds. After all, to the average consumer, it ...
A new report from New Zealand’s Independent Monitoring Mechanism (IMM) highlights the realities and challenges disabled people faced during the COVID-19 emergency. The report, Making Disability Rights Real in a Pandemic, Te Whakatinana i ngā Tika ...
The Maritime Union is questioning the reasons provided for ongoing delays at the Ports of Auckland. Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison says there is a need for an honest conversation about what has gone wrong at the ...
As New Zealand faces a dire shortage of veterinarians, a petition has been launched urging the Government to reclassify veterinarians as critical workers so we can Get Vets into NZ. “New Zealand desperately needs veterinarians from overseas to counter ...
New Zealand is fast developing a reputation as a South Pacific vandal, says Greenpeace, as the government continues to fight against increased ocean protection. At the upcoming meeting of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO), ...
The Department of Internal Affairs and Netsafe are urging parents and caregivers to be mindful of the online content their tamariki may be consuming in the lead up to the inauguration of president-elect of the United States of America Joe Biden ...
Care is at the centre of Auckland Zoo’s mandate, and it’s clear to see when you witness the staff doing their day-to-day jobs up close. Leonie Hayden went behind the scenes to talk to two people who would do anything for the animals they look after. “We were having this ...
The Game Animal Council (GAC) is applying its expertise in the use of firearms for hunting to work alongside Police, other agencies and stakeholder groups to improve the compliance provisions for hunters and other firearms users. The GAC has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Verica Rupar, Professor, Auckland University of Technology “The lie outlasts the liar,” writes historian Timothy Snyder, referring to outgoing president Donald Trump and his contribution to the “post-truth” era in the US. Indeed, the mass rejection of reason that erupted in a ...
The internet ain’t what it used to be, thanks to privacy issues, data leaks, censorship and hate speech. But a group of New Zealanders are working on a way to give power back to the people. A flood of headlines over the last week made it clear: the internet has become ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Brooks, Scientia Professor of Evolutionary Ecology; Academic Lead of UNSW’s Grand Challenges Program, UNSW The views of women and men can differ on important gendered issues such as abortion, gender equity and government spending priorities. Surprisingly, however, average differences in sex ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer S. Hunt, Lecturer in National Security, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Every four years on January 20, the US exercises a key tenant of democratic government: the peaceful transfer of power. This year, the scene looks a bit ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle In Australia and around the world, research is showing changes in body weight, cooking, eating and drinking patterns associated with COVID lockdowns. Some changes have been positive, such as people cooking ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hao Tan, Associate professor, University of Newcastle Australian coal exports to China plummeted last year. While this is due in part to recent trade tensions between Australia and China, our research suggests coal plant closures are a bigger threat to Australia’s export ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Asha Bowen, Head, Skin Health, Telethon Kids Institute A year ago, in late January 2020, Australia reported its first cases of COVID-19. Since then, we have seen almost 29,000 confirmed cases and 909 deaths. As cases climbed in Australian cities in 2020, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Davis, Emeritus Professor of Finance, University of Melbourne Political pressure forced the federal government in 2017 – when Scott Morrison was treasurer – to call the royal commission into misconduct in the banking, superannuation and financial services sector. Commissioner Kenneth Hayne ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Ellis, Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Newcastle, University of Newcastle The Rise and Fall of Saint George is a story about place, belonging and community that taps into universal tensions of identity and faith in multicultural societies. Playing for ...
An in-depth analysis of media coverage of the euthanasia and cannabis referendums has found that while both sides of the euthanasia referendum were given reasonably fair and balanced coverage, the YES position in the cannabis debate received a heavily ...
*This article was originally published on RNZ and is republished with permission Auckland has no plans to hand over the ownership of it assets under the government's planned water reforms, with Auckland Mayor Phil Goff saying his top priority is to ensure it stacks up for the city. Despite ...
Auckland Transport is putting nine new electric buses on the roads today, as it dramatically accelerates its plans to get rid of all its diesel buses – in a funding challenge to the council. Public transport operators are being told to not buy any more diesel buses or risk losing their council ...
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A principal analyst for the Climate Change Commission says more needs to be done to reduce agricultural emissions or the country will miss its methane targets. ...
Despite promises of improvement, questions remain about colonoscopy services in Otago and Southland.David Williams reports The apology, when it came, was fulsome. “On behalf of the Southern DHB, I offer a sincere apology for lapses and inadequacies in colonoscopy services over the past several years,” district health board chair ...
New Zealand needs to be bold in making developers enhance the environment - not just limit its degradation, writes Stephen Knight-Lenihan All human activity should help restore the natural world. This is a concept that may resonate following the upheavals of 2020 and one which is beginning to appear in law. Imagine ...
Derek Challis, son of the legendary author Robin Hyde, died last Thursday. Michelle Leggott pays tribute He opens a suitcase and there they are, the precious manuscript notebooks written by his poet mother Iris Wilkinson aka Robin Hyde. We are in Dunedin for a Hyde conference. Yes, says Derek Arden ...
Former New Zealand gymnast Katya Nosova is now a champion bodybuilder, who was prepared to spend Christmas alone in quarantine to compete in the 'Olympics' of her sport. Katya Nosova was willing to do everything she could to pose on the world stage in her third Ms Olympia. Despite a ...
Did anyone else hear yesterday's early around the 7am RNZ news when Lisa Owens was stating that a leakier has released a document linking NZ First to arranging funding for the party?
It seemed at the time to be a hot story she was sending, among the current investigation going on by the Electoral Commission and may have been a hoax?
So since then the story was not repeated again, – did anyone hear that?.
If Lisa made an error will she be fired?
Lisa Owens is not usually on at 7am Clean. Could not find any record of such a leak on Thursday's program
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/20191128
That would have been a promo for her Checkpoint show between 5 and 6pm cleangreen. They always pick a soundbite from the previous evening which is supposed to whet the cerebral appetite.
Thanks Anne & Ianmac,
Yes maybe it was a promo as I had just awaken and turned RNZ on and she was going hard at it so I tuned out and never heard the end because it was off the wall for me at that early time.
Cheers for that, a promo from Lisa Owens is most probably was.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/404385/document-leak-why-the-nz-first-foundation-was-set-up
This is the article you are referring to? It appears to be an Espiner joint, nor does it seem to be a hoax.
Very interesting arkie and cleangreen.
This bit stood out:
But Bridges is calling for a full enquiry so will that be extended to National's Foundation?
hahahahahahah
I think its Owen (singular @cleangreen, though I can't be certain given a lot of people's desire to pluralise S'John (going forward)
And if you heard it in the mouring, was more likely to be a Fergusson.
Can't be certain these days tho' eh bro? A Fergusson here and an Owen there.
What's a big of partisan populist fuckwittery 'tween and twixt frenz (even those that come with benefits).
I think the problem is with all those 'other people' – possibly all those "ONES" the gummint's official stakeholders are unwilling to consult with (in this space, going forward, AND in the fullness of time)
Could be wrong tho' eh bro'! Good things apparently take time these days eh?
So even as spatial awareness diminishes (and all that goes with that), AND as change becomes faster and faster, we're assured that the responses to it should get slower ans slower – might be better to just drop the big OD now and be done with it eh?
OncewasTim
Yes that was the one for sure, and Lisa was banging it out like it was a 21st century miracle development but it appears to be cloned to most political parties now for reasons we are awaiting to find out.
Media are very hungry for any story now it seems..
The Ministry of Health continues to exhibit symptoms…the latest is insisting on telling cute little girls who once were overflowing with joy and confidence "fat".
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12289228
But Carey said it was a bizarre measure. As a result of the test: "Short people think they are thinner than they are, and tall people think they are fatter.
Well that was before, now after assistance from the Ministry of Health she might end up with an eating disorder instead. I hope she learns to love herself more than the opinions of healthcare professionals.
Is this going to be an intelligent investment in a world being ruined by technical developments and their consequences?
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) commissioned Deloitte Access Economics to develop the plan which sets out goals and actions for how the city will become a world recognised aerospace hub.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1911/S00585/christchurch-plan-to-be-nzs-aerospace-testbed-by-2025.htm
no worse then moving the port to whangarai and then building a 4 lane road to truck the goods back to AKL and beyond.
But then i am not an economist.
The port moving and the four lane highway are two different things. We have to keep on doing things. The economy has to keep grinding on, but keeping on dropping a cog, trying for an adequate sustainable level not 8-10% return on capital, and keeping climate change in mind all the time.
Like I think a railway north would be a good idea for transporting the goods. But what about extreme heat on the rail tracks I wonder. They could buckle and derail. I will have a look on google.
Google – People in a speed train affected. https://mashable.com/article/train-tracks-climate-change-warping/ Germany
France http://www.rfi.fr/en/environment/20190726-french-railroad-tracks-can-t-keep-extreme-heat
USA https://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-change-warp-railroad-tracks-sun-kinks-17470
India has let its vital railway system run down. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-28156439
Smart tech fixes all!! https://www.smartrailworld.com/5-fascinating-future-rail-trends-and-when-we-can-expect-to-see-them
Practical methods: How we prevent tracks from getting too hot: We work closely with specialist weather forecasters and local weather stations to make necessary plans and take action so rails are less likely to buckle.
you dont' really have to explain trains to me.- I grew up in Germany, lived in France and have never owned a car. Not even in NZ have i owned a car.
Seriously, i grew up with them, they are my preferred method of transport and no one is gonna build a train up to Whangarai. You are lucky if you get a 4 lane highway that will then be destroyed by trucks like any other highway in NZ that is covered in Trucks.
In this country we can't even build a commuter train to hamilton/rotorua/wellington etc. Heck we can't even build a train to AKL Airport.
But they are gonna build a train to Whangarai. Yeah, right Tui.
You will come in handy if there is a fire by you. You have the biggest supply of wet blankets in NZ.
All those rail projects are coming, despite any amount of denial or whinging about them. A 4-lane motorway north on the other hand is just a Nat/banker fantasy.
A 4-lane motorway north on the other hand is just a Nat/banker fantasy.
Yep. Here's hoping.
Sasha try reading this logic
Subject; Article below entitled; “The Hidden Trucking Industry Subsidy” This US based article shows we ‘public’ give an exorbitant unfair amount of subsidy to the trucking industry. We now want the Transport Minister to please drive around regional NZ and just see the impacts of 50 to 60 tonne “B train ‘trucks and their destruction of our “soft roads” that do not even have an adequate under base to carry the 50+ tonne laden weight trucks, as they need a ‘steel mesh reinforced concrete base’ as US/Canadian and EU roads have installed under their truck routes.
https://truecostblog.com/2009/06/02/the-hidden-trucking-industry-subsidy/
Quote; Freight trucks cause 99% of wear-and-tear on US roads, but only pay for 35% of the maintenance. This $60B subsidy causes extra congestion and pollution, and taxpayers pay the bill. SO; This is a question for NZTA “why is it fair that the NZ taxpayer gives trucking industry a subsidy and not our own publicly owned rail”? We must now request ‘public’ money for roading must also be given to restoring our public owned regional rail. Since this document came out we know that the public is massively funding road repairs for private trucking companies so now we need to level the playing field for rail as it is a public owned entity owned by us taxpayers so we now desperately need at least an equal 50% contribution of the ‘public road funding’ be given to rail to restore the regional rail services around NZ. Here are the plain facts;
https://truecostblog.com/2009/06/02/the-
hidden-trucking-industry-subsidy/ The Hidden Trucking Industry Subsidy Freight trucks cause 99% of wear-and-tear on US roads, but only pay for 35% of the maintenance. This $60B subsidy causes extra congestion and pollution, and taxpayers pay the bill….. more to come so read all.
Well aware, thank you. The more rail replacing freight the better.
There used to be a train to the Far North – the North Auckland Line went to Whangarei. The grading for most of the tracks still remain.
The Okaihau branch which went from Opua on the North Auckland line, was intended to reach Kaitaia but was never completed. Some of the graded tracks are part of the northern cycleway.
I think there will be a train and a 4 lane highway to Whangarei, they will need them when the port moves their. It might take another ten or fifteen years.
I am posting in relation to the Julian Assange matter, which drew a lot of attention here on TS yesterday, but this is not entirely Julian Assange specific, so I post it today on Open Mike.
The treatment of both remand and convicted prisoners by prison authorities, including assessing and intervention in an attempt to ensure that both the physical and mental well being of the prisoner is adequate, can often be seen as equating to, or consistent with the general attitude and culture of the both the state, and society in any ne jurisdiction.
So for example, compare our prisons with prisons in say, Thailand or South America, and equate it to attitude, demographic and both culture and what is believed to be acceptable.
If we were to take a look at the Jeffery Epstein incarceration and death in custody, we might detect that many in New York probably privately believe that it was the best outcome and acceptable given the allegations. Of course, rightly or wrongly, New Zealand takes a lot of markers and cues from the United States of America in relation to justice, law and order principles, even though we are more closely aligned to England, Australia and even Canada.
So, in relation to what happened to Epstein, why have many throughout the United States, or at least throughout New York not expressed seriously concerns, and why are they not insisting on finding out just what occurred?
Well, perhaps they should be, not so much out of a concern as to what Epstein went through personally once incarcerated, but in relation to what they or others they care about might also undergo if they were ever to find themselves on remand, and subject to less publicly visible hostility of one sort or another.
I have no doubt that the Jeffery Epstein attitude held by many also applies to people considered to be traitors or whistle blowers leaking national security material.
The litmus test in relation to the above "traitor" assessment might relate to the general determination of motivation and the overall detrimental impact or damage caused by such disclosures. Also, the extent (if any) of any subversion attempt if subversion was believed to be an objective.
Many believe Julian Assange to be a traitor, but many also consider him simply to be a former political commentator or journalist who is being politically targeted, and perhaps quite cruelly.
Who will win out in relation to this (suspected) game of cat and mouse is anybody's guess.
Whichever way it pans out, it seems very unlikely that Julian Assange will emerge from it gaining or winning much of anything at all.
Mainstream media have utilised him and dropped him, and they have latterly had their fun with him as well. He certainly brings in advertising revenue for them by way of the various news article presented and associated with him.
Despite cries of little or no transparency and of prisoner maltreatment, most people just leave the system, or the law of the prison jungle to "do what it wilt" on many occasions. This is how society usually behaves, especially when their focus is regularly redirected (and occasionally misdirected) here, there and elsewhere. There is so much going on.
Prison managers and all staff have duty of care to the prisoners they manage and house.
Both psychiatric and psychological evaluations should be regularly made on high (personal and health) risk prisoners such as Assange, and the evaluations should be both free of any personal bias by the assessors, and free from any undue influence further up the ladder.
This of course is an idealised, would be, should be, could be deliberation by me. In reality, who really can determine how it works from one day to the next, or from one situation to another?
Locally, and more especially on Howard League, it is clear that so many support an overhaul of one kind or another. This is healthy. Never stop taking an interest in these matters, and never stop asking questions when they need to be asked.
Perhaps this would be an opportune time to continue to vocalise as a lobby group whilst also lending support to those MP's and both those local body representatives and candidates who have a track record of approaching the matter realistically and supporting change if or where it is needed.
I can think of two MP's already, (focused less on the driving licence aspect and more on the generic). Both are Labour Crown Ministers, and are well respected.
Another ran for Auckland mayoralty recently and appears to have had a lot of support in relation to attempting to realistically address many social reform issues, and where prison reform is actually one of them.
Why not seize the opportunity to push for positive change this time if you believe that change must take place in New Zealand?
The marketers have been all over this one. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12289584
Yep, it's some sort of Māori social improvement agency, not a ruddy sporting entertainment corporation rooted in posh school classics.
I think they scraped all that up after one of their horsies trotted by with a chap in a suit of armour on its back.
1. (verb) (-a,-ina,-ngia,-tia) to instruct, advise, save the life of, spare, guide, direct, instruct, appoint.
2. (verb) (-a,-ina,-ngia,-tia) to point out, show, indicate, point at, gesticulate.
3. (verb) (-a,-ina,-ngia,-tia) to preserve, conserve.
4. (verb) (-a) to perform a ritual.
https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?&keywords=tohu
They looked for a Maori word/expression/symbol to connect to the Crusaders brand and localise/modernise it. And no connotation of violence …
Kia Ora 1 News.
Condolences to the family of the people who we losted on London Bridge.
That's the great phenomenon about Aotearoa there is only one predator to worry about humans?????.
Its good to see Tuhoe history told in art Ka pai.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
Ka pai to Monga Taranaki getting its real name back.
I remember that lol.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora 1 News.
Its great to see a Wahine get given Mana.
I see that working with mother natures creatures is a great way for humanity to live a learn.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora 1 News.
We need to become carbon neutral.
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
I agree with Ngai Te
Rangi in Tauranga Aotearoa it should be tangata whenua welcoming visitors in Maori not other cultured people.
That's the way Opotiki tangata our mokopuna coming into this World are very important so champion for your maternity unit to stay open in Opotiki.
That's awesome Maori and Pacific tangata mahi together to get better health treatment and other things to help our mokopuna.
Ka kite Ano