There was a small pro-Israel demonstration in Palmerston North Square yesterday, the first I have personally seen. I noticed a distinct lack of enthusiasm from passers-by (little waving or horn tooting) compared to the equivalent pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
This has been going on every Sunday at the PN Square since the Israeli attacks on Gaza began. People wander in and out of it in support. It's a great way of keeping the issue in the public consciousness/conscience.
Stociastic terrorism, where you seed crackpot ideas, and hope lone wolves with mental health issues will pick up and act on them – is alive and well in NZ.
'Former Nelson mayor Rachel Reese confronted by terrifying intruder [with nail gun] who ‘claimed’ her house' in February, spouting Sovereign Citizen rubbish. He has since been sentenced and remanded for compulsory mental health treatment. Only the arrival of a neighbour stopped the situation from escalating.
IRENES CHAIN PREPARES FOR THE HIGH COURT Despite proving, over a four-day period, that the Ministry of Health has committed fraud in creating a document with Irene’s fraudulent signature on it and showing that the prosecution had no first-hand evidence for any of the charges laid against her, the judge this morning chose to uphold all five charges against Irene. Spectotors gasped – it is almost impossible to see how such a conclusion could have been reached and seems to point to a very broken justice system.
The judge had no reasons on hand to support her judgement. This will be delivered at a future date – “imminently”, according to the judge. Counterspin Media will bring you the basis of what is in that statement when we have it and keep you informed.
This Government's callousness, narrow thinking and lack of humanity are exemplified in the following news item and video, concerning a woman and her husband who do not have permanent residency, despite paying an immigration adviser to apply about 20 years ago. It includes evidence that the woman has saved, and will save, taxpayers a significant amount of money by continuing to care for her brother, a New Zealand resident, who has an intellectual disability and epilepsy.
"A last-ditch attempt from a Tongan family to stop their aunt from facing deportation has failed.
Loasi Latu cares for her intellectually disabled brother Viliami Takapautolo full-time and has asked the minister in charge to consider a special exemption to keep her here."Every night, I wake him up two or three times to go to the toilet. Otherwise, he goes on the bed," Latu said.
Her niece, Karina Kaufasi, added: "He can't talk, he can't eat. For example, if we were to leave him to go to the shower, he would turn it up to boiling hot – he wouldn't do anything about it and he'd let himself boil."
But the family fears her days here are numbered – Latu and her husband have overstayed their student visas by over 20 years. They had until yesterday to leave the country voluntarily…..
The family say they began an application for permanent residency before their visas expired and were under the impression it had been filed. Kaufasi said they had gotten an immigration adviser "well-known" to Immigration NZ and the Tongan community."They paid him thousands and thousands of dollars, but he did not submit for their residency and it wasn't until years and years after that they found out."
Another application was made last year for an exemption, known as a special direction, but it was declined in January.
They have since gathered new evidence to try and strengthen their case, including a letter from a psychologist. "Viliami does not communicate verbally, so his case relies on the daily cues that Loasi has learned and understood over the past two decades," the letter read. "Transitioning to a new caregiver would result in considerable psychological distress, not only for Loasi and [her husband] but for Viliami as well."
The family has also commissioned an independent report by The Commercial Advisory Partnership on the economic implications of granting Loasi and her husband a resident visa. "Continued presence of Loasi and her care services will benefit the State by the avoidance of future high needs residential care costs which is estimated to be $1.89m over the remainder of Viliami’s life expectancy," the report reads. "Historically, the State has already enjoyed the avoidance of such costs of care for Viliami which is estimated to be $1.87m in nominal terms over the course of the past 20 years."
Kaufasi said it was therefore in New Zealand's best interest for Loasi to remain in the country. "The immigration policy, it's designed to take into consideration New Zealand's best interest and it considers the economic, humanitarian, and social implications," she said.
But Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk has declined to review the information. In a letter to the family, he said he won't consider requests by people who have had an application for ministerial intervention rejected in the last 18 months.He declined to speak to 1News, with a spokesperson saying it wasn't in the minister’s standard practice to comment on specific cases due to privacy reasons.
"It's not that the minister can't look at, it's that he won't," Kaufasi said."We are now providing new information not previously shown to the minister that is compelling and in the public interest."
Immigration NZ told 1News that Loasi has no further right to appeal."We acknowledge this is a challenging situation for Loasi Latu, her husband and their family," national manager of compliance Stephanie Greathead said. "However, they have been unlawfully in New Zealand since March 2004. They were told at the time they needed to make arrangements to leave the country as they were in New Zealand unlawfully."
It included: "In a statement, national compliance manager Stephanie Greathead said Latu and her husband have been in the country unlawfully since 2004 and are liable for deportation. She said they have no further right to appeal, and she encouraged them to leave voluntarily". This sounds rather threatening.
The average in Dec 2019 $745,000 + 25% is $930,000 – the current value.
When adding the 2024 inflation rate to the 18.9% of the past 16 quarters, it appears that house values are coming into synch with inflation since then.
It cannot stay there for there is only two or three ways to purge excess debt from the system
1) Pay it off and cause massive deflation (removing $100 BILLION from the system)
2) Inflate the currency in which the debt is fixed (the numbers stay the same but the value of the inflated dollars used to pay it off is far less than the initial value of the loan)
3) Repudiate the debt (Resulting in vast losses to Bond holders and making sure that future Bond issues are not subscribed to.)
Once inflation is started it takes REAL restrictive reductions in Govt. spending to on seat it.
The lock down spending locked it in. Better off to have never done it – sacrificed 20,000 – 80,000 “Grannies” left the economy intact and redistributed the dead’s assets to those (younger ones) left alive. Just like in war – some must give the ultimate sacrifice.
P.S. I may well have been one of the “Grannies” ….
This is a guest post by Ed Clayton and Stu Farrant. It’s based on a talk delivered at the recent Transportation Group Conference in Nelson.The water street renders are by Tom Greer. Ed notes: “Tom is a freelance landscape architect with a background in ecology and environmental science. Hit him up ...
They choose the path where no-one goesThey hold no quarterThey hold no quarter“The Government I lead is one of action and we are already making meaningful changes that will keep Kiwis safe in their homes, workplaces and communities," said the Prime Minister yesterday, telling us he’d be “making Kiwis safer” ...
The Government may have attracted criticism from Greenpeace over its inquiry into farm methane emissions, but its proposal may have outwitted the Groundswell farmer protest movement. The inquiry panel includes some of the more high-profile critics of the blanket reduction approach to farming greenhouse gas emissions. But those critics are ...
Around the world we see political blocs crumbling in the face of the Right. You’ll notice the word “Left” is absent there. That’s because, by and large, the Left hasn’t necessarily crumbled. Many who adopt the moniker have. Ostensibly “Left” movements in the political sphere have been caught on ...
When Fiji finally began its most recent transition to democracy in 2013, the coup regime stacked the deck in their favour, with a draconian political parties decree intended to outlaw the opposition. Dictator Voreqe Bainimarama then founded his own political party, FijiFirst, which subsequently held power until 2022. So its ...
Back in 2021, as part of its discussion document on hate speech, the Ministry of Justice proposed finally amending the prohibited grounds of discrimination in the Human Rights Act to include gender including gender expression and gender identity. Labour famously chickened out on hate speech, referring the issue to the ...
My travelling companion Dick is a craftsman. In his spare time he has made water-going craft. Canoes, mostly, but he can also do you a dinghy or a boat. Also hot tubs. All with beautifully hand-crafted timber.As we've rolled through the villages and towns of Europe, he has looked at ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Across the world people are sweltering under the extreme heat of heat waves - whether under the heat dome in North ...
As you might recall from my last newsletter yesterday was a family celebration in the Rockel household, with our youngest lad Matty turning 16. He’s an enthusiastic cook, especially of steak, with plenty of garlic, rosemary, and far too much butter. So when asked what he’d like to do he ...
Anybody who went to Karangahape Road for Matariki last Thursday evening (27 June), would have seen it absolutely packed with people. From Queen Street ...
Completed reads for June: Aecerbot, a Field Blessing (poem) Against a Dwarf [remedy XCIIIb] (poem) Against a Wen (poem) The Nine Herbs Charm (poem) For a Sudden Stitch (poem) For the Loss of Cattle I (poem) For the Loss of Cattle II (poem) For the Loss of Cattle III ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, June 23, 2024 thru Sat, June 29, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is extreme weather juiced by our climate fumble creating an extreme start ...
YouTuber Jess of the Shire has put out a video, looking at Frodo’s failure to destroy the Ring: The Lord of the Rings would be a substantially weaker book had Frodo not failed, of course. We are dealing with the core of Tolkien’s themes ...
Problem Solved? When all other options are exhausted, the firing squad remains. As Joseph Stalin is said to have declared: “Eliminate the person, eliminate the problem.”THE BEST GUESS I can offer as to the author of the line is William Brandt. He wrote scripts for the 1990s New Zealand television crime ...
Good morning all, I hope you’re continuing to have a lovely long weekend without too many worries about the things we usually talk about. First things first, today is a special day in our family, the youngest member, our Matty, my Mister Man, turns 16.Public transport in Bangkok, 2016.I’ve mentioned ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by John Mason in collaboration with members from the Gigafact team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Does temperature have to rise before CO2 ...
TL;DR: Mānawatia a Matariki! It’s that time of the year for reflection and renewal so here’s our annual State of The Kākā Nation Report for 2024. Total subscribers grew 46% to 20,600 and paying subscribers grew 29% to 2,520 over the last year. Subscriber comments, ‘views’ and likes’ increased more ...
Can't stop believin' I'm the greatestHearts breaking 'til I know I made itI'll never know what second place isNo pain, no doubt'Til the lights go outMatariki feels like such a positive event. People around the country enjoying time with whānau and friends, trying new things or just relaxing and reflecting. ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on what you may have missed. Still on the move!ShareGreetings Jack Craw and Te Aka Music, love your work. Read more ...
Hi,When I started Webworm four years ago (four years! thanks for being here!) it was motivated by a world slowly falling into conspiratorial madness.Reality felt like it was slipping, and I wanted to document the chaos. That has never stopped, be it examining how huge chunks of society have retreated ...
Evaluating the impact of social policies will be very difficult but the government does not seem to be doing much real evaluation. A couple of terms that have recently become fashionable are ‘cost-benefit analysis’ (CBA) and ‘social-investment analysis’ (SIA), typically proposed by people who have never done either. They sound ...
Conspiracy theories attempt to explain events as the secretive plots of powerful people. While conspiracy theories are not typically supported by evidence, this doesn’t stop them from blossoming. Conspiracy theories damage society in a number of ways. To help minimise these harmful effects, The Conspiracy Theory Handbook, by Stephan Lewandowsky ...
Worst. Presidential. Debate Ever. President Joe Biden and former President have just squared off in the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign and the rest of the world has watched in slack-jawed horror as democracy’s once “shining city on the hill” hit a new low.The hyperbole in that introduction ...
Sun is up, I'm a messGotta get out now, gotta run from thisHere comes the shame, here comes the shameYesterday Golriz Ghahraman’s fall from grace was complete. Convicted and sentenced, more harshly that I’d anticipated. In my view Golriz had suffered quite disproportionally already, considering the nature of her crime. ...
Open access notables Tipping point in ice-sheet grounding-zone melting due to ocean water intrusion, Bradley & Hewitt, Nature Geoscience:Here we develop a model to capture the feedback between intruded ocean water, the melting it induces and the resulting changes in ice geometry. We reveal a sensitive dependence of the ...
Some of the wilder things that have crossed our paths in the last couple of weeks:Wilder thing #1: A snake sunning itself on the hot asphalt as we came riding towards itDick was in front and was slowing down to take a picture, thinking it to be another carcass.But this ...
As part of its coalition agreement, the climate-change denier National government promised its climate-change denier coalition partners a review of our agricultural methane reduction target. Today they announced the members of their "independent" review, and released its terms of reference. I'm not familiar with the academic records of the panel, ...
And you can see it in the way they look at youFeel it in the way they treat youAlways the last to knowAlways the first to leaveJust let them walk all over youLaugh through the punches and the painLet the life-blood drain away from youThey're right, you're wrongOK, first things ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk Astrong majority of registered voters support certain policies aimed at tackling climate change, according to recent research by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (the publisher of this site) and the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason ...
Finally, Julian Assange is free after 12 years of confinement, much of it spent while under the threat of rendition to the US to face charges carrying a term of 175 years in prison. Yet ultimately, Assange has not been set free because the charges (of espionage and conspiracy to ...
A note to readers This satirical post is based on this document. Received from Auckland Transport under a LGOIMA request. the document reveals the ranking process used by the working group for the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP). It shows how the RLTP working group (Auckland Transport, KiwiRail, NZTA/Waka Kotahi, and ...
TL;DR: Six things from Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy I think are worth noting on the morning of Thursday, June 27:The NZIER has estimated almost a third of new spending in Budget 2024 will have worsened the Government’s Paris agreement climate liability, which Treasury has already estimated at up to $23.7 billion. ...
Hi,Four days ago New Zealand pop royalty Brooke Fraser broke yet another record — largest attendance for a Kiwi solo artist at her Spark Arena gig.She was joined on stage by the Auckland Philharmonia orchestra, Radio New Zealand gushing that it was “hard to pick a singular high point of ...
Whenever people make the perfectly sensible suggestion that the world could solve its problems by taxing billionaires, the latter's stooges flood the zone with claims it would never work. Apparently billionaires are so inherently criminal that they would evade such taxes, laundering their money and hiding it in criminal jurisdictions ...
Breathe.Inhale deeply through your nose, and hold it.Open your mouth slightly. Exhale slowly, feel the breath passing over your lips.Hear it. You’re alive.Statistically, if the last government hadn’t taken the actions it did, about twenty of you, even in my small audience, would be dead now. If I do a ...
TL;DR: Electricity affordability is a growing concern for households and small businesses, despite falling generation costs for solar and wind, a survey has found.Meanwhile, Stats NZ is forecasting more than a third of 19-29 year olds will stay living at home within the next two decades, no doubt because of ...
This is a guest post by Darren Davis, reposted with his kind permission. It originally appeared on his excellent blog Adventures in Transitland, which we warmly encourage you to check out.Aotearoa has one of the worst road safety records in the developed world. Australia is doing quite a bit ...
The audio in today’s newsletter contains a conversation I had last year with journalist Elizabeth Williamson, author of an incredibly moving book on Sandy Hook. We talked America, conspiracies, and Alex Jones. It’s been gathering dust for reasons we’ll get to, but I wanted to share our conversation today. ...
The anti Three Waters campaign which seemed so simple during the election campaign is now bogged down in a Select Committee as submitter after submitter raises issues with the replacement legislation. The so-called “Local Water Done Well” has now morphed into the Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill, which ...
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 ...
On we go, at 20 kilometres an hour, truly the best pace for rolling through the world and breathing it all in.Fascinating to get to see two, four, twenty new places each day. Marvellous to get to see how very many different ways you can make it good for people ...
There's a couple of pieces about architect-of-our-constitution Geoffrey palmer's views on the current government doing the rounds today. The first, on Newsroom is an excerpt from a speech he gave to a Young Labour meeting last weekend, in which he says NZ an executive paradise, not democratic paradise. The Spinoff ...
The government just introduced its Education and Training Amendment Bill to the House. The name is deliberately obfuscatory, because what the bill actually does is reintroduce charter schools - effectively allowing National to privatise the education system. That's corrupt and it stinks, but to add insult to injury, National's new ...
Confidence about future job availability collapsed after Budget 2024 to lows last seen during the the Global Financial Crisis of 2008/09. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Employee confidence in more jobs being available in a year’s time collapsed in the first two weeks of June after the Budget, falling ...
Walking through the rooms in my headI came across your image,You looked at me with that sweet smile and saidSomething they won't let me repeatWe hurt the ones we love the mostIts a subtle form of complimentAfter you’ve watched Christopher Luxon for a while you think to yourself - that ...
The decision taken last December to cancel the contract for the two purpose-built Cook Strait ferries – without having a Plan B in mind, let alone in place – has been a calamity that’s going to haunt New Zealand for decades to come, long after the Luxon government has been ...
Today the Auckland Transport board meets again,so I’ve taken a look through the items on their public agenda to see what’s interesting. Musical Chairs The first item of note is another change to the make-up of the AT Board. The legislation that established Auckland Transport allows for Waka Kotahi to ...
How does France deal with opponents of its colonisation of the Pacific? Arrest them and deport them to France to face prosecution in a foreign court: A group of pro-independence leaders charged with allegedly organising protests that turned into violent unrest in New Caledonia last month was indicted on ...
On this edition of AVFA Selwyn Manning and I discuss post-pandemic economics and the rise of national populism. It seems that a post-pandemic turn to more nationalist economic policies may have encouraged the rise of populists who use xenophobia and … Continue reading → ...
Two weeks ago the climate denier government announced they would be giving farmers what they want and removing agriculture from the ETS. On Friday they introduced the bill for it to the House. Due to past efforts and backdowns, the Climate Change Response Act has a lot of inactive clauses ...
The Struggle Continues: Keith Locke belonged to a generation that still believed in a world that could be, through struggle, relieved of its chains. That struggle constituted the core of a life lived with purpose, courage and determination. MANY NEW ZEALANDERS would, no doubt, have been surprised to discover that Keith Locke was ...
A couple of my stories – A Breath Through Silver, and The Last Libation – have previously earned themselves reprints. Well, I am pleased to report that the nice people at Heroic Fantasy Quarterly (https://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/) have included my narrative horror-poem, The Night Before Yule, in their newly-compiled Best Of anthology. ...
TL;DR: Responding to the grounding of the Aratere over the weekend, the Government has signalled it will buy new replacement ferries, but only enough to replace existing freight capacity.That would effectively limit Aotearoa-NZ’s ability to handle any growth in population or the need to reduce emissions by shifting freight from ...
Hi, we’re Greater Auckland. We’ve been a part of the landscape for over 15 years now. Over that time, we’ve provided informed commentary, evidence-based analysis, and inspiring visions for the future of Tāmaki Makaurau. You might know us from such hits as: The Congestion-Free Network2013 (and its 2017 ...
Fancy, a fast carA bag full of lootI can nearly guaranteeYou'll end up with the bootThe Prime Minister arrived home, perhaps a bit surprised, maybe even secretly a little pleased at the diversion, to find the country falling apart. Things going more badly that even his c-list, self back-slapping, trip ...
The problems at KiwiRail go further and deeper than the maintenance issue, which caused the inter-island ferry Aratere to run aground on Saturday. The company is also the subject of a damning report published last week about the way it runs its rail operations from the Transport Accident Investigation Commission. ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, June 16, 2024 thru Sat, June 22, 2024. Stories we promoted this week, by publication date: Before June 16‘Unprecedented mass coral bleaching’ expected in 2024, says expert, ...
The People’s House:What would it be like to live in a country where a single sermon could prick the conscience of the comfortable? Where a journalist could rouse a whole city to action? Where the government could be made to respond to the people’s concerns? Where real change was possible? And ...
Good morn or evening friendsHere's your friendly announcerI have serious news to pass on to everybodyWhat I'm about to sayCould mean the world's disasterCould change your joy and laughter to tears and painIt's thatLove's in need of love todayDon't delaySend yours in right awayHate's goin' 'roundBreaking many heartsStop it pleaseBefore ...
I loved everything about my first Cook Strait ferry crossing: a day parked in the car in howling Wellington wind and driving Wellington rain, waiting to hear if they were going to sail or not; watching the huge black ministerial limousines come and go; listening to the adventures of Chicken ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by John Mason in collaboration with members from the Gigafact team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Was the Medieval Warm Period a global ...
Your face has fallen sad nowFor you know the time is nighWhen I must remove your wingsAnd you, you must try to flyCome sail your ships around meAnd burn your bridges downWe make a little history, babyEvery time you come aroundWhen I went to bed last night I thought the ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past somewhat interrupted week. Still on the move!Share Read more ...
Mainstreaming need not be inherently anti-Māori. It will be if it is done badly because it will be anti-those-in need, and proportionally more of them are Māori.That the Coalition Government says it will deliver public services on the basis of need rather than, say, race deserves consideration, even though many ...
The Justice Committee has reported back on the government's racist bill to eliminate Māori representation in local government. The report duly notes the Waitangi Tribunal's finding that the bill breaches te Tiriti, and the bill's inconsistency with our international human rights obligations - and then proceeds to ignore both. Instead, ...
This week our Prime Minister Christopher Luxon… mmm, let’s take a moment to consider just how good that sounds. Hope you weren’t eating.Anyway that guy. Better? That bloke from the telly, he said - what I would say to you is… I’m big in Japan. My kind of people, hard ...
Tis the winter solstice! The shortest day and longest night of the year. The good news: we’re on our way back to summertime. Here’s another roundup of stories to brighten up your Friday. Our header image is from CRL and shows Waihorotiu Station lit up for Matariki 2024. The ...
Our economic momentum remains anaemic, and it’s possible the tiny increase in GDP was a ‘dead cat bounce’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Per-capita GDP has fallen 4.3% from its peak over the last 21 months, which is more than it it fell in the Global Financial Crisis recession ...
Hi,I was in Texas recently and couldn’t stop thinking about how in some parts of America they really like to kill their prisoners. As a society we tend to agree murder is wrong, but somewhere along the way Texas figured it’s fine if it’s after 6pm and the killing is ...
A persistent theme has been weaving between the Committee rooms at Parliament all this so-called “Scrutiny” week as MPs have probed Ministers and agencies about their work and plans. The question has been simply what the environmental price might be if the country begins to accelerate its infrastructure building to ...
Open access notables Climate Change Is Leading to a Convergence of Global Climate Distribution, Li et al., Geophysical Research Letters:The impact of changes in global temperatures and precipitation on climate distribution remains unclear. Taking the annual global average temperatures and precipitation as the origin, this study determined the climate distribution with the ...
Readers keeping count will know it's more than five years since I gave up booze. Some of you get worried on my behalf when I recount a possibly testing moment. Anxious readers: today I got well tested.All the way across France I've been enquiring in my very polite and well-meaning but ...
Turn awayIf you could, get me a drinkOf water 'cause my lips are chapped and fadedCall my Aunt MarieHelp her gather all my thingsAnd bury me in all my favourite coloursMy sisters and my brothers, stillI will not kiss you'Cause the hardest part of this is leaving youI remember the ...
Its not often that one has to agree with Judith Collins, but yes, it would indeed cost “hundreds of millions of dollars” (at least) to buy replacement aircraft to fly the Prime Minister on his overseas missions of diplomacy and trade. And yes, the public might well regard that spending ...
Correspondence released under the Official Information Act reveals the Government’s boot camp concept is not backed by the military that is expected to run it. ...
The Government is risking the wellbeing of vulnerable children across Aotearoa who benefit from services like counselling, intensive family support, parent programmes and early intervention, as they claw back funding. ...
Thousands of people have taken to the streets and voiced their concerns about National’s destructive and undemocratic Fast Track Approvals Bill. Add your voice and tell National why this legislation needs to be stopped in its tracks. ...
Celebrating Matariki as a public holiday over the past two years has made sure everyone gets to spend some extra time with friends and family, as well as the chance to learn more about what makes this time of year meaningful. ...
The Government needs to be transparent about the cuts they are making to hospital infrastructure, so that cities are clear on the health resources they will have into the future. ...
Our students deserve access to fresh, healthy food to fuel their busy school days and lives.That’s why Labour introduced the Ka Ora, Ka Ako healthy school lunch programme. Teachers, parents, principals and health experts all saw the benefits of it. ...
The new Covid-19 Inquiry we campaigned and fought for will start in November.The current Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 response will be divided into two phases. ‘Phase Two’ of the inquiry will start from November 2024 and will be the independent, full scale, and public inquiry we ...
“Today’s announcement is simply a repeat of the Government rejecting decades of evidence and expert advice, as they forcibly try to turn marketing slogans into policy,” said children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
“I am relieved Pharmac will be funded more to buy medicines for Kiwis. It is important that decisions on which drugs get funded remain independent from politics,” Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
The Green Party welcomes the announcement of more funding for cancer treatments and medicines, however, calls for more to be done to address the severe health inequities that come with cancer. ...
Frivolous check-ins with beneficiaries are the Government’s latest plan to find excuses to punish those on the Job Seeker allowance and add to the stigma they face. ...
The grounding of the Aratere Interislander Ferry is a wake-up call to the Coalition Government; they need to front up with a realistic long term solution to moving people and freight between our islands. ...
New Zealanders need and deserve a strong public health system. Throughout the country, we need to ensure hospitals, clinics and community providers have the resources needed to provide the best level of care. ...
Victims of family violence could fall through the gaps in New Zealand, as Police stop responding to some call outs and the Government chooses to prioritise other things. ...
The lack of bids at today’s ETS auction is a sad indictment on this Government's staggering indifference to the climate crisis and their lack of a plan. ...
“I am deeply disappointed in the National Party's budget. Their broken promises and cuts to essential services, including health, education, and support for vulnerable groups, will have long-lasting negative impacts” – Raymor, Auckland ...
Today marks the beginning of Schools Pride Week in New Zealand, an important calendar event largely run by rainbow rangitahi to advocate for safer, more inclusive school environments. ...
The Government’s announcement of a roadshow consultation on work health and safety is a smokescreen for its plan to throw out regulations which keep workers safe. ...
The Government has reportedly scrapped a policy that would have gone far to fix gender and ethnic pay gaps and instead is implementing a watered-down voluntary system. ...
The Government knew its changes to the school lunch programme would risk achievement, attendance, nutrition and wellbeing of New Zealand children, as well as having wider impacts on reducing child poverty, and made the changes anyway, new documents show. ...
Two months have passed since the National Government said it was a question of ”when, not if” New Zealand would recognise Palestine, in response to Labour’s call. ...
Today the coalition government has announced that a select committee inquiry into banking competition will be led by the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee.New Zealand First campaigned to take on foreign owned banks, and we committed to that in our coalition agreement by ensuring the inquiry has a broad ...
The coalition Government's latest Action Plan will have a strong focus on making Kiwis safer and restoring law and order, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced. “The Government I lead is one of action and we are already making meaningful changes that will keep Kiwis safe in their homes, workplaces ...
A successful second quarter Action Plan shows the coalition Government has continued to build on the momentum of its first 100 days, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “Our Government Action Plan was laser-focused on rebuilding the economy and reducing the cost of living, restoring law and order, and delivering better ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour is glad to see the Natural Hazards Insurance Act come into force today, further protecting homeowners’ rights after a natural hazard event and seeing the Earthquake Commission (EQC) become the Natural Hazards Commission. “The Government is committed to ensuring Kiwis continue to get reliable insurance ...
Restoring the brightline test to two years will help increase the supply of residential property putting downward pressure on rent, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “From 1 July, the brightline test will replace the five and ten-year periods with a more balanced two-year period. “Every day, New Zealanders are struggling ...
Councils, iwi, businesses and community organisations with infrastructure projects that support regional priorities are invited to apply for funding from the Regional Infrastructure Fund, which opened today. “The Coalition Government is focused on growing the economy. We are doing everything we can to enable an export-led recovery, regional prosperity and ...
Kia ora koutou katoa – it’s a pleasure to join you here at Tōtara Haumaru on Auckland’s North Shore I would like to begin by acknowledging the many hands, over many years, that have been involved in the creation of this wonderful new facility Tōtara Haumaru, particularly those who are ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins will visit the Kingdom of Tonga to take part in the opening of a New Zealand-funded His Majesty’s Armed Forces Leadership Centre and to meet with counterparts. “New Zealand has a long, shared military history with Tonga and the development of this leadership centre is an ...
Today the Crown joined Rangitāne and Ngāti Kahungunu at Papawai Marae to mark the return of Wairarapa Moana to iwi, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith and Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. “The legal transfer of the ownership of Wairarapa Moana is the final chapter in a fraught dispute between ...
Changes to the Land Transport (Clean Vehicle Standard) Act will enable changes to the emissions targets more easily with a review of the Clean Vehicle Standard currently underway, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Large changes in technology, fuel efficiency, and consumer trends and preferences means that the Clean Car Importer Standard ...
Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden has today announced that four members have been reappointed to the Fire and Emergency New Zealand [FENZ] board. “I am pleased to announce that Rebecca Keoghan has been reappointed as chair for a two-year term of office,” says Ms van Velden. Rebecca was appointed ...
The Government has taken further steps to providing better regulation for medicines, medical devices, and natural health products with the first reading of a bill to repeal the Therapeutic Products Act 2023. Repealing the Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) shows the Government is listening to the concerns of industry and consumers, says Associate ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says $343.5 million in lottery profits have been allocated to New Zealand communities across the country – an increase of around $29.8 million from previous years. “The distribution of lottery profits can have a significant and enduring impact on the lives of New ...
Civil Defence payments are now available for people affected by the severe weather in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti to help cover some emergency costs, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston has announced. “We want to make sure those communities that are doing it tough because of the latest severe ...
The coalition Government is progressing its commitment to reinstate livestock exports by sea, with public consultation set to start before September, Associate Minister of Agriculture Hon Andrew Hoggard says. Reinstating livestock exports by sea will require an amendment to the Animal Welfare Act 1999 and strengthened welfare standards will be ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today released his decisions on elements of Tauranga City Council’s Intensification Planning Instrument. Two recommendations were referred to the Minister after the Council rejected two of those made by the Independent Hearings Panel. “I was asked by the Tauranga City Council to reject two ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a high-level political delegation to Solomon Islands, Nauru and Niue next week. "New Zealand's relationships in the Pacific are fundamental to our foreign policy, and we are determined to continue strengthening them,” says Mr Peters. “We look forward to engaging with ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Health Minister Dr Shane Reti to officially open a new primary birthing unit in Wānaka today. Dr Reti says the event demonstrates the Government’s commitment to improving health infrastructure and is particularly special as it will support many families before birth and in the first ...
The final Government Policy Statement on land transport 2024 (GPS 2024) outlines the Government’s ambitious $22 billion transport plan to boost productivity and support economic growth, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Upon being elected, the Government was clear that we wanted to make good on our transport promises to New Zealanders ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointments of 19 King’s Counsel. Also known as a silk, in reference to a gown traditionally worn as part of their robes, the rank of King’s Counsel is awarded to barristers sole who have demonstrated excellence in their careers or, from time to time, ...
New crime data highlights how critical the Government’s plan is to restore law and order, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “The latest New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey data is shameful, with New Zealanders experiencing 1.88 million incidents of crime between November 2022 and October 2023. “There were 185,000 New ...
The Government is delivering on its promise to commence an independent review of the methane science and targets for consistency with no additional warming from agriculture emissions, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay say. “An independent panel announced today, will report back to the Government by ...
The Government today repealed legislation requiring the compulsory registration of log traders and forestry advisers. “The existing legislation fails to deliver outcomes and places unnecessary costs on forest businesses,” Forestry Minister Todd McClay says. “I am confident that voluntary registration through the New Zealand Institute of Forestry is a better ...
The Overseas Investment (Build To Rent and Similar Rental Developments) Amendment Bill has passed its first reading this evening, Housing and Associate Finance Minister Chris Bishop says.“We need to take every option available to increase the supply of housing in New Zealand, and Build to Rent is one of those ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown welcomes the opening of State Highway 1 through the Brynderwyn Hills from midnight tonight, following four months of closure to complete critical recovery and maintenance works. “Northlanders, local businesses, drivers, and freight operators will be relieved to have this important lifeline open. The Government thanks them ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today welcomed the release of the Parliamentary Counsel Office’s (PCO) Secondary Legislation Drafting Toolkit. "Both businesses and people tell us they find it hard to understand their obligations under secondary legislation,” Ms Collins says. “This toolkit, with its focus on design and content, will help with both ...
The Government is reforming sentencing to ensure criminals face serious consequences for crime and victims are prioritised, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. "In recent years, there has been a concerning trend where the courts have imposed fewer and shorter prison sentences despite a 33 per cent increase in violent crime. ...
The Education and Training Amendment Bill, which will set up charter schools, encourage more early learning centres to open, and provide increased transparency on school attendance, has been introduced for its first reading in Parliament, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. “Every child deserves an education that enables them to ...
The coalition Government welcomes the presentation of the final report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care to the Governor-General. “This marks the end of the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has today released the terms of reference for the Electricity Authority’s investigation into the Northland transmission tower failure that occurred on 20 June 2024, causing significant power outages in the region.“What happened in Northland last week was unacceptable, with tens of thousands of consumers left without ...
Space Minister Judith Collins is applauding students from Canterbury University’s Aerospace Club on their success at the world’s largest inter-collegiate rocket engineering competition, the Spaceport America Cup. “More than 120 teams from 20 countries participated in Spaceport America Cup, with the team from Canterbury University winning in their ‘30,000 Foot’ ...
Tena koutou.Ki nga kaumatua,Ki nga whanau,Ka maumahara tonu tatou ki a ratou. Greetings.To the elders,To the families,We will remember them. Firstly, a special welcome to all the veterans here this morning and their families. I want to acknowledge the veterans who are marking this day but cannot be with us ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says three appointments to the WorkSafe board have been made to strengthen the organisation, ensuring it has the skills and expertise it needs to carry out its functions. “WorkSafe has faced a number of recent challenges, including accumulating an almost $18 million ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says this coalition Government is delivering on our commitment to expand the terms of reference for the independent Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons Learned. “There will be a second phase to the Royal Commission which features new commissioners and an expanded terms of ...
The Government has introduced a Bill today to restore the Three Strikes sentencing law, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says. “New Zealanders are rightly concerned about violent crime. We are delivering on our commitment to introduce a revised Three Strikes law as one of our key law and order priorities. ...
The Government and the Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) are together committing an additional $8 million towards AgriZeroNZ to boost New Zealand’s efforts to reduce agricultural emissions. Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says the strength of the New Zealand economy relies on effective and affordable emission reduction solutions for New Zealand’s ...
Tākina Puanga. Ko Puanga kei runga. Ko Puanga e Rangi. Tākina mai te ara o Puanga nui o te rangi. Tākina ngā pou o te tau. Ki te whai ao ki te ao marama. Puanga or Rigel celebrations reflect a renewed energy across our communities – to acknowledge those who ...
The coalition Government is delivering up to 26 cancer treatments as part of an overall package of up to 54 more new medicines, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. “Pharmac estimates that around 175,000 people will benefit from the additional treatments in just ...
The coalition Government is providing more financial support to drought-stricken farmers and growers in many parts of the country to help with essential living costs. “Rural Assistance Payments have been made available in 38 districts affected by dry conditions to help eligible farmers and growers whose income has taken a ...
A new requirement for people on Jobseeker Support benefits to meet with MSD after six months to assess how their job search is going gets underway today. About 20,000 Jobseeker beneficiaries with full-time work obligations are expected to attend MSD’s new ‘Work check-in’ seminars over the next 12 months, Social ...
The decision to deploy more Police on the beat in Auckland CBD has been welcomed by Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Associate Police Minister Casey Costello. Starting from 1 July, an additional 21 police officers will be redeployed in Auckland City, bringing the total number of beat police in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Williams, Senior Lecturer (Nursing), School of Clinical Sciences, Auckland University of Technology New Zealand’s school achievement is currently front and centre with the government’s plans to invest NZ$67 million into structured literacy. But what has been largely missing from the discussion ...
After Dilworth beat arch-rivals Auckland Grammar, sore losers immediately got to work undoing the historical result. There are only 10 minutes left in the game. The Dilworth first XV is leading Auckland Grammar by just three points, fighting desperately to hold on for the school’s first ever Auckland 1A first ...
Having found an answer to their cancer drug-funding predicament, Luxon and co may be happy to learn of some other useful tools hiding in plain sight. Nicola Willis had hardly finished saying “fiscally responsible” when the criticism started flowing. Somehow her 2024 budget had neglected to fund 13 cancer drugs ...
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 2 July appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Former National MP leaves board of healthcare organisation, saying: “I was not able to advance the changes that I believe need to be made” The post Adams’ Health NZ departure a ‘big loss’ appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Changes to the fast-track were confirmed in Government’s latest Action Plan, but the controversial Bill was not mentioned by name The post Govt drops the name ‘fast-track’ appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Some of the greatest poets I’ve met have never written a single line of verse in their lives, yet every phrase they utter rings with prescience and irrefutable poetic truth. The same goes for the twin doctrines of philosophy and psychology. Often the smartest, most insightful, compassionate and wise readings ...
A Defence Force plane stranding a delegation, the Aratere run aground and a downed pylon causing widespread power outages across Northland are all part of a theme: key pieces of New Zealand infrastructure are constantly breaking down. Today’s episode of The Detail takes a closer look at what led to ...
Comment: The Cook Strait ferries debacle has focused on the cost blow-outs for the respective port upgrades but there has been little attention given to what is needed to ensure adequate connectivity between our two main islands. It is obvious that a country split into two main islands needs reliable, efficient, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Hoang, Research Officer, Centre for International Research on Education Systems, Victoria University On Monday, the federal government more than doubled the application fee for international student visas. The move is effective immediately and sees the non-refundable fee jump from A$710 to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Rebel Senator Fatima Payman has escalated her confrontation with the Labor Party by claiming “some members” are trying to intimidate her into quitting the Senate. The government is uncertain whether the Greens will exploit ...
“We strongly encourage the Government to revisit the GPS in light of the first emissions reduction plan. If it wants to change the approach, then it has to follow the right process - not just ignore the requirements laid out under the Climate Change ...
The Spinoff faithfuls deliver their verdict on episode one of The Traitors NZ. Still don’t know who’s who this season? Get to know the full cast here. Lieblings, traitors, faithfuls and nudists, it’s the most wonderful time of the year: The Traitors NZ has returned and there is ...
“The coalition is talking big on delivering its election-time promises to get New Zealand moving again. Kiwis look forward to seeing them putting those words into action.” ...
What exactly is being proposed, and how easy will it actually be to build a self-contained dwelling in the backyard? Auckland University's Bill McKay has the answers. ...
Hundreds of people came together across the country today (Monday 1 July) at rallies calling on the Government to fully fund a pay equity settlement for care and support workers. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, The University of Melbourne Venus and Adonis depicted in a work by Simon Vouet.British Museum, CC BY-NC Sometime around 100 AD, the Roman lawyer and aristocrat Pliny sent a letter to his third wife, Calpurnia – ...
Explainer - The Natural Hazards Commission has taken over from the Earthquake Commission (EQC) with the goal of simplifying the process for claimants. ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk French Pacific results for the first round of French national snap elections yesterday showed a firm radicalisation, especially in the case of New Caledonia. In both of New Caledonia’s constituencies, the second round will look like a showdown between pro-independence and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michaela Rankin, Professor and Head, Department of Accounting, Monash University Smart Calendar/ShutterstockThis article is part of The Conversation’s “Business Basics” series where we ask experts to discuss key concepts in business, economics and finance. Today is July 1, the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carolyn Hogg, Deputy Director, Sydney Environment Institute; Co-Lead Australasian Wildlife Genomics Group, University of Sydney Bradley Dennien/Shutterstock Commonly known as Australia’s “Easter bunny” due to its large ears and hopping movement, the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is the last of its ...
Season three of the critically-acclaimed darling The Bear was released last week. Two fans of the show watched the full season over the weekend – only one emerged still a fan. There are two types of people in the world – haters and enthusiasts. The labels are self explanatory and ...
A clumsy attempt to stop coal mining in the face of continuing demand should be eliminated in the Government’s first bill to fix the Resource Management Act (RMA), says Straterra chief executive, Josie Vidal. ...
In an open letter to the government, they said a third of the free budgeting services are losing funding, putting more pressure on poor communities. ...
We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+. If you like award-winning local drama: Madam (ThreeNow, July 4)Madam is the latest local production arriving from Te Puna Kairangi, the premium fund that’s given us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Fuller, Charles Perkins Centre Research Program Leader, University of Sydney Diva Plavalaguna/Pexels Few topics are more debated in health than the value of the humble bathroom scale. Some experts advocate daily self-weigh-ins to promote accountability for weight management, particularly when ...
Grey Power President Gayle Chambers said care and support workers provided many older New Zealanders with the support they need to live in dignity and to enjoy a rewarding, safe and sustainable quality of life. ...
The chief executive of the state housing agency and developer Kainga Ora is leaving the business in October, and five board directors ended their tenure on Sunday, staff learned on Monday. The announcement of Andrew McKenzie’s exit comes just a month after a new chair, former Spark boss Simon Moutter, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania Hosting a major sporting event like the Olympic and Paralympic Games can deliver benefits to the host country, such as improved infrastructure (new sport facilities, better public transport, greater accessibility ...
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 A national Newspoll, conducted June 24–28 from a sample of 1,260 people, gave Labor a 51–49% lead over the Coalition, a one-point ...
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 A national Newspoll, conducted June 24–28 from a sample of 1,260 people, gave Labor a 51–49% lead over the Coalition, a one-point ...
In overturning the convictions of Peter Ellis, the Supreme Court showed Māori tikanga has a place in New Zealand’s common law. The lower courts and the law schools now need to make it work. ...
The recent European Parliament election delivered a clear message on far-right political parties, but the broader narrative is still taking shape. According to some analysts, the improved performance of these parties will not put them at the centre of European politics, while for others it is an important confirmation that the balance ...
“Democracy requires transparency, and officials cannot be allowed to get away with sneering down their nose at members of the public. The Ministry of Justice needs to confirm those involved have been sacked." ...
If you want to be the cool friend in the group chat that always seems to know about secret shows and underground gigs, here’s where to look. Every week seems to kick off with that one dreaded question from your coworker. “So, what did you get up to this weekend?”. ...
Dear Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Minister for Social Development, Employment & Child Poverty Reduction, Community and Voluntary Sector Louise Upston, Minister for Finance, Public Service, and Social Investment Nicola Willis, Minister ...
Anna Rawhiti-Connell made many Pinterest boards in the lead-up to her Japan trip. None of these things were on them. My husband and I were too late for the cherry blossoms when we visited Japan last year. We arrived in mid-April, the blossoms already gone from the cities we were ...
Despite recent government austerity measures that have reduced funding and shifted focus away from shared outcomes, the agritech industry remains steadfast in its commitment to investing in a collaborative future. ...
Hutt City Council is seeking the public’s view on proposed changes to the number of city Councillors, the wards they represent, and the disestablishment of Community Boards. ...
1 July marks two years since the pay equity claim was initiated in 2022. It was recently filed at the Employment Relations Authority after significant delays and slow progress. ...
The Game of Thrones prequel is a smaller show than its predecessor, and that’s not a bad thing. James Poniewozik, the New York Times’s chief TV critic, recently said, “We have entered the golden age of Mid TV.” The casts of the numerous series being pumped out and tossed into ...
Starting 1 July 2024, a significant shift in New Zealand’s port health and safety has taken place with Maritime NZ becoming the primary regulator for the country’s 13 major ports. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stanislav Roudavski, Founder of Deep Design Lab and Senior Lecturer in Digital Architectural Design, The University of Melbourne A point cloud of a large old tree with green indicating branches preferred by birds.Stanislav Roudavski / Alex Holland, CC BY Grassy box ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Arnott, PhD Candidate, Griffith University Shutterstock Half the global population are voting in elections in 2024. Many already have. This has prompted concerns about fairness and electoral integrity, particularly with the growth of generative AI. A global tracker has identified ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Renee Carey, Senior Research Fellow, School of Population Health, Curtin University Tama2u/Shutterstock From today, engineered stone is banned in Australia in a bid to protect workers from inhaling deadly silica dust, which has long been linked to diseases such as lung ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dennis Wesselbaum, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of Otago In the ups and downs of the global economy over the last decade, New Zealand has had one relatively consistent challenge: persistent productivity stagnation. Productivity compares the amount of goods and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Arrow, Professor of History, Macquarie University The Conversation Ready to dive into the latest buzz from the screens? In this month’s streaming list you’ll find not one, not two, but three Australian productions, including one starring a lead you ...
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A salacious new discovery about Katherine Mansfield’s sex life has “astonished” the world’s leading authorities on the life and work of the great New Zealand writer. Newly released divorce papers filed by her first husband, the hapless George Bowden, claim the reason their marriage broke down was because of her ...
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A Labour councillor says selling the airport will end the Wellington mayor’s career. But it may not be that simple. Last Thursday’s Wellington City Council meeting was convened to finalise the long term plan – including the contentious decision to sell the council’s 34% stake in Wellington International Airport. It ...
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There was a small pro-Israel demonstration in Palmerston North Square yesterday, the first I have personally seen. I noticed a distinct lack of enthusiasm from passers-by (little waving or horn tooting) compared to the equivalent pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
This has been going on every Sunday at the PN Square since the Israeli attacks on Gaza began. People wander in and out of it in support. It's a great way of keeping the issue in the public consciousness/conscience.
Stociastic terrorism, where you seed crackpot ideas, and hope lone wolves with mental health issues will pick up and act on them – is alive and well in NZ.
'Former Nelson mayor Rachel Reese confronted by terrifying intruder [with nail gun] who ‘claimed’ her house' in February, spouting Sovereign Citizen rubbish. He has since been sentenced and remanded for compulsory mental health treatment. Only the arrival of a neighbour stopped the situation from escalating.
And, in Henderson, The Herald reports that 'Irene Kalinowski, Auckland midwife who refused Covid-19 vaccine, sentenced for continued work' said “See you at the military tribunals, darling,”… as she left the courtroom at the end of the sentencing hearing, after the judge had already left the bench. This is a reference to Nuremburg 2.0, when Jacinda Arden, Ashley Bloomfield and others involved in NZ's covid response will be tried and sentenced to hang for illegal medical experimentation.
Barking. (video)
@COUNTERSPIN111
IRENES CHAIN PREPARES FOR THE HIGH COURT Despite proving, over a four-day period, that the Ministry of Health has committed fraud in creating a document with Irene’s fraudulent signature on it and showing that the prosecution had no first-hand evidence for any of the charges laid against her, the judge this morning chose to uphold all five charges against Irene. Spectotors gasped – it is almost impossible to see how such a conclusion could have been reached and seems to point to a very broken justice system.
The judge had no reasons on hand to support her judgement. This will be delivered at a future date – “imminently”, according to the judge. Counterspin Media will bring you the basis of what is in that statement when we have it and keep you informed.
https://x.com/COUNTERSPIN111/status/1785949961479176570
This Government's callousness, narrow thinking and lack of humanity are exemplified in the following news item and video, concerning a woman and her husband who do not have permanent residency, despite paying an immigration adviser to apply about 20 years ago. It includes evidence that the woman has saved, and will save, taxpayers a significant amount of money by continuing to care for her brother, a New Zealand resident, who has an intellectual disability and epilepsy.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/06/29/tongan-familys-last-ditch-attempt-to-stop-aunts-deportation-fails
"A last-ditch attempt from a Tongan family to stop their aunt from facing deportation has failed.
Loasi Latu cares for her intellectually disabled brother Viliami Takapautolo full-time and has asked the minister in charge to consider a special exemption to keep her here."Every night, I wake him up two or three times to go to the toilet. Otherwise, he goes on the bed," Latu said.
Her niece, Karina Kaufasi, added: "He can't talk, he can't eat. For example, if we were to leave him to go to the shower, he would turn it up to boiling hot – he wouldn't do anything about it and he'd let himself boil."
But the family fears her days here are numbered – Latu and her husband have overstayed their student visas by over 20 years. They had until yesterday to leave the country voluntarily…..
The family say they began an application for permanent residency before their visas expired and were under the impression it had been filed. Kaufasi said they had gotten an immigration adviser "well-known" to Immigration NZ and the Tongan community."They paid him thousands and thousands of dollars, but he did not submit for their residency and it wasn't until years and years after that they found out."
Another application was made last year for an exemption, known as a special direction, but it was declined in January.
They have since gathered new evidence to try and strengthen their case, including a letter from a psychologist. "Viliami does not communicate verbally, so his case relies on the daily cues that Loasi has learned and understood over the past two decades," the letter read. "Transitioning to a new caregiver would result in considerable psychological distress, not only for Loasi and [her husband] but for Viliami as well."
The family has also commissioned an independent report by The Commercial Advisory Partnership on the economic implications of granting Loasi and her husband a resident visa. "Continued presence of Loasi and her care services will benefit the State by the avoidance of future high needs residential care costs which is estimated to be $1.89m over the remainder of Viliami’s life expectancy," the report reads. "Historically, the State has already enjoyed the avoidance of such costs of care for Viliami which is estimated to be $1.87m in nominal terms over the course of the past 20 years."
Kaufasi said it was therefore in New Zealand's best interest for Loasi to remain in the country. "The immigration policy, it's designed to take into consideration New Zealand's best interest and it considers the economic, humanitarian, and social implications," she said.
But Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk has declined to review the information. In a letter to the family, he said he won't consider requests by people who have had an application for ministerial intervention rejected in the last 18 months.He declined to speak to 1News, with a spokesperson saying it wasn't in the minister’s standard practice to comment on specific cases due to privacy reasons.
"It's not that the minister can't look at, it's that he won't," Kaufasi said."We are now providing new information not previously shown to the minister that is compelling and in the public interest."
Immigration NZ told 1News that Loasi has no further right to appeal."We acknowledge this is a challenging situation for Loasi Latu, her husband and their family," national manager of compliance Stephanie Greathead said. "However, they have been unlawfully in New Zealand since March 2004. They were told at the time they needed to make arrangements to leave the country as they were in New Zealand unlawfully."
This issue was earlier covered by RNZ: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/top/520657/family-fighting-to-keep-aunt-in-new-zealand-as-immigration-tells-her-to-go
It included: "In a statement, national compliance manager Stephanie Greathead said Latu and her husband have been in the country unlawfully since 2004 and are liable for deportation. She said they have no further right to appeal, and she encouraged them to leave voluntarily". This sounds rather threatening.
Even when inhumanity costs them money, they choose it.
And that explains their penal policy.
December 2019 – average house price $628,000
December 2023 – average house price $785,000
Inflation 1.5%, 5.7%, 7.1%, 4.6% (by the 4 quarter totals) – 18.9%, more when basing at Dec 2019 cost to the higher cost Dec 2023.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/annual-inflation-at-4-7-percent/
$628,000 + 25% = 785,000
The May 31 house average is $770,000.
The average price is no higher now than in Dec 2019, when accounting for inflation.
https://www.interest.co.nz/charts/real-estate/median-price-reinz
Median values seen as more reliable than average values.
Average here.
https://www.oneroof.co.nz/news/new-zealand-house-prices-what-you-need-to-know-43314
The average in Dec 2019 $745,000 + 25% is $930,000 – the current value.
When adding the 2024 inflation rate to the 18.9% of the past 16 quarters, it appears that house values are coming into synch with inflation since then.
Thanks for your research.
Inflation is cumulative not additive – the next lot just includes the previous and piles on top.
In the above case
100 x 1.015 = 101.5
101.5 x 1.057 = 107.29
107.29 x 1.071 = 114.90
114.90 x 1.046 = 120.19
So there is a 20.19% increase in price not 18.9% – and it gets worse with every subsequent year of inflation.
Yeah that is why I was looking at 25% by the end of this year, as to inflation adjusted synchronisation with the Dec 2019 (pre COVID) value.
However to stay there, might require an improvement in supply (relative to migration inflow outflow) as mortgage rates come down.
It cannot stay there for there is only two or three ways to purge excess debt from the system
1) Pay it off and cause massive deflation (removing $100 BILLION from the system)
2) Inflate the currency in which the debt is fixed (the numbers stay the same but the value of the inflated dollars used to pay it off is far less than the initial value of the loan)
3) Repudiate the debt (Resulting in vast losses to Bond holders and making sure that future Bond issues are not subscribed to.)
Once inflation is started it takes REAL restrictive reductions in Govt. spending to on seat it.
The lock down spending locked it in. Better off to have never done it – sacrificed 20,000 – 80,000 “Grannies” left the economy intact and redistributed the dead’s assets to those (younger ones) left alive. Just like in war – some must give the ultimate sacrifice.
P.S. I may well have been one of the “Grannies” ….