Open mike 31/03/2016
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6:00 am, March 31st, 2016 - 68 comments
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- COVID-19 milestone: 5000th vaccinator completes specialised trainingA significant COVID-19 workforce milestone has been reached, with the 5000th vaccinator completing specialised training to administer the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. “A huge amount of work has been going on behind the scenes to boost numbers of trained vaccinators and this is a milestone worth celebrating,” ...23 hours ago
- Immigration Reset: Setting the sceneTIHEI MAURI ORA Tuia te whakapono Tuia te tumanako Tuia te aroha Tuia te hunga ora Ki te hunga ora Tihei Mauri ora Ka nui te mihi ki a koutou Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa. Thank you for being here tonight as I outline the government’s planning to ...2 days ago
- Australia New Zealand Leaders’ Meeting 2021Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will visit New Zealand for the annual Australia-New Zealand Leaders’ Meeting on 30 and 31 May. Prime Minister Morrison, accompanied by Mrs Morrison, will arrive in Queenstown on Sunday 30 May and talks will take place on the ...2 days ago
- International collaboration delivers new tools to help tackle agricultural emissionsThe Global Research on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA), an alliance backed by New Zealand is delivering promising new technologies such as cow vaccines and probiotics to tackle agricultural emissions, Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor said. Eleven research projects, funded and delivered under the alliance of 64 countries, have been recently ...2 days ago
- Take your time and get home safe this Road Safety WeekThe Government is urging Kiwis to drive carefully and check their speed, Transport Minister Michael Wood said at the start of Road Safety Week. Michael Wood said despite the Government investing in safer roads, drivers still need to take care. ...2 days ago
- Budget boosts Carbon Neutral Government commitmentBudget 2021 delivers $67.4 million to support the transition to a carbon neutral public sector by 2025 State Sector Decarbonisation Fund receives significant boost to support more schools, hospitals and other government organisations to replace coal boilers with clean alternatives Funding boost will also accelerate the Government’s ‘electric vehicles first’ ...3 days ago
- Report shows progress on Homelessness Action PlanThe Government has welcomed the release of the second progress report on the Homelessness Action Plan, showing that good progress is being made on every one of the immediate actions in the Plan. “Homelessness will not be solved overnight, but I am pleased to see that this plan is continuing ...4 days ago
- Arts and cultural festivals get funding boostOne of New Zealand’s oldest cultural festivals and a brand new youth festival are amongst four events to win grants to help them grow, attract new audiences, and boost local economies. Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash has announced new support from an incubator fund launched last year to ...4 days ago
- Govt to rev up reductions in transport emissionsThe Government is calling for feedback on a range of potential policies to eliminate emissions in the transport sector. Transport Minister Michael Wood today released Hīkina te Kohupara – Kia mauri ora ai te iwi - Transport Emissions: Pathways to Net Zero by 2050, a Ministry of Transport report outlining ...5 days ago
- Government recognises David McPhail’s contribution to New Zealand comedy and televisionMinister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Carmel Sepuloni today pays tribute to David Alexander McPhail (11 April 1945 – 14 May 2021) – New Zealand comedian, actor, producer and writer. David McPhail ONZM QSM had a comedy career that spanned four decades, across both television and theatre. “David’s contribution to ...5 days ago
- Support for drought-stressed regions fills a needAn innovative iwi-led plan to help maintain water supply to a far North community battered by drought is set to get underway with support from the Government, Acting Minister for Emergency Management Kris Faafoi says. “The impacts of climate change are not something that just our grandchildren will have to ...5 days ago
- KiwiSaver default provider scheme improvements slash fees, boosts savingsHundreds of thousands of New Zealanders will be significantly better off in retirement following changes to the default KiwiSaver scheme, Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister David Clark said today. The new default provider arrangements, which will take effect once the terms of the current providers ...5 days ago
- Industry leadership for our training system becomes realitySix new Workforce Development Councils formally established today will ensure people graduate with the right skills at the right time to address skill shortages, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. Every industry in New Zealand will be covered by one of the following Workforce Development Councils: • Hanga-Aro-Rau – Manufacturing, Engineering ...6 days ago
- Rotorua Emergency Housing updateThe Government has announced a suite of changes to emergency housing provision in Rotorua: Government to directly contract motels for emergency accommodation Wrap around social support services for those in emergency accommodation to be provided Grouping of cohorts like families and tamariki in particular motels separate from other groups One-stop ...6 days ago
- Further COVID-19 vaccine and economic support for the PacificNew Zealand will be providing protection against COVID-19 to at least 1.2 million people in the Pacific over the coming year $120 million in Official Development Assistance has been reprioritised to support Pacific economies in 2021 Foreign Affairs Minister Hon Nanaia Mahuta and Associate Health and Foreign Affairs Minister Aupito William ...6 days ago
- Statement on the escalation of violence in Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and GazaForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today expressed Aotearoa New Zealand’s grave concern at the escalation of violence in Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and Gaza. “The growing death toll and the large numbers of casualties, including children, from Israeli airstrikes and Gazan rockets is unacceptable,” Nanaia Mahuta said “Senior officials met ...6 days ago
- Trade Minister to travel to UK and EU to progress free trade agreementsTrade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor announced today he will travel to the United Kingdom and European Union next month to progress New Zealand’s respective free trade agreement negotiations. The decision to travel to Europe follows the agreement reached last week between Minister O’Connor and UK Secretary of State for ...6 days ago
- Pre-Budget speech to Business New ZealandKia ora koutou katoa It’s great to be here today, at our now-regular event in anything-but-regular times. I last spoke to some of you in mid-March. That was an opportunity to reflect on an extraordinary 12 months, but also to reflect on how the future was shaping up. In what ...6 days ago
- Te Hurihanganui growing with Nelson community celebrationNelson is the latest community to join the Te Hurihanganui kaupapa to drive change and address racism and bias in education, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis announced today. Speaking at today’s community celebration, Kelvin Davis acknowledged the eight iwi in Te Tau Ihu for supporting and leading Te Hurihanganui in ...6 days ago
- Te Hurihanganui Nelson Community Celebration Te Hurihanganui Nelson Community Celebration Victory Community Centre, Nelson “Racism exists – we feel little and bad”. Those were the unprompted words of one student during an interview for a report produced by the Children’s Commissioner in 2018. They were also the words I used when I announced the ...6 days ago
- Child wellbeing reports highlight need for ongoing actionThe Government has released the first Annual Report for the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy and the second Child Poverty Related Indicators (CPRI) Report, both of which highlight improvements in the lives of children as a result of actions of the Government, while setting out the need for ongoing action. ...6 days ago
- Formal consultation starts on proposals for Hawera schoolsEducation Minister Chris Hipkins today announced a formal consultation for the future of schooling in Hawera. "Recent engagement shows there is a lot of support for change. The preferred options are for primary schools to be extended to year 7 and 8, or for a year 7-13 high school to ...6 days ago
- He Whenua Taurikura: New Zealand’s Hui on Countering Terrorism and Violent ExtremismThe Government is progressing another recommendation of the Royal Commission of Inquiry report into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain by convening New Zealand’s first national hui on countering terrorism and violent extremism. He Whenua Taurikura, meaning ‘a land or country at peace’, will meet in Christchurch on 15 and ...6 days ago
- Hundreds of new electric cars for state sectorTotal of 422 new electric vehicles and charging infrastructure across the state sector $5.1 million for the Department of Conservation to buy 148 electric vehicles and install charging infrastructure $1.1 million to help Kāinga Ora buy 40 electric vehicles and install charging infrastructure 11,600 tonnes of carbon emissions saved over ...7 days ago
- Apartments give new life to former Trade Training hostelA building that once shaped the Māori trade training industry will now revitalise the local community of Ōtautahi and provide much needed housing for whānau Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson announced today. The old Māori Trade Training hostel, Te Koti Te Rato, at Rehua Marae in Christchurch has been ...7 days ago
- Opening of Te Kōti o Te Rato at Rehua Marae, Ōtautahi*Check with delivery* It is a great pleasure to be here with you all today. I acknowledge Ngāi Tūāhuriri and the trustees of Te Whatu Manawa Māoritanga o Rehua Trust Board. The opening of six new apartments on these grounds signifies more than an increase in much-needed housing for Ōtautahi. ...7 days ago
- Major step to pay parity for early learning teachersCertificated teachers on the lowest pay in early education and care services will take another leap towards pay parity with their equivalents in kindergartens, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said in a pre-Budget announcement today. “Pay parity for education and care teachers is a manifesto commitment for Labour and is reflected ...7 days ago
- New Zealand Wind Energy ConferenceTēnā koutou katoa Tēnā koutou i runga i te kaupapa o te Rā No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tatou katoa Thank you Grenville for the introduction and thanks to the organisers, the New Zealand Wind Energy Association, for inviting me to speak this morning. I’m delighted that you ...7 days ago
- Speech to New Zealand Drug Foundation 2021 Parliamentary Drug Policy SymposiumSpeech to Through the Maze: On the road to health New Zealand Drug Foundation 2021 Parliamentary Drug Policy Symposium Mōrena koutou katoa, Tēnei te mihi ki a koutou, Kua tae mai nei me ngā kete matauranga hauora, E whai hononga ai tatau katoa, Ka nui te mihi! Thank you for the opportunity ...1 week ago
- Govt to deliver lower card fees to businessCommerce and Consumer Affairs Minister David Clark has today announced the Government’s next steps to reduce merchant service fees, that banks charge businesses when customers use a credit or debit card to pay, which is estimated to save New Zealand businesses approximately $74 million each year. “Pre COVID, EFTPOS has ...1 week ago
- Government support boosts Arts and Culture sectorGovernment support for the cultural sector to help it recover from the impact of COVID-19 has resulted in more cultural sector jobs predicted through to 2026, and the sector performing better than forecast. The latest forecast by economic consultancy ‘Infometrics’ reflects the impact of Government investment in keeping people in ...1 week ago
- Govt takes further action against gang crimeThe Government will make it illegal for high risk people to own firearms by introducing Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPOs) that will strengthen action already taken to combat the influence of gangs and organised crime to help keep New Zealanders and their families safe, Police Minister Poto Williams and Justice Minister ...1 week ago
- Thousands of MIQ spaces allocated to secure economic recoveryFive hundred spaces per fortnight will be allocated in managed isolation facilities over the next 10 months, many for skilled and critical workers to support our economic recovery, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor say. “The Trans-Tasman bubble has freed up more rooms, allowing us to ...1 week ago
- New Zealand Sign Language Week a chance to recognise national taongaThis week (10 – 16 May 2021) is New Zealand Sign Language Week (NZSL), a nationwide celebration of NZSL as an official language of New Zealand. “We’re recognised as a world leader for our commitment to maintaining and furthering the use of our sign language,” says Minister for Disability Issues ...1 week ago
- Economic resilience provides more options in Budget 2021Securing the recovery and investing in the wellbeing of New Zealanders is the focus of Budget 2021, Grant Robertson told his audience at a pre-budget speech in Auckland this morning. "The economy has proven resilient in response to COVID-19, due to people having confidence in the Government’s health response to ...1 week ago
- Pre-Budget speech to BNZ-Deloitte Auckland Breakfast EventThank you for the invitation to speak to you today, and to share with you some of the Government’s thinking leading into this year’s budget. This will be my fourth time delivering the annual Budget for the Government, though the events of the past year have thrown out that calculation. ...1 week ago
- The Budget and why it matters: What you need to know
Explainer - The Budget is approaching, but what actually is it, and does it even matter? RNZ is here to clear it all up. ...33 mins ago - Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – May 19 2021
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Click here to subscribe to Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup and New Zealand Politics Daily. Today’s content Budget 2021 Kate C. Prickett (The Conversation): NZ’s second ‘Well-being Budget’ must deliver for the ...1 hour ago - Lengthy Wait Times Continue For Driver Licence Testing
The number of days New Zealanders are waiting to sit a practical driver licence test continues to grow, with the latest figures from the Driving Change Network showing waits of up to 104 working days. “Test wait times are worse in Gore, Gisborne and ...1 hour ago - PSA Supports Chief Ombudsman Investigation, Points To Understaffing ConcernsPublic Service Association members will actively cooperate with the Chief Ombudsman’s investigation into the Department of Corrections. The union says its members closely follow Corrections policy regarding the safe and secure containment of prisoners, ...2 hours ago
- She started at the bottom, now she’s changing the way we go to the toilet
From the Kiwee Lifter to BDèt to Toru Roll, Billie Jo Hohepa-Ropiha has found her niche creating toilet-based innovations – but that wasn’t always the former journalist’s plan.“Dad was an inventor,” says Billie Jo Hohepa-Ropiha, recounting her childhood in the Northland settlement of Moerewa. It’s a US rust belt-style factory ...2 hours ago - Harsher Coward Punch Legislation Needed: Five Years Minimum Mandatory Prison TimeSensible Sentencing Trust is once again reiterating previous calls for harsher punishments to be set as clear deterrents for coward punches in support of Israel Adesanya’s public outcry against the thug who attacked Fau Vake in Auckland over the weekend. ...2 hours ago
- Judith Collins 'enjoying every moment' as National leaderA sharp plunge in Judith Collins' rating as preferred prime minister has heightened uncertainty about her political fortunes. ...2 hours ago
- Climate activists hold low expectations for budget's climate focusClimate activists are laying out their climate wishlists but are bracing themselves for disappointment from tomorrow's Budget. ...3 hours ago
- The Side Eye’s Two New Zealands: The 2700 Day GapRich and poor, young and old, renters and landlords: sometimes it feels like there are parallel versions of our country. In 2021, Toby Morris’s Side Eye is exploring this theme in the series Two New Zealands. Whether it’s the wealth gap, generation gap, the rural-urban contrast, the different ways Māori ...3 hours ago
- On its first try, China’s Zhurong rover hit a Mars milestone that took NASA decadesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Webb, PhD candidate in Astrophysics, Swinburne University of Technology China’s Zhurong rover landed safely on Mars on May 15, making China only the third country to successfully land a rover on the red planet. More impressively still, China is the first ...3 hours ago
- While rich countries experience a post-COVID boom, the poor are getting poorer. Here’s how Austral...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amrita Malhi, Visiting Fellow, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs; Senior Adviser Geoeconomics, Save the Children, Australian National University The latest IMF and World Bank reports show a global economic boom gathering steam. This is thanks to US$16 trillion in fiscal ...3 hours ago
- ‘Devastated and sad’ after 36 years of research — early detection of ovarian cancer doesn’t ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Jacobs, President and Vice-Chancellor, UNSW My colleages’ and my efforts to develop a screening test for the early detection of ovarian cancer capable of saving lives arrived at a sad moment last week. The final trial results of the research I’ve ...3 hours ago
- ‘One sip can kill’: why a highly toxic herbicide should be banned in AustraliaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nedeljka Rosic, Senior Lecturer, Southern Cross University There’s a weedkiller used in Australia that’s so toxic, one sip could kill you. It’s called paraquat and debate is brewing over whether it should be banned. Paraquat is already outlawed in many places around ...3 hours ago
- We have the evidence for what works in schools, but that doesn’t mean everyone uses itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucas Walsh, Professor, Education Policy and Practice, Monash University By June 2020, the COVID-19 crisis had forced schools to close in 188 countries, disrupting the learning of more than 1.7 billion children. The OECD estimated the impact of these school closures would ...3 hours ago
- Minimum space for passing cyclists is now law Australia-wide. It increases safety – but possibly r...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Fruhen, Lecturer, School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia To protect cyclists on the roads, state governments in Australia have introduced laws that set a minimum space drivers must give cyclists when overtaking them. These laws are now in ...3 hours ago
- The GFC provided the secret sauce we used to ward off the COVID recessionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University We got an awful lot right during the COVID crisis — an awful lot that we couldn’t have got right just a few years earlier. Which is another way of ...3 hours ago
- Happy 160th birthday Dame Nellie Melba: 5 surprising facts about the canny songstressSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel M Campbell, Academic, University of Canberra Dame Nellie Melba, who appears on our $100 note, was born Helen Porter Mitchell in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond on May 19, 1861. An operatic soprano with a voice described as sparklingly clear, her ...3 hours ago
- Live updates, May 19: Urgent law change needed to ensure legality of vaccine roll-outWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for May 19, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz8.00am: Urgent law change needed to ensure legality of vaccine roll-outNew legislation is on the way to ensure that the government’s vaccine drive can continue.A High Court decision ...3 hours ago
- A year after New Zealand’s first COVID-19 lockdown, discrimination and racism are on the riseSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jagadish Thaker, Senior Lecturer, School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University More than two in five New Zealanders (41%) say incidents of racism have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a national survey carried out in February and March this ...3 hours ago
- NZ’s second ‘Well-being Budget’ must deliver for the families that sacrificed most during the ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate C. Prickett, Director of the Roy McKenzie Centre for the Study of Families and Children, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s promise of a “recovery and well-being budget” is an apt recognition of the current ...3 hours ago
- NZ Govt challenged to match Australia's spending on critical infrastructure
Billions in Budget investment in road, rail and housing is the best way to stimulate an economic recovery, infrastructure leaders say. ...4 hours ago - The Bulletin: Hospitals hit by hack attackGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Waikato hospitals hit by hack attack, asylum seekers double-bunked alongside violent prisoners, and Wellington bus drivers offered controversial settlement deal.Something very wrong has happened to the computer systems at the Waikato DHB, and it’s not yet clear how long it ...4 hours ago
- Budget 2021: More investment in rangatahi employment needed, iwi and business leaders sayIwi and Māori business' have called on the government to invest more in rangatahi Māori employment and training initiatives, which have seen thousands join the workforce. ...5 hours ago
- Lessons from our Covid tracing app
One year on from the introduction of the NZ COVID Tracer app, Dr Andrew Chen recaps what it does, whether it has worked, and what we could have done better First off, and in case you’d forgotten, Covid-19 is a highly transmissible infectious disease – once someone has it, they could ...5 hours ago - The privileges of Sue Kedgley
An essay by Phillida Bunkle on the new memoir by Sue Kedgley Sue Kedgley has earned her uncontested place as one of New Zealand feminism’s tallest and most resilient poppies and its most internationally acclaimed proponent. Her new autobiography Fifty Years a Feminist also starts an historical reckoning of ...5 hours ago - Take care with the term 'racist'
Self-described 'recovering racist' Greg Dawes wants to avoid the term 'racism' in the debate over the He Puapua report. He explains why. Before Judith Collins and David Seymour brought it into the public eye, few of us had heard of the He Puapua report and its vision for a bicultural New ...5 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 19 May
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...5 hours ago - Taupō-based firm Geo40 secures investment in lithium extraction for EV batteries
Venture capital firm Pacific Channel invests $7.5 million to develop early stage technology to recover lithium from geothermal fluid. A company hoping to mine geothermal waste for use in making electric vehicle batteries has received a cash injection to allow it to fast track its plans. Geo40 has secured $7.5 million in equity ...5 hours ago - Newsroom's daily sudoku, Wednesday 19 May
...5 hours ago - Southern cancer screening still not in the clear
Despite a public apology and promises to do better, it’s still better to live in Dunedin than Invercargill when it comes to colonoscopies. David Williams reports On its face, the Southern District Health Board is improving its much-maligned colonoscopy service. Demand for the procedure, the primary method for diagnosing bowel ...5 hours ago - Israel's military occupation of Palestine not sustainable
International law enacted to protect occupied peoples against state violence is being flouted by Israel with impunity - and it's just not sustainable, argue Hanlie Booysen and Nadine Kreitmeyr Israel’s settlement policy is behind the current violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories. Aotearoa New Zealand-sponsored UNSC Resolution 2334 of December ...5 hours ago - Vying for funding: Why some ideas are more lucrative than others
Anna Hughes looks at failure, rejection and how to learn deliberately from them to get support for our business ideas. ...5 hours ago - Russell McVeagh summer clerk 'just a piece of meat' to ex-partner
A summer clerk allegedly touched inappropriately by a former Russell McVeagh partner said she felt as if she was "just a piece of meat" to the man A former Russell McVeagh partner caused a colleague to angrily storm out of a party at his home when he kissed a summer ...5 hours ago - Russell McVeigh summer clerk 'just a piece of meat' to ex-partnerA summer clerk allegedly touched inappropriately by a former Russell McVeagh partner said she felt as if she was "just a piece of meat" to the man A former Russell McVeagh partner caused a colleague to angrily storm out of a party at his home when he kissed a summer ...5 hours ago
- Newsroom daily crossword, Wednesday 19 May
...5 hours ago - Japanese paddler moves to NZ for Lisa Carrington
If kayak sprinter Juri Urada makes the Japanese team for the 2024 Paris Olympics it 'd be fair to say New Zealand – not to mention Lisa Carrington – will have played a big part in her journey. As a keen student of kayaking in her teens, Juri Urada became ...5 hours ago - Aid Is Key To COVID Recovery – Budget PleaNew Zealand's aid agencies are calling on the government to increase aid in this year's budget, especially to the Pacific – or at least to maintain existing levels. New Zealand’s aid makes up 0.33% of GNI (Gross National Income), well below the ...6 hours ago
- Human Rights Group Calls On New Zealand MPs To Recognise Palestinian StatehoodAs the systemic violence and repression by Israel against Palestinians escalates, the people of New Zealand are urging our government to take positive steps to protect the rights, livelihoods and lives of Palestinian civilians. Over the weekend many ...6 hours ago
- The dream budget for NZ progressives already exists across the PacificThe first budget in decades from a Labour majority government will be unveiled on Thursday and all signs point to restrained spending. Council of Trade Unions economist Craig Renney dreams big and considers what a transformative budget would look like. Luckily, one already exists.Picture this.The finance minister (and deputy prime ...6 hours ago
- Three ways budget 2021 can help small business growThe trials of the past year illuminated the critical role SMEs play in our economy and society. As Gavin Lennox writes, the budget is the perfect opportunity for the government to give them the resources to compete in an increasingly innovative world.Every week our team at The Icehouse works with ...6 hours ago
- Christchurch Call – running out of momentum?
Has the Christchurch Call made any progress or has the whole thing descended into a talk fest? It was a big promise on a global stage but two years on, the effectiveness and transparency of the Christchurch Call is being called into question. In the aftermath of the March ...6 hours ago - Henare ready to fight Collins on Māori health
How a Māori Health Authority will address Māori inequality has been lost in recent weeks to a debate about whether it’s separatist. ...6 hours ago - Govt told not to 'pinch pennies' on isolation payment
National and the Greens say the cost of paying contacts of Covid-19 cases higher amounts to stay home is worth it and have criticised the Government for refusing to do so. ...6 hours ago - His internet traffic is bigger than the UK's
Q&A: US video game billionaire Gabe Newell, marooned in NZ during lockdown and now an NZ resident, revealed his ambitions in a special guest appearance. ...6 hours ago - Outlook bleak with Finance Minister to deliver Stagflation Budget
The first signs of inflationary pressure as Grant Robertson leads NZ into higher inflation and lower growth ...6 hours ago - FAST leader delighted but struggle for political control in Samoa drags onRNZ Pacific The struggle to decide Samoa’s government is headed back to court, as both main political parties continue to stand firm on their beliefs following a Supreme Court ruling dismissing a call for a second election. The Supreme Court yesterday threw out the Head of State’s move toward a ...11 hours ago
- Golriz Ghahraman: Our stand for the statehood rights of PalestiniansCOMMENTARY: By Golriz Ghahraman Tomorrow I will move a motion calling on the New Zealand Parliament to join the Green Party in recognising the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and statehood. This is about acknowledging the humanity and dignity of Palestinians at a time when they are facing ...11 hours ago
- Illegal Israeli settler: ‘If I don’t steal your house, someone else will’Israeli settlers’ aggressive takeover of Palestinian homes in Jerusalem is part of a decades-long struggle, writesأيمن حسونة about Israel’s system of apartheid leading up to the current crisis, translated by Yasmeen Omera. “If I don’t steal your house, someone else will.” This is how an Israeli settler called “Yakob” ...11 hours ago
- NZ could play mediating role in Gaza conflict – but does it want to?ANALYSIS: By Geoffrey Miller So far, the New Zealand government has been remarkably silent about the Gaza-Israel conflict. Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta could be helping meditate for peace, Geoffrey Miller writes. The growing Gaza crisis is testing Nanaia Mahuta’s recent assertion that New Zealand has an independent foreign policy. ...11 hours ago
- Future of AUT’s Pacific Media Centre still up in the airBy Justin Wong in Auckland Auckland University of Technology has denied it is sidelining the Pacific Media Centre in the School of Communication Studies, but it is yet to announce the new leadership following disputes over office space and a succession plan. The multi-disciplinary research and professional development unit was ...11 hours ago
- No new elections in Samoa as Head of State doesn’t have power, rules courtBy Lagi Keresoma in Apia The new elections in Samoa called by the Head of State for this Friday, May 21, cannot proceed as they were not called under any legal authority and is accordingly voided, the Supreme Court has ruled. So concluded the 28-page court ruling delivered by Chief ...11 hours ago
- Samoa’s Supreme Court dismisses Head of State’s call for fresh electionRNZ News Samoa’s Supreme Court has thrown out the Head of State’s decision to call a second election, clearing the path for the newcomer FAST party to form a government. Announcing the second election earlier this month, Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aletoa Sualauvi II told Samoans it was the best way to break ...11 hours ago
- NZ support for opposition leader Judith Collins dives in new pollRNZ News New Zealand’s opposition National Party leader Judith Collins has suffered a sharp dip in support in the preferred prime minister stakes, in the latest Newshub Reid Research poll. The new poll has Labour on 52.7 percent while National has improved slightly to 27 percent support – an increase ...11 hours ago
- Ghahraman condemns ‘disappointing’ NZ response over attacks on GazaAsia Pacific Report newsdesk The foreign spokesperson for New Zealand’s Green Party, Golriz Ghahraman, is “disappointed” by the government’s response to escalating attacks by Israel on the Gaza enclave, reports TVNZ News. It comes amid the destruction at the weekend on a Gaza building which was headquarters of international media ...11 hours ago
- It may not be possible to bring all Australians with COVID home from India. But we can do better tha...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Bennett, Chair in Epidemiology, Deakin University A 47-year-old Sydney man has died in India after contracting COVID-19. This news comes amid anger after the first repatriation flight from India following the controversial travel ban arrived in Darwin half empty on Saturday. ...13 hours ago
- Have Australian researchers developed an effective COVID-19 treatment? Potentially, but we need to w...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nial Wheate, Associate Professor of the Sydney Pharmacy School, University of Sydney The world is now 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic and we’ve yet to find a single drug that can stop the virus. At best, we can treat the effects ...16 hours ago
- The story of Rum Jungle: a Cold War-era uranium mine that’s spewed acid into the environment for d...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gavin Mudd, Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering, RMIT University Buried in last week’s budget was money for rehabilitating the Rum Jungle uranium mine near Darwin. The exact sum was not disclosed. Rum Jungle used to be a household name. It was Australia’s ...16 hours ago
- 'Technical anomaly' spurs urgent law change for Covid-19 vaccineThe government will urgently change the law to ensure the Covid-19 vaccine rollout is legal following a High Court decision today. ...17 hours ago
- How to survive as a figurative sculptor? WA’s The Syndicate is a novel form of philanthropy in the...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ted Snell, Honorary Professor, Edith Cowan University For any serious artist, funding the production of ambitious works — let alone finding the resources to keep yourself alive during the process — can be daunting. However, if studio expenses, rent, and the cost ...18 hours ago
- Climate explained: is natural gas really cheaper than renewable electricity?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ralph Sims, Professor, School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, Massey University CC BY-ND Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d ...19 hours ago
- New Zealand is overdue for an open and honest debate about 21st-century trade relationsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Kelsey, Professor of Law, University of Auckland With more countries considering joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), New Zealand urgently needs a real public debate on the future of such trade and investment agreements. In February this ...19 hours ago
- On The Ardern Government's Public Sector Wage FreezeBy John Braddock, Socialist Equality Group May 14, original url: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/05/15/nzwa-m15.html New Zealand’s Labour-led government, which includes the Greens, recently declared a pay freeze across the public service for the next three years. The move, which ...19 hours ago
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Does this explain Simon Bridges’ permanent air of dazed bovine contentment?
I’m sure this contract was completely above board, for example.
Meanwhile, a month earlier… That must have been embarrassing!
I wonder what induced Bridges to award the contract despite the bribery scandal. Bovine contentment?
Ah, I have my contract dates mixed up – the Leighton Holdings job had already been awarded. Totes legit then.
I’m so thankful that NZ is touted as one of the least corrupt countries in the world. In fact I’m pretty sure Nat MP Paul Foster-Bell said this on Waatea 5th Estate just the other night.
Hearing those words encourages me when I think I hear a large company that uses bribery to get oil contracts overseas also won the $1 billion Transmission Gully project, and that our Government will be paying them undisclosed millions in “maintenance” costs for the next 25 years once the road is built. Fills me with hope.
I don’t think that’s hope you’re being filled with.
Good link in particular
“After the US-led coalition won the second gulf war, it went to guard the oil ministry – leaving the Baghdad museum undefended to be looted of its treasures.
But they did not save the oil industry from thieves. The Unaoil files reveal that Western companies, in concert with Iraq’s new elite, themselves began a sustained campaign of looting.”
The invasion of Iraq was to seize their oil. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11!
Undoubtedly !
( this is in answer to OAB at1. )
One Anonymous Bloke, when you are casting about your unsubstantiated nasturtiums that our politicians are in the pay of the oil industry…, Why do you stop at Simon Bridges?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11164241
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10822510
Corruption on a massive scale.
http://www.theage.com.au/interactive/2016/the-bribe-factory/day-1/the-company-that-bribed-the-world.html
Also see http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/78400473/unaoil-bribery-scandal-codenames-subterfuge-and-the-global-money-trail
I hope they’ll be releasing the emails.
+1 Tautoko MangÅ Mata
Why this is important:
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bigideas/corruption-and-global-security/7249178
This was written in July last year but it is interesting seeing the Trump quotes.
https://theintercept.com/2015/07/30/politicians-admitting-obvious-fact-money-affects-vote/
The problem here is that the crims have a ready-made apparatus just waiting for them. It’s called The National Party.
Reichert: Ways & Means GOP Form Five Working Groups On TPP Problems
House Ways & Means Committee Republicans have formed five working groups addressing their objections to the Trans-Pacific Partnership that cover biologic medicines, financial services data localization, tobacco, agricultural market access and “elevated labor obligations,” trade subcommittee Chairman Dave Reichert (R-WA) said in an interview this week.
http://insidetrade.com/
Here come the changes! Here’s how they will do it. Time to wake up, NZ!
HOW THE US FORCED AUSTRALIA TO REWRITE ASPECTS OF ITS COPYRIGHT LAW DURING CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE AUSFTA
http://tppnocertification.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/AUSFTA-certification-memo-Feb-2015.pdf
30 March 2016
<blockquoteKey Holds Door Open To TPP Changes, But Only After Deal Is Implemented
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key on Wednesday (March 30) signaled that his country is not open to changing the terms of the Trans-Pacific Partnership before it enters into force but that tweaks to the deal could occur as additional countries join in the future. He also warned that failure to bring the TPP into force would bolster the Chinese-led effort to conclude the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
http://insidetrade.com/
Exactly as Lori Wallach noted…..funny that.
Good morning TMM, I think you need too put the > at the end of blockquote as well.
& “</blockquote" at the end of the quote too (I find it quickest to type that at the end, then copy paste it to the top and delete the slash).
I do appreciate TMM's comments, they often contain information and links that I haven't come across myself.
Of course TMM’s good value. 😉
Reported on RNZ that Key in USA has told them that they must not build a wall to keep Mexico out. (That’s sorted then.)
And that the USA must go ahead with TPPA because he said it is good. (He should know as he is a very very wise man. Sorted then.)
+1 ianmac
+ 100% lol, ianmac
I heard that there was more of an issue keeping US citizens out of Mexico. Apparently there are better job prospects over the border.
I heard that if T-rump is POTUS the Mexicans will build and willingly pay for their own wall.
Yep, and the audience would have had John-Oliver-inspired images of Key , the South Pacific banana republic, ponytail-pulling, and flag-changing floating through their heads as Key spoke.
That’s why they laughed at his comments.
And this first article shows again, why all of our hair pulling and gosh who will think of the future in regards to climate change literally is just hogwash to appease the masses.
We are still knocking down houses – in a city with a housing crisis – to build a fucking carpark, so people can drive their arses to a park and go for a run. Never mind the perfectly good houses that will get knocked down. No its important that the office drones of Auckland get to exercises their bony behinds in a park that they need to drive too. Cause walking there would be an abomination. OR something.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/78338710/tenants-lose-homes-in-monte-cecilia-park-extension
“Everyone I’ve spoken to is really concerned they won’t find a new place.
“Everything in my price range is run down or full of mould. A lot of people can’t afford to pay $1000 a week for a four-bedroom house.” quote end.
If the Governemnt does not want to be in the business of housing, could it get rid of Nick Smith mInister of housing or something like this. We could save the wages paid to this looser, he could try his hand in the free market and no one would be worse off….well maybe the company that would hire the looser. But hey the market would fix that one too.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/78384251/protests-over-transfer-of-2800-east-auckland-state-houses-heat-up
Rolling protests against the transfer of 2800 Auckland state houses to a redevelopment company are set to come to a head on Thursday.
The Tamaki Housing Group has been protesting outside the Tamaki Regeneration Company (TRC) offices in the suburb of Glen Innes since Tuesday.
The group is against the Government’s controversial decision to transfer the ownership and management of 2800 states houses to the TRC on April 1.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/78326933/southland-houses-more-than-three-times-cheaper-than-auckland
Quote: ” A stable population, strong job market and a high quality of living also made Southland an ideal market to buy a house in, Ellis said.”
Well if there is such a strong job market and high quality of living why can’t we send some of the new migrants down to live in Invercargill? Surely there must be plenty of ‘business opportunities’ that the savvy overseas investment migrant can invest in in order to receive his residence permit? ‘T’would be a win for all, Auckland would have a few thousand migrants less flocking into Akl, and Invercargill would get a bit of ‘business investors money’ flowing in.
@Sabine
Just heard the news on The Sound, hardly indepth or searching (but great music!) but they were reporting the surge in unemployed youth, they were doing a weird angle about them joining the army or something, but rockstar economy has casualties.
This is a sad story.
Shandra Woworuntu: My life as a sex-trafficking victim
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35846207
Very much worth reading.
National and their “budgets” are playing us all for a bunch of suckers, like the audience of a magic show: http://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/80818/cam-preston-accuses-government-managing-countrys-finances-according-magicians-theory
Is it possible that Catherine Delahunty is in the firing line for her having embarrassed Dr Smith by asking very good questions about clean water QT yesterday, that he could not/would not answer?
Sorry. Mixed Sue Moroney with Catherine.
Still, Catherine did embarrass the Nicked Smith over clean water questions.
Just another irrational basic income supporter…
Glory Days
Just been researching some polls from 2002
Example: Herald-DigiPoll (July 2002)
Labour Down 1 point to 51%
National Down 1 point to 25%
ACT Up 1 point to 6%
They don’t make ’em like that anymore.
examination of the transition from then to, say, 2008 might be interesting
Yes it would, I think National had the funds, organization to recover. Plus they got a leader JK with no political baggage. Remember too that they nearly won in 2005. Is Labour as ready for a recovery, i am not so sure the next election being just 18 months away.
How low can trump supporters go?
It seems quite low…
The girl had punched in the face a grey haired Trump supporter in his 60s moments before that.
He sexually assaulted her.
In a statement, the police department said: “A 15 year [old] girl from Janesville was peppered sprayed in the crowd by a non-law enforcement person… A male in the (crowd) groped the 15 year [old] girl, when she pushed him away; another person in the (crowd) sprayed her. We are currently looking for two suspects, one for the sexual assault and one for the pepper spray”.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/15-year-old-pepper-sprayed-outside-donald-trump-rally/
It’s an alleged sexual assault. There are plenty of witnesses right there, men and women, so let’s see what the police can gather in terms of statements.
No, it’s a reported sexual assault.
The “grey haired Trump supporter in his 60s” is the alleged offender.
As I said, there are dozens of witnesses right there, men and women, and film footage too, so lets see what the police can make of it.
You’d be amazed at how easy it is to miss surreptitious actions in a crowd. That’s why pickpockets and gropers love crowds.
But the difference between saying a sexual assault against a 15yo was “alleged” vs the assault being “reported” and the suspect being “alleged” is pretty fundamental.
Looked to me like that older guy was there at the Trump event with someone who may have been his wife or female partner.
dude, seriously?
Even if you could read the matrix and determine their relationship status from that clip, why would that matter? Is knowing a woman some forcefield against sexually assaulting girls?
Why would it matter? It would matter in court, in front of a jury, of course.
lol
now you know what the jury will be thinking when faced with testimony you know will be presented from the woman you know to be his partner to defend him from the allegation of a 15yo girl that you know will go to jury trial rather than being plead out after you know charges will be filed….
Quite the victim blamer, aren’t you?
“The girl had punched in the face a grey haired Trump supporter in his 60s moments before that.”
@CV, citation?
All I found was this,
“A male in the [crowd] groped the 15-year-old] girl, when she pushed him away; another person in the [crowd] sprayed her. We are currently looking for two suspects, one for the sexual assault and one for the pepper spray.”
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2016/mar/30/us-election-2016-live-clinton-sanders-trump-cruz-kasich-campaign
Or this, maybe you can point out where the punch is,
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/donald-trump/12207176/Teenager-groped-and-pepper-sprayed-at-Wisconsin-Donald-Trump-rally.html
She’s making a fist with her hand which is visible in the video footage and then at some point she lashes out with it. From the camera angle I can’t see if her fist connected with anything more than thin air, but she throws a punch outwards alright.
Timestamp? I can’t see it. Is the grey-haired guy you refer to the one clearly visible on the left?
lol
And mr redhat is there to save the day, pepper spray at the ready in his hand just in case a 15 year old girl gets upset at being groped. What a hero.
Of course, using pepper spray in a crowded area to address a small issue within the hyped-up crowd can cause lethal stampedes.
It’s the mr redhat, who I made the original low comment about.
The waiting, and then slinking back to hide back into the crowd, what a low life.
I forgot that that Pepper spray could have broader consequences, good call McFlock.
As the girl is being led away following the assault someone in the crowd yells goddamn communist nigger lover! get out of here!
Candace Smith Verified account
@CandaceSmith_
EXCLUSIVE vid shows teen get pepper sprayed after shoving protester, called a bitch & “n****r lover” at Trump rally
edit:
Candace Smith Verified account
@CandaceSmith_
NEW: Janesville Police release photo of the man they think pepper sprayed teen yesterday outside of Trump rally.
https://twitter.com/CandaceSmith_/status/715218331318534145/photo/1
Harry Potter’s little brother?
The incident.
That a full shot of the low life at the end who did the pepper spray.
And he’s smiling like cheshire cat, sickening.
At 27 seconds she lashes out with her right hand/fist at the older guys face, unknown whether she actually connects or not. This was after she pushed forward through the crowd towards him for several seconds, against people trying to hold her back.
As for the guy who pepper sprayed her, yep, he’s a bit of a sadistic sociopath.
…while she repeatedly accused him of touching her breast.
And yet none of the drumpfoids thought to get his name, or detain him for the police to sort it out.
I hope she did connect. At least he’d have to explain how he got a scratch to his face – good way to identify him later.
perhaps the witnesses – male and female – standing closest to the apparent sexual assault victim didn’t think the old man had done anything. So didn’t feel the need to record his name or apprehend him.
Her violence wasn’t really necessary or productive. And it clearly wasn’t self defence, from the videos.
She might end up charged herself.
15yo girl charged with assaulting person she claims sexually assaulted her?
Good luck with that.
Plenty of video evidence. And if he has a nice scratch or contusion to the face, that’s the case made.
Maybe if the sherriff is a drumpf supporter.
Guy makes assault complaint against 15yo girl. Girl gets teeny fine and good behaviour bond because it’s at most minor end of scale. Here we don’t even bother with diversion for that.
But groping an underage girl? He has to introduce himself to any new neighbours for the rest of his life.
Investigators recommend disorderly conduct charge against young female anti-Trump protestor
Some didn’t see this obvious one coming.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/668901b477b24b6da498083af6d37f9c/cops-find-man-accused-pepper-spraying-girl-trump-rally
Disorderly conduct? Not assault or gbh? oooooo tragic to see a youngster go off the rails so soon in life…
On more cheerful news regarding a topic that caused much controversy here at TS a year or two back: WHO have declared an end to the West-African ebole-related Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
“Exponential rate of growth” or not, we didn’t end up with a Walking Dead scenario, which is nice.
“The main substantive achievement of neoliberalism has been the redistribution of wealth, rather than to generate, wealth and income.”