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Comment: The future of UK Labour and what it means for Aotearoa
Written By: DS - Date published: 1:06 am, April 3rd, 2024
From 1950 to 1997, the only British Labour leader to win an election was Harold Wilson. So what?Comment: The future of UK Labour and what it means for Aotearoa
Written By: DS - Date published: 1:02 am, April 3rd, 2024
An English Parliament would be a rival House of Commons - England is 84 percent of the UK population.Comment: Chris Hipkins – Values Matter
Written By: DS - Date published: 3:07 am, March 26th, 2024
"Mixed feelings"? The 1984-1993 economic reforms were evil. No mixed feelings about that. Quite apart from the obvious point: Hipkins has no values.Comment: Open mike 05/03/2024
Written By: DS - Date published: 7:04 pm, March 5th, 2024
A world where all List MPs live in Wellington is a world where half of Parliament is made up of Wellingtonians. That's not exactly a representative Parliament, is it? A List MP from outside Wellington ought to get the allowance too.Comment: Open mike 05/03/2024
Written By: DS - Date published: 4:25 pm, March 5th, 2024
National's Michael Woodhouse was a Dunedin-based List MP for years. Katherine Rich before him. He'd never win the electorate, of course, but him being a list MP based out of Dunedin provided the city with extra representation that wasn't just Labour. List ...Comment: A sad lament from the serial left
Written By: DS - Date published: 6:08 pm, February 14th, 2024
North Otago is not as conservative as Rural Southland. Rural Southland is hard-right conservative. North Otago, assuming you include Oamaru, is actually pretty close to a national bellwether. Taking out Oamaru still leaves North Otago as moderately blue - ...Comment: Labour and the Democrats
Written By: DS - Date published: 8:38 pm, January 20th, 2024
The President has veto power.Comment: Peak NZ Liberal
Written By: DS - Date published: 11:31 am, December 23rd, 2023
Couldn't care less about liberalism. Social democracy, or (god forbid) democratic socialism is the reason the New Zealand Labour Party exists.Comment: Political comeback – Getting the sequencing right
Written By: DS - Date published: 12:55 am, December 15th, 2023
Winston Peters could have legitimately opted for Bill English in 2017, but he didn't. He could not have legitimately opted for Chris Hipkins in 2023.Comment: About that First Speech from Luxon as PM
Written By: DS - Date published: 2:13 am, December 12th, 2023
They got 35% in 1993 and 34% in 1996.Comment: What does National have against Te Reo?
Written By: DS - Date published: 5:11 pm, December 6th, 2023
National has nothing against the Maori language. They simply find it a handy tool to inflict culture war on the country, as a distraction from class war.Comment: Cutting fair pay agreements will disproportionately impact women, Māori and Pasifika and young people
Written By: DS - Date published: 12:49 am, December 5th, 2023
National and ACT are supremely effective representatives of class interest (New Zealand First doesn't care). Of course they'd repeal the FPAs ASAP. If Labour were as effective at representing class interest, they wouldn't have waited until the last year of ...Comment: Labour needs to open the military-political front
Written By: DS - Date published: 10:51 pm, December 3rd, 2023
We're happy enough to help defend Australia - but that's largely moot, since Australia is not under any threat whatsoever. The real threat to be avoided is Australia dragging us into one of Washington's imperial projects.Comment: Aotearoa the way you want it?
Written By: DS - Date published: 4:37 pm, November 26th, 2023
I despise the incoming government as much as anyone... but can we please criticise them without the classist nonsense about Workingmen's Clubs? Not least because, you know, the sort of employment law or tax policy envisaged by a 1970s Workingmen's Club ...Comment: Open mike 24/11/2023
Written By: DS - Date published: 2:52 pm, November 24th, 2023
First thought on the new cabinet: there's only one South Islander (Doocey) in the entire bunch (Simmonds and Patterson are outside cabinet, making it 3/28 across the entire ministry). 1/20 is rather shitty representation when you make up a quarter of the ...Comment: Mergers and acquisitions
Written By: DS - Date published: 7:02 pm, November 20th, 2023
I voted Labour, and I can assure you that that would be signing the party's electoral death warrant in 2026 (seriously, it would make 2023 look like 2020). If there's no deal, there will have to be another election in 2024.Comment: Hipkins endorsed
Written By: DS - Date published: 3:54 am, November 8th, 2023
I remember the (justified) pushing of David Cunliffe in 2014. 2023 was worse, in electorate terms, than 2014, and yet people are still willing to tolerate Mr Captains Call. The fact that Hipkins is not being held accountable for this disaster - and the ...Comment: 2023 Final results
Written By: DS - Date published: 2:42 pm, November 4th, 2023
The other example is 1912, a change of government from Liberal to Reform in the middle of a term, without an election. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1911_New_Zealand_general_electionComment: Don’t get angry, get organised
Written By: DS - Date published: 5:02 pm, October 23rd, 2023
Dunedin is an interesting one. The Dunedin electorate saw vast numbers of Green voters party voting Green and electorate voting Labour. So Rachel Brooking emerged with a comfortable majority. In fact, National's result was so poor that it actually looks ...Comment: Why are the Greens so happy?
Written By: DS - Date published: 1:44 pm, October 15th, 2023
Once a Labour electorate goes Green, it's damned hard for Labour to get it back - Wellington Central is probably gone for good, so far as Labour is concerned, though they might have a shot at Rongotai in future. This also creates an interesting issue for ...Comment: Election Night 2023 on The Standard
Written By: DS - Date published: 10:56 pm, October 14th, 2023
Taieri improving now that South Dunedin is coming in. A bit depressing in that the National candidate did not actually campaign.Comment: Even Capitalists think that too much Capitalism is a bad thing
Written By: DS - Date published: 9:09 pm, October 5th, 2023
It's actually more that the markets do not actually believe the libertarian nonsense that cutting taxes will increase revenue. What happened with Liz Truss is roughly as follows: Surprise announcement of giant tax cuts. Markets realise this will create a ...Comment: The weird and wacky 2023 election campaign
Written By: DS - Date published: 2:12 am, October 5th, 2023
A couple of fundamental differences: Muldoon ran the best election campaign ever seen in New Zealand, capped by his vast superannuation bribe. National is not running an amazing campaign, and rather than a flagship policy, literally runs on not being ...Comment: An ACT New Zealand
Written By: DS - Date published: 11:30 pm, September 8th, 2023
This is not the NZ First of 2017. This is Winston running as a full conspiracy theorist. National being held hostage by both Seymour and Winston would be an utterly terrifying sight.Comment: Jeremy Corbyn was not fit to be Prime Minister. But is Starmer?
Written By: DS - Date published: 6:43 pm, September 6th, 2023
And before 1997, it had been 47 years since UK Labour had won an election without a leader named Wilson. By your reasoning, the post-1997 party would have been better off running a Harold Wilson tribute act.Comment: The report of our death has been grossly exaggerated
Written By: DS - Date published: 2:38 am, September 1st, 2023
Under MMP, the winner of 1978 and 1981 would be decided by Social Credit. Rural electorates did not have a smaller population. The problem was that Labour's vote was more concentrated. The Maori seats (acting as a pro-National gerrymander) did not help.Comment: New Zealand’s Greatest Economic Threat is Fonterra
Written By: DS - Date published: 11:37 pm, August 29th, 2023
They buy our dairy, and we buy their manufactured goods. I believe the expression is knowing which side our bread is buttered. But short of New Zealand developing a new and massive export industry to replace dairy (which would require many years of work, a ...Comment: New Zealand’s Greatest Economic Threat is Fonterra
Written By: DS - Date published: 7:14 pm, August 29th, 2023
We're never becoming a state of Australia (our interests are too different). Frankly, Australia itself is already having the problem of divergent interests between the dominant eastern states and Western Australia. New Zealand has always been agricultural. ...Comment: New Zealand’s Greatest Economic Threat is Fonterra
Written By: DS - Date published: 6:29 pm, August 29th, 2023
"Breaking open" China is perhaps a bit of a misnomer, in the sense that you make it sound like Beijing was a passive actor here. China bought itself not only milk powder for its middle class, but also bought New Zealand as an economic client - a ...Comment: Fifteen Green MPs, or more
Written By: DS - Date published: 7:27 pm, August 23rd, 2023
If they get 15 total, they'll indeed get a third South Island one. Which is fine. It's just that if they get 11 (or less) total, they'll only get one.
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- Gordon Campbell On Surviving Trump’s Trip To La La Land
The film industry was probably naive to think it would be spared from Donald Trump’s war on globalisation. If you believe Trump, every dollar being spent on foreign film crews, FX houses and film locations, every dime being spent by “runaway” film productions on foreign accomodation and food, is money ...7 days ago - Where’s your evidence, Brooke? Where’s your evidence?
Asked to comment on the passing of Bob Jones last week, our Prime Minister said he’s a living legend. Such is the B-bursary brain power of our leader. A dead guy is a living legend.No surprise then that all he grasped from Brooke van Velden's robot talk about vandalising pay ...1 week ago - The Coalition’s Pay Equity Betrayal
The Coalition of Chaos' latest incredibly short-sighted move sees them funnelling around a billion dollars from throwing pay equity claims into the bin into some new helicopters, supposedly for defence or emergency services. Fine, modern equipment is necessary, but at what cost?Pay equity claims, painstakingly initiated to address systemic wage ...1 week ago - The Government Aren’t Paying For Our Defence Spend. Workers Are.
Saving money? The best budgeters recommend cutting the biggest expenses first. I have several facts to present. The earnings gap between management and workers, and particularly between CEOs and workers, has been diverging dramatically since the 80s.The public sector (nearly) matches the pay rate of the private sector for managerial ...1 week ago - The Government Aren’t Paying For Our Defence Spend. Workers Are.
Saving money? The best budgeters recommend cutting the biggest expenses first. I have several facts to present. The earnings gap between management and workers, and particularly between CEOs and workers, has been diverging dramatically since the 80s.The public sector (nearly) matches the pay rate of the private sector for managerial ...1 week ago
- China needs Taiwanese ports to take the island. Mines are the key to protecting them
If China ever makes good on decades of implicit threats to invade Taiwan, most of its ground force will have to land at ports. Relatively little of it can come over beaches, because they ‘lack ...1 week ago - China needs Taiwanese ports to take the island. Mines are the key to protecting them
If China ever makes good on decades of implicit threats to invade Taiwan, most of its ground force will have to land at ports. Relatively little of it can come over beaches, because they ‘lack ...1 week ago
- Dropped
All charges against the Restore Passenger Rail protestors have finally been dropped. Good. But they should never have been laid in the first place, and it shouldn't have taken a jury telling the police to go fuck themselves (or the threat of them doing so again) for the state to ...1 week ago - Cameron Slater’s Selective Outrage Over Benjamin Doyle
Cameron Slater, the once-feared Whale Oil blogger now pathetic bedroom hack, is back at it again, flogging a dead horse while the rest of the right-wing propaganda circus has packed up and left town. His latest fixation? Green MP Benjamin Doyle, whose private social media account sparked a brief, baseless ...1 week ago
- National supports sexism
That's the only possible conclusion we can draw from their decision to legislatively terminate all pay equity claims, and make future claims much harder to win: Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden announced the moves to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued to support a claim, ...1 week ago
- Vocational training can play a greater role in national security
Australia’s national security strategy has evolved significantly in recent years, expanding beyond military and intelligence domains to address cyber threats, critical infrastructure protection and emergency response. But despite its contribution to these areas, the vocational ...1 week ago
- Tuesday 6 May
New analysis found the clean slate law has no relevant impact on the likelihood of eligible individuals finding work. The New Zealand film sector is keeping calm and carrying on in the wake of new tariff threats on film and TV production made in non-US countries. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister “has ...1 week ago - Bernard’s Chorus & Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Tuesday, May 6
Willis and Luxon began the year trumpeting their plan to “go for growth”, but when the Government doesn’t invest, the private sector doesn’t either. Photo: Getty ImagesBriefly, in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Tuesday, May 6: Growth in our housing-market-with-bits-tacked-on of an economy is stalling and ...1 week ago - Erica Stanford Put New Zealand’s Security At Risk
Education and Immigration Minister Erica Stanford must resign for using her personal Gmail account to handle sensitive government business...think pre-Budget announcements, visa changes, and chats with conservative think-tank mates. This isn’t just a whoopsie; it’s a screaming neon sign flashing “hack me” to every cyber-criminal from Beijing to Moscow. And ...1 week ago
- Underinvestment in ADF reserves weakens our security
A larger, enhanced Australian Defence Force reserve component is vital to Australia’s security. However, it has been largely overlooked in discussions around achieving greater self-reliance and meaningful capability in short order. Around one third of ...1 week ago
- IDK – I Just Work Here
Maybe I'll win the lottery, buy myself a lobotomyScoop out my brains, and maybe thenI'll blend right in with managementPretty, rich, or talented, you need two to make itI guess I'll just pledge allegiance to the paycheckSong: Durry. Read more ...1 week ago - National out performs the opposition, David Attenborough turns 99 + More
Here are a few tidbits that may be of interest this morning:1. National tops the list of donations to political parties with almost $5m in contributions The Electoral Commission's figures show National had by far the biggest donations to 30 April 2025.National: $4,889,538.20Labour: $1,627,713.92Greens: $1,588,680.02ACT: $1,463,445.22New Zealand First: $758,773.91 and ...1 week ago - Lie To Me
Hi,I am increasingly surrounded by friends talking to ChatGPT. Some of them are using it for work — getting vast amounts of information summarised and crunched down down to the bare essentials. Others are using it to write code. For many it seems to be replacing Google for recommendations — ...1 week ago - What Shocked Me About Erica Stanford’s Emails
Maiki Sherman revealed last night that Erica Stanford has been using her personal email for work, including for highly sensitive government documents.Despite Luxon claiming it was no big deal, and only done in limited circumstances (mainly tech related, he claimed), 1News revealed hundreds of pages of offending material over many ...1 week ago - Visualizing daily global temperature – part 2
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink There are is a lot of dire news in the world these days – the dismantling of US climate policy, the apparent canceling of the 6th National Climate Assessment, etc. So sometimes its worth taking a break from doomscrolling and indulging in one’s hobbies. ...1 week ago - The battle for Pentagon acquisition policy: tradition versus new-and-cheaper
An upcoming battle over defence acquisition will have repercussions for US military posture, particularly in the Pacific. The weapons that get bought in larger or smaller quantities, or are launched or cancelled, will indicate whether ...1 week ago
- The Woke War On the Cultural Conduits of Capitalism.
WHAT IS WOKE MORALITY? How does it work? More to the point, can it be countered without making use of the same arguments and justifications deployed by the woke themselves?To begin with, “woke” is just the latest political shorthand for the ethical architecture supporting the tactics and strategies of anti-capitalism. ...1 week ago - US tariffs complicate Indonesian defence acquisition
Indonesia is weighing a purchase of more US weapons—such as the new F-15EX—as a bargaining chip against US President Donald Trump’s 32 percent tariffs on Indonesian exports to the United States. But that approach carries ...1 week ago
- Another unfair Australian election
Australians went to the polls on Saturday in an election originally expected to be a tight contest between an uninspiring ALP government, and a full-on monstrous radical Coalition opposition. But then Trump happened, and Dutton doubled down on culture war bullshit, and so instead its been a Labour landslide. Which ...1 week ago
- Bernard’s Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mixes for Monday, May 5
Our PM and Foreign Minister appear to have a policy of staying low on Trump’s radar, but when might we finally stand up to support our two closest allies against his bullying? Photo: Getty ImagesBriefly, in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, May 5:When will our ...1 week ago - Australian Army Chief searches for a new ‘theory of the army’
The Australian Army needs a clearer sense of self. With no warning time for conflict, the army must cap its ongoing transformation with a new ‘theory of the army’ that enables civilian leaders to choose ...1 week ago
- Nobody Should Be Praising Bob Jones
1 week ago
- Monday 5 May
Unions joined forces on May Day to fight back against the ongoing attack on workers’ rights under the current Government. The senior doctors’ union is not ruling out further industrial action, following the nationwide health strike. Stats NZ is likely to report official unemployment has edged up to at least ...1 week ago
- Choose Australian companies to strengthen Australia’s defence
Australia has a unique opportunity to reinforce its national security by fostering a stronger domestic defence industry. For decades, foreign defence contractors have played a significant role in our military supply chains, but it’s essential ...1 week ago
- Gordon Campbell On Aussie Election Aftershocks And Life Lessons
While Donald Trump is being widely cited as a reason/explanation for Anthony Albanese’s landslide victory on the weekend, that’s like blaming the icing for the state of a badly baked cake. In no particular order of incoherence…although allegedly being the party of low taxes, the Liberal opposition voted against Labor’s ...1 week ago
- Humanity cannot keep simping for the Ultra Rich and expect to survive: pick a side, and organise acc...
Conflict Billionaires + Corrupted Government = Chaos Incorporated (and, frankly, possible species extinction at this rate). That’s the formula, and it keeps being rolled out. Today’s ultra-rich, trans-national entities and individual billionaire CEO’s have amassed wealth and power far, far in excess of those who were around in the ...1 week ago - 2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #18
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 27, 2025 thru Sat, May 3, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. The formatting is a ...1 week ago
- Bernard’s Sunday Soliloquy for the week to Sunday, May 4
Peter Dutton absorbs his loss in the Australian federal election. The fact that the ‘Trumpian’ candidates in both the Canadian and Australia elections lost not only the leadership vote but also their own seats must be giving pause to politicians here who may have thought Trump had a winning formula. ...1 week ago - Labour Landslide !
Rupert Murdoch’s Sky News was still trying to attack Anthony Albanese last night.Headlines on the channel replayed Albanese falling off a stage on the campaign trail. Apparently he “lied”, they said, and that was a negative for Rupert Murdoch’s commentators, who had spun out multiple videos and negative headlines based ...1 week ago - The Great Aussie Reckoning
The 2025 federal election wasn’t just a contest of political ideas; it was a bloody massacre, with Peter Dutton’s Liberal-National Coalition copping a hiding so severe it’s left them scrambling for the smelling salts. The opposition leader’s loss of his own seat of Dickson (held for 24 years) to Labor’s ...1 week ago
- The Right Direction
When you came along boy, you were different from the restNever tried to hurt me like so many men beforeMade me feel important, something special in your eyeKnowing that you care for me has made me come aliveSongwriters: Garry Paige and Mark Punch.The headline in the Guardian this morning sums ...1 week ago - In national security, Australia needs a ‘banana republic’ shock
On 14 May 1986, Paul Keating gave one of the most consequential political interviews in Australian history. He was interviewed by John Laws of 2UE, in the pre-internet era when talkback radio was dominant, and ...1 week ago
- EGU2025 – How the week in Vienna unfolded
Note: This blog post will be updated during EGU25 happening in Vienna from April 28 to May 2. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. This year's General Assembly of ...2 weeks ago
- Australia’s defence budget before and after the 2009 white paper
Thanks to Michael Pezzullo’s Strategist article last month, we now know that Australia’s 2009 defence white paper foresaw our risky future and planned for it. The white paper’s outlook for Chinese force development and the ...2 weeks ago
- Are We Paying Enough Attention to the Working Class?
A major American study suggests they are not?This column is about the white working class. In the US 2024 elections they mainly voted for Donald Trump. Had they voted with the white middle class, Trump would have lost the election with only 42 percent of voters instead of the 50 ...2 weeks ago - Australia’s critical minerals strategy must avoid Pinjarra’s mistakes
The Albanese government’s announcement of a $1.2 billion critical minerals strategic stockpile marks an important step towards securing Australia’s economic future. Yet history warns us that simply building supply is insufficient: market volatility, fragmented value ...2 weeks ago
- For long-term AI ambitions, Australia should think nuclear
Australia’s two major parties are divided over nuclear energy and the future mix of the nation’s power sources. But they are missing Australia’s opportunity to power the next generation of AI models. During the election ...2 weeks ago
- Australian critical minerals reserve would put country on the right track
Australia’s future prosperity will not be built on nostalgia for past booms. It’ll be forged in the critical supply chains of tomorrow. That’s why Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s announcement of a $1.2 billion Critical Minerals Strategic ...2 weeks ago
- Nailing NZ’s Richest
Sorry folks, I sent the wrong version out earlier. This video is the right one - and it took a long time to re-upload it. I’ve deleted the last post, if you’ve commented, please can you transfer it over. My apologies! - MTAs a relative newcomer to politics, I often ...2 weeks ago
- Let ’em Eat Cake
'Cause you know and I knowIt'll be fluctuating forеver yeah yeah yеahIt's the way it goHigh tide and then it's lowYou build it up and the wind blows and blows it down downdown down downSong: Casual Healing.Morena folks, this morning, we're taking a lighter look at some of the good ...2 weeks ago - Budget 2025: delivering for whom?
On 22 May, the coalition government will release its budget for 2025, which it says will focus on "boosting economic growth, improving social outcomes, controlling government spending, and investing in long-term infrastructure.” But who, really, is this budget designed to serve? What values and visions for Aotearoa New Zealand lie ...2 weeks ago - Better defence demands a better veteran affairs strategy
Australia needs to develop a new veteran affairs strategy. Failure to do so will worsen the Australian Defence Force’s recruiting crisis, increase separations from service, and grow cynicism from families and taxpayers about how government ...2 weeks ago
- Butter Dreaming
1. What did Nicola Willis say this week about her budget?a. There will be no lolly scrambleb. Do or do not. There is no tryc. Get in losers, we're going shoppingd. Is butter a carb?2. What was the full price of a 500g block of Anchor Butter at Woolworths on ...2 weeks ago - Simeon Brown’s Dunedin Hospital Dishonesty
2 weeks ago
- Bernard’s Dawn Chorus & Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Friday, May 2
Already fearful over austerity measures and the repeal of smokefree legislation, doctors now say patients are dying from ‘third world diseases’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesBriefly in our political economy of housing, poverty and climate on Friday, May 2:Waikato Hospital doctors say patients are dying from ‘third world diseases’ and the ...2 weeks ago - Trump’s national security strategy: from Pax Americana to Pact Americana
After 100 days of action, US President Donald Trump’s national security strategy is coming into focus. His second presidency appears to embrace a ‘peace through strength’ approach, as first suggested by US Senator Roger Wicker ...2 weeks ago
- A Webworm Brain Dump
Hi,I usually try to keep Webworm laser focussed, for my own sanity — and yours. Not today. This is going to be an edition of stray thoughts and finds, and I hope you’ll bear with me.Thanks for sticking with me through that hard read about megachurch abuse on Monday. These ...2 weeks ago - The Hoon around the week to May 2
2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell On The Aussie Election Finale
The only spectre haunting Anthony Albanese’s government going into Election Day tomorrow will be the way the polls got wrong the likely 2019 election outcome. Back then, the Scott Morrison government got re-elected in an upset result. Opposition leader Peter Dutton is clinging to that precedent, in hope of a ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #18 2025
Open access notables Public opposition to coal-fired power in emerging economies, Alkon et al., Energy Policy: Constructing new coal fired power plants presents significant climate, ecological, health, and economic risks. This presents sometimes acute tradeoffs for leaders in emerging economies, where rapid economic and population growth are driving large increases ...2 weeks ago
- Australia’s quiet counterterrorism wins are being missed. That’s a problem
In early April, Victorian Supreme Court Justice James Elliot ruled that Abdul Nacer Benbrika—Australia’s most notorious terrorist and the architect of a planned mass-casualty attack on the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2005—continued to pose an ...2 weeks ago
- Mayday from Auckland Hospital
M-A-Y-D-A-YMayday, maydayM-A-Y-D-A-YMayday, maydayAnd so the days go on and onAnd I don't know if I can carry on much longerI just need a signAnything honey, just give me a signSongwriter: Ian Parton.The rain was heavy just after nine thirty this morning, and I thought, “Hmm, maybe this isn’t the best ...2 weeks ago - The five-domains update
Sea state An Australian contingent participated in Exercise Bersama Shield on 17-22 April, joining with forces from Britain, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore in a simulated defence operation around the Malay Peninsula. The exercise focused ...2 weeks ago
- Preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI released Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report developed for the next government and to promote public debate and understanding ...2 weeks ago
- Not All Heroes Wear Capes
Australian police officer Amy ScottMay Day Striking doctors outside Auckland hospital (1News)Today over 5000 senior doctors, surgeons, dentists and specialists around the country strike, not for themselves, but for the public health system. Vacancies are critical. Resourcing has never been as bad as the last year. Many doctors are stretched ...2 weeks ago - Not so risky after all: bilateral consequences of compromised intelligence operations
It’s a staple of screenwriters and novelists, stock news footage and a spectre haunting ambassadors’ dreams: a spy unmasked; riots outside embassies, flags and effigies alight; newspaper headlines blaring outrage; and the chilling words persona ...2 weeks ago
- Stephen Rainbow – Arsehole of the Week
It’s not every day you see a so-called “human rights” figure spew racist rhetoric so toxic it could curdle milk, but Stephen Rainbow, New Zealand’s Chief Human Rights Commissioner, has outdone himself. This week, he’s earned the coveted Arsehole of the Week Award for his rancid claim that Muslim immigration ...2 weeks ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Thursday, May 1
Briefly this morning in Aotearoa’s political economy: Nicola Willis may be about to means test the Government’s already-reduced $251 per person per year KiwiSaver contribution in Budget 2025.Air New Zealand lowers its emissions reduction target to barely 20% by 2030.The Commerce Commission says a market study of Air New Zealand’s ...2 weeks ago - What else we could do with the money: AUKUS Plan Bs from a CSBA exercise
Sceptics of AUKUS Pillar 1, the nuclear-submarine element of the Australian-UK-US defence technology partnership, have called on the Australian government to go for a Plan B. Proposed alternatives have included buying nuclear submarines of French ...2 weeks ago
- 2025 Reading List: April (+ Writing Update)
Completed reads for April: The Gospel of Thomas, by Didymus Jude Thomas The Gospel of Mary (fragmentary) The Gospel of Judas The Infancy Gospel of James The Gospel of Peter The Stranger’s Book (fragmentary) Obviously a very quiet month in terms of reading. In fairness, real life and ...2 weeks ago - Make China great again!
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler As readers of this Substack will know, I've been increasingly concerned about the destruction of one of America’s greatest competitive advantages: our university research system. Recently, the Trump administration announced that they were going to cut university overhead rates to ...2 weeks ago
- No Russia in Papua: Indonesia’s quiet diplomacy speaks loudly
Indonesia’s low-key rejection of reported Russian interest in military basing in Papua says more than it appears to. While Jakarta’s response was measured, it was deliberate—a calculated expression of Indonesia’s foreign policy doctrine of non-alignment, ...2 weeks ago
- Australia (still) needs a dedicated and public-facing national security adviser
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI released Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report developed for the next government and to promote public debate and understanding ...2 weeks ago
- Vietnamese reunification 50 years later: ‘let bygones be bygones’
On 27 January 1973, the conflict in Vietnam was brought to an end with the formal signing in Paris of the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring the Peace in Vietnam by four parties: ...2 weeks ago
- A “secret” that wasn’t
Back in 2018, Aotearoa was in the midst of the Operation Burnham inquiry. During this, it emerged that key evidence was subject to a US veto under an obscure and secret treaty. Part of the Five Eyes arrangement, this treaty was referred to by a number of different names in ...2 weeks ago
- Nicola Willis’ Austerity Threatens New Zealand’s Future
I hate to sound the alarm, but New Zealand’s economy is teetering on the edge, and Finance Minister Nicola Willis is wielding her austerity axe with a reckless abandon that could plunge us into a prolonged recession. The 2025 Budget, with its brutal $1.1 billion reduction in baseline spending, is ...2 weeks ago
- Nicola Willis’ Austerity Threatens New Zealand’s Future
I hate to sound the alarm, but New Zealand’s economy is teetering on the edge, and Finance Minister Nicola Willis is wielding her austerity axe with a reckless abandon that could plunge us into a prolonged recession. The 2025 Budget, with its brutal $1.1 billion reduction in baseline spending, is ...2 weeks ago
- Punish That Criminal !
Crime Pays for the PoliticiansThis morning, Paul Goldsmith, the Minister who wants Te Reo Maori scrubbed, announced that prisoners who are serving terms of less than 3 years be barred from voting. From left, Police Minister Mark Mitchell, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith & Mental Health Minister Matt DooceyNZ’s Electoral Review ...2 weeks ago - Four Walls
Well, I can't see and I can't hearThey've burnt out all the feelingsAnd I never been so crazy, and it's just my second yearFour walls, wash basinFour walls, wash basinFour walls, wash basin, prison bedSongwriter: Don Walker.The coalition parties are mulling the austerity budget they will soon put to the ...2 weeks ago - The Left Must Rally Behind Andrew Little
First, hats off to Tory Whanau. Her decision to bow out and run for the Māori ward instead, putting the city’s future above her personal ambition, is commendable. Facing a torrent of personal abuse and a council mired in chaos, she still delivered on water investment, cycleways, and housing reforms. ...2 weeks ago
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- Ban on engineered stone essential to protect workers
The Green Party has renewed its call for the Government to ban the use, supply, and manufacture of engineered stone products, as the CTU launches a petition for the implementation of a full ban. ...2 weeks ago - Release: Anzac Day a time to recommit to veterans
This Anzac Day, Labour recognises veterans and the service they have given to our country. ...3 weeks ago - Education Should be Led by Experts-Not Economists
Te Pāti Māori are appalled by Cabinet's decision to agree to 15 recommendations to the Early Childhood Education (ECE) sector following the regulatory review by the Ministry of Regulation. We emphasise the need to prioritise tamariki Māori in Early Childhood Education, conducted by education experts- not economists. “Our mokopuna deserve ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Govt’s flagship cost of living policy a failure
After promising $250 a fortnight to many families, the Government has been forced to admit just a couple hundred families are receiving it. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Transparency needed on changes to early childhood education
The Government is putting children at risk in early childhood education (ECE) by proposing to loosen the requirement for qualified teachers. ...3 weeks ago
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- Labour’s Chris Hipkins takes aim at pay equity changes, government’s ‘austerity...
Labour's leader in a speech said the government's policies would lead to "decline", and hinted at sweeping tax changes under his leadership. ...12 hours ago - A looming workforce crisis in NZ tourism and hospitality threatens industry growth plans
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Brien, Associate Professor, Department of Global Value Chains and Trade, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images Last week’s big tourism conference in Rotorua saw plenty of optimism about the industry’s potential, but also warnings that airline capacity is hampering post-COVID ...13 hours ago - From Zoo Quest to Ocean: The evolution of David Attenborough’s voice for the planet
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Neil J. Gostling, Associate Professor in Evolution and Palaeobiology, University of Southampton Over the course of seven decades, Sir David Attenborough’s documentaries have reshaped how we see the natural world, shifting from colonial-era collecting trips to urgent calls for environmental action. ...13 hours ago
- Trump heads to the Gulf aiming to bolster trade ties – but side talks on Tehran, Gaza could drive ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Asher Kaufman, Professor of History and Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman attend the G20 Summit in Japan in 2019. Eliot Blondet/AFP via Getty Images President Donald Trump will sit down ...13 hours ago
- What did the parties say on TikTok in the election, and how? Here’s the campaign broken down in 5 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah Oates, PhD Candidate, School of Social Sciences, Monash University TikTok emerged as a key battleground in an election where young voters comprised a dominant share of the electorate. All the prominent political parties used the platform – especially after tactics by ...13 hours ago
- Dementia risk depends on more than lifestyle factors. Overstating this can cause stigma and blame
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joyce Siette, Associate Professor | Deputy Director, The MARCS Institute, Western Sydney University Shvets Production/Pexels As public awareness of dementia grows, so too does the appetite for prevention. Global headlines tout the benefits of exercise, diet, brain training and social activity ...13 hours ago
- Range anxiety – or charger drama? Australians are buying hybrid cars because they don’t trust p...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ganna Pogrebna, Executive Director, AI and Cyber Futures Institute, Charles Sturt University VisualArtStudio/Shutterstock Range anxiety has long been seen as the main obstacle stopping drivers from going electric. But range isn’t the real issue. The average range of a new ...13 hours ago
- ‘We’re testing for testing’s sake’ – new maths tests fail to make the ...
The government is "testing children to death" with the announcement of a new maths test for the youngest children, says the head of the Principals Federation. ...13 hours ago
- Union, government in mediation over working from home restrictions
The PSA said tightening up on working from home disproportionately affects women who make up 62 percent of for public sector staff. ...14 hours ago
- Health NZ aims to cut surgery waitlists by outsourcing to private hospitals, extending doctors’...
And it also plans to ask surgeons to work longer hours in a bid to cut the waitlist. ...14 hours ago
- ‘Confession pages’ an online challenge for Auckland schools
At least two high schools are dealing with online bullying where students share highly personal information. ...14 hours ago
- Act takes a victory lap as Waitangi Tribunal faces government review
The government says its review will help the tribunal navigate the coming decades. Critics say it’s an ideological attack in disguise, writes Catherine McGregor in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A half-century check-up… The Waitangi Tribunal is undergoing its first-ever ...14 hours ago - Working From Home Dispute In Mediation Today – Will Govt Support Women On This?
The PSA filed action with the Employment Relations Authority last December to stop the Government from restricting flexible workplace practices, which disproportionately impacts women who make up 62% of public service workers. ...14 hours ago - Social media restrictions will need to be policed by government – expert
The government should not rely on social media platforms to restrict use for under-16s on their systems, an information systems expert says. ...14 hours ago
- ‘Nothing further from the truth’ – pay equity shake-up not cutting pay for women, ...
Christoperh Luxon critics are "scaremongering", but Labour says the coalition is "gaslighting" half the population. ...16 hours ago
- Windbag: The urbanist value of a rainbow crossing
Roadway art like Wellington’s rainbow crossing can be a cheap way to improve inner-city vibrancy and pedestrian safety. Windbag is The Spinoff’s Wellington issues column, written by Wellington editor Joel MacManus. Subscribe to the Windbag newsletter to receive columns early. Wellington’s rainbow crossing at Cuba Street and Dixon Street opened with pomp ...16 hours ago
- The Fold: Why are there suddenly two country music stations in New Zealand?
Veteran broadcaster Mike Puru and NZME chief audio officer Jason Winstanley join Duncan Greive to talk about the rise of country, and the current state of digital audio in Aotearoa. For a long time New Zealand’s country music audience was presumed to be the town of Gore and its ...16 hours ago
- Nobody is cutting through government spin like the Act Party
Whether it’s pay equity or the Waitangi Tribunal review, the person most committed to combatting government PR is government minister David Seymour. Only 3.2% of The Spinoff’s readership supports us financially. We need to grow that to 4% this year to keep creating the work you love. Sign up to ...16 hours ago
- Cabinet wipes 33 pay equity claims ahead of taking pay rise
In July, taxpayer funds will top up MPs’ pay by $669,100, despite the tight fiscal environment that’s led to some big Budget trade-offs The post Cabinet wipes 33 pay equity claims ahead of taking pay rise appeared first on Newsroom. ...16 hours ago - In a divided world, new Pope signals a turn towards unity and communion
Comment: Habemus papam (“we have a Pope”). Along with the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney, these Latin words informed the world that the Roman Catholic Church had elected a new pontiff: Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost.The first words of the Pope’s inaugural address to the ...16 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Tuesday 13 May
The post Daily crossword, Tuesday 13 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...16 hours ago
- New German chancellor’s first week: from near-defeat to statecraft
Comment: Unable to secure immediate loyalty and popularity at home, Merz has sought to build authority abroad The post New German chancellor’s first week: from near-defeat to statecraft appeared first on Newsroom. ...16 hours ago
- Smokefree 2025 goal all but up in smoke
More than 80,000 Kiwis must quit smoking before the end of the year to meet the goal of Smokefree 2025, which was launched 14 years ago.But Professor of Public Health Chris Bullen tells The Detail it is unlikely to happen – “I don’t believe so, sadly”.“The evidence suggests we are ...16 hours ago
- A ‘wonk’ waves goodbye
Outgoing Labour MP David Parker on the need for fairer taxation, the problem with identity politics, and social media’s ills The post A ‘wonk’ waves goodbye appeared first on Newsroom. ...16 hours ago
- Early KiwiSaver withdrawals used more for financial hardship than first homes
Retirement savings pots are being accessed early to help people pay rent, debt arrears or for surgery The post Early KiwiSaver withdrawals used more for financial hardship than first homes appeared first on Newsroom. ...16 hours ago
- Ockhams: oldest writer ever to make shortlist
At 92, CK Stead is the oldest writer to ever contest a prize at the national book awards – probably. I think so anyway. His collection In The Half Light of a Dying Day is shortlisted for the $10,000 poetry prize awarded tomorrow night (Wednesday, May 14) at the Ockham ...16 hours ago
- Kiwi travellers warned of US detention risk under Trump
New Zealanders heading to the United States could be detained, deported and banned from re-entering the country if they fall foul of entry conditions being strictly enforced by authorities, according to new advice issued by the Government.Officials have also warned that travellers’ electronic devices and other belongings could be inspected ...16 hours ago
- Council asks court to set aside ‘remarkable’ correspondence
A High Court case centred on the agricultural pollution of water is thrown a curveball involving ‘highly probative’ documents The post Council asks court to set aside ‘remarkable’ correspondence appeared first on Newsroom. ...16 hours ago
- Auckland port sails past profit target, bright light for council firms
Port of Auckland is in a mini-boom financially but Auckland Council’s development and property arm is in a funk The post Auckland port sails past profit target, bright light for council firms appeared first on Newsroom. ...16 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 13 May
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('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 13 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...16 hours ago
- PSNA says broadcast ruling a warning to NZ news media to be wary of ‘Israeli propaganda’
Asia Pacific Report A decision by the Broadcasting Standards Authority to uphold a complaint against a 1News broadcast last November is a warning to news media, says the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa. The authority ruled that a TVNZ news item on violence in Amsterdam in the Netherlands breached BSA rules. ...20 hours ago
- If you really want to close the US trade deficit, try boosting innovation in rural manufacturing
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, Distinguished Professor, Arthur J. Gosnell Professor of Economics, & Interim Head, Department of Sustainability, Rochester Institute of Technology President Donald Trump has long been preoccupied by the trade deficit — the gap between what the U.S. sells to the ...21 hours ago
- Bindi Irwin was rushed to hospital for appendix surgery. But what is appendicitis?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Warwick Teague, Co-group Leader, Surgical Research, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute lev radin/Shutterstock Bindi Irwin has reportedly been rushed to hospital in the United States to undergo emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix. According to brother Robert Irwin, “she’s going to be ...22 hours ago
- Otago academics plan declaration on Palestine to ‘face daily horrors’
Asia Pacific Report A group of New Zealand academics at Otago University have drawn up a “Declaration on Palestine” against genocide, apartheid and scholasticide of Palestinians by Israel that has illegally occupied their indigenous lands for more than seven decades. The document, which had already drawn more than 300 signatures ...22 hours ago
- View from The Hill: Albanese shifts Tanya Plibersek from environment, in favour of ‘can-do’ Murr...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The reshuffle announced by Anthony Albanese is a mix of continuity and change, with those in the government’s top rank staying in their previous ministries, as the prime minister had earlier flagged, but some big ...1 day ago
- View from The Hill: Albanese shifts Tanya Plibersek from environment, in favour of ‘can-do’ Murr...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The reshuffle announced by Anthony Albanese is a mix of continuity and change, with those in the government’s top rank staying in their previous ministries, as the prime minister had earlier flagged, but some big ...1 day ago
- View from The Hill: Albanese shifts Tanya Plibersek from environment, in favour of ‘can-do’ Murr...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The reshuffle announced by Anthony Albanese is a mix of continuity and change, with those in the government’s top rank staying in their previous ministries, as the prime minister had earlier flagged, but some big ...1 day ago
- Forest & Bird Says National Parks Not Game Parks
Undermining the incredible landscapes and habitats of Fiordland National Park so that a few hunters can shoot a small number of deer each year, is catering to a handful of vested interests at the expense of all New Zealanders. ...1 day ago
- Genes, environment or a special bond? Why some twins talk and think in unison
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeffrey Craig, Professor in Medical Sciences, Deakin University An interview with Paula and Bridgette Powers – identical twins who witnessed their mother’s carjacking – recently went viral. The way they spoke and gestured in unison has captivated global audiences. Bridgette and Paula ...1 day ago
- Grief, strength and resistance: The Black Woman of Gippsland is a powerful reckoning with colonial m...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bianca Williams, Research Centre Manager, The Australian Centre, The University of Melbourne Pia Johnson/Melbourne Theatre Company A woman is tossed ashore, bedraggled and alone. She is believed to be a survivor of a shipwreck, possibly from the Britannia or the Britomart, ...1 day ago
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