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Comment: Open mike 13/04/2025
Written By: SPC - Date published: 9:33 am, April 13th, 2025
Something overlooked since 2023, because the C of C bro team is in office. An Auckland gynaecologist says New Zealand urgently needs to overhaul how it diagnoses and treats a debilitating condition that affects at least one in ten Kiwi women, but often ...Comment: Open mike 12/04/2025
Written By: SPC - Date published: 9:15 am, April 13th, 2025
Not that I know of. Some investments are subject to a 'national interest test' where the Minister of Finance can consider the potential risks of a transaction to New Zealand's national interest when deciding whether to grant consent to invest. This test ...Comment: The Trump Shock: Why the US President Crashed the Global Economy
Written By: SPC - Date published: 9:34 pm, April 12th, 2025
One step at a time. Maybe a better NHS and nationalisation will be the Brexit/Trump dividend? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_RailComment: Open mike 12/04/2025
Written By: SPC - Date published: 9:27 pm, April 12th, 2025
The irony of using China, the same country the Coalition of Cockups is busily selling us to, seems to be lost on many commentators No one has sold us to the Chinese. Not the government that signed the FTA, or the current one. We trade with them and others ...Comment: Open mike 12/04/2025
Written By: SPC - Date published: 9:25 pm, April 12th, 2025
To this point the US has been for the freedom of the seas. And it has not controlled it, since Carter gave control of it to Panama. This year Trump said there was a China threat to it (as a Hong Kong company owned ports at either end). Black Rock bought ...Comment: Open mike 12/04/2025
Written By: SPC - Date published: 8:09 pm, April 12th, 2025
If not for running austerity policies, then for what?Comment: Open mike 12/04/2025
Written By: SPC - Date published: 7:23 pm, April 12th, 2025
Just fine? They were voted out (for not doing enough) and were still running a deficit - which led to their effort at government spending austerity. And I was replying to Ad proposing we not do tax revenue gain change (so as to afford more government ...Comment: Open mike 12/04/2025
Written By: SPC - Date published: 7:11 pm, April 12th, 2025
Public sector spending levels were only just beginning to approach a healthy level at the end of the last govt term. True, but this in no way refutes what I said. We had a budget deficit in 2023 and thus were no position to afford a zero tax threshold ...Comment: Open mike 12/04/2025
Written By: SPC - Date published: 6:24 pm, April 12th, 2025
The fear that China will – someday – unilaterally shut off the trade routes through the South China Sea that its own economic prosperity depends upon, is deeply irrational.” The actual sea lane issue is cutting off trade by others (not their own trade) ...Comment: Open mike 12/04/2025
Written By: SPC - Date published: 6:19 pm, April 12th, 2025
That cannot be afforded, we have an inability to find government now. We have to raise revenues to afford government that we have had (and more for aging population cost + climate change cost + Paris Accord compliance + defence in an insecure world).Comment: The Trump Shock: Why the US President Crashed the Global Economy
Written By: SPC - Date published: 10:39 pm, April 11th, 2025
Such a resolution in Ukraine would not be a peace settlement - because it would be illegal in international law to cede territory taken by military aggression. This formally only a cease-fire (the Korean one has lasted over 70 years). Part of the agreement ...Comment: The Trump Shock: Why the US President Crashed the Global Economy
Written By: SPC - Date published: 10:13 pm, April 11th, 2025
Better call Saul Alinsky. The global village needs to organise a community strategy.` https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_for_Radicals The good news is that there were signs of this with the bond market play. https://deanblundell.substack.com/p/carneys- ...Comment: The maniac president blinks, but for a moment…
Written By: SPC - Date published: 12:16 pm, April 11th, 2025
China is talking to the EU about a common response to the US tariffs. That won't happen, what should is, transferring over the WTO agreements into a new organisation. An International Trade Organisation - ITO. Building a new administration system and ...Comment: All they are saying is give War a chance
Written By: SPC - Date published: 11:51 am, April 11th, 2025
Strawman, what of my posts are you replying to?Comment: Daily review 10/04/2025
Written By: SPC - Date published: 9:04 pm, April 10th, 2025
Trump, just being Trump. Some say. As part of making deal. That his how he claims to be winning a good deal, when he folds. No, he was negotiating with nations, while raking in billions from tariffs Then, came the news from the bond market. And he knows ...Comment: Open mike 10/04/2025
Written By: SPC - Date published: 7:41 pm, April 10th, 2025
He may have also leaked it on Truth Social to make it public advice, to provide immunity to those who acted on actual knowledge of his future decision. Horsford said he is calling for a full investigation into who may have profited from this information, ...Comment: Open mike 10/04/2025
Written By: SPC - Date published: 7:23 pm, April 10th, 2025
I could however note, he said it on Truth Social – a site he owns and plans to sell. Thus advantaging most, of those who acted on his comment, those who heard it there first. Thus encouraging people to use the site to read his posts – to increase customer ...Comment: Daily review 10/04/2025
Written By: SPC - Date published: 7:14 pm, April 10th, 2025
Those undermining capacity and capability are not governing in good faith, they have an agenda to undermine state delivery and oversight. From undermining the IT, now becoming more blatant. Health NZ is proposing slashing jobs from a team that brings in ...Comment: All they are saying is give War a chance
Written By: SPC - Date published: 5:47 pm, April 10th, 2025
They want to spend up to 20 billion more on defence. Apply a 2% tax on assets over £10 million, to raise up to £24 billion a year Reform the Capital Gains Tax system through increasing rates and closing loopholes, to raise around £12 billion a year Apply ...Comment: Open mike 10/04/2025
Written By: SPC - Date published: 5:38 pm, April 10th, 2025
The affirmation approach was indicated in the DSM 1980. (not the same as medical practice, as this is the psychiatric care model). Moving to accept homosexuality within the spectrum of being human and then onto the issues of dysmorphia and dysphoria. It ...Comment: Open mike 10/04/2025
Written By: SPC - Date published: 5:03 pm, April 10th, 2025
Yes, because he told everyone, so it would not be insider trading.Comment: All they are saying is give War a chance
Written By: SPC - Date published: 4:58 pm, April 10th, 2025
The wider issue is how to do 2 things at the same time. One does not fund an increase in defence from operational spending without consequence. Has the C of C not noticed, how Germany and the UK are funding their defence spending increase? Are they not ...Comment: All they are saying is give War a chance
Written By: SPC - Date published: 4:54 pm, April 10th, 2025
To have a 21st C defence force, which is what this is about - also requires people. There has been a longstanding difficulty retaining them. One cannot have a defence force, or health system, without sufficient trained people. https://www.missionhomefront. ...Comment: All they are saying is give War a chance
Written By: SPC - Date published: 3:44 pm, April 10th, 2025
You are the one not debating maturely. And that is, Trumplike.Comment: All they are saying is give War a chance
Written By: SPC - Date published: 3:40 pm, April 10th, 2025
I've supported peace keeping forces and advocated for giving our forces the best equipment when/if we send them into harms way. If and when is too late. Any student of history would know that.Comment: All they are saying is give War a chance
Written By: SPC - Date published: 7:38 am, April 10th, 2025
That sort of denigration of being in it together as per collective security and trading relationships is Trumplike.Comment: All they are saying is give War a chance
Written By: SPC - Date published: 2:57 am, April 10th, 2025
The New Zealand Defence Force ordered an undisclosed number of Penguin Mk2 Mod 7 anti-ship missiles from Kongsberg in 2013 to replace its AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missiles. One of the missiles was only fired more than 10 years later because it had to ...Comment: All they are saying is give War a chance
Written By: SPC - Date published: 2:46 am, April 10th, 2025
It's have, then train up, then interoperability in the field working with others - combined exercises. For us it's about being part of a team. Missile capability is in the wider plan. Drones as weaponry is part of that independent capability in the Pacific ...Comment: All they are saying is give War a chance
Written By: SPC - Date published: 12:26 am, April 10th, 2025
If there was a war coming, this is not a plan to be ready for it. It is a base level capability for the 21st C (tech modernisation). Because this has to be sorted asp - beyond the replacement of some 20th C assets - ANZAC frigates (not fighter planes) a ...Comment: Open mike 09/04/2025
Written By: SPC - Date published: 6:18 pm, April 9th, 2025
Inflection Point language is related to the idea that something can change, if there is found a way to change perspective. It can be the lie Who was to blame for the German WW1 defeat. Inferring that Germany was too strong to lose unless there were enemies ...
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- Monday 14 April
The PSA surveyed more than 900 of its members, with 55 percent of respondents saying AI is used at their place of work, despite most workers not being in trained in how to use the technology safely. Figures to be released on Thursday are expected to show inflation has risen ...6 days ago - How to spot AI influence in Australia’s election campaign
Be on guard for AI-powered messaging and disinformation in the campaign for Australia’s 3 May election. And be aware that parties can use AI to sharpen their campaigning, zeroing in on issues that the technology ...6 days ago - David Seymour – Arsehole of the Week
Strap yourselves in, folks, it’s time for another round of Arsehole of the Week, and this week’s golden derrière trophy goes to—drumroll, please—David Seymour, the ACT Party’s resident genius who thought, “You know what we need? A shiny new Treaty Principles Bill to "fix" all that pesky Māori-Crown partnership nonsense ...6 days ago - Bernard’s Dawn Chorus and Pick ‘n’ Mix for Monday, April 14
Apple Store, Shanghai. Trump wants all iPhones to be made in the USM but experts say that is impossible. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories shortist from our political economy on Monday, April 14:Donald Trump’s exemption on tariffs on phones and computers is temporary, and he wants all iPhones made in the ...6 days ago - Unmasking the National Party’s Fascism
Kia ora, readers. It’s time to pull back the curtain on some uncomfortable truths about New Zealand’s political landscape. The National Party, often cloaked in the guise of "sensible centrism," has, at times, veered into territory that smells suspiciously like fascism. Now, before you roll your eyes and mutter about hyperbole, ...6 days ago
- Open Letter to Auckland Transport about Project K
This is a letter we will be sending to Auckland Transport to ask they return to the original consulted plans on the Karanga-a-Hape Station precinct integration project, after they released significant changes to designs last week. If you would like to be added as a signatory, please reach out to ...6 days ago - The gas plan that’s sailing Australia into strategic peril
Australia’s east coast is facing a gas crisis, as the country exports most of the gas it produces. Although it’s a major producer, Australia faces a risk of domestic liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply shortfalls ...6 days ago
- Amateur Hour!
Overnight, Donald J. Trump, America’s 47th President, and only the second President since 1893 to win non-consecutive terms, rolled back more of his “no exemptions, no negotiations” & “no big deal” tariffs.Smartphones, computers, and other electronics1 are now exempt from the 125% levies imposed on imports from China; they retain ...7 days ago - 2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 6, 2025 thru Sat, April 12, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. The formatting is a ...7 days ago - World Domination
Just one year of loveIs better than a lifetime aloneOne sentimental moment in your armsIs like a shooting star right through my heartIt's always a rainy day without youI'm a prisoner of love inside youI'm falling apart all around you, yeahSongwriter: John Deacon.Morena folks, it feels like it’s been quite ...7 days ago - “I think I was, at that time, the only girl in Taranaki who ever wrote a line”
“It's a history of colonial ruin, not a history of colonial progress,” says Michele Leggott, of the Harris family.We’re talking about Groundwork: The Art and Writing of Emily Cumming Harris, in which she and Catherine Field-Dodgson recall a near-forgotten and fascinating life, the female speck in the history of texts.Emily’s ...1 week ago - Fact brief – Is the sun responsible for global warming?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is the sun responsible for global warming? Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, not solar variability, is responsible for the global warming observed ...1 week ago
- A Baptism in the Forest: Accepted
Hitherto, 2025 has not been great in terms of luck on the short story front (or on the personal front. Several acquaintances have sadly passed away in the last few days). But I can report one story acceptance today. In fact, it’s quite the impressive acceptance, being my second ‘professional ...1 week ago - Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to April 12
Six long stories short from our political economy in the week to Saturday, April 12:Donald Trump exploded a neutron bomb under 80 years of globalisation, but Nicola Willis said the Government would cut operational and capital spending even more to achieve a Budget surplus by 2027/28. That even tighter fiscal ...1 week 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 ...1 week ago - The Other Side
Lovin' you has go to be (Take me to the other side)Like the devil and the deep blue sea (Take me to the other side)Forget about your foolish pride (Take me to the other side)Oh, take me to the other side (Take me to the other side)Songwriters: Steven Tyler, Jim ...1 week ago - It’s (past) time to get serious about funding Australia’s defence and security
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...1 week ago
- The Downward Spiral of Arise Church: Part 4
Hi,Back in 2022 I spent a year reporting on New Zealand’s then-biggest megachurch, Arise, revealing the widespread abuse of hundreds of interns.That series led to a harrowing review (leaked by Webworm) and the resignation of its founders and leaders John and Gillian Cameron, who fled to Australia where they now ...1 week ago - Whatever the CCP says, regimes don’t have the rights of nations
All nation states have a right to defend themselves. But do regimes enjoy an equal right to self-defence? Is the security of a particular party-in-power a fundamental right of nations? The Chinese government is asking ...1 week ago
- Countervailing Trumpian Sense
A modest attempt to analyse Donald Trump’s tariff policies.Alfred Marshall, whose text book was still in use 40 years after he died wrote ‘every short statement about economics is misleading with the possible exception of my present one.’ (The text book is 719 pages.) It’s a timely reminder that any ...1 week ago - Uncertainty, Hierarchy and the Dilemma of Democracy.
If nothing else, we have learned that the economic and geopolitical turmoil caused by the Trump tariff see-saw raises a fundamental issue of the human condition that extends beyond trade wars and “the markets.” That issue is uncertainty and its centrality to individual and collective life. It extends further into ...1 week ago - Strengthening South Korea’s national security by adopting the cloud
To improve its national security, South Korea must improve its ICT infrastructure. Knowing this, the government has begun to move towards cloud computing. The public and private sectors are now taking a holistic national-security approach ...1 week ago
- Workers’ Memorial Day 2025
28 April 2025 Mournfor theDead FightFor theLiving Every week in New Zealand 18 workers are killed as a consequence of work. Every 15 minutes, a worker suffers ...1 week ago
- Reset Pax Americana: the West needs a grand accord
The world is trying to make sense of the Trump tariffs. Is there a grand design and strategy, or is it all instinct and improvisation? But much more important is the question of what will ...1 week ago
- Poisoning The Well – It’s Not Just ACT
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The Pacific Response Group (PRG), a new disaster coordination organisation, has operated through its first high-risk weather season. But as representatives from each Pacific military leave Brisbane to return to their home countries for the ...1 week ago
- Friday 11 April
The Treaty Principles Bill has been defeated in Parliament with 112 votes in opposition and 11 in favour, but the debate about Te Tiriti and Māori rights looks set to stay high on the political agenda. Supermarket giant Woolworths has confirmed a new operating model that Workers First say will ...1 week ago
- A few wins, for now
1 week ago - Aotearoa Wins!
And this is what I'm gonna doI'm gonna put a call to you'Cause I feel good tonightAnd everything's gonna beRight-right-rightI'm gonna have a good time tonightRock and roll music gonna play all nightCome on, baby, it won't take longOnly take a minute just to sing my songSongwriters: Kirk Pengilly / ...1 week ago - Indonesia’s cyber soldiers: armed without a compass
The Indonesian military has a new role in cybersecurity but, worryingly, no clear doctrine on what to do with it nor safeguards against human rights abuses. Assignment of cyber responsibility to the military is part ...1 week ago
- Weekly Roundup 11-April-2025
Another Friday, another roundup. Autumn is starting to set in, certainly getting darker earlier but we hope you enjoy some of the stories we found interesting this week. This week in Greater Auckland On Tuesday we ran a guest post from the wonderful Darren Davis about what’s happening ...1 week ago
- Bernard’s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix Six for Friday, April 11
Long stories shortest: The White House confirms Donald Trump’s total tariffs now on China are 145%, not 125%. US stocks slump again. Gold hits a record high. PM Christopher Luxon joins a push for a new rules-based trading system based around CPTPP and EU, rather than US-led WTO. Winston Peters ...1 week ago - The Hoon around the week to April 11
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: and on the week in geopolitics and climate, including Donald Trump’s shock and (partial) backflip; and,Health Coalition Aotearoa Chair ...1 week ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #15 2025
Open access notables Global and regional drivers for exceptional climate extremes in 2023-2024: beyond the new normal, Minobe et al., npj Climate and Atmospheric Science: Climate records have been broken with alarming regularity in recent years, but the events of 2023–2024 were exceptional even when accounting for recent climatic trends. ...1 week ago
- The US harms its image in the Pacific with aid cuts and tariffs
USAID cuts and tariffs will harm the United States’ reputation in the Pacific more than they will harm the region itself. The resilient region will adjust to the economic challenges and other partners will fill ...1 week ago
- Good fucking riddance
National's racist and divisive Treaty Principles Bill was just voted down by the House, 112 to 11. Good fucking riddance. The bill was not a good-faith effort at legislating, or at starting a "constitutional conversation". Instead it was a bad faith attempt to stoke division and incite racial hatred - ...1 week ago - Join us at 5pm for this week’s Hoon
Photo by Beth Macdonald on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat with myself, and regular guests climate correspondent and on climate ...1 week ago - The threat spectrum
Democracy watch Indonesia’s parliament passed revisions to the country’s military law, which pro-democracy and human rights groups view as a threat to the country’s democracy. One of the revisions seeks to expand the number of ...1 week ago
- Australia needs a civilian cyber reserve. State emergency services are the model
Australia should follow international examples and develop a civilian cyber reserve as part of a whole-of-society approach to national defence. By setting up such a reserve, the federal government can overcome a shortage of expertise ...1 week ago
- Drawn
A ballot for three Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Life Jackets for Children and Young Persons Bill (Cameron Brewer) Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Restrictions on Issue of Off-Licences and Low and No Alcohol Products) Amendment Bill (Mike Butterick) Crown ...1 week ago
- Thursday 10 April
Te Whatu Ora is proposing to slash jobs from a department that brings in millions of dollars a year and ensures safety in hospitals, rest homes and other community health providers. The Treaty Principles Bill is back in Parliament this evening and is expected to be voted down by all parties, ...1 week ago
- Paying For Small Indignities
Hi,The piece I wrote last week about the chances of being rounded up and evicted (and/or detained) by the United States seems more… pressing.To be clear: antisemitism is fucking horrible — and in that same breath I also wonder what today’s statement from The Department of Homeland security means for ...1 week ago - Joint naval exercises with Russia undermine Indonesia’s commitment to international law
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has repeatedly asserted the country’s commitment to a non-aligned foreign policy. But can Indonesia still credibly claim neutrality while tacitly engaging with Russia? Holding an unprecedented bilateral naval drills with Moscow ...1 week ago
- Wednesday 9 April
The NZCTU have launched a new policy programme and are calling on political parties to adopt bold policies in the lead up to the next election. The Government is scrapping the 30-day rule that automatically signs an employee up to the collective agreement when they sign on to a new ...1 week ago
- Anticipating what Trump wants: Taiwan puts money in America first
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te must have been on his toes. The island’s trade and defence policy has snapped into a new direction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. The government was almost ...1 week ago
- Auckland’s Big Easter Rail Shutdown
Auckland’s ongoing rail pain will intensify again from this weekend as Kiwirail shut down the network for two weeks as part of their push to get the network ready for the City Rail Link. KiwiRail will progress upgrade and renewal projects across Auckland’s rail network over the Easter holiday period ...1 week ago
- Renewables allow us to pay less, not twice
This is a re-post from The Electrotech Revolution by Daan Walter Last week, UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch took the stage to advocate for slowing the rollout of renewables, arguing that they ultimately lead to higher costs: “Huge amounts are being spent on switching round how we distribute electricity ...1 week ago
- Refusing to Disappear
That there, that's not meI go where I pleaseI walk through wallsI float down the LiffeyI'm not hereThis isn't happeningI'm not hereI'm not hereSongwriters: Philip James Selway / Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood / Edward John O'Brien / Thomas Edward Yorke / Colin Charles Greenwood.I had mixed views when the first ...1 week ago - Bernard’s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix Six
(A note to subscribers: I’m going to keep these daily curated news updates shorter in future to ensure an earlier and more regular delivery. Expect this format and delivery around 7 am Monday to Friday from now on. My apologies for not delivering yesterday. There was too much news… This ...1 week ago - Gordon Campbell On Marketing The Military Threat Posed By China
As Donald Trump zigs and zags on tariffs and trashes America’s reputation as a safe and stable place to invest, China has a big gun that it could bring to this tariff knife fight. Behind Japan, China has the world’s second largest holdings of American debt. As a huge US ...1 week ago - Seabed sensors and mapping: what China’s survey ship could be up to
Civilian exploration may be the official mission of a Chinese deep-sea research ship that sailed clockwise around Australia over the past week and is now loitering west of the continent. But maybe it’s also attending ...2 weeks ago
- South Korea must move beyond partisan division to tackle security threats
South Korea’s internal political instability leaves it vulnerable to rising security threats including North Korea’s military alliance with Russia, China’s growing regional influence and the United States’ unpredictability under President Donald Trump. South Korea needs ...2 weeks ago
- Billionaire Bust-Ups
Here are 5 updates that you may be interested in today:Speed kills and costs - so why does National want more of it?James (Jim) Grenon Board Takeover Gets Shaky - As Canadian Calls An Australian Shareholder a “Flake” Billionaire Bust-ups -The World’s Richest Men Are UncomfortableOver 3,500 Australian doctors on ...2 weeks ago - Member’s Day
Today is a Member's Day, and its all first readings. First up is Laura McClure's Employment Relations (Termination of Employment by Agreement) Amendment Bill, followed by Carl Bates' Juries (Age of Excusal) Amendment Bill, Adrian Rurawhe's Employment Relations (Collective Agreements in Triangular Relationships) Amendment Bill and then Kieran McAnulty's Sale ...2 weeks ago
- Australia’s cyber strategy needs a vulnerability disclosure upgrade
Australia is in a race against time. Cyber adversaries are exploiting vulnerabilities faster than we can identify and patch them. Both national security and economic considerations demand policy action. According to IBM’s Data Breach Report, ...2 weeks ago
- The Comparative Notebook on Trump’s Tariffs.
The ever brilliant Kate Nicholls has kindly agreed to allow me to re-publish her substack offering some under-examined backdrop to Trump’s tariff madness. The essay is not meant to be a full scholarly article but instead an insight into the thinking (if that is the correct word) behind the current ...2 weeks ago
- Humanitarian assistance in the Pacific should be led by Pacific countries
In the Pacific, the rush among partner countries to be seen as the first to assist after disasters has become heated as part of ongoing geopolitical contest. As partners compete for strategic influence in the ...2 weeks ago
- Tariff madness and monetary policy
We’ve seen this morning the latest step up in the Trump-initiated trade war, with the additional 50 per cent tariffs imposed on imports from China. If the tariff madness persists – but in fact even if were wound back in some places (eg some of the particularly absurd tariffs on ...2 weeks ago - Weak
Weak as I am, no tears for youWeak as I am, no tears for youDeep as I am, I'm no one's foolWeak as I amSongwriters: Deborah Ann Dyer / Richard Keith Lewis / Martin Ivor Kent / Robert Arnold FranceMorena. 🙂This morning, I couldn’t settle on a single topic. Too ...2 weeks ago - Getting Cross with AT’s awful last minute re-designs of Project K
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post extensively detailing the scandal of what happened with the Upper Mercury Lane part of the Karanga-a-Hape Station precinct integration project (also known by its cool title, Project K). It was a prime example of Auckland Transport’s habitual failure to follow through on ...2 weeks ago
- Climate risks to security in the Indo-Pacific: Indonesia in 2035
Australian policy makers are vastly underestimating how climate change will disrupt national security and regional stability across the Indo-Pacific. A new ASPI report assesses the ways climate impacts could threaten Indonesia’s economic and security interests ...2 weeks ago
- Brace position
So here we are in London again because we’re now at the do-it-while-you-still-can stage of life. More warm wide-armed hugs, more long talks and long walks and drinks in lovely old pubs with our lovely daughter.And meanwhile the world is once more in one of its assume-the-brace-position stages.We turned on ...2 weeks ago - To Dire Wolf Or Not To Dire Wolf?
Hi,Back in September of 2023, I got pitched an interview:David -Thanks for the quick response to the DM! Means the world. Re-stating some of the DM below for your team’s reference -I run a business called Animal Capital - we are a venture capital fund advised by Noah Beck, Paris ...2 weeks ago - A Bit Of Nuance Would Be Nice: Some Thoughts on the Trump Tariffs
I didn’t want to write about this – but, alas, the 2020s have forced my hand. I am going to talk about the Trump Tariffs… and in the process probably irritate nearly everyone. You see, alone on the Internet, I am one of those people who think we need a ...2 weeks ago - No, it’s not new. Russia and China have been best buddies for decades
Maybe people are only just beginning to notice the close alignment of Russia and China. It’s discussed as a sudden new phenomenon in world affairs, but in fact it’s not new at all. The two ...2 weeks ago
- The dishonest crown
The High Court has just ruled that the government has been violating one of the oldest Treaty settlements, the Sealord deal: The High Court has found the Crown has breached one of New Zealand's oldest Treaty Settlements by appropriating Māori fishing quota without compensation. It relates to the 1992 ...2 weeks ago
- Middle Arm project: the infrastructure enabler for Northern Territory development
Darwin’s proposed Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct is set to be the heart of a new integrated infrastructure network in the Northern Territory, larger and better than what currently exists in northern Australia. However, the ...2 weeks ago
- Grooming us for identity theft
2 weeks ago
- As tensions grow, an Australian AI safety institute is a no-brainer
Australia needs to deliver its commitment under the Seoul Declaration to create an Australian AI safety, or security, institute. Australia is the only signatory to the declaration that has yet to meet its commitments. Given ...2 weeks ago
- Hine Ruhi (Slice Of Heaven)
Ko kōpū ka rere i te paeMe ko Hine RuhiTīaho mai tō arohaMe ko Hine RuhiDa da da ba du da da ba du da da da ba du da da da da da daDa da da ba du da da ba du da da da ba du da da ...2 weeks ago - ‘We can afford more drones, but not more homes’
Army, Navy and AirForce personnel in ceremonial dress: an ongoing staffing exodus means we may get more ships, drones and planes but not have enough ‘boots on the ground’ to use them. Photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories short in Aotearoa’s political economy this morning: PM Christopher Luxon says the Government can ...2 weeks ago - Oliver’s struggle: a case study in the frustration of trying to join the ADF
If you’re a qualified individual looking to join the Australian Army, prepare for a world of frustration over the next 12 to 18 months. While thorough vetting is essential, the inefficiency of the Australian Defence ...2 weeks ago
- NZD Freefall, Winston Peters Linked To Green Party Attack Ads & More
I’ve inserted a tidbit and rumours section1. Colonoscopy wait times increase, procedures drop under NationalWait times for urgent, non-urgent and surveillance colonoscopies all progressively worsened last year. Health NZ data shows the total number of publicly-funded colonoscopies dropped by more than 7 percent.Health NZ chief medical officer Helen Stokes-Lampard blamed ...2 weeks ago - Tuesday 8 April
Three billion dollars has been wiped off the value of New Zealand’s share market as the rout of global financial markets caught up with the local market. A Sāmoan national has been sentenced for migrant exploitation and corruption following a five-year investigation that highlights the serious consequences of immigration fraud ...2 weeks ago
- Wherefore now with Kiwirail
This is a guest post by Darren Davis. It originally appeared on his excellent blog, Adventures in Transitland, which we encourage you to check out. It is shared by kind permission. Rail Network Investment Plan quietly dropped While much media attention focused on the 31st March 2025 announcement that the replacement Cook ...2 weeks ago
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- Public toilets could be the jewels in our cities’ crowns – if only governments would listen
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Tietz, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design, UNSW Sydney A New South Wales Senate inquiry into public toilets is underway, looking into the provision, design and maintenance of public toilets across the state. Whenever I mention this inquiry, however, everyone nervously ...3 days ago - Bad news – why Australia is losing a generation of journalists
Shrinking budgets and job insecurity means there are fewer opportunities for young journalists, and that’s bad news, especially in regional Australia, reports 360info ANALYSIS: By Jee Young Lee of the University of Canberra Australia risks losing a generation of young journalists, particularly in the regions where they face the closure ...3 days ago
- Why do scientists want to spend billions on a 70-year project in an enormous tunnel under the Swiss ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tessa Charles, Accelerator Physicist, Monash University An artist’s impression of the tunnel of the proposed Future Circular Collider. CERN The Large Hadron Collider has been responsible for astounding advances in physics: the discovery of the elusive, long-sought Higgs boson as well as ...3 days ago
- Could you accidentally sign a contract by texting an emoji? Here’s what the law says
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer McKay, Professor in Business Law, University of South Australia Parkova/Shutterstock Could someone take you to court over an agreement you made – or at least appeared to make – by sending a “👍”? Emojis can have more legal weight ...3 days ago
- Why healthy eating may be the best way to reduce food waste
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trang Nguyen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Global Food and Resources, University of Adelaide Stokkete, Shutterstock Australians waste around 7.68 million tonnes of food a year. This costs the economy an estimated A$36.6 billion and households up to $2,500 annually. ...3 days ago
- Government Takes Fight Against Poverty To People In Poverty
Pushing people off income support doesn’t make the job market fairer or more accessible. It just assumes success is possible while unemployment rises and support systems become harder to navigate. ...3 days ago - The Boy in the Water update: Coroner to release findings
A year since the inquest into the death of Gore three-year-old Lachlan Jones began and the Coroner has completed his provisional findings. Interested parties have been provided with a copy of Coroner Ho’s provisional findings and have until May 16 to respond.The Coroner has indicated the final decision will be delivered on June 3 in Invercargill, citing high ...3 days ago - Why can’t I keep still after intense exercise?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ken Nosaka, Professor of Exercise and Sports Science, Edith Cowan University Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock Do you ever feel like you can’t stop moving after you’ve pushed yourself exercising? Maybe you find yourself walking around in circles when you come off the pitch, ...3 days ago
- ‘We get bucketloads of homework’: young people speak about what it’s like to start high school
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Stevens, PhD Candidate, Education, Murdoch University Rawpixel.com Starting high school is one of the most significant transitions young people make in their education. Many different changes happen at once – from making new friends to getting used to a new ...3 days ago
- Hone Harawira criticises former Te Pāti Māori candidate Pere Huriwai-Seger for confronting Casey C...
The activist and MP has criticised Pere Huriwai-Seger, who ran on list in 2023, after an exchange with the NZ First MP. ...3 days ago - How to tackle the ‘gender play gap’: 4 ways to encourage young women back into sport
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Kay, PhD Candidate at the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University matimix/Shutterstock Women’s sport has recently enjoyed unprecedented success in Australia. We have seen the Matildas sell out 16 successive home games, a world-record attendance for ...3 days ago
- Want straighter teeth or a gap between? Don’t believe TikTok – filing them isn’t the answer
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland After decades of Hollywood showcasing white-picket-fence celebrity smiles, the world has fallen for White Lotus actor Aimee Lou Wood’s teeth.Wood was bullied for ...3 days ago
- 1 in 6 New Zealanders is disabled. Why does so much health research still exclude them?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachelle Martin, Senior Lecturer in Rehabilitation & Disability, University of Otago Getty Images Disabled people encounter all kinds of barriers to accessing healthcare – and not simply because some face significant mobility challenges. Others will see their symptoms not investigated properly ...3 days ago- ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 17, 2025
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 17, 2025. Most bees nest in the ground. Offering rocks and gravel is a simple way to help them thriveSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Freya Marie Jackson, PhD Candidate, School of Veterinary and ...3 days ago- Most bees nest in the ground. Offering rocks and gravel is a simple way to help them thrive
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Freya Marie Jackson, PhD Candidate, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University _Lasioglossum dotatum_ kerrysturat/iNaturalist, CC BY-NC-ND Of the more than 20,000 bee species in the world, 70% nest in the ground. And like many of their counterparts that nest above ...3 days ago- Thailand’s fragile democracy takes another hit with arrest of US academic
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Simpson, Senior Lecturer, International Studies, University of South Australia Despite the challenges faced by local democratic activists, Thailand has often been an oasis of relative liberalism compared with neighbouring countries such as Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. Westerners, in particular, have been ...3 days ago- In the trade war, China has moved to curb supply of critical minerals. Can Australia seize the momen...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marina Yue Zhang, Associate Professor, Technology and Innovation, University of Technology Sydney China has placed curbs on exports of rare germanium and gallium which are critical in manufacturing. Shutterstock In the escalating trade war between the United States and China, one notable ...3 days ago- ‘The pay is not worth the stress’: research finds 10% of lawyers plan to quit within a year
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vivien Holmes, Emerita Professor, Australian National University Momentum studio/Shutterstock No one goes into the legal profession thinking it is going to be easy. Long working hours are fairly standard, work is often completed to tight external deadlines, and 24/7 availability to ...3 days ago- Contemporary television is rarely as good as The Narrow Road to the Deep North
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Prime The Narrow Road to the Deep North stands as some of the most visceral and moving television produced in Australia in recent memory. Marking a new accessibility and confidence to ...3 days ago- How to spend four days stuck in your own home with children
The forecast for Easter weekend in much of the country is pretty shitty. Here are some ideas for having a nice time indoors. Ex-tropical cyclone Tam might have been downgraded to a subtropical low, but it has already unleashed heavy rain, high winds and power outages on the upper North ...3 days ago- NZ’s over-reliance on roads for freight means natural disasters hit even harder. But there is a fi...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cécile L’Hermitte, Senior Lecturer in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, University of Waikato In the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, the driving time between Napier and Wairoa stretched from 90 minutes to over six hours, causing major supply chain delays. Retail prices rose ...3 days ago- Event noticeboard: folk in a church hall, whimsical sculpture and a 1995 party
The Spinoff’s top picks of events from around the motu. This week some sad research landed in my inbox. A report found that 75% of New Zealanders are tightening their purse strings when it comes to socialising. The casualties are dining out, going to cafes, weekend getaways and going to ...3 days ago- Hone Harawira criticises Te Pāti Māori candidate Pere Huriwai-Seger for confronting Casey Costello
The activist and MP has criticised Pere Huriwai-Seger, who ran on Te Pāti Māori's list in 2023 for after exchange with the NZ First MP. ...3 days ago- Does hollow chocolate taste better than solid chocolate? A definitive ruling
The same ingredients with a wildly different outcome. I’m at the ready to answer life’s big questions. Should you dump him? Yes. What happens when we die? Worms. What is time? Quick. Will I ever be happy? Yes. Do Easter eggs taste better than a block of chocolate? Yes. No. ...3 days ago- New Zealand To Nearly Double Military Spending
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon made clear that even more money will be made available, telling the media the $12 billion figure “is the floor, not the ceiling, of funding for our defence force.” ...3 days ago- ‘Best farmers in the world’: Christopher Luxon praises New Zealand’s agriculture s...
"We are the best farmers in the world," the prime miister says. ...3 days ago- ‘I’ll dedicate it to David Seymour’: Taite Music Prize winner Mokotron on what comes next
The day after winning the Taite Music Prize, Tiopira McDowell aka Mokotron tells Lyric Waiwiri-Smith about his dreams of turning his ‘meth lab’ looking garage into a studio, and why he might dedicate his next record to the leader of the Act Party. A music awards ceremony one day, a ...3 days ago- What mould means: exploring the connection between housing and health
Housing is one of the main determinants of health, but it’s not always straightforward to fix. Keeping our houses dry, warm and draught-free may not be something that, when the sun is high in the sky and our winter clothing is packed away, many of us are busy thinking about. ...3 days ago- Help Me Hera: How do I come out as a ‘Disney Millennial’?
I’m sick of feeling ashamed of something that brings me so much joy. Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Dear Hera, When I think of my childhood, I think of Disney. One of my earliest memories was getting dressed up as Snow White and prancing around for my ...3 days ago- Govt considers compensating Chathams for ‘confiscated’ fishing quota
Islanders have long memories of Wellington politicians denying them their land, their autonomy, even their vote – but the modern-day seizure of their fisheries is a raw wound The post Govt considers compensating Chathams for ‘confiscated’ fishing quota appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 days ago- ‘They are like my children’: research reveals 4 types of indoor plant owners. Which one are you?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brianna Le Busque, Lecturer in Environmental Science, University of South Australia maramorosz/Shutterstock Walk into any home or workplace today, and you’re likely to find an array of indoor plants. The global market for indoor plants is growing fast – projected to ...3 days ago- Finance Minister Nicola Willis tells Reserve Bank to ‘show some restraint’ as budget sla...
The budget has been slashed by about 25 percent. ...3 days ago- Cracks in social cohesion – the major parties must commit to reinvigorating multiculturalism
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Jakubowicz, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Technology Sydney In the run up to the May 3 election, questions are being raised about the value of multiculturalism as a public policy in Australia. They’ve been prompted by community tensions arising from ...3 days ago- State of the states: six experts on how the campaign is playing out around Australia
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Clune, Honorary Associate, Government and International Relations, University of Sydney The federal election campaign has passed the halfway mark, with politicians zig-zagging across the country to spruik their policies and achievements. Where politicians choose to visit (and not visit) give us ...3 days ago- People are ‘microdosing’ weight-loss drugs. A GP explains what to watch out for
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Natasha Yates, General Practitioner, PhD Candidate, Bond University MillaF/Shutterstock Injectable medications originally developed for the treatment of diabetes are also effective for weight loss, and have surged in popularity for this purpose around the world. In Australia, Ozempic is approved for ...3 days ago- With the end of Flybuys NZ, what happens to the personal data of nearly 3 million Kiwis?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa M. Katerina Asher, Doctoral Candidate, Business School, University of Sydney JuSun/Getty Images After almost three decades in New Zealand, loyalty programme Flybuys announced it would be closing in 2024. The company behind the scheme, Loyalty New Zealand, has since entered ...3 days ago- New Aussie film The Correspondent is an extraordinary retelling of Peter Greste’s story
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Jean Baker, Senior Lecturer in Journalism, Monash University Maslow Entertainment The Correspondent is a film every journalist should see. There are no spoiler alerts. It is based on the globally-publicised jailing in Cairo in 2013 of Australian journalist Peter ...3 days ago- Health NZ report admits poor management of hospital facilities
A Health NZ report says it "cannot effectively plan for asset renewals, replacements or optimise maintenance strategies". ...3 days ago- Hospitals to be rebuilt in four stages under new $20b plan
Hospitals nationwide are set for upgrades – though at a more sedate pace than some might have hoped, writes Catherine McGregor in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A blueprint for rebuilding After years of warnings and stocktakes, the government has ...3 days ago- NZ First donor launches airline war on Chatham Islands
Visiting government and business leaders, disembarking an Air Force Hercules, were met this week by the unexpected sight of a big fresh-painted Boeing 737 freighter unloading at Chatham Island’s tiny airport.The growing trans-Tasman freight firm Texel Air took delivery of the 737-800 jet last month, taking its fleet to six ...3 days ago - 1 in 6 New Zealanders is disabled. Why does so much health research still exclude them?
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