Open mike 04/05/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, May 4th, 2024 - 56 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 03/05/2024
Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, May 3rd, 2024 - 3 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 03/05/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, May 3rd, 2024 - 24 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
In defence of Julie Anne Genter
Written By:
Date published: 9:01 pm, May 2nd, 2024 - 203 comments
Yesterday in Parliament Julie Anne Genter lost her cool when Matt Doocey misrepresented what the last Government’s NLTP priorities were. Should she be sanctioned? Or should she get a medal for pointing out that Doocey was totally wrong?
Daily review 02/05/2024
Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, May 2nd, 2024 - 8 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Underrepresented London
Written By:
Date published: 8:52 am, May 2nd, 2024 - 2 comments
According to Zoopla, the average monthly rent in London as of April 2024 is £2,121. Council tax, internet, water and energy bills are usually on top of this and have increased significantly in the last two years. The average monthly income after tax is £2,902.50. This means most renters spend well over 2/3 of their income on rent and utility bills, with other costs like train fares and groceries many are left with very little disposable income each month.
Open mike 02/05/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, May 2nd, 2024 - 80 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 01/05/2024
Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, May 1st, 2024 - 15 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
MPs pay increases
Written By:
Date published: 8:57 am, May 1st, 2024 - 94 comments
The Remuneration Authority has announced that MPs will be getting a 10% increase in their salaries during the course of this Parliament.
Open mike 01/05/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, May 1st, 2024 - 7 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 30/04/2024
Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, April 30th, 2024 - 35 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
The best of climate communication
Written By:
Date published: 6:10 am, April 30th, 2024 - 6 comments
Environmentalist and journalist Bill McKibben nails it in two minutes.
Open mike 30/04/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, April 30th, 2024 - 54 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Right wing plunges in latest poll
Written By:
Date published: 6:05 pm, April 29th, 2024 - 52 comments
The latest One News Verian poll suggests that the right is in trouble.
Daily review 29/04/2024
Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, April 29th, 2024 - 11 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
The Treaty of Waitangi and Oranga Tamariki
Written By:
Date published: 4:35 pm, April 29th, 2024 - 8 comments
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has resisted attempts by the Waitangi Tribunal to get her to explain how removing requirements to improve outcomes for Māori children is not a breach of the Treaty.
The Jack Tame and James Shaw korero
Written By:
Date published: 9:54 am, April 29th, 2024 - 22 comments
This is politics as it should and could be: human, honest while retaining boundaries, insightful without the need for politicking.
Open mike 29/04/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, April 29th, 2024 - 30 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Open mike 28/04/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, April 28th, 2024 - 73 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
This is fine
Written By:
Date published: 8:50 am, April 27th, 2024 - 8 comments
There is absolutely nothing to worry about if the Fast-track Approvals Bill gets passed into law and Shane Jones gets extraordinary powers to decide on consent applications which normally would be subject to enormous rigour and oversight.
NZ White Rural Rage
Written By:
Date published: 7:58 am, April 27th, 2024 - 14 comments
What is really going on in the minds of
Open mike 27/04/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, April 27th, 2024 - 77 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 26/04/2024
Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, April 26th, 2024 - 1 comment
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 26/04/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, April 26th, 2024 - 68 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
New Zealand Needs a Security Alliance Fast
Written By:
Date published: 12:09 pm, April 25th, 2024 - 21 comments
Who will defend us when the military chaos now expanding in the world finally hits hard in our region, because that is what is really happening.
Open mike 25/04/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, April 25th, 2024 - 11 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 24/04/2024
Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, April 24th, 2024 - 4 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Goneburger
Written By:
Date published: 1:04 pm, April 24th, 2024 - 55 comments
As predicted 10 days ago the first Ministerial goneburger has occurred and it is Melissa Lee.
What does this Government have against the environment
Written By:
Date published: 11:05 am, April 24th, 2024 - 5 comments
It is almost as if the environment was really cruel to senior members of the Government when they were kids. But whatever the reason this Government appears to be intent on wrecking the local environment with a degree of vengeance and stupidity not seen before.
It’s not a culture war, it’s a class war, and the left should be naming it as such
Written By:
Date published: 10:23 am, April 24th, 2024 - 34 comments
The culture wars exist, and they are a tool weaponised in the class war.
- NZUP RORS back to life
The government has made it abundantly clear they’re addicted to the smell of new asphalt. On Tuesday they introduced a new term to the country’s roading lexicon, the Roads of Regional Significance (RoRS), a little brother for the Roads of National (Party) Significance (RoNS). Driving ahead with Roads of Regional ...2 weeks ago - School Is Out.
School is outAnd I walk the empty hallwaysI walk aloneAlone as alwaysThere's so many lucky penniesLying on the floorBut where the hell are all the lucky peopleI can't see them any moreYesterday morning, I’d just sent out my newsletter on Tama Potaka, and I was struggling to make the coffee. ...2 weeks ago - How Are You Doing?
Hi,I wanted to check in and ask how you’re doing.This is perhaps a selfish act, of attempting to find others feeling a similar way to me — that is to say, a little hopeless at the moment.Misery loves company, that sort of deal.Some context.I wish I could say I got ...2 weeks ago - The Rings of Power: Season Two Teaser Trailer
I have hitherto been fairly quiet on the new season of Rings of Power, on the basis that the underwhelming first season did not exactly build excitement – and the rumours were fairly daft. The only real thing of substance to come out has been that they have re-cast Adar ...2 weeks ago - At a glance – What ended the Little ice Age?
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...2 weeks ago - Talking Reo with the PM
“The thing is,” Chris Luxon says, leaning forward to make his point, “this has always been my thing.”“This goes all the way back to the first multinational I worked for. I was saying exactly the same thing back then. The name of our business needs to be more clear; people ...2 weeks ago - Waitangi Tribunal’s authority in Chhour case is upheld – but bill’s introduction to Parliament...
Buzz from the Beehive It’s been a momentous few days for Children’s Minister Karen Chhour. The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court decision which blocked a summons order from the Waitangi Tribunal for her. And today she has announced the Government is putting children first by introducing to ...2 weeks ago - Australia jails another whistleblower
In 2014 former Australian army lawyer David McBride leaked classified military documents about Australian war crimes to the ABC. Dubbed "The Afghan Files", the documents led to an explosive report on Australian war crimes, the disbanding of an entire SAS unit, and multiple ongoing prosecutions. The journalist who wrote the ...2 weeks ago - Some “scrutiny”!Back in February I blogged about another secret OIA "consultation" by the Ministry of Justice. This one was on Aotearoa's commitment in its Open Government Partnership Action Plan to "strengthen scrutiny of Official Information Act exemption clauses in legislation" (AKA secrecy clauses). Their consultation paper on the issue focused on ...2 weeks ago
- TVNZ is loss-making, serves no public service due to bias, and should be liquidated
Rob MacCulloch writes – According to the respected Pew Research Centre, “In seven of eight [European] countries surveyed, the most trusted news outlet asked about is the public news organization in each country”. For example, “in Sweden, an overwhelming majority (90%) say they trust the public broadcaster SVT”. ...2 weeks ago - The conflicted Covid ChairDavid Farrar writes – Kata MacNamara reports: Details of Tony Blakely’s involvement in the New Zealand Government’s response to the pandemic raise serious questions about the work of the Covid-19 Royal Commission of Inquiry over which he presides. It has long been clear that Blakely, a ...2 weeks ago
- Attacking the smartest and most resilient people in the room is never a good ideaChris Trotter writes – Are you a Brahmin or a Merchant? Or, are you merely one of those whose lives are profoundly influenced by the decisions of Brahmins and Merchants? Those are the questions that are currently shaping the politics of New Zealand and the entire West. ...2 weeks ago
- A fortune-telling failure, surely, if the tarot cards can’t see a bulldozer comingRNZ reports – It’s supposed to be a haven of healing and spiritual awakening but residents of the Kawai Purapura community say they’ve been hurt and deceived. It’s the successor to the former Centrepoint commune, and has been on the bush block opposite Albany shopping centre since 2008. It ...2 weeks ago
- The climate battleground heats up
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. Usually we have a video chat to go with this wrap, but were unable to do one this week. We’ll be back next week.Several reports ...2 weeks ago - Bernard’ s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Tuesday, May 14
The Transport Minister has set a hard 'fiscal envelope' of $6.54 billion for transport capital spending. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy is settling into a state of suspended animation as the Government’s funding freezes and job cuts chill confidence and combine with stubbornly high interest rates to ...2 weeks ago - Gordon Campbell on why anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitic
To be precise, the term “anti- Zionism” refers to (a) criticism of the political movement that created a modern Jewish state on the historical land of Israel, and to (b)the subjugation of Palestinians by the Israeli state. By contrast, the term “anti-Semitism” means bigotry and racism directed at Jewish people, ...2 weeks ago - Climate change is making hurricanes more destructiveThis is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Because hurricanes are one of the big-ticket weather disasters that humanity has to face, climate misinformers spend a lot of effort muddying the waters on whether climate change is making hurricanes more damaging. With the official start to the hurricane ...2 weeks ago
- Wayne Brown’s PT PlanYesterday the Mayor released what he calls his “plan to save public transport” which is part of his final proposal for the Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP). This comes following consultation on the draft version that occurred in March which showed, once again, that people want more done on transport, especially ...2 weeks ago
- Potaka's Private Universe.
And it's a pleasure that I have knownAnd it's a treasure that I have gainedAotearoa’s coalition government is fragile. It’s held together by the obsequious sycophancy of Christopher Luxon, who willingly contorts his party into the fringe positions of his junior coalition partners and is unwilling to contradict them. The ...2 weeks ago - Our slow regional councilsThe Select Committee hearing submissions on the fast-track consenting legislation is starting to become a beat-up of regional councils. The inflexibility and slow workings of the Councils were prominent in two submissions yesterday. One, from the Coromandel Marine Farmers Association, simply said that the Waikato Regional Council’s planning decisions were ...2 weeks ago
- Ministers are not above the law after allBack in April, the High Court surprised everyone by ruling that Ministers are above the law, at least as far as the Waitangi Tribunal is concerned. The reason for this ruling was "comity" - the idea that the different branches of government shouldn't interfere with each other's functions. Which makes ...2 weeks ago
- NZTA takes the wheel after govt gives it the road map for regional roads (and puts a speed governor ...Buzz from the Beehive Tolling was mentioned when Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced the government was re-introducing the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme, with 15 “crucial” projects to support economic growth and regional development across New Zealand. All RoNS would be four-laned, grade-separated highways, and all funding, financing, and ...2 weeks ago
- Change in Catalonia?or the past 14 years, ever since the Spanish government cheated on an autonomy deal, Catalonia has reliably given pro-independence parties a majority of seats in their regional parliament. But now that seems to be over. Catalans went to the polls yesterday, and stripped the Catalan parties of their majority. ...2 weeks ago
- Having an enrolment date is not depriving anyone of a voteDavid Farrar writes – Radio NZ report: Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said the Electoral Commission should make sure the system ran smoothly and “taking away the right of thousands of people to vote” was not the answer. “Thousands of people enroled and voted on the day. If ...2 weeks ago
- Perhaps house prices don’t always go upDon Brash writes – There was a rather revealing headline in the Herald on Sunday today (12 May). It read “One in 8 Auckland homes on market were bought during boom, may now sell for loss”. The first line of text noted that “New data shows one in ...2 weeks ago
- Can’t read, can’t write, can’t comprehend – and won’t think…?Mike Grimshaw writes – At a time when universities are understandably nervous regarding the establishment of the University Advisory Group (UAG) and the Science System Advisory Group (SSAG) it may seem strange – or even fool-hardy – to state that there are long-standing issues in the tertiary sector ...2 weeks ago
- Time for some perspectiveLindsay Mitchell writes – A lack of perspective can make something quite large or important seem small or irrelevant. Against a backdrop of high-profile, negative statistics it is easy to overlook the positive. For instance, the fact that 64 percent of Maori are employed is rarely reported. For ...2 weeks ago
- Will NZ Herald’s ‘poor journalism’ cost lives?Earlier this year, the Herald ran a series of articles amounting to a sustained campaign against raised pedestrian crossings, by reporter Bernard Orsman. A key part of that campaign concerned the raised crossings being installed as part of the Pt Chevalier to Westmere project, with at least 10 articles over ...2 weeks ago
- The Kaka’s diary for the week to May 19 and beyond
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 19 include:PM Christopher Luxon is expected to hold his weekly post-cabinet news conference at 4:00pm on Monday.Parliament is not sitting this week. It resumes next week for a two-week sitting session up to and ...2 weeks ago - Webworm Popup Photos!
Hi,Thanks to all the beautiful Worms who came to the LA Webworm popup on Saturday.It was a way to celebrate the online store we launched last week — and it was super special.As I talk about a lot, I really value our community here — and it was a BLAST ...2 weeks ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #19A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, May 5, 2024 thru Sat, May 11, 2024. (Unfortunate) Story of the week "Grief that stops at despair is an ending that I and many others, most notably ...2 weeks ago
- The Gods Must Be Woke.
Last night the largest solar storm in decades resulted in Aurorae being seen across Aotearoa, causing many to ask why?Why was the sky pink? What was all this stuff about the power grid? Have we, as so many have wondered since the election, reached the end of days?I had a ...2 weeks ago - More road
We have been on the road in England, squeezing down narrow lanes, flying up the M6, loving hedgerows and villages and cathedrals, liking the 21st century less.There have been moments when it’s felt like a movie trope. The pub in Exford, lovely seventeenth century bar, almost more dogs than people, ...2 weeks ago - Seeing the Aurora Australis
There’s a solar-storm on at the moment, and since the South Island is having a day and night with clear skies, that means Aurorae. I have just got back from a midnight visit to Tunnel Beach – southwards-looking over the Sea, and without the light pollution. Quite a few others ...2 weeks ago - Welcome to the current welfare messMichael Bassett writes – I’m not sure that it’s much comfort to anyone to know that the post-Covid surge in violent crimes, gang activity, ram raids, random shootings, thuggery and stabbings is occurring in other countries as well as New Zealand. These days, wagging school, out-of-control welfare and ...2 weeks ago
- A shovel-ready autopsyOliver Hartwich writes – Cast your mind back to mid-December. A new Prime Minister had just been sworn in, the new Government started its 100-day programme, and Christmas was only days away.Amid all the haste, a report landed that would have deserved our attention.I am talking about the ...2 weeks ago
- Why we almost blacked out and how to fix itTL;DR: An unseasonally early icy blast at the same time as some long-overdue maintenance almost caused Aotearoa-NZ’s electricity system to black out this week. That’s because a quadropoly of gentailers1 have prioritised paying dividends from their rising profits and adding debt over investing in 1.5 GigaWatts of new wind farms ...2 weeks ago
- What Is Instagram Trying To Sell Us?
Hi,Before we crack into today’s Webworm, I wanted to acknowledge the fact that Israel is pushing into Rafah. Over 100,000 Palestinians are now attempting to flee the one place that was deemed “safe”.Trouble is, the place they’re fleeing to is already destroyed. Total annihilation is the end goal here.“Israel is ...2 weeks ago - Precious Little Excitement: Warner Brothers, Peter Jackson, and GollumBack in February 2023, I made the cardinal mistake of getting my hopes up. Warner Brothers declared that fresh Middle-earth movies were in the works: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/02/24/it-never-rains-but-it-pours-warner-brothers-and-impending-tolkien-adaptations/ My assumption, based on which rights were available, and what had already been done, was that this was a stab at either the Angmar ...2 weeks ago
- Do We Need a Population Census?
‘It has been said that figures rule the world. Maybe. I am quite sure that it is figures which show us whether it is being ruled well or badly.’ GoetheI was struck at a recent conference on equity for the elderly, how many presenters implicitly relied upon Statistics New Zealand. ...3 weeks ago - No, the govt will not be cutting back on every budget – and the Defence vote is among those to be ...Buzz from the Beehive Reporting on defence spending late last year, RNZ said the coalition government will have to make some tough calls this term to help the force address staff shortages and ageing infrastructure. “These are huge, huge amounts of government spending. It’s a significant proportion of the government’s ...3 weeks ago
- The Treasury and productivityLate last week The Treasury released a new 40 page report on “The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections” (productivity forecasts and projections that is, rather than any possible fiscal implications – the latter will, I guess, be articulated in the Budget documents). In short, if (as it has) ...3 weeks ago
- The Controller and Auditor-General’s rolePeter Dunne writes – I am always wary when I hear that the Controller and Auditor-General has commented on or made recommendations to the government about an issue of public policy that does not relate strictly to public expenditure. According to the legislation, the role of the Controller ...3 weeks ago
- More harm than goodHow Labour’s and National’s failure to move beyond neoliberalism has brought NZ to the brink of economic and cultural chaos Chris Trotter writes – TO START LOSING, so soon after you won, requires a special kind of political incompetence. At the heart of this Coalition ...3 weeks ago
- Real reason Waitangi Tribunal could not summons ChhourAnd why did the Crown not challenge the Tribunal’s jurisdiction? Gary Judd writes – Retired District Court Judge, David Harvey, has posted on his A Halflings View Substack an excellent summary of Justice Isacs’ judgment declining to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal ...3 weeks ago
- Losing confidence in the integrity of NZ electionsBryce Edwards writes – Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result?As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and ...3 weeks ago
- Macklemore's Pro-Palestinian Protest.
Macklemore isn’t someone I’d usually think about. Sure I liked his big hit from a few years back, everybody did it was catchy and cool with some memorable lines. But if I was going to think of artists who might speak out on political matters or world events, he wouldn’t ...3 weeks ago - Gordon Campbell on miserly school lunches, and the banning of TikTok’s Gaza coverageAnother week goes by in the Luxon government’s efforts to roll back the past 70 years of social progress. The school lunches programme is to be downgraded by $107 million, and women need bother their heads no longer about pay equity, let alone expect ACC to provide adequate sexual violence ...3 weeks ago
- Weekly Roundup 10-May-2024Brrr, the first cold snap of the year. Hope you’re rugged up nice and warm. Here are some stories that caught our eye this week… This Week on Greater Auckland On Monday, we had a post from a new contributor, Connor Sharp, who dug into the public feedback ...3 weeks ago
- The Hoon around the week to May 10Almost all of the Wellington City Council’s recommended zoning changes to allow many more apartments and townhouses in its inner-suburbs have been approved.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guest on geopolitics, ...3 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #19 2024Open access notables A Global Increase in Nearshore Tropical Cyclone Intensification, Balaguru et al., Earth's Future: Tropical Cyclones (TCs) inflict substantial coastal damages, making it pertinent to understand changing storm characteristics in the important nearshore region. Past work examined several aspects of TCs relevant for impacts in coastal regions. However, ...3 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: Losing confidence in the integrity of NZ elections
Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result? As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and always answered “yes”, with very few ...3 weeks ago - The Song of Saqua: Volume VIII
Thus far May has followed on from a quiet April in the blogging department, but in fairness, it has been another case of doing what I am supposed to be doing, namely writing original fiction. Plus reading. So don’t worry – I have been productive. But in order to reassure ...3 weeks ago - Pretending to talk other people’s languages
Fakes can come in many forms.A Rolex, for instance.A tan can be fake. Read more ...3 weeks ago - What’s new? A social agency with an emphasis on “investment” instead of “wellbeing” – b...Buzz from the Beehive A new government agency will open for business on July 1 – the Social Investment Agency. As a new standalone central agency effective from 1 July, it will lead the development of social investment across Government, helping ministers understand who they need to invest in, what ...3 weeks ago
- Following the political moneyBryce Edwards writes – “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The ...3 weeks ago
- Hipkins would rather no one remember that he was Minister of EducationAlwyn Poole writes – After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...3 weeks ago
- Fashionable folliesEric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...3 weeks ago
- Justice for Bainimarama!In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...3 weeks ago
- March for Nature in JuneDon't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...3 weeks ago
- Bernard’ s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Thursday May 9Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...3 weeks ago
- The non-woke $3 Lunch.
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...3 weeks ago - Labour’s chickens come home to roostThe Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...3 weeks ago
- Calvin Reviews Lord of The Rings3 weeks ago
- Climate Adam: How to visualise Climate Change (ft. Katharine Hayhoe)This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...3 weeks ago
- The wrong directionSome good news on climate change today: the energy transition away from fossil fuels is picking up speed, and renewables now make up 30% of global electricity supply. Meanwhile, in Aotearoa, we're moving in the opposite direction, with Genesis Energy announcing that it will resume importing Indonesian coal. Their official ...3 weeks ago
- National hates democracyIts a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...3 weeks ago
- No Tikanga Please, We're Lawyers.
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...3 weeks ago - Member’s DayToday is a Member's Day, and it seems we've entered the slowdown as things emerge from select committee. First up is the committee stage of Greg O'Connor's Child Protection (Child Sex Offender Government Agency Registration) (Overseas Travel Reporting) Amendment Bill, which will be followed by the second readings of Stuart ...3 weeks ago
- Hurrah for coal – Shane Jones welcomes Genesis Energy’s import plans as natural gas production s...Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...3 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: Following the political money“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...3 weeks ago
- A Left-Right ranking of universities in NZ: a practical guide for students and parentsRob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim. Extreme Left Auckland University of Technology Evidence The ...3 weeks ago
- Inflation and GST thresholdsEric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...3 weeks ago
- Green Party grapples with persistent scandalsJacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...3 weeks ago
- A law school to be avoided – Auckland University of TechnologyGary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...3 weeks ago
- Government looks to scrap tax incentive for utes
Revenue Minister Simon Watts has asked tax officials to work to remove a perceived tax incentive for double-cab utes as part of a larger re-working of fringe benefit tax (FBT). In a briefing released to Newsroom under the Official Information Act, the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) laid out two options ...4 days ago - Defence Force slashes study support schemeThe NZDF has cut funding in half for a scheme to help personnel study on the job The post Defence Force slashes study support scheme appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- NZ students stage Gaza protests in global ‘take a stand’ rallies
Asia Pacific Report Thousands of students across Aotearoa New Zealand protested in a nationwide rally at seven universities across the country in a global day of solidarity with Palestine, calling on their universities to divest all partnerships with Israel. A combined group of students and academic staff from the country’s ...4 days ago - Rob Campbell: Unrest in New Caledonia – as seen through moana or colonialist eyes?COMMENTARY: By Rob Campbell Is it just me or is it not more than a little odd that coverage of current events in New Caledonia/Kanaky is dominated by the inconvenience of tourists and rescue flights out of the Pacific paradise. That the events are described as “disruption” or “riots” without ...4 days ago
- Grattan on Friday: Growing momentum for governments to fight social media’s grip on childrenSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra While federal politics often seems “top down”, some issues are pushed onto the national agenda from lower levels. We’re seeing this with the increasing concern to protect kids from the harmful effects of social media. ...4 days ago
- Hunger striker sceptical after meeting with Foreign Affairs officials to discuss Gaza
The former Shortland Street actor says there was a lot of "nodding and smiling" but he doesn't know if his message got through. ...4 days ago - More New Zealanders to arrive home from riot-torn New CaledoniaForeign Minister Winston Peters says the government has received approval from France to bring another group of New Zealanders home. ...4 days ago
- Macron says ‘peace, calm and security’ his top priority for New CaledoniaBy Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific Desk French President Emmanuel Macron landed in Nouméa today under heavy security after pro-independence protests by indigenous Kanaks followed by rioting in the Pacific territory of New Caledonia. Speaking to a pool of journalists, he set as his top priority the return ...4 days ago
- Honk! These monkeys have truly legendary noses – now we better understand why they evolvedSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katharine Balolia, Senior Lecturer in Biological Anthropology, Australian National University Slavianin/Shutterstock Of all the monkey species around the world, one stands out with its large, bizarre nose. In male proboscis monkeys, their bulbous noses will often hang past their mouths. But ...4 days ago
- War in space: US Space Force looks to tie in allies, including New ZealandAnalysis - Space is going off, and we're involved. ...4 days ago
- Bird flu is hitting Australian poultry farms, and the first human case has been reported in Victoria...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By C Raina MacIntyre, Professor of Global Biosecurity, NHMRC L3 Research Fellow, Head, Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney Dewald Kirsten/Shutterstock The first human case of avian influenza (bird flu) in Australia was reported yesterday in Victoria. A child acquired the H5N1 ...4 days ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: Madeleine King on investment incentives and the pivotal role of gasSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The energy debate has ramped up, with government and opposition trading blows over their respective plans to secure Australia’s energy future. The budget announced big tax incentives for green energy projects. Earlier the government ...4 days ago
- Public Service Commission looks to cut nearly 20 percent of its workforceThe "brutal" change proposal has left many in tears, angry, and feeling like they have been "sold down the river", a staff member says. ...4 days ago
- Coromandel Watchdog Of Hauraki Says Mining Strategy Full Of Pitfalls
Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki says the mining strategy launched at Blackball on the West Coast today by Minister Shane Jones is a huge risk to the environment and a disingenuous promotion of the alleged benefits of mining. “The focus of the launch ...4 days ago - No complaints but Speaker Brownlee to pursue use of f-word by Green MPSeveral long-standing MPs were astonished when Ricardo Menéndez March dropped the f-bomb in Parliament. ...4 days ago
- War On Nature 2.0The Government’s war on nature enters its next phase today with the tabling of the Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill. ...4 days ago
- First Home Grants scrapped: Hopes for ownership dwindleThose blindsided by the government's announcement to scrap the First Home Grants scheme say the news comes as a slap in the face. ...4 days ago
- Scarlett Johansson’s row with OpenAI reminds us identity is a slippery yet important subject. AI l...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Englezos, Lecturer, Griffith Law School, Griffith University OpenAI will be removing access to one of its ChatGPT voices, following objections by actor Scarlett Johansson that it sounds “eerily similar” to her own. Earlier this week, the company said it was ...4 days ago
- I Am Hope chair's donations to National questioned after $24m Gumboot Friday pledgeThe chairperson of Mike King's charity donated nearly $30,000 to National over the past few years. ...4 days ago
- Critical minerals for the world – or just for the US? Turning Australia into a green minerals po...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marina Yue Zhang, Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney Panga Media/Shutterstock Globalisation is on shaky ground. As China rises, the United States and its allies are moving to reduce their reliance on the world’s factory. The rivalry between the US ...4 days ago
- PSA Comment On DOC CutsThe PSA is gravely concerned that the drive to respond to Government saving cuts has seen DOC confirm to staff that is cutting 124 net roles. ...4 days ago
- Recognition of Palestine requires conditions to be met – PetersForeign Minister Winston Peters says recognition of Palestine as a state is a matter of when, not if - but NZ would need to see a Palestinian election first. ...5 days ago
- French ‘betrayal’ triggered Kanak youth rebellion in Nouméa, says activistBy Adam Gifford of Waatea News A New Zealand Kanak woman, Jesse Ounei, says young people in New Caledonia feel a sense of anger and betrayal at the way France is attempting to “snuff out” any prospect of independence for its Pacific territory. France invaded New Caledonia in 1853 and ...5 days ago
- Ministry of Social Development job losses top 700 after more cuts announcedThe Ministry of Social Development's workforce is set to drop by more than 700 now, and the Department of Conservation has confirmed it's cutting 124 jobs. ...5 days ago
- Resources Minister Shane Jones unveils mineral mining strategyThe strategy aims to double the sector's export value to $2 billion by 2035 and boost jobs. ...5 days ago
- Watch: 'Tough choices' Luxon defends scrapping first home grantsPrime Minister Christopher Luxon has stood by the coalition's decision to scrap the First Home Grants scheme. ...5 days ago
- US hostility towards the ICC is nothing new – it has long supported the court only when it suits A...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Furger, Graduate Researcher and Teaching Fellow in International Law, The University of Melbourne This week, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) applied for arrest warrants for three Hamas leaders, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister ...5 days ago
- Ministry of Social Development proposes further job cutsIts workforce is set to drop by more than 700, after further proposed cuts announced today. ...5 days ago
- It’s not just retiring athletes who need mental health support – young sportspeople need it, tooSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vita Pilkington, Research Assistant, PhD Candidate, The University of Melbourne Retiring from professional sport can be anguishing for some athletes. In Australia, high-profile athletes such as Brendan Cannon, Nathan Bracken, Stephanie Rice and Lauren Jackson have spoken about the loss of ...5 days ago
- Need a side hustle in these tough times? Here are your National-approved options
Getting by in a cost of living crisis is easier than you think. Just open a mine (plus five other brilliant ideas). Like all times, it’s a bad time to be poor. Food is expensive. Rents continue to rise. My local second-hand stores are now selling Anko clothing for more ...5 days ago - Watch live as Nicola Willis gives pre-budget speech to business leadersThe finance minister is speaking to the Employers and Manufacturers Association ahead of Budget 2024. ...5 days ago
- Nicola Willis gives pre-budget speech to business leadersThe finance minister is speaking to the Employers and Manufacturers Association ahead of Budget 2024. ...5 days ago
- The Vatican is cracking down on miracles. Here are the new rules for ‘supernatural’ occurrencesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip C. Almond, Emeritus Professor in the History of Religious Thought, The University of Queensland Gustave Moreau’s The Apparition (1876-1877). © President and Fellows of Harvard College, CC BY-NC-SA New norms for differentiating supernatural phenomena from the natural within Roman Catholicism took ...5 days ago
- More Kiwis arrive home from riot torn New CaledoniaThere will be no rescue flights on Thursday after France declined applications amid Emmanuel Macron's visit to Noumea. ...5 days ago
- NZTA to axe 24 more jobs in third round of proposed cutsThe proposed further reduction of 24 jobs will affect staff working on road safety campaigns. ...5 days ago
- What it’s like to go through a MAFS divorceIn a rarity for the international franchise, the first season of Married at First Sight NZ saw contestants legally wed to a stranger. Seven years later, Alex Casey talks to one groom who only just finalised his divorce. The man behind the counter at the courthouse was combing through the ...5 days ago
- Repeal of Section 7AA fuels fiery debate in ParliamentLabour's Willow-Jean Prime says the level of frustration is building and concern is mounting over what the government will set its sights on next. ...5 days ago
- Budget 2024: A novice's cheat sheet, and what to expectWith one week to go, this handy-dandy cheat sheet will bring you up to speed on all the jargon you need to impress your friends. ...5 days ago
- How to end the wasteful boom-bust cycle driving NZ’s infrastructure gap: new reportSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Debates about infrastructure often turn around money – with good reason. It’s estimated New Zealand’s infrastructure deficit – the amount we would need to spend to ...5 days ago
- French President Emmanuel Macron lands in Nouméa amid unrestBy Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist French president Emmanuel Macron has landed in Nouméa. The French Ambassador to the Pacific Véronique Roger-Lacan was on the flight. “The unrest in New Caledonia is absolutely unacceptable,” Roger-Lacan told RNZ Pacific in an interview. She had just arrived back from Caracas where she ...5 days ago
- What can disabled people expect in the budget?The finance minister says Whaikaha is in line for a funding boost, but disabled people won’t be holding their breath, writes Robyn Hunt. The mother of all budgets in 1991 was the last time I remember feeling pessimistic, or anything much, about a budget announcement. Disabled people are used to ...5 days ago
- ETS Tinkering: Willis Plunging Into Waters Too Deep For HerThe price signalling that ETS auction floor and CCR settings might be lowered is redolent of economic, political, legal and climate risks. Minister of Finance and Associate Minister of Climate Change, Nicola Willis, appears oblivious to all these. ...5 days ago
- ETS Tinkering: Willis Plunging Into Waters Too Deep For HerThe price signalling that ETS auction floor and CCR settings might be lowered is redolent of economic, political, legal and climate risks. Minister of Finance and Associate Minister of Climate Change, Nicola Willis, appears oblivious to all these. ...5 days ago
- ‘Facebook probably knows I sell drugs’ – how young people’s digital footprints can threaten ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robin van der Sanden, Postdoctoral Fellow, Public Health, SHORE & Whāriki Research Centre, Massey University Marco Piunti/Getty Images Social media and messaging apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Messenger are increasingly used to buy and sell drugs in many countries. ...5 days ago
- What it's like to be a renting MPMarama Davidson is in a minority in Parliament - one of just a handful who do not own a home. ...5 days ago
- Community housing providers welcome fund to 'crack on' with building stalled projectsAbout 500 homes have been in limbo due to a lack of funding, a community housing group says. ...5 days ago
- Five data points that show the New Zealand economy may be in worse shape than you thinkAnalysis - It's bad, but could it be worse than it looks? ...5 days ago
- Parenting a perfectionist? Here’s how you can respondSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Westrupp, Associate Professor in Psychology, Deakin University Annie Spratt/Unsplash Some children show signs of perfectionism from early on. Young children might become frustrated and rip up their drawing if it’s not quite right. Older children might avoid or refuse to ...5 days ago
- New research suggests girls in single-sex schools do slightly better in exams than girls in co-ed en...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Charles, Senior Lecturer in Education (Pedagogy and Curriculum), Deakin University Mary Taylor/Pexels , CC BY Students at all-girls’ schools do slightly better in their exams than girls at co-educational schools, according to new research from the United Kingdom. This ...5 days ago
- Help Me Hera: Is it too late to yell at my ex?We ended on good terms last year, but I saw them recently and, well, turns out I’m furious. How do I deal with my rage? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Dear Hera, Last year I ended my first and only long-term relationship after a good few years together. It was ...5 days ago
- A rare find in ancient Timorese mud may rewrite the history of human settlement in AustralasiaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mike W. Morley, Associate Professor and Director, Flinders Microarchaeology Laboratory, Flinders University View of the Lailea River from on top of the hill containing Laili rockshelter. Mike Morley Humans arrived in Australia at least 65,000 years ago, according to archaeological evidence. These ...5 days ago
- Peter Dutton wants to cut migration for the sake of housing. Here’s why that’s not a good ideaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter McDonald, Honorary Professor of Demography, Centre for Health Policy, The University of Melbourne Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has suggested the level of Australia’s permanent migration program be reduced from 185,000 – as proposed by the government in the budget – to ...5 days ago
- What is ‘Net Zero’, anyway? A short history of a monumental conceptSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Morgan, Associate Professor of History, Australian National University Last month, the leaders of the G7 declared their commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. Closer to home, the Albanese government recently introduced legislation to establish a Net ...5 days ago
- War in space: US assesses NZ's ability to quickly launch satellitesThe United States has been assessing New Zealand's capability to help with rapid rocket and satellite launches if war breaks out in space. ...5 days ago
- Businesses and directors could face multi-million dollar penalties if they fail to disclose their cl...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pamela Hanrahan, Emerita Professor, UNSW Business School, UNSW Sydney Large businesses will have to publicly disclose detailed information about what they are doing to reduce carbon emissions and other climate-related financial information under legislation before federal parliament. Under the new legislation companies ...5 days ago
- The sudden death of the first home grantThe agency was found to be underperforming and ‘not financially viable’, explains Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Well that didn’t take long. On Tuesday night, Newshub’s Jenna Lynch reported that the government was poised to scrap the first home ...5 days ago
- Budget 2024: A novice's guide and what to expectWith one week to go, this handy-dandy cheat sheet will bring you up to speed on Budget jargon and allow you to impress all your friends. ...5 days ago
- Successful city parks make diverse communities feel safe and welcome − this Minnesota park is an e...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Trudeau, Professor of Geography, Macalester College ‘Meditation,’ by Lei Yixin, near the picnic pavilion in Lake Phalen Regional Park City of Saint Paul, CC BY-ND What makes a city a good place to live? Practical features are important, such as well-maintained ...5 days ago
- First homes grant scrapped: 'It sets you back'A prospective first-home buyer says he is gutted the government has scrapped the First Homes Grants scheme, and fears he'll now miss out on the house he was looking at. ...5 days ago
- Christchurch homeowner's house featured in social housing postA Christchurch homeowner was shocked to see her house featured in an Instagram post by Housing Minister Chris Bishiop and other National MPs about building more social housing. ...5 days ago
- Dozens of free budgeting services face closure after missing out on fundingA third of the country's free budgeting services face closure during a cost of living crisis, after missing out on the latest round of government funding. ...5 days ago
- The real meaning of tax reliefThere’s a reason why National prefers the phrase to the more standard – and accurate – ‘tax cuts’, writes Max Rashbrooke. The American pollster and strategist Frank Luntz is famous – or infamous, depending on your point of view – for coining the phrase “death tax” to describe estate duties. ...5 days ago
- Jemaine Clement’s new comedy band could be great – but opening night was a disasterReview: Goth 2 A Flame, the new musical comedy act by Jemaine Clement and Jonny Brugh, shares the same magic that made Flight of the Conchords world famous. But their debut performance fell well short. Twenty-eight years ago, Jemaine Clement first performed at Wellington’s BATS Theatre alongside Bret McKenzie in ...5 days ago
- Government accidentally killed off loan sharks, review findsLending provisions introduced in 2020 wanted to cut the number of ‘high-cost’ loans by 40 percent, but none were issued last year. The post Government accidentally killed off loan sharks, review finds appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Pacific Island delegations are not junketsOpinion: Overseas MP delegations provide a rare chance for engagement on subjects often missing on the official agenda The post Pacific Island delegations are not junkets appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 23 MayLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 23 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- The deal with charter schoolsBy the time term one starts next year up to 35 state schools will be open as charter schools, six years after the model was abolished the first time around. They have just six months to get ready for the change but even the old charter schools haven’t decided whether ...5 days ago
- Failed entrepreneur resurfaces with bold business claimsA property development in Waimate, a global parallel import syndicate, a silo, and a resin factory. The disgraced entrepreneur Evan Price is back. The post Failed entrepreneur resurfaces with bold business claims appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Too many public servants isn’t the problemOpinion: Did we really have too many public servants loitering in the back office? The Government will have felt justified in trimming back the numbers, especially those whose evidence it no longer wished to consider or whose findings it no longer wished to hear. It may have even led to ...5 days ago
- The swathe of mysterious Belt and Road agreementsNZ’s stance on China’s Belt and Road is purposefully vague, and it’s leading to contradictions between the country’s foreign policy and locally signed agreements The post The swathe of mysterious Belt and Road agreements appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Daily crossword, Thursday 23 MayThe post Daily crossword, Thursday 23 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- A brief history of racist lawOver half of Fragile Foundations, a new history of criminal trials in New Zealand before 1907 by former Solicitor-General and Court of Appeal judge David Collins, is devoted specifically to how English criminal law impacted on Māori communities. Prior to 1840 tikanga was the law of the land. Māori who ...5 days ago
- Govt paid Kāinga Ora reviewers out of urgent housing fundBuried deep in Cabinet papers released with Sir Bill English’s radical review of Kāinga Ora is a two-line table that stood out like the proverbial canine’s family jewels. The table, from the minutes of the Cabinet 100-day Plan Committee’s meeting on December 13, shows approval for a “fiscally neutral adjustment” ...5 days ago
- Vanuatu minister calls for referendum voters in spite of Nouméa crisisBy Tensly Sumbe Vanuatu’s Elections Minister Johnny Koanapo is urging every Ni-Vanuatu person living in New Caledonia to take part in the upcoming vote for the national referendum next Wednesday. He highlighted that the current situation in New Caledonia presented exceptional circumstances that could impact on people’s participation on polling ...5 days ago
- Solidarity action group calls on NZ to support Kanak, Papuan independenceAsia Pacific Report A New Zealand solidarity action group has called on the New Zealand government to back indigenous independence calls in the Pacific and press both France to grant Kanaks sovereignty and Indonesia to end its rule in West Papua. Catherine Delahunty, a former Green Party MP and spokesperson ...5 days ago
Recent Comments