Three waters lite
Written By:
Date published: 8:55 am, May 6th, 2024 - 39 comments
The Government has announced the reaching of an agreement with Auckland Council about Watercare which will over time be more expensive than Labour’s Tree Water alternative.
Open mike 06/05/2024
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, May 6th, 2024 - 46 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 …
A one term Government?
Written By:
Date published: 10:16 am, May 5th, 2024 - 86 comments
The Government is less than 12 months away from a change in the Deputy Prime Ministership and the transition will be a smooth one. Labour needs to be getting ready now. Because for the first time in this Country’s history this could be a one term National led Government.
Open mike 05/05/2024
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Date published: 6:00 am, May 5th, 2024 - 17 comments
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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
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Date published: 6:00 am, April 28th, 2024 - 73 comments
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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
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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 …
- Of Rings of Power Annatar, Dramatic Irony, and Disguises
As a follow-up to the Rings of Power trailer discussion, I thought I needed to add something. There has been some online mockery about the use of the same actor for both the Halbrand and Annatar incarnations of Sauron. The reasoning is that Halbrand with a shave and a new ...2 weeks ago - The future of Nick's Kōrero.
This isn’t quite as dramatic as the title might suggest. I’m not going anywhere, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about.Let’s start with a typical day.Most days I send out a newsletter in the morning. If I’ve written a lot the previous evening it might be ...2 weeks ago - The PM promises tax relief in the Budget – but will it be enough to satisfy the Taxpayers’ Union...
Buzz from the Beehive The promise of tax relief loomed large in his considerations when the PM delivered a pre-Budget speech to the Auckland Business Chamber. The job back in Wellington is getting government spending back under control, he said, bandying figures which show that in per capita terms, the ...2 weeks ago - Fucking useless
Yesterday de facto Prime Minister David Seymour announced that his glove puppet government would be re-introducing charter schools, throwing $150 million at his pet quacks, donors and cronies and introducing an entire new government agency to oversee them (the existing Education Review Office, which actually knows how to review schools, ...2 weeks ago - Setting things straight.
Seeing that, in order to discredit the figures and achieve moral superiority while attempting to deflect attention away from the military assault on Rafa, Israel supporters in NZ have seized on reports that casualty numbers in Gaza may be inflated … Continue reading ...2 weeks ago - Far too light a sentence
David Farrar writes – Newstalk ZB report: The man responsible for a horror hit and run in central Wellington last year was on a suspended licence and was so drunk he later asked police, “Did I kill someone?” Jason Tuitama injured two women when he ran a red ...2 weeks ago - Unwinding Labour’s AgendaMuriel Newman writes – Former US President Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation.” The fight for ...2 weeks ago
- Sequel to “Real reason Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Chhour”Why Courts should have said Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Karen Chhour Gary Judd writes – In the High Court, Justice Isacs declined to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal to compel Minister for Children, Karen Chhour, to appear before it to be ...2 weeks ago
- The Govt’s Fast-Track is being demolished by submissions to ParliamentBryce Edwards writes – The number of voices raising concerns about the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill is rapidly growing. This is especially apparent now that Parliament’s select committee is listening to submissions from the public to evaluate the proposed legislation. Twenty-seven thousand submissions have been made to Parliament ...2 weeks ago
- A generation is leaving at a rate of one A320-load per day
2 weeks ago - 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 whistleblowerIn 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 liquidatedRob 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 14The 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 ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 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
- Heavy water: how melting ice sheets and pumped groundwater can lower local sea levels – and boost...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca McGirr, Postdoctoral research fellow, Australian National University Bernhard Staehli/Shutterstock Imagine you’re standing near the edge of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, gazing out over the ocean, when the ice near you starts to melt very rapidly. A surge of meltwater flows ...4 days ago - The Week in Politics: Willis sails against strong headwinds
The Finance Minister prepares to present one of the most difficult budgets, National MP David MacLeod gets himself into trouble and the First Home Buyers Grant is scrapped. ...4 days ago - Paul Henry To Address New Zealanders At ACT Rally
ACT's 2024 rally, Change Makers, will take place at Auckland's Viaduct Events Centre at 12:30pm on 9 June. ...5 days ago - Regional Development and Resources Minister's mine visits not publicisedShane Jones visited two mines on Thursday without revealing it until afterwards - then had a private lunch with mining industry representatives. ...5 days ago
- Iranian Solidarity Group New Zealand's Meeting With NZ Minister For Foreign Affairs Rt. Hon. Wi...The Iranian Solidarity Group NZ met with Minister For Foreign Affairs Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, urging the NZ government to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (the IRGC) as a terrorist organisation. The group continues to advocate for justice ...5 days ago
- 105 Silenced Journalists Of Gaza Honoured Outside Voyager Media AwardsOn 24th May, 6pm, Palestinian journalists covering Gaza will be honoured in a silent and visually impactful vigil outside Shed 10, 89 Quay Street, Auckland, where the Voyager Media Awards are being held. ...5 days ago
- The Matildas and Socceroos are soaring, while participation is growing – but the A-League is missi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney This should be a golden age for Australian soccer. After all, the big picture is good: the Matildas are waltzing, the Socceroos are well supported and Australia was just awarded hosting ...5 days ago
- The British election is Labour’s to lose. What would the UK–Australia relationship look like und...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Wellings, Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations, Monash University Assuming a Labour win in the UK general election – always a risky assumption given Labour’s proclivity for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory – the “Global Britain” bombast emanating ...5 days ago
- A rush on critical minerals is coming for our most remote and disadvantaged communitiesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanna Kemp, Professor and Director, Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, The University of Queensland King Ropes Access, Shutterstock The Australian mining industry was promised billions of dollars in last week’s federal budget to boost critical minerals such as lithium, copper ...5 days ago
- Greens Justice Spokesperson Tamatha Paul To Join Protest Against Waikeria ‘Megaprison’ At Mount ...The community group People Against Prisons Aotearoa is holding a protest against mass incarceration tomorrow against the Government’s proposed expansion of Waikeria prison. ...5 days ago
- Labour MP Willie Jackson becomes first Māori to take part in Oxford Union debateHe is the first MP since former prime minister David Lange to be asked to debate at Oxford. ...5 days ago
- What OpenAI’s deal with News Corp means for journalism (and for you)Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University Shutterstock OpenAI, the makers of ChatGPT, and News Corp, the international media conglomerate, have signed a deal that will let OpenAI use and learn from News Corp’s content. In ...5 days ago
- What is a virtual emergency department? And when should you ‘visit’ one?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jaimon Kelly, Senior Research Fellow in Telehealth delivered health services, The University of Queensland Shutterstock/Nils Versemann For many Australians the emergency department (ED) is the physical and emblematic front door to accessing urgent health-care services. But health-care services are evolving rapidly ...5 days ago
- Married at First Sight NZ pops the question: can the relaunch put a winning Kiwi spin on the global ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Trelease, Senior Lecturer in Communication Studies, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Following the hugely successful recent season of Married At First Sight (MAFS) Australia, fans of the format – and the reality romance genre in general – will be ...5 days ago
- All surface, no substance. Kids will probably love Beings at ACMI. Pity about the rest of usSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominic Redfern, Associate Professor, School of Art, RMIT University We Are All Unique by Universal Everything commissioned by Hyundai Motorstudio Senayan Park in Beings at ACMI. Image by Michelle Tran At this week’s launch of Beings by Universal Everything, ACMI board member ...5 days ago
- ‘People need to buckle up’: The experts reveal what to expect in MAFS NZ
As Married at First Sight New Zealand returns to our screens this Sunday, Tara Ward speaks to the show’s new relationship experts about what lies ahead. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. John Aiken is teasing Jo Robertson about her cup of ...5 days ago - The Friday Poem: ‘The body’s score’ by Erin DonohueA new poem by Wellington writer Erin Donohue. The body’s score Here is what happens if you starve yourself for years. Your body will forget herself. She will have to learn new how a heart beats and she will not get it right. She will need MRIs and a quiet ...5 days ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending May 24The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (Picador, $25) A charming, smash-hit book about ...5 days ago
- Select Committee aged care inquiry to begin by JulyThe coalition has confirmed the Health Select Committee will carry out an inquiry into aged care. ...5 days ago
- Media fuss over stranded tourists, but Kanaks face existential struggleCOMMENTARY: By Eugene Doyle “Only the struggle counts . . . death is nothing.” Éloi Machoro — “the Che Guevara of the Pacific” — said this shortly before he was gunned down by a French sniper on 12 January 1985. Machoro, one of the leaders of the newly-formed FLNKS (Kanak ...5 days ago
- We analysed 30 years of Australian media articles – and unearthed some glaring gaps in the coverag...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Wake, Associate Professor, Journalism, RMIT University Photo by Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels The news media play a vital role in shaping the public conversation and covering complex issues such as war, the economy, climate change and technology. Yet our new research ...5 days ago
- How Narendra Modi’s cult of personality was formed by a powerful Hindu nationalist group with a da...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aviroop Gupta, PhD Candidate, Curtin University Narendra Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has resorted to religious polarisation as it tries to rally its Hindu nationalist base in India’s ongoing general election, which ends on June 1. Just days after voting started ...5 days ago
- Kids or no kids, Don’t Lick That is ‘masterful’ mum comedy you need to seeLana Walters’ new show is playing in Auckland for the NZ International Comedy Festival. Madeleine Holden (a parent) and Liv Sisson (not) went along to review. I hadn’t heard of comedian Lana Walters until a colleague posted the following message in one of The Spinoff’s Slack channels: “Has anyone been ...5 days ago
- You leave a ‘microbe fingerprint’ on every piece of clothing you wear – and it could help fore...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paola A. Magni, Associate Professor of Forensic Science, Murdoch University Microgen / Shutterstock When you think of a criminal investigation, you might picture detectives meticulously collecting and analysing evidence found at the scene: weapons, biological fluids, footprints and fingerprints. However, this ...5 days ago
- Will Lost ETS Revenue Result In $800 Million Hole In Tax Cut Plan And New Borrowing?Recent price falls in the New Zealand market for carbon credits leaves the Government facing the prospect of a significant loss of revenue from carbon auctions this year. The March financial statements from Treasury highlight lower-than-expected revenue ...5 days ago
- MFAT cuts spending by less than 1 percentThe ministry has found $15 million a year in back-office savings, but is putting an equal amount in new spending for refurbishments. ...5 days ago
- Kanaky New Caledonia unrest: Macron ends day of political talks with both sidesANALYSIS: By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk French President Emmanuel Macron has ended a meeting-packed whirlwind day in New Caledonia with back-to-back sessions including opposing leaders in the French Pacific territory. Macron left New Caledonia this morning, leaving some members of his entourage to deal with details ...5 days ago
- Pacific diplomatic posts to get $60m infrastructure upgradeThe ministry has also found $15 million a year in back-office savings, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. ...5 days ago
- Govt's Mineral Strategy An Environmental Disaster In The Making"The government's 'Draft Mineral Strategy' released this week by Minister for Resources Shane Jones is a disaster in the making for the environment, the climate and people as more and more rural communities will have to battle these companies ...5 days ago
- A rescue plan for an oddball native plantBehind the pretty flower beds at Auckland Botanic Gardens, conservation mahi is under way for the region’s 357 threatened plants. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. At Auckland Botanic Gardens, conservation specialist Ella Rawcliffe has been trying to plant a seed that’s smaller ...5 days ago
- Ministers give more detail on new social housing plansHousing Ministers Chris Bishop and Tama Potaka have given more detail on how new social housing places will be contracted ...5 days ago
- Political editors panel: MP's donations, housing dramasRNZ Political Editor Jo Moir and Political Reporter Katie Scotcher discuss messy housing announcements and donations drama. ...5 days ago
- What I learned about money from scrutinising where MPs hold theirsOne financial hopeful looks to MPs for inspiration on how to be savvy with money. As a person whose search history includes “easy ways to make money” and “what should I do with $1,000 savings”, my interest was piqued when parliament released the pecuniary interests register this week. Since 2005, ...5 days ago
- Mike King was unaware of chairperson's links to National PartyThe comedian says Naomi Ballantyne can donate money to whoever she wants. ...5 days ago
- Watch live: Ministers give more detail on new social housing plansHousing Ministers Chris Bishop and Tama Potaka have given more detail on how new social housing places will be contracted. ...5 days ago
- $2 billion Kāinga Ora programme buys three pieces of land, but no construction confirmedThe sites include a 95-hectare Tauranga farm and a site on Wellington's busy Adelaide Road. ...5 days ago
- Drug companies pay doctors over A$11 million a year for travel and education. Here’s which special...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Barbara Mintzes, Professor, School of Pharmacy and Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney Monster Ztudio/Shutterstock Drug companies are paying Australian doctors millions of dollars a year to fly to overseas conferences and meetings, give talks to other doctors, and to serve ...5 days ago
- Why knock down all public housing towers when retrofit can sometimes be better?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trivess Moore, Associate Professor, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University The Victorian government is planning Australia’s largest urban renewal project. The plan is to knock down and rebuild 44 large public housing towers in Melbourne. The government says these ...5 days ago
- A new ruling says countries – including NZ – must take action on climate change under the law of...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karen Scott, Professor in Law, University of Canterbury Christian Charisius/dpa/Getty Images In a significant development for small island nations threatened by rising seas, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) has found greenhouse gases constitute marine pollution. The ...5 days ago
- Life’s big moments can impact an entrepreneur’s success – but not always in the way you’d ex...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan University William Fortunato/Pexels Entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of any innovative economy. New business creation has been shown to have a significant and positive impact on economic growth, innovation and job creation. ...5 days ago
- How First Nations fashion design can rewrite painful memories and be a powerful method of healingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Treena Clark, Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Indigenous Research Fellow, Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, University of Technology Sydney Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains names, images and stories of deceased people. Around the world, fashion researchers, ...5 days ago
- Our mental health crisis, and the $24m questionsGumboot Friday pocketed a significant budget boost this week, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin, but concerns have been raised over transparency. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...5 days ago
- Politicians vs farmers in fundraiser rugby match in GisbornePoliticians and farmers are aiming to raise $300,000 to help farmers affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. ...5 days ago
- NZ companies could benefit from US military space strategy, documents showNZ supports a US defence strategy to get hold of commercial space tech in a conflict, according to briefing papers. ...5 days ago
- Where is she now? Lorraine Moller
It’s 40 years since Lorraine Moller and her peers broke a glass ceiling at the Los Angeles Olympics. The Games in 1984 saw the inclusion of the women’s marathon for the first time and for Moller, then 29, it was the first of four consecutive appearances in the Olympic race ...5 days ago - Government's mining proposal an attack on NZ environment – Forest and BirdThe plan could harm Aotearoa's biodiversity and clean green image, environmental group says. ...5 days ago
- Why are book festivals thriving while the publishing industry is struggling?While New Zealand writers festivals are reporting record audiences, booksellers and publishers are struggling under financial pressure. Books editor Claire Mabey looks at the challenges faced by the industry, and what can be done about it. Last week the Auckland Writers Festival broke all attendance records with more than 85,000 ...5 days ago
- The media is in crisis… and I just bought a magazineWhen the publisher of NZ Lifestyle Block announced it was closing down, its editor had a scary decision to make. Michael Andrew tells what happened next. At three in the morning a few months ago, I sat at my desk with two windows open on my computer. One was a ...5 days ago
- Daily crossword, Friday 24 MayThe post Daily crossword, Friday 24 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Government looks to scrap tax incentive for utesRevenue 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 ...5 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. ...5 days ago
- Outgoing ERA member shreds ‘unstuck’ restaurant owners in 19-year firstIn a stunning summary of what appears to have been one of the worst hearings of his 19 years as an ERA member, Michael Loftus has ordered a $100k penalty against the owners of a Hamilton restaurant The post Outgoing ERA member shreds ‘unstuck’ restaurant owners in 19-year first appeared ...5 days ago
- This week’s bestselling books – May 24FICTION 1 The Bone Tree by Airana Ngarewa (Hachette, $37,99) Sales of the author’s 2023 novel went through the roof after he appeared at the Auckland Writers Festival in the weekend. A witness at Ngarewa’s event commented, “It’s the schools and adult combo – not many authors traverse both. Airana ...5 days ago
- French claws in the PacificFrench President Emmanuel Macron’s priority on his rush visit to New Caledonia is to quell the unrest that has been tearing at the territory for nearly two weeks. But what is he likely to achieve in his 24 hours on the ground? A Pacific leader here says France is in ...5 days ago
- Luxon: No excuse for NZ not to do ‘incredibly well’It’s tempting to host a lolly scramble on Budget Day, but the Prime Minister says he’s making ‘tough calls’ needed to get the fundamentals right. The post Luxon: No excuse for NZ not to do ‘incredibly well’ appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Raw Politics: Is that a tax boost in your pocket?National promised a “back pocket boost” when it unveiled a tax package before the election, and now in Government in tough economic times its Budget next week will sort the easy promises from reality. The tax bracket changes and other in-work and family payment adjustments might need to land with ...5 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 24 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, Friday 24 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Wellington’s urban density balancing actOpinion: Wellington recently passed a new ambitious district plan, which paves the way for increased housing density in the city. But as Wellington embraces opportunities for urban intensification, it also needs to consider how this shift will affect residents’ lives. Key to ensuring urban development does not adversely affect health ...5 days ago
- The Great Game resumes on public housingSir Bill English’s Kāinga Ora review looked way beyond its financial troubles to propose a new social housing system, harking back to his own government The post The Great Game resumes on public housing appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- NZ students stage Gaza protests in global ‘take a stand’ ralliesAsia 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 ...5 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 ...5 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. ...5 days ago
- Hunger striker sceptical after meeting with Foreign Affairs officials to discuss GazaThe former Shortland Street actor says there was a lot of "nodding and smiling" but he doesn't know if his message got through. ...5 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. ...5 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 ...5 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 ...5 days ago
- War in space: US Space Force looks to tie in allies, including New ZealandAnalysis - Space is going off, and we're involved. ...5 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 ...5 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 ...5 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. ...5 days ago
- Coromandel Watchdog Of Hauraki Says Mining Strategy Full Of PitfallsCoromandel 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 ...5 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. ...5 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. ...5 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. ...5 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 ...5 days ago
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