Party like it’s 1999
Written By:
- Date published:
3:19 pm, November 16th, 2007 - 64 comments
Categories: humour, national -
Tags: humour, national
If we needed any more reason not to let National take us back to the 90s, I think this might be it.
64 comments on “Party like it’s 1999 ”
- Comments are now closed
Links to post
- Comments are now closed
CommentsOpinions
Recent Comments
FeedsPartyGovtMedia
- Join us at 5pm for 2024’s last Hoon
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guests and , ...1 hour ago - Christmas Gifts: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
âLike you said, Iâm an unreconstructed socialist. Everybody deserves to get something for Christmas.ââONE OF THOSE had better be for me!â Hannah grinned, fascinated, as Laurie made his way, gingerly, to the bar, his arms full of gift-wrapped packages.âOf course!â, beamed Laurie. Depositing his armful on the bar-top and selecting ...4 hours ago - GDP Figures No Christmas Present for New Zealand
Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. âThe data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...6 hours ago - Cheeseburgers and Stunt Monkeys
One last thing before I quitI never wanted any moreThan I could fit into my headI still remember every single word you saidAnd all the shit that somehow came along with itStill, there's one thing that comforts meSince I was always caged and now I'm freeSongwriters: David Grohl / Georg ...6 hours ago - MSD rejecting 220 pleas for food grants each day
Sparse offerings outside a Te Kauwhata church. Meanwhile, the Government is cutting spending in ways that make thousands of hungry children even hungrier, while also cutting funding for the charities that help them. It’s also doing that while winding back new building of affordable housing that would allow parents to ...8 hours ago - The Wing Partiesâ Economic Policies.
It is difficult to make sense of the Luxon Coalition Governmentâs economic management.This end-of-year review about the state of economic management â the state of the economy was last week â is not going to cover the National Party contribution. Frankly, like every other careful observer, I cannot make up ...9 hours ago - Back on Track
This morning I awoke to the lovely news that we are firmly back on track, that is if the scale was reversed.NZ ranks low in global economic comparisonsNew Zealand's economy has been ranked 33rd out of 37 in an international comparison of which have done best in 2024.Economies were ranked ...9 hours ago - Book Review: How Big Things Get Done
This is a guest post by George Weeks, reviewing a book called How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner Want to know how to do something big? Ask someone who has done it before! Professor Bent Flyvbjerg has spent his career studying megaprojects. In 2023, ...10 hours ago - Gordon Campbell On Why We Canât Survive Two More Years Of This
Remember those silent movies where the heroine is tied to the railway tracks or going over the waterfall in a barrel? Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems intent on portraying herself as that damsel in distress. According to Willis, this countryâs current economic problems have all been caused by the spending ...18 hours ago - Dragging our way towards the finish line, the end of this year canât come soon enough for manyâŚ
Similar to the cuts and the austerity drive imposed by Ruth Richardson in the 1990’s, an era which to all intents and purposes we’ve largely fiddled around the edges with fixing in the time since – over, to be fair, several administrations – whilst trying our best it seems to ...23 hours ago - Handling Democracy.
String-Pulling in the Dark: For the democratic process to be meaningful it must also be public. WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE in New Zealandâs politicians and journalists steadily declining, restoring those virtues poses a daunting challenge. Just how daunting is made clear by comparing the way politicians and journalists treated New Zealanders ...1 day ago
- Open letter to the Minister of Dwindling Finances
Dear Nicola Willis, thank you for letting us know in so many words that the swingeing austerity hasn't worked.By in so many words I mean the bit where you said, Here is a sea of red ink in which we are drowning after twelve months of savage cost cutting and ...1 day ago - Open Government: The joke ends
The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral organisation committed to advancing open government. Countries which join are supposed to co-create regular action plans with civil society, committing to making verifiable improvements in transparency, accountability, participation, or technology and innovation for the above. And they're held to account through an Independent ...1 day ago - An unusual sort of press conference
Today I tuned into something strange: a press conference that didn’t make my stomach churn or the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Which was strange, because it was about the torture of children. It was the announcement by Erica Stanford — on her own, unusually ...1 day ago - This substack has talked about this government’s seeming corruption & pro-corporate issues...
This is a must watch, and puts on brilliant and practical display the implications and mechanics of fast-track law corruption and weakness.CLICK HERE: LINK TO WATCH VIDEOOur news media as it is set up is simply not equipped to deal with the brazen disinformation and corruption under this right wing ...1 day ago - NZCTU: Minister needs to listen to the evidence on engineered stone ban
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting Secretary Erin Polaczuk is welcoming the announcement from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden that she is opening consultation on engineered stone and is calling on her to listen to the evidence and implement a total ban of the product. âWe need ...1 day ago
- Wednesday 18 December
The Government has announced a 1.5% increase in the minimum wage from 1 April 2025, well below forecast inflation of 2.5%. Unions have reacted strongly and denounced it as a real terms cut. PSA and the CTU are opposing a new round of staff cuts at WorkSafe, which they say ...1 day ago
- Can the government change its mind on the ferries?
The decision to unilaterally repudiate the contract for new Cook Strait ferries is beginning to look like one of the stupidest decisions a New Zealand government ever made. While cancelling the ferries and their associated port infrastructure may have made this year's books look good, it means higher costs later, ...1 day ago
- Notes from Afar: Will Luxon Attend Waitangi Day? And Opposition Calls Out Nicola Willis for “C...
Hi there! I’ve been overseas recently, looking after a situation with a family member. So apologies if there any less than focused posts! Vanuatu has just had a significant 7.3 earthquake. Two MFAT staff are unaccounted for with local fatalities.It’s always sad to hear of such things happening.I think of ...1 day ago - Member’s morning
Today is a special member's morning, scheduled to make up for the government's theft of member's days throughout the year. First up was the first reading of Greg Fleming's Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill, which was passed unanimously. Currently the House is debating the third reading of ...1 day ago
- Going Backwards
We're going backwardsIgnoring the realitiesGoing backwardsAre you counting all the casualties?We are not there yetWhere we need to beWe are still in debtTo our insanitiesSongwriter: Martin Gore Read more ...1 day ago - Blaming Treasury & Labour, Willis looks for even more Austerity
Willis blamed Treasury for changing its productivity assumptions and Labour’s spending increases since Covid for the worsening Budget outlook. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, December 18 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above ...1 day ago
- December-24 AT Board Meeting
Today the Auckland Transport board meet for the last time this year. For those interested (and with time to spare), you can follow along via this MS Teams link from 10am. I’ve taken a quick look through the agenda items to see what I think the most interesting aspects are. ...1 day ago
- The Making of a Mental Health Rockstar
Hi,If you’re a New Zealander — you know who Mike King is. He is the face of New Zealand’s battle against mental health problems. He can be loud and brash. He raises, and is entrusted with, a lot of cash. Last year his “I Am Hope” charity reported a revenue ...1 day ago - It could have been worse
Probably about the only consolation available from yesterday’s unveiling of the Half-Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) is that it could have been worse. Though Finance Minister Nicola Willis has tightened the screws on future government spending, she has resisted the calls from hard-line academics, fiscal purists and fiscal hawks ...2 days ago - The Deep Divisions of Local Government
The right have a stupid saying that is only occasionally true:When is democracy not democracy? When it hasn’t been voted on.While not true in regards to branches of government such as the judiciary, it’s a philosophy that probably should apply to recently-elected local government councillors. Nevertheless, this concept seemed to ...2 days ago - Willis’ austerity strategy just isn’t working
Long story short: the Government’s austerity policy has driven the economy into a deeper and longer recession that means it will have to borrow $20 billion more over the next four years than it expected just six months ago. Treasury’s latest forecasts show the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s fiscal strategy of ...2 days ago
- Sabin 33 #7 – Are solar projects hurting farmers and rural communities?
On November 1, 2024 we announced the publication of 33 rebuttals based on the report "Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles" written by Matthew Eisenson, Jacob Elkin, Andy Fitch, Matthew Ard, Kaya Sittinger & Samuel Lavine and published by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia ...2 days ago - Join us for a pop-up Hoon at 5pm on HYEFU
2 days ago - âIdeas Worth Savingâ: A Call for Papers
Some years ago, I found myself pondering the power of literature to endure. Or at least the power of some of it to endure, while the rest vanishes in mere decades: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2019/08/07/look-on-my-works-ye-mighty-and-despair-the-literary-future/. I have similarly had fun with the subject in some of my short stories, such as Another Alexandria ...2 days ago - Corrections is torturing prisoners again
In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...2 days ago
- HYEFU and BPS data shows New Zealand is way off track
New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. âOur fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction â with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...2 days ago
- “Better economic management”
At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...2 days ago
- Shameless, clueless
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...2 days ago - Minimum wage âincreaseâ is an effective cut
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that donât see workers fall further behind, in response to todayâs announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. âWith inflation forecast ...2 days ago
- Crazy ’bout a Sharp-dressed Man
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...2 days ago - How much should you worry about a collapse of the Atlantic conveyor belt?
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob Henson In this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...2 days ago
- 8% ACT Party Creates One Ring To Rule Them All
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...2 days ago - When austerity worsens public debt & cuts GDP
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...2 days ago
- Govt to double number of toll roads
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...2 days ago
- Luxonâs pre-emptive strike
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Governmentâs achievements. âIt certainly has ...3 days ago
- Gordon Campbell On The Coalitionâs Empty Gestures, And Abortion Refusal As The New Slavery
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition governmentâs approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after youâve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...3 days ago
- More public service contempt of parliament
Back in 2023 the New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties raised concerns about the inherent conflict of interest involved in public service agencies supporting parliamentary select committees. Our parliament is run on a shoestring, so depends on the public service for advice. But public service agencies work for Ministers, not ...3 days ago
- If There Is A God
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...3 days ago - A Lipstick Government
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...3 days ago - NZCTU open letter to Treasury on undue restrictions on restricted briefings
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...3 days ago
- Why you wonât hear me advocate for electric cars
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate. I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...3 days ago
- Coalition forced to back down on tolling Pahiatua track
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...3 days ago
- Thank You
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...4 days ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #50
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...4 days ago
- Making Gravy
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...4 days ago - Nothing here but the shadows
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...5 days ago - The United Right: the FSUâs Continued Efforts to Undermine Academia
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...5 days ago
- Showing the Americans how to do it
Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...5 days ago
- 2 Men, 1 Haircut
Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...5 days ago - Chris Penkâs Hate Parade
What Chris Penk has granted holocaust-denier and equal-opportunity-bigot Candace Owens is not “freedom of speech”. It’s not even really freedom of movement, though that technically is the right she has been granted. What he has given her is permission to perform. Freedom of SpeechIn New Zealand, the right to freedom ...5 days ago - Tell me a story
All those tears on your cheeksJust like deja vu flow nowWhen grandmother speaksSo tell me a story (I'll tell you a story)Spell it out, I can't hear (What do you want to hear?)Why you wear black in the morning?Why there's smoke in the air? Songwriter: Greg Johnson.Mōrena all ☀️Something a ...5 days ago - As Our Power Lessens: Accepted
2024 is now officially my best-ever year for short stories. My 1,850-word dark fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens, has been accepted for the upcoming solstice edition of Eternal Haunted Summer (https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/), thereby making that six published short stories for the calendar year. As always, see the Bibliography page for ...6 days ago - Six years of work wasted â Holidays Act reform now years away
Brooke van Velden has wasted six years of work from businesses, unions, and government by binning planned Holidays Act reforms, said Acting CTU President Rachel Mackintosh in response to todayâs announcement from Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety. âThe Minister has cynically kicked the can on Holiday Act reform even ...6 days ago
- Come Undone?
Words, playing me deja vuLike a radio tune, I swear I've heard beforeChill, is it something real?Or the magic I'm feeding off your fingersWho do you need?Who do you love?When you come undoneSongwriters: John Taylor / Simon Le Bon / Nick Rhodes / Warren Cuccurullo.When this three-way coalition was being ...6 days ago - ‘Tis The Season …
Last week, I was speaking to a doctor in a public health hospital.She was wearing a brown Christmas seasoned shirt littered with pics of candy canes, elves, Xmas trees and mini Santas.And it took me a few minutes into the conversation before the realisation slowly struck me: “It’s Christmas time..!”How ...6 days ago - Friday 13 December
More public service job cuts are on the way, with hundreds more jobs set to be axed at Health NZ, and close to 50 jobs at Te Arawhiti. Winston Peters is saying Nicola Willisâ ferry proposal is now dead in the water and that he is going back to the ...6 days ago
- Govt cancels Tauranga housing expansion
Mōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, December 12 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus above and the daily Pick ‘n’ Mix below are:The National-ACT-NZ First Government, which has a ‘Going for Housing Growth’ policy designed to massively ...6 days ago
- Weekly Roundup 13-December-2024
Itâs one of the final Fridays of the year and we are getting into the last couple of weeks before the summer shutdown. We hope everyoneâs excited to have a break! Hereâs some of the stories that have caught our attention this week. This post, like all our work, is ...6 days ago
- The Hoon around the week to December 13
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with: on the Government’s inadequate final emissions reduction plan and pro-business climate appointments; on the lightening overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria and what might ...7 days ago
- Our Education System Will Be the Battlegrounds for the New Culture War
Luxon is the best negotiator. He’s just negotiated us into a culture war and he doesn’t even know it. Neoliberalism is preventing our school system from serving the population. People — most people — cannot really select the schools their children go to unless they are wealthy enough to pay ...7 days ago - The ferry saga; cracks in the coalition and closing Wellingtonâs container port
Yesterday, the coalition showed the first real public signs of cracks, as Ministers and the Prime Minister spent the day contradicting each other over the future of the inter-island ferries. The cracks between ACT and New Zealand First have always been there. But what made yesterdayâs exchanges different was that ...7 days ago
- Chris Penk Personally Intervenes for Holocaust Denier
The general advertising strategy of far-right speakers for the last few years has been to announce they’re coming to New Zealand, wait for their visa to be denied or their venue to cancel on them, and then use that free promotion and outrage generation (sponsored by the Free Speech Union) ...7 days ago - Wulf vs Beowulf: A Review of The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
Oh good. Back to the Tolkien adaptations. Not just any Tolkien adaptation either. The story of Helm Hammerhand, as done in anime style – something a bit different. It’s actually the first animated Tolkien adaptation since Rankin-Bass’ Return of the King in 1980, as well as the first Tolkien adaptation ...7 days ago - Georgescu and the Arrogance of the West
I enjoy reading the views of pundits and people. I like knowing what they think, and why they think it. But sometimes I look at what commentators are saying and where conversations are leading and I despair. How often do we here on the left do the right’s job for ...7 days ago - Gordon Campbell On The Latest Round Of Ferry Follies
The scorned iRex option would have entered service in 2026. Thanks to Finance Minister Nicola Willis, there will now be a three year delay until 2029 at the earliest. Instead of fit-for-purpose iRex ferries, Willis is likely by then to have saddled us with smaller, less capable, more weather vulnerable ...7 days ago
- Rotten to the core
Just a few months ago, Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming was one of the final two candidates for the position of police commissioner. Now, he's on leave and facing multiple investigations for unspecified wrongdoing: The second-most powerful police officer in the country is on leave pending separate investigations, the Herald ...7 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #50 2024
Open access notables: Regional Impacts Poorly Constrained by Climate Sensitivity, Swaminathan et al., Earth's Future: Climate risk assessments must account for a wide range of possible futures, so scientists often use simulations made by numerous global climate models to explore potential changes in regional climates and their impacts. Some of ...7 days ago
- About Syria.
I have been thinking about Syria and coverage of the fall of the Assad regime, and to be honest I believe that there is something missing from the picture being painted, at least in NZ. Although I am no expert … Continue reading ...1 week ago - The Two Hundred Million Dollar question
Here we see Napoleon delivering glory in Russia.Here we see Elizabeth Holmes delivering a blood test for anything. Read more ...1 week ago
- Release: Why not both? Luxon shuns Waitangi celebrations
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is running away from problems of his own creation, with his decision not to go to Waitangi. ...3 hours ago - Govtâs âfree speechâ legislation stokes fear, not freedom
The Governmentâs planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...3 hours ago - Release: Nicola Willis spirals country deeper into recession
The economy shrank 1% this quarter and New Zealand has tumbled into the depths of a recession of Nicola Willisâ making. ...5 hours ago
- Release: Hikes for company directors but not ordinary Kiwis
Working people are going backwards while company directors are being given huge pay hikes. ...1 day ago
- ECE no place to cut corners
The Ministry of Regulationâs report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whÄnau, and kaiako. ...1 day ago
- Release: Strengthening Justice Services for New Zealanders
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...1 day ago
- Release: Labour will continue fight against destructive projects
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under Nationalâs Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...2 days ago
- Green Government will revoke dodgy fast-track projects
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...2 days ago
- Government for the wealthy keeps pushing austerity
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...2 days ago
- Release: Visa changes let migrant workers be paid less
The Governmentâs latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...2 days ago
- Release: Nightmare before Christmas for Nicola Willis
With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willisâ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Governmentâs books to surplus. ...2 days ago
- Warning to Fast-Track Applicants â âExploit the Whenua, Face the Consequencesâ
Te PÄti MÄori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te PÄti MÄori government. This warning comes ahead of todayâs third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...2 days ago
- Release: Govt cuts wages for lowest paid NZers⌠again
For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand. ...2 days ago
- Govtâs miserly 1.5% minimum wage will take workers backwards
The Governmentâs announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning itâs a real terms pay reduction for many. ...2 days ago
- Release: Govt shirking responsibility for rate hikes
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...2 days ago
- Luxonâs âlocalismâ strikes again
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing.   ...3 days ago
- Release: Govt breaks promise on EV chargers
The Government has failed to keep its promise to âsuper chargeâ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...3 days ago
- Greens call for end to subsidies for Methanex
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the countryâs gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-nationalâs disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...3 days ago
- Govt child poverty targets allow for increase in poverty
The Green Party is appalled with the Governmentâs new child poverty targets that are based on a new âpersistent povertyâ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...6 days ago
- Release: Four weeks annual leave under threat
The Governmentâs attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...6 days ago
- Govtâs emissions plan for measly 1% reduction
New independent analysis has revealed that the Governmentâs Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets.  ...6 days ago
- Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata MÄori on sad day
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata MÄori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for MÄori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...6 days ago
- Sanctions regime to create more hardship for families
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...6 days ago
- Govt gifts renters housing anxiety for Christmas
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Billâwhich allows landlords to end tenancies with no reasonâignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...6 days ago
- Release: National Party urged to support modern slavery legislation
Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...1 week ago
- Release: Labour has lost confidence in the Speaker
The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...1 week ago
- One year on, still no progress on new ferries
Todayâs announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the countryâs rail network. ...1 week ago
- Release: Nicola Willisâ smaller ferries will cost more
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...1 week ago
- Bill to sanction unlawful occupation of Palestine
Green Party co-leader ChlĂśe Swarbrick has today launched a Memberâs Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...1 week ago
- Release: Labour fully supports greyhound racing ban
The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing. ...1 week ago
- Greyhound racing industry ban marks new era for animal welfare
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...1 week ago
- Rangatahi voices must be centred in Governmentâs Relationship and Sexuality Education refresh
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...1 week ago
- Govt introduces archaic anti-worker legislation
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...1 week ago
- Winston Peters – Kinleith Mill Speech
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing âlossmaking paper productionâ. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...1 week ago - Swarbrick calls on Auckland Mayor to end delay of revival of St James Theatre
Auckland Central MP, ChlĂśe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatreâs restoration. ...2 weeks ago
- He Ara Anamata: Greens launch Emissions Reduction Plan
Today, the Green Party of Aotearoa proudly unveils its new Emissions Reduction PlanâHe Ara Anamataâa blueprint reimagining our collective future. ...2 weeks ago
- Fossil fuel lobbyist appointment to EECA board called out
The Green Party condemns the Governmentâs appointment of a fossil fuel lobbyist to the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority Board. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Boot camps must be shut down today
The Prime Minister has committed to shut down his governmentâs boot camps if there is evidence of harm to children â so he must do that today. Â Â ...2 weeks ago
- Greens echo OECD call for electricity market reform
The Green Party has welcomed the OECD urging the Government to re-examine separating âgentailersâ to make a fairer electricity market for New Zealanders. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt breaks Auckland housing promise
Housing Minister Chris Bishop has confirmed National has broken yet another election promise. ...2 weeks ago
- Appointments to the ENZ board
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. âI would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...3 hours ago - Government to celebrate Waitangi Day around NZ
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. âIt has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...4 hours ago
- More gangs added to Gangs Act list
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...4 hours ago
- Judicial appointment announced
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whataâs appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...5 hours ago
- GDP data highlights importance of growth
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayersâ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. âTreasury and most ...5 hours ago
- Strengthening Free Speech in Universities
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. âFreedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...6 hours ago
- Launch of Emergency Cellular Priority Service
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last yearâs Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Networkâs new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...7 hours ago
- Minister reopens Mangamuka Gorge
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.âThe Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...7 hours ago
- Funding confirmed for second Ashburton Bridge
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âDelivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...8 hours ago
- Government boosts support for avian influenza response
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. âCabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...8 hours ago
- Levelling the playing field for media advertising
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. âAs a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...1 day ago
- Inspector-General of Defence appointed
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. âMr Horsleyâs experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. âHe is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...1 day ago
- Fire and Emergency New Zealand final levy rates confirmed
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. âEarlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...1 day ago
- More AML relief on the way for Kiwi businesses
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. âThe Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill â the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...1 day ago
- Hawkeâs Bay Expressway moving at pace
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawkeâs Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.âThe Government is moving at ...1 day ago
- Government seeks partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned-land
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. âPlanting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...1 day ago
- Wide ranging legislation to make justice system more efficient
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...1 day ago
- Diverse skills in community trust appointments
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. âThese trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...1 day ago
- Torture redress for survivors of the Lake Alice Unit
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). âThe Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...1 day ago
- A busy year in the House
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. âThis Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...1 day ago
- Consultation opens on working with engineered stone
âAccelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,â says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...1 day ago
- Greater reporting on Treaty settlement commitments
Mehemea he pai mĹ te tangata, mahia â if itâs good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sectorâs delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for MÄori and all New Zealanders, MÄori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...1 day ago
- New appointments to the Charities Registration Board
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. âI would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. âThe appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Boardâs capacity ...1 day ago
- Building consent processing times improve
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. âIn the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...1 day ago
- Faster access to support through Innovation Fund
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Governmentâs $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. âThis fund is part of the Governmentâs commitment to investing in ...1 day ago
- New Zealand to assist Vanuatu on earthquake response
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...1 day ago
- Government takes steps to reduce card fees for Kiwis
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commissionâs plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.âThe Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...1 day ago
- Review recommends ECE regulation shakeup
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best â providing safe, high-quality care ...2 days ago
- Offshore Renewable Energy Bill passes first reading
The Governmentâs Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.âNew Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...2 days ago
- Local Government (Water Services) Bill passes first reading
Legislation to enable new water service delivery models that will drive critical investment in infrastructure has passed its first reading in Parliament, marking a significant step towards the delivery of Local Water Done Well, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly say.âCouncils and voters ...2 days ago
- Gene Technology Bill passes first reading
New Zealand is one step closer to reaping the benefits of gene technology with the passing of the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says. "This legislation will end New Zealand's near 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab and is ...2 days ago
- New Zealand ratifies AANZFTA Upgrade
New Zealand has ratified the Upgrade to the Agreement establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA), Minister for Trade Todd McClay announced today. âASEAN which is comprised of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, is New Zealandâs fourth largest trading partner in two-way trade â ...2 days ago
- PMâs Space Prizes highlight talent and innovation
The inaugural winners of the Prime Ministerâs Space Prizes showcase the depth and breadth of talent in New Zealandâs dynamic space and advanced aviation sectors, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Space Minister Judith Collins say. âThe Government established these prizes to recognise and encourage innovative expertise and rising talent in ...2 days ago
- One-stop shop fast-track bill passes third reading
The coalition Governmentâs new one-stop shop fast-track consenting regime for regionally and nationally significant projects will help rebuild the New Zealand economy, say RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Minister for Regional Development Shane Jones. The Fast-track Approvals Bill passed its third reading in Parliament today. Applications for projects to ...2 days ago
- Antarctica New Zealand Board appointment
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has appointed Craig Ellison to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand. The appointment is effective from 18 December 2024 for a three-year term and brings the Board to its full capacity of seven members. âMr Ellison joins the Board with a background in Antarctic ...2 days ago
- New diplomatic appointments
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced four new diplomatic appointments. âOur diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealandâs interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,â Mr Peters says. âIt is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign ...2 days ago
- Financial measure and capital allowance updated
The Government is adopting a new financial indicator and a new approach to capital allowances, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. These changes follow reviews, announced at the Budget, of the operating balance before gains and losses (OBEGAL) and the multi-year capital allowance (MYCA). âSince 2008, governments have used OBEGAL to ...2 days ago
- Lifting productivity key
Lifting the productive capacity of the economy is the key to realising New Zealandâs potential, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. âThe Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update released today shows the Crownâs financial position has deteriorated over the past six years, but the economy has reached a turning point. âInflation ...2 days ago
- Consultation on Arms Act rewrite to begin
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has welcomed Cabinetâs decision to undertake public consultation on the rewrite of the Arms Act 1983. âPhase four of my firearms reforms is the rewrite of the Act and, as promised, we will be consulting with the New Zealand public. The consultation period will open ...2 days ago
- Government confirms reduction to Forestry ETS annual charge
The Government has today confirmed a 50 per cent reduction to the annual charge for forest owners participating in the forestry Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. âThis decision delivers on the Governmentâs promise to rebuild confidence in the forestry sector and support its role in achieving ...2 days ago
- PM skipping Waitangi appearance ‘a good first step’ – hÄŤkoi organiser
"There's no point in speaking to ears that will not listen to mine," Eru Kapa-Kingi says. ...2 hours ago - YouTube populists are driving South Koreaâs political instability. Itâs a warning for the rest o...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Koskie, Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Media and Communications, University of Sydney In the space of three weeks, South Korea has seen a brief declaration of martial law, its sudden repeal and the impeachment of its president, Yoon Suk Yeol. One ...2 hours ago - When medals matter most: high-performance sport funding risks a return to the âwin at all costsâ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Holly Thorpe, Professor in Sociology of Sport and Gender, University of Waikato Getty Images On the face of it, New Zealandâs new high-performance sport funding model announced yesterday is an increase on the previous round. But it is ultra-focused on already ...2 hours ago
- The Essure contraceptive device left some women with chronic pelvic pain. Why did their class action...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wendy Bonython, Associate Professor of Law, Bond University ben bryant/Shutterstock The Victorian Supreme Court recently dismissed a class action on behalf of more than 1,400 women who received Bayerâs Essure contraceptive device. The decision attracted significant publicity, including criticism ...2 hours ago
- Menstrual cups are safe and sustainable â but they can be tricky for first-time users, our new stu...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Hennegan, Senior Research Fellow; Co-Head, Global Adolescent Health Working Group, Burnet Institute Iryna Inshyna/Shutterstock Many young women and other people who menstruate are turning to menstrual cups to manage their periods. In 2021, my colleagues and I surveyed 15- ...4 hours ago
- Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will not attend Waitangi at all next year
He says he has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. ...4 hours ago
- Can you run through airport security for love? Leave a child home alone? Hereâs what the law says ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rick Sarre, Emeritus Professor in Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia 20th Century Studios/IMDB Itâs the time of year when many of us return to our favourite Christmas fables to get into the festive spirit. While film often ...4 hours ago
- Why does family violence increase during the festive season? Here are 3 contributing factors
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Summerell, Lecturer, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide Shutterstock While the holiday season is supposed to be a happy time, evidence suggests itâs one of the worst times of year for domestic and family ...4 hours ago
- A world on fire: the World Bulletin year in review
Looking back at the events that made headlines around the globe in 2024. This is an excerpt from The World Bulletin, our weekly global current affairs newsletter exclusively for Spinoff Members. Sign up here. If youâre anything like me, youâll be hard pressed to think of a grimmer year than ...4 hours ago - Government to change free speech rules for universities
The coalition's proposal will also prohibit unis from adopting positions on issues that don't relate to their "core functions". ...5 hours ago
- From garlic to parsley, new research reveals the herbs and spices Australians love most
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Evangeline Mantzioris, Program Director of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Accredited Practising Dietitian, University of South Australia Herbs and spices have been used in cooking for centuries. They add flavour, aroma and colour to foods and have long been used for health ...5 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Essay â Judaism, Antisemitism, and Israel
Analysis by Keith Rankin. To understand antisemitism, we need a meaning for ‘semitism’, and another -ism to contextualise semitism. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. Literally, semitism means the promotion of the Semitic people, whoever ...6 hours ago
- Former Defence Minister Peeni Henare calls Vanuatu flight woes ’embarrassing
A Hercules plane carrying urban rescue staff to Vanuatu was stranded in New Caledonia after an engine fault. ...6 hours ago
- The Spinoffâs favourite movies of 2024
6 hours ago
- NZâs dairy industry faces an uncertain future â its fate now lies in its ability to adapt
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milena Bojovic, PhD Candidate, Macquarie University William West/AFP via Getty Images New Zealandâs dairy sector faces an uncertain future due to several challenges, including water pollution, high emissions, animal welfare concerns and market volatility. All of these issues are building ...7 hours ago
- Call for entries: Rod Oram Memorial Essay Prize
Calling all young writers!To honour our great friend and esteemed colleague, Rod Oram, we are calling for essays from young people campaigning for a more equitable, sustainable and compassionate world.Rod Oram was a revered journalist and environmentalist, known for his rigorously researched and passionate commentaries on business, government and wider ...7 hours ago - Banger alert: the song of the summer is âHarty MÄori Stylezâ
Espresso this, Not Like Us that. There will be only one true song of Aotearoaâs summer: Harty MÄori Stylez by Te Kura Reo Rua o Waikirikiri. This summer, as you cruise coast to coast, youâre going to need an anthem to soundtrack your movements. A song that encapsulates the feeling ...8 hours ago
- GMO Bill Creates More Societal Division
Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ) last week completed another two days with Ministers, political leaders, Ministries and primary sector leaders sharing science knowledge, societal concerns, economic impacts and trade findings. ...9 hours ago - Lake Alice redress payments won’t have sway on what other survivors receive
Lead minister of the government's response to abuse in care Erica Stanford said Cabinet looked at this case very separately. ...9 hours ago
- Help Me Hera: I hate spending Christmas with my in-laws
I grew up in a family where Christmas was all about tradition and hospitality. My husbandâs family takes a different approach. How do I get over my resentment and have a nice day? Want Heraâs help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Dear Hera The Christmas I had growing up was always quite lovely, ...9 hours ago
- AI will continue to grow in 2025. But it will face major challenges along the way
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daswin de Silva, Professor of AI and Analytics, Deputy Director of the Centre for Data Analytics and Cognition, La Trobe University cybermagician/Shutterstock In 2024, artificial intelligence (AI) continued taking large and surprising steps forward. People started conversing with AI âresurrectionsâ ...10 hours ago
- Fifty years ago, Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin. The lessons from it have still not been learnt
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Farram, Associate Professor in North Australian and Regional Studies (History), Charles Darwin University It is hard to comprehend the force with which Cyclone Tracy struck Darwin early on Christmas Day, 1974. It was so ferocious that it killed 66 people, partly ...10 hours ago
- Australia has an ongoing GP shortage. Why canât we just train more GPs?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Harrison, Senior Lecturer, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney NotarYES/Shutterstock If you have Australia is critically short of GPs â and the shortfall is growing, predicted to be 8,600 GPs by 2048. So why canât we just train ...10 hours ago
- Could NZâs two kÄkÄ subspecies actually be remnants of a more diverse species? Hereâs why we n...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Knapp, Associate Professor in Biological Anthropology, University of Otago Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images As many Wellingtonians will know, kÄkÄ can be trouble. New Zealandâs pesky forest parrots have expanded throughout New Zealandâs capital city since they were reintroduced 22 ...10 hours ago
- More than 1,300 Hajj pilgrims died this year when humidity and heat pushed past survivable limits. I...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Ramsay, Research Affiliate in Climate Adaptation, Monash University Every year, hundreds of thousands of Muslims undertake the Hajj âthe sacred pilgrimage to Mecca. In 2024, the pilgrimage took place in mid-June, the start of the Saudi summer. But this year, ...10 hours ago
- How a Cold War satellite and Robert Menzies changed the way Australian schools are funded
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Clark, Adjunct Professor of History, University of Adelaide Prime Minister Robert Menzies during the 1963 federal election campaign. Image courtesy of the National Archives of Australia. NAA: A1200, L46014 As students and teachers prepare to go on holidays, thereâs a ...10 hours ago
- Where does Santa live? Itâs a trickier question to answer than you may think
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marcus Harmes, Professor in Pathways Education, University of Southern Queensland Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland. Roman Babakin/Shutterstock Sending a letter to Santa can be difficult as no one can agree on where exactly Santa lives. Several countries are competing to ...10 hours ago
- Winston Peters spends much of year’s last speech criticising Te PÄti MÄori, Waititi breaks i...
Watch: "Have a good Christmas, 'cos you'll need it sunshine," the NZ First leader said in a rowdy final debate in the house. ...10 hours ago
- The year in five news events
For the penultimate Bulletin of 2024, editor Stewart Sowman-Lund flicks back through some of the biggest headlines of the year. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...11 hours ago
- Swimming loses public funding but elite duo protected
High Performance Sport New Zealand will invest $162.8m into 36 national sporting organisations and athletes over the next four years, up from $131m in the four years leading up to this yearâs Paris Olympics.From March next year, nearly $41 million per annum will go directly to national sports organisations for ...11 hours ago
- Former National MP joins push for University of Waikato’s third medical school.
A former National MP and incumbent Hamilton City Councillor has been hired by the University of Waikato to advocate for its proposed third medical school. ...12 hours ago
- Transmission Gully: New plan to tackle long-standing fight
A new plan has been hatched to try to resolve a years-long fight to protect native fish at Transmission Gully. ...12 hours ago
- Opposition parties move towards ‘formalising’ collaboration
Te PÄti MÄori had to "get past ourselves" and is figuring out working with Labour. Labour says collaboration is still "casual", but the Greens say they'll be meeting regularly. ...13 hours ago
- The Spinoffâs biggest stories of 2024
From malls to gods, woke foods to putrid stenches, the yearâs greatest hits had a bit of everything. A tip: to create a perfect summer reading list (albeit with a crowded browser), click the headline of every story you missed to open it in a fresh tab. The 10 most ...13 hours ago
- Ten stories that defined New Zealandâs media in 2024
It was a torrid year for almost every aspect of New Zealandâs media. Duncan Greive breaks down the key storylines â and the one vast, existential threat lurking underneath. Duncan Greive and Glen Kyne discuss many of these stories on The Foldâs year in review. 1. The end of ...13 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Thursday 19 December
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-title { font-size: 1.2em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .entry-meta { display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; align-items: center; margin-top: 0.5em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-meta { font-size: 0.8em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .avatar { height: 25px; width: 25px; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .post-thumbnail{ margin: 0; margin-bottom: 0.25em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .post-thumbnail img { height: auto; width: 100%; ...13 hours ago
- Huzzah! The 2024 ReadingRoom awards
And so 2024 in New Zealand literature will be remembered for not all that much, hardly anything to do with actual literature, more to do with politics and money, as in it will be remembered for 1) the shameful hunting of poet Tusiata Avia for having the gall to express ...13 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 19 December
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 19 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...13 hours ago
- Vanuatu quake: Hospitals under pressure as death, damage toll grows
By Harry Pearl of BenarNews Vanuatu is taking stock of damage from a powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake that has killed at least 14 people and collapsed buildings in the capital Port Vila, as the first trickle of international assistance began arriving in the disaster-prone Pacific nation. The quake rattled the ...15 hours ago
- Civil society groups call on NZ to bar new Israeli envoy over âflagrantâ Gaza genocide
Asia Pacific Report A broad coalition of civil society organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand have signed an open letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters urging the coalition government to refuse to accept the credentials of a new Israeli ambassador while the state continues to disregard international law and to ...18 hours ago
The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.
Or, you could put your faith in the fashion sense of these guys
http://www.thestandard.org.nz/?p=609#comments
who do not have the excuse that it is 1990.
Billy, Chris and Don are dressed like normal people. You’re not from the North Shore are you?
Where I come from only freaks have hereford head moustaches last sported by Gary Whetton.
why do they do it to themselves?
who was their fashion advisor, DPF?
I hear it was Billy. Obviously struck a nerve.
I get it Billy! You can type well for someone at kindergarten. I can imagine that if one of your play pals had a mo they’d look a bit odd, given you’re all four years old & all đ
I’m from the Shore, that is an example of Shore wanabes and total National party membership for the Shore branch. Also how energetic Mapp is!
Actually, I am now seriously worried. When I read the thing first time, I understood it was an old photo. If it is recent, I agree entirely that it impacts on their ability to govern.
(Although I stand by my sound criticism of those moustaches, which appear to be worn entirely without irony).
god it’s not really a current photo is it?
say it isn’t so…
I actually don’t know how old it is. On the one hand I’d assume it’s pretty recent if it’s up on their flickr site, but on the other I refuse to believe those sweaters were made this century. No sane manufacturer would allow it.
they are a fashion war crime
Good thing that Dear Leader would never wear anything so lame….
Ooops!
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7714/4057/1600/apec.jpg
Santa, are you racist?
Matthew Pilott, please tell me you don’t have a hereford head moustache.
Tiny – I was waiting for some socialist to post such a response. So predictable. So lame.
santa…i think you are a total lug. but that was pretty funny.
With National’s policies you’ld think it was still 1991.
Santa – APEC constumes are chosen by the host nation, usually a slightly kooky take on traditional dress of the nation… and, of course, those great conversative heroes, Howard, Harper and Bush can be seen in them too.
Santa bro, I was taking the piss. You’re not, like, actually a racist are you?
(On a more serious note, what Sam said.)
Sam, defend Trotter’s moustache. I dare you.
I think Trotter’s looks kinda cool – reminds me of my days in the police…
There you were, Robinsod, the coolest guy on the left. And you ruined it. If you think that’s cool, there is no way I am dating you. And remember, I am really hot.
well…in defence of the mo: currently a fashion must have due to movember and the trough of celebs who are giving a mo a go. also movember has the kudos of ‘charity’ behind the silliness and charity work is always something worth associating with. (except if it is a ‘save the national party jumper’ charity.)
lastly… on occasion… a mo that has gone a bit soft (no longer the stubbly hair) can feel great when a guy is licking your snatch.
there will that do ya billy?
Tane, I don’t care what race people are.
Sam of course. But most folks get a laugh from them don’t they?
2005 version http://tinyurl.com/ymqgsb
Bush http://tinyurl.com/yx73dg
I should say I totally agree that those National shirts are ugly nowadays, and were probably ugly back then too.
Shit – I forgot that, um I was never in the police and I don’t believe in facial hair! Like a young Sofia Loren, right?
With National’s policies you’ld think it was still 1991.
they have policies???? Is that the ‘sell everything to the highest bidder’?
…only hotter and more left wing.
Oh man…
Bush looks like a kid in a school play. I bet he waved to his handler immediately after the photo.
Oi! Cut it out you two!
Putin looks like he wishes he was off smoking behind the bike shed.
i didn’t think I was going to read the word snatch today, now I can’t get it out of my head. thanks, beany, for making my day more magical.
Billy – rumour has it that Matt Pilott has no body hair whatsoever. that’s why he’s a socialist: his ultimate aim is to redistribute the luscious locks that you worked so hard to grow onto his lazy scalp
But Tane – Bean said “snatch”
This is the funnest thread it has ever been my pleasure to be a part of. Well done, everyone.
Sam – talk like that is just inviting Matt to sue you and teh standard for defamation. Unless it’s true of course. So, ah, Matt, is it true?
so in your ‘learned’ opinion robinsod how many possible other words are there to use instead of ‘snatch’? ooo the standard could make it into another one of their fun competitions- list with the most words that mean ‘snatch’ wins!
note: ‘snatch’ in this context does not mean ‘grab’
I make it about three Bean (I’m not really a man of the world). I’m pretty sure your idea would increase the standard’s hits though… And probably it’s spam as well.
Do you have any hot, equally dirty sisters?
but robinsod i though you were a qualified language expert. sigh, what do they teach you other than alternate words for snatch?
Word on the street is, I’m growing a mo, at the mo. Due to my hairless complexion it is still three days from becoming visible.
Sam I am actually a capitalist in disguise – I know there’s a cure out there, they just need to bulldoze the amazonian rainforest and snatch it off the indians.
Robinsod, as it was a true comment of Sam’s, but you claimed it wasn’t, I’m goin’ ta get LITIGOUS (is that how you spell it? I stay the fuck away from the corpulent aspect of society that is sue-age) on your ass and snatch your hard-earned money.
On a serious note, why is there a national “N” on everything?
They’re a big hoax aren’t tehy? National I mean – they’re in alliance with the castro-chavez cabal, and they’re going to NATIONALIZE EVERYTHING!!! Even the clouds; look at the left shoulder of the person on the right.
VOTE LABOUR, AND FIGHT THE COMMUNISTS!
ahahaha mathew said snatch…and he was grabbing it like it was 1999! nooiiiice
I, for one, never foresaw that this thread would become a discussion of Pilott’s facial hair and the uses to which Beany likes to put such hair.
Also, Robinsod/Billy, can I come to the civil union?
well sammy sam if you would like to stoop even lower check this out!
http://thesproutandthebean.wordpress.com/2007/11/16/snatching-at-straws/
too much coffee does weird things to a bean
Bean – some stuff about words and all. Oh and don’t worry about Billy, I was always more of a Hepburn fan anyway…
Oh and one last thought before I snatch a beer, make like a baby and ‘head out’ đ
Why would the Nats be partying like it was 1999? We might be đ
My captcha has the pound symbol in it. What am I supposed to do – robinsod you are censoring me and I henceforth announce my intention to Sue you. I might also Sharon, and even Camilla you, if you don’t watch out.
Woohoo! your threats to sue me boarder on defamation Matthew – you can expect to hear from my lawyers when you least expect it… Bwah hah hah…
when i came back from rome i brought with me a photo of hepburn and hung it on my wall. perhaps it was a sign
Tell me you don’t want a piece of this:
http://www.imdb.com/gallery/mptv/1091/0959_2116.jpg.html?seq=14
I don’t know Billy, Beanie’s got some pretty sweet politics and I am a vegetarian…
“boarder”? I’m shocked and disappointed…unless this is a couch surfing reference of course
Arhhhhhh! That pic is disturbing!
30 years ago he would have had a Labour rosette on.
Traitor!
maybe we could joust for you robinsod? nih would approve- he likes to hark back to the days of yore and romance
My idea of jousting only involves one joust.
This is gold! There are some scary photos on this photoblog, check this out for example:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nznationalparty/1309613084/
Those are going to be some traumatised children! Let’s hope they still have a public health service to help them in the years to come…
nih…i lowered the tone and you just took it and threw out out the window. loving your work!
Haha, well exactly.
[John Key] – Under National we will ensure quality health services are delivered to our next generation….
[James Sleep] Heh, with a price!
I know a four-letter word alternative for ‘snatch’.
‘grab’
Hahaha!
I know a four-letter word alternative for the four-letter alternative for “snatch”
TORY
lee c you need to check my comment at 4.40pm yesterday.
thomas that’s not very nice to snatches
Sprout
Don’t worry the meaning changes in the course of it journey
which brings it back to Tories