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Search upgraded (yet again)
Written By: lprent - Date published: 12:47 am, March 15th, 2010 - 4 comments
Categories: admin
Tags:My absence this weekend from moderation and posts has partially been because of going to the excellent Fabian seminar today. However it has largely been due to trying to get a workable search system running. One that didn’t bring the whole server crashing around my ears every few months and cut the issue of everyone having to stop receiving data for up to a minute when someone used search. One that allowed comments to be accessed as easily as posts.
It looks like it is finally working correctly, but I’d like feedback on any errors that show up.
Updated: Several different server and site updates.
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Do the young really lack concentration?
Written By: lprent - Date published: 1:23 pm, March 1st, 2015 - 85 comments
Categories: admin, blogs, humour, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, The Standard
Tags: statisticsNow that I can no longer call myself young, the old adage that younger people simply lack concentration does appear to me to be correct. I look to the numbers on The Standard to see if there is a correlation and if I can argue a causation based on age. Are the younger readers without concentration, or are they just busy…
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2 days ago - Climate Change: Forfeiting the profits of fraudSince 2008, the New Zealand government has pursued a climate change policy based on fraud, using dodgy or outright fraudulent Russian and Ukranian "credits" to "offset" our ever increasing domestic emissions. And we've banked the "surplus" from that fraud, and ...2 days ago
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- If this is “terrorism”, we should all be terroristsYesterday, December 10, was human rights day. And the UK celebrated it by convicting 15 human rights protesters of "terrorism":In a prosecution that has been condemned by human rights groups, Alistair Tamlit and Benjamin Smoke and the other members of ...3 days ago
- Great streets for Grey Lynn: a beauty of a reboot!
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- A convenient failureHow many children in state care have mental health issues or have attempted suicide? Conveniently, CYFS doesn't know:A psychiatrist says it's a "failing of the system" that Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry for Children, does not know how many children in ...3 days ago
- Protest worksFor the past month France has been brought to a standstill, as members of the yellow vest movement have protested against inequality, the cost of living, and president Emmanuel Macron. And today, a week after serious riots in Paris, Macron ...3 days ago
- AT’s Consultation Crunch
Consultation is an important part of the process for public agencies but getting it right is easier said than done. Sometimes the issues with consultation stem from what is included, sometimes from how the results are interpreted – only those ...3 days ago - Australia – Moving to Renewable Energy
Solar and Wind Australia’s six States and two Territories have always had primary responsibility for implementing policies on the transition away from fossil fuels to renewables as an energy source. As a result, there has been a significant increase in the ...3 days ago - Public Television
Around the turn of the century, I had the privilege and pleasure of serving on the board of Television New Zealand for a period of about ten years. I enjoyed the experience enormously and welcomed the chance to make my ...4 days ago - Public TelevisionAround the turn of the century, I had the privilege and pleasure of serving on the board of Television New Zealand for a period of about ten years. I enjoyed the experience enormously and welcomed the chance to make my ...4 days ago
- Climate Change: Punching above our weightNew Zealanders are usually proud when New Zealand ranks highly at something when measured per capita. But one measurement of that nature which we shouldn't be proud of: we're one of the worst countries in the world for per-capita greenhouse ...4 days ago
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4 days ago - Climate Change: Fingers in their earsBack in October the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that we have to limit global warming to less than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial temperatures, and that we had only 12 years left to do so. The stark description of ...4 days ago
- The British establishment’s propaganda problemFrom 1948 to 1978, the UK Foreign Office ran a secret domestic propaganda operation, the Information Research Department, which targeted UK trade unions and left politics under the guide of "countering communism". Forty years after that operation was shut down, ...4 days ago
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It seems that almost every day we learn more about the urgent need for radical action to avert catastrophic climate change. Not only are the disastrous consequences becoming clearer, but after years of relatively stable emissions, they are actually increasing ...4 days ago - What we do
With the horrible, tragic case of Grace Millane in the news, we’ve been talking a lot about what women do – and what we shouldn’t have to – to be safe in our country. So I wrote on Twitter: My ...4 days ago - 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #49
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sunday, Dec 2 through Saturday, Dec. 8 Editor's Pick Can 2018’s extreme weather persuade skeptics that the climate is changing? A ...5 days ago - Raining On The White Tribe’s Parade
6 days ago - RIP Pete Shelley
...6 days ago - New research, November 26 – December 2, 2018A selection of new climate related research articles is shown below. Climate change mitigation Emission scenario analysis for China under the global 1.5 °C target Climate change communication Attribution matters: Revisiting the link between extreme weather experience and climate change ...6 days ago
- General Motors layoffs and how capitalism works todayThe increasingly parasitical nature of capitalism today is reflected today in a number of ways. One is the artificial nature of share ‘values’ and how workers’ jobs, pay and conitions are affected by this. Below is a piece dealing ...7 days ago
- General Motors layoffs and how capitalism works todayThe increasingly parasitical nature of capitalism today is reflected today in a number of ways. One is the artificial nature of share ‘values’ and how workers’ jobs, pay and conitions are affected by this. Below is a piece dealing ...7 days ago
- News from the COP24 Climate Change conference in PolandNZ slammed by Climate Action TrackerCANA’s Cindy Baxter, reporting from the COP24 conference, says that Climate Action Tracker has rated NZ’s current policies to be “highly insufficient” and our 2030 target “insufficient”, and we are also being criticised for ...7 days ago
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- A Tom Scott cartoon on Saudi Arabia…
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Sign the change.org petition to re-instate Meghan Murphy Meghan Murphy Meghan Murphy is one of Canada’s pre-eminent feminist journalists and the editor and publisher of “Feminist Current”. Feminist Current’s reach is international. For a decade Murphy has dedicated ...1 week ago - Twitter: reinstate Meghan MurphySign the change.org petition to re-instate Meghan Murphy Meghan Murphy Meghan Murphy is one of Canada’s pre-eminent feminist journalists and the editor and publisher of “Feminist Current”. Feminist Current’s reach is international. For a decade Murphy has dedicated ...1 week ago
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- Media statement: Child poverty bill doesn’t address cause: InequalityFor immediate release Monday 3rd Dec 2018 CHILD POVERTY BILL DOESN’T ADDRESS CAUSE: INEQUALITY As Parliament prepares to pass the Child Poverty Reduction Bill this coming week, the income equality group Closing the Gap again urges MPs to tackle the ...1 week ago
- Tacitly encouraging local conspiracy theories.
I do not mean to bang on about the Anne Marie Brady case but since it is coming up on one year since the campaign of criminal harassment began against her, I feel compelled to mention how the Labour-led government’s ...1 week ago - Climate Change: Helping the marketThe government today announced a $100 million green investment fund to help new Zealand transition to a green economy: The Government has bankrolled a $100 million green investment fund which aims to invest with businesses to reduce emissions while also ...1 week ago
- NZ should sign the UN Global Compact on MigrationOne of the foundations of New Zealand foreign policy has been support for international institutions and international law. Now, the National Party is opposing that foundation over the UN Global Compact on Migration, saying that "it's not for the UN ...1 week ago
- The causes and economic consequences of rising regional housing prices (part 1)
This is a post from Peter Nunns I stepped down from Greater Auckland at the start of the year as my schedule was about to get a lot busier. First, I was going to have a baby in August. This has ...1 week ago - Après moi, le délugeConsequences of National's austerity, part 287: the public service forgot how to deal with (and was not funded for) a change of government:Public servants responsible for the transition between governments failed to support new ministers as no-one had planned for ...1 week ago
- Legal advice and freedom of informationThe UK government was found to have committed contempt of parliament today, and will be publishing its full Brexit legal advice as a result (and as a desperate attempt to keep government ministers out of the clock tower). Meanwhile, human ...1 week ago
- HealthCarePlus Newsletter Summer 2018
HealthCarePlus Spring 2018 Newsletter ...1 week ago - Making Charitable Gifts and Paying TaxesThe Christmas festive session is traditionally the time for charitable giving, when many of us recognise the need to ensure that the hungry can enjoy a Christmas dinner and that Father Christmas can bring presents on Christmas morning for kiddies ...1 week ago
- Making Charitable Gifts and Paying TaxesThe Christmas festive session is traditionally the time for charitable giving, when many of us recognise the need to ensure that the hungry can enjoy a Christmas dinner and that Father Christmas can bring presents on Christmas morning for kiddies ...1 week ago
- Kids in the City: Access
This three-part series of guest posts is written by Alex Bonham, a member of Women in Urbanism, who has worked as a Porse carer and is now researching “the playful city” for her doctorate. In this series of three posts ...1 week ago - Gavin Hawthorn: send him to (drug) court, but not to prison1 week ago
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- Brexit or Bust?Over the next week the British Parliament debates the terms for Brexit or not. There is no point in my trying to guess what might happen. There are many opinions and they all contradict one another; probably all will be ...1 week ago
- Ngāti Tūwharetoa passes third reading
Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Andrew Little, today welcomed Te Ariki Tā Tumu Te Heuheu and members of Ngāti Tūwharetoa to Parliament to witness the Third Reading of their Treaty Settlement legislation, the Ngāti Tūwharetoa Claims Settlement Bill. ...12 hours ago - Crackdown on synthetic drug dealersCrackdown on synthetic drug dealers The Government is responding to increased drug-related deaths by cracking down on the suppliers of synthetic drugs while making it easier for those with addiction problems to get treatment, Health Minister Dr David Clark ...15 hours ago
- Milestone in Police recruitmentA milestone in Police recruitment has been achieved with the deployment of more than 1,000 new constables around the country since the government was formed. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Police Minister Stuart Nash congratulated graduates of Wing 321 ...18 hours ago
- Government ropes in livestock rustlingJustice Minister Andrew Little today introduced a supplementary order paper (SOP) on the Crimes Amendment Bill to crack down on livestock rustling. ...2 days ago
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- Andrew Little – Speech to Amnesty International event to mark the 70th Anniversary of the Univ...ANDREW LITTLE - SPEECH TO AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL EVENT TO MARK THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ON WORLD HUMAN RIGHTS DAY, PARLIAMENT, WELLINGTON ...3 days ago
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- Preventing death and injury on our roadsPolice Minister Stuart Nash and Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter are encouraging road users to be alert to a new safety campaign launched today by Police and the NZ Transport Agency in the lead up to the Christmas. ...2 weeks ago
- New comms centre improves public servicesA new digital services and communications centre opened on the Kapiti Coast will help transform the way Police connect with the public and work to make communities safe. Police Minister Stuart Nash has officially opened the Police Digital Services Centre, ...2 weeks ago
- Action needed to help people with mental health issues: OECD
New Zealand has carried out major health and welfare reforms over the past decade but needs to do more to help people with mental health issues stay in work or find a job, according to a new OECD report. ...8 hours ago - New Zealand needs to take a human-rights based approachActing Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paula Tesoriero will highlight significant human rights issues in New Zealand with United Nations member states in Geneva this week. ...10 hours ago
- Tahu-Whaoa celebrate Tūwharetoa Claims Settlement BillTahu-Whaoa celebrate Tūwharetoa Claims Settlement Bill passing The Ngati Tahu – Ngati Whaoa Runanga Trust congratulates Ngāti Tūwharetoa on achieving its comprehensive Treaty of Waitangi claims settlement. The Ngāti Tūwharetoa Claims Settlement Bill ...10 hours ago
- Mental Health Foundation welcomes the Budget 2019 prioritiesThe Mental Health Foundation (MHF) welcomes the Budget 2019 priorities released by the Minister of Finance today. ...10 hours ago
- Diverse group answer Fire and Emergency’s callFire and Emergency New Zealand has welcomed a diverse group of 22 new firefighters at a graduation ceremony at the National Training Centre in Rotorua today. ...12 hours ago
- Maintaining Illegality Of Drugs Vital For Public HealthFamily First NZ says that the Government’s announcement of taking a tough line on synthetic cannabis is the right move, but maintaining the illegality of drugs is also important because we should continue fighting drugs and the devastation its ...12 hours ago
- Action needed to help people with mental health issuesNew Zealand has carried out major health and welfare reforms over the past decade but needs to do more to help people with mental health issues stay in work or find a job, according to a new OECD report. ...12 hours ago
- Interim Name Suppression Review PetitionInterim Name Suppression Review Petition 13th December 2018 On Monday 10th December the accused of the murder of Grace Millane was declined name suppression by Judge Evangelos Thomas but defence lawyer, Ian Brookie, appealed the Judge’s decision. ...13 hours ago
- Lifewise’s response to action on synthetic drug deathsLifewise supports the Government’s response to synthetic drug deaths which strikes a balance between giving law enforcement the tools they need to target criminal networks and changing drug law to make it easier for people to access help when they ...14 hours ago
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- Bar Association concerned about undermining of trialLeading New Zealand barristers are concerned that the trial of the man accused of the murder of Grace Millane might be compromised by ongoing breaches of court orders suppressing the name and information about the accused. ...15 hours ago
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- Wellbeing approach needs more detailThe wellbeing approach revealed at the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update needs more detail before it can be used to influence policy making, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . ...16 hours ago
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- Statement on the proposed changes to the Misuse of Drugs ActWe know that effective prevention requires action to target supply chains, combined with health-focused support to reduce demand, addiction and improve people’s lives. ...17 hours ago
- NZSIS welcomes Inspector-General’s warrants reportThe New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) welcomes the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security’s report relating to applications for intelligence warrants under the Intelligence and Security Act 2017. ...17 hours ago
- Public service workforce data shows sluggish improvementThe public service workforce data released today by the State Services Commission has confirmed very low pay movement, says the PSA. ...17 hours ago
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- Police Association conditional support to drug initiativesThe Police Association supports the government’s move to go after the manufacturers and suppliers of lethal synthetic drugs. ...19 hours ago
- First IGIS review of intelligence warrants under ISAThe Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, Cheryl Gwyn, has today published a report on the first nine months of intelligence warrants issued to the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service and the Government Communications Security Bureau under ...19 hours ago
- Hāpai Te Hauora applauds ‘significant step’Hāpai Te Hauora applauds ‘significant step’ towards reducing drug-related harm by Government Source: Hapai Te Hauora ...19 hours ago
- Government action on synthetics drugs crisis applaudedThe NZ Drug Foundation has welcomed the Government’s response to synthetic drug deaths. The response strikes a balance between giving law enforcement the tools they need to target criminal networks and changing drug law to make it easier for people ...19 hours ago
- Reserve Bank publishes climate change strategyThe Reserve Bank today published a strategy focusing on how the Bank can contribute to efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change. ...19 hours ago
- Dunne Speaks – Strikes and the public reactionJust over two years ago when Business New Zealand and the Employers and Manufacturers Association were using the bully-boy and standover tactics more associated with the trade unions of old in an attempt to browbeat Government support partners at the ...20 hours ago
- Simon Bridges slip of the tongue wins 2018 Quote of the YearSimon Bridges’ slip of the tongue wins 2018 Quote of the Year Kiwis have voted a slip of the tongue by Leader of the Opposition Simon Bridges as 2018’s best quote. ...20 hours ago
- Potential for Overseer to improve water qualityA report on whether a farm management tool used to calculate nutrient runoff could be used more widely to better inform water regulation is welcomed by LGNZ, who say that with the right investment it could be used to promote ...1 day ago
- Air NZ: We have a dealAfter three days of mediation, the unions representing Air New Zealand Logistics and Engineering workers have reached agreement in principle with company representatives. ...1 day ago
- Steady ETS developmentBusinessNZ has welcomed the announcement of the first tranche of decisions from the ongoing development of the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme. ...1 day ago
- Greenpeace upset at failure to include agriculture in ETSWednesday, December 12: The Government has just announced "improvements" to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). ...1 day ago
- Transparent Overseer needed to regulate water qualityA report on whether Overseer is suitable for use in regulation to help clean up Aotearoa New Zealand’s rivers and lakes has been released today by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton. ...2 days ago
- Māori Party congratulates Bentham Ohia’s new appointmentThe Māori Party congratulates Bentham Ohia on his new role as Chief Advisor Iwi and Māori Education Relationships at the Ministry of Education, and farewells him from his short time as Vice-President Tāne for the Māori Party. ...2 days ago
- Local Govt OIA practices feedback soughtThe Chief Ombudsman has commenced four new self-initiated investigations into the official information practices of the public sector, the third set of investigations announced in the past eight months. ...2 days ago
- Submission from ANZASWThe Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) believes that the statistics and findings contained in the Child Poverty Monitor report released by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner this week should be a wake up call to ...2 days ago
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- Press Release from the One New Zealand PartyThe One New Zealand Party find the proposed 9 million dollars of public funding being earmarked for the reconciliation package to the Parihaka Papakainga Trust to be paramount to another act of treason by this and previous governments. ...2 days ago
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- Give migrant nurses a longer visa to help ease shortageInternationally qualified nurses (IQN) represent 26% of the overall practising nurse workforce in New Zealand (NCNZ, 2017a). As of 31 March 2017, New Zealand has 52,711 practising nurses. Of these, 4,337 gained their nursing qualification in the Philippines, ...2 days ago
- The murky meth mess: why we still don’t know how much P is too much
Howls of indignation over state housing evictions based on spurious meth testing have masked the reality of New Zealand’s two-speed P standard.Veronica Crichton admitted that she and her friends had been smoking meth in their Gate Pa, Tauranga home. She ...25 mins ago - Cute news! The Spinoff readers really love having friends a lot!
The Spinoff partnered with UMR to survey the attitudes of our readers, and the nation as a whole. Today, how social are The Spinoff readers? And how much do we suck at chores?Turns out The Spinoff readers love having friends ...29 mins ago - A tribute to Leighton Smith, by Leighton Smith (also Leighton Smith & Leighton Smith)
Today one of the true veterans of NZ radio hangs up the headphones to complete three decades as the morning host at Newstalk ZB. To mark the occasion we asked a number of Leighton Smiths if they had a message ...34 mins ago - The Spinoff Hot Take Advent Calendar: December 14Every day in the lead-up to Christmas, open the door to reveal a Spinoff writer’s short, sizzling commentary on a weighty subject. Our arbitrary and strictly enforced word limit: 365. Today: Mark Kelliher on attitudes of New Zealanders who’ve returned ...34 mins ago
- Grattan on Friday: Unions likely to be more challenging for a Shorten government than boats
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In this week’s Newspoll 55% believed Labor would win next year’s election, compared with just 24% who thought the Coalition would. These are figures to ...5 hours ago - Fiji warns ‘selfish’ countries amid Paris Agreement climate rulebook deadlock
Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama … urging world leaders to summon the courage and political will to make the switch from dirty to clean energy. Image: Fiji Times Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk Talks to draft the Paris Agreement rulebook ...6 hours ago - MFAT boss defends NZ-China relationship
Top foreign affairs official says there are no "alarming signals" from Beijing about bilateral ties. ...6 hours ago - Spying warrants under scrutiny by watchdog
The watchdog of the country's spying agencies has taken issue with aspects of their approach to getting warrants for intelligence gathering, under a new law passed last year. ...9 hours ago - A tale of two media reports: one poses challenges for digital media; the other gives ABC and SBS a c...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Advancing Journalism, University of Melbourne Two reports out this week – one into the operations of Facebook and Google, the other into the ...9 hours ago
- House of Drag power rankings: The all-white rap challenge
House of Drag breaks out of the Drag Race mould with an all rap-challenge, with mixed results. Look. It’s not racist to do a rap challenge with an all-white cast, but it’s something that I might give a little pause to before continuing ...11 hours ago - The proposed National Integrity Commission is a watered-down version of a federal ICACSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yee-Fui Ng, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, Monash University The federal government has announced it will establish a Commonwealth Integrity Commission. This new commission will be the peak body to detect and ...11 hours ago
- Many people have a hard time swallowing. Help them to ‘eat, drink and be merry’ this ChristmasSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bronwyn Hemsley, Professor of Speech Pathology, University of Technology Sydney Swallowing food, drink, and saliva is a central part of our lives. It’s something we do about 900 times a day, yet ...11 hours ago
- In long-awaited response to Ruddock review, the government pushes hard on religious freedomSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anja Hilkemeijer, Lecturer in Law, University of Tasmania Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Attorney-General Christian Porter have released both the Ruddock Panel Report on Religious Freedom and the government’s response. Given the ...11 hours ago
- The suburbs are the spiritual home of overconsumption. But they also hold the key to a better futureSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Alexander, Research fellow, Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, University of Melbourne Suburban affluence is the defining image of the good life under capitalism, commonly held up as a model to which all ...11 hours ago
- Why cutting Australia’s migrant intake would do more harm than good, at least for the next decadeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter McDonald, Professor of Demography, Centre for Health Policy, University of Melbourne Australia’s population is among the fastest growing in the OECD with an increase of 1.7 per cent in 2016-17. In ...11 hours ago
- The women wanting Kiwis to invest in the US share marketBusiness is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff, in association with Callaghan Innovation, in which host Simon Pound speaks with innovators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Natalie Ferguson and ...11 hours ago
- I moved to London, and now I finally care about ChristmasWhen she lived in New Zealand, Elle Hunt never really understood the fuss about Christmas. That all changed when she moved to London, she writes in the latest instalment of her Elleswhere series about life as a New Zealander in ...12 hours ago
- We have a Christmas comet: how to spot 2018’s interplanetary baubleSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jake Clark, PhD Candidate, University of Southern Queensland We’re in for a pre-Christmas treat this weekend, as the cosmos entertains us with two equally exciting gifts: the Geminid meteor shower and the ...12 hours ago
- Resignations likely at NZTA, and Ministry under spotlight
More resignations at NZTA are likely, as Phil Twyford says the Ministry of Transport's role in the regulation scandal will also be reviewed. ...12 hours ago - Mental fatigue becomes major focus in govt’s workplace strategyThe government is changing its approach to health and safety, with a greater focus on mental fatigue in its strategy for the next decade. ...12 hours ago
- Discretion the question in synthetics response
The Government's response to the surge of synthetic deaths has won some praise - but is greater police discretion the answer? ...13 hours ago - Spinoff readers are giving meat-eating the cold shoulder
The Spinoff partnered with UMR to survey the attitudes of our readers, and the nation as a whole. Today, how much meat is the country eating? And is that changing? You’ve probably got stereotypes in your head about vegetarians. You’ve definitely ...13 hours ago - MBIE officials grilled on terms of Westland Milk loan
Not knowing how much interest Westland Milk is paying on its $9.9 million loan from the government’s Provincial Development Fund leaves parliamentarians no means of assessing how much of a subsidy the dairy company is getting, said National MP Paul ...13 hours ago - Hear ye, hear ye: these are the 20 best novels of 2018
All week this week we present the best books of 2018. Today: the 20 best novels.Previously: the best kids books, poetry books and non-fiction books of 2018.Past Tense by Lee Child (Bantam, $38)Reacher.Normal People by Sally Rooney (Faber, $33)Was the Irish ...13 hours ago - The Real Pod: A star (baker) is bornThe Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s.This week on the Real Pod, we suck back an ice cold taurine fizz and tackle another week of reality television. ...14 hours ago
- Trade Me suitor Hellman & Friedman drops out
Trade Me suitor Hellman & Friedman has dropped out of the race to buy New Zealand's dominant online marketplace. ...14 hours ago - Morrison wants Religious Discrimination Act passed before electionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government will introduce a Religious Discrimination Act to protect the rights of people of faith, with Scott Morrison declaring he would like the legislation ...14 hours ago
- Hydrogen not a short-term option for Huntly
Hydrogen may be the ideal fuel to provide dry-winter power supplies but it may not be economic before 2030, MPs heard today. ...14 hours ago - The Spinoff Hot Take Advent Calendar: December 13
Every day in the lead-up to Christmas, open the door to reveal a Spinoff writer’s short, sizzling commentary on a weighty subject. Our arbitrary and strictly enforced word limit: 365. Today: Sam Brooks on why cocktail snobbery is for losers.Look, ...14 hours ago - Treasury forecasting annual wage growth above 3% over next five years
The New Zealand economy is forecast to deliver annual average wage growth of more than 3 percent a year during the next five years, although economic growth rates are seen falling gradually over that time. ...14 hours ago - Parents shouldn’t be embarrassed to talk to their kids about pornParents surveyed for research on their attitudes to children viewing pornography has shown some are embarrassed to talk to their children. Family Planning National Health Promotion Advisor Amanda Hargreaves gives some tips on approaching the issue of relationships, sexuality, and ...15 hours ago
- Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel intends to stand for a third termLianne Dalziel says the decision to stand for another term wasn't an easy decision to make. ...15 hours ago
- I choose freedom: on being a young woman who travels aloneWhat does it mean to step out into the world on your own as a young woman?Three days after my 21st birthday, I jumped on a plane and went to Europe. I spent five months in London studying for a ...15 hours ago
- Fiscal policy to slow growth over next five years
The Labour-led coalition government will run a tight fiscal policy, keeping a lid on economic growth over the next five years, the Treasury's half year fiscal and economic update says. ...15 hours ago - The great unknowns: The best NZ music of 2018 with
Gareth Shute digs around to create a best-of-2018 music list with one criterion: the tracks all have less than 1000 streams on Spotify.One cruel thing about online music services like Spotify is that they instantly put a number next to ...15 hours ago - Solid growth underpins govt spending plansA solid economy is expected to underpin the government's spending plans. ...16 hours ago
- Robertson holds fire for Wellbeing Budget
Finance Minister Grant Robertson is keeping his powder dry for the first full Budget he will be able to put his own stamp on. ...16 hours ago - Treasury sees $27b of surpluses over 5 years
The books are looking good but the Government is still holding back on much needed spending on housing and health. ...16 hours ago - Why is Christchurch Hospital displaying photos of staff in blackface?
A ‘Christmas tradition’ featuring photos of urology consultants in dark brown makeup and afro wigs has angered members of the public.It’s at Christmastime that New Zealanders buy more mince pies and glazed cherries. It’s at Christmastime that New Zealand’s spirit ...16 hours ago - MediaWorks in 2018: Starving itself to prepare for a sale?The home of Three and radio stations like The Edge has been owned by private equity for 10 years now. As part of his series on NZ media in 2018, Duncan Greive talks to anonymous executives within and without of ...17 hours ago
- Pacific ‘smart’ thinking grows creative tension between policy and research
ANALYSIS: By Professor Derrick Armstrong A traditional view of the tension between research and policy suggests that researchers are poor at communicating their research findings to policy-makers in clear and unambiguous ways. I am arguing that this is an outdated ...18 hours ago - The Spinoff reviews New Zealand #78: The PlayStation Classic
We’ve already previewed Playstation’s new nostalgia thirst trap, but now the Classic comes under the real judges: The Spinoff Board of Review.Sam Brooks, gaming editorEven though I’d already spent a few hours having a little spin on the game, where ...18 hours ago - Food prices ease in November
New Zealand food prices fell in November, driven by a seasonal fall in fruit and vegetables. The biggest fall was strawberries, with prices tumbling 33 percent on the month and 5 percent compared to this time last year. ...18 hours ago - Two of the most common synthetic drugs to be classified as Class AThe government is responding to dozens of synthetic drug-related deaths in the last year by cracking down on suppliers and boosting funding for addiction treatment services. ...19 hours ago
- Is it ever OK to put ice in your wine?
A fruity rosé inspires Henry to issue some eyebrow-raising advice, and a new IPA has Alice feeling festive. BEAU DE FRANCE ROSÉ 201713%, France, $13.99 from Fine Wine Delivery CoHere at The Spinoff, it’s hot take season – all month long, we’re ...19 hours ago - Transport strikes averted
Separate strikes threatening to disrupt travel plans in the run-up to Christmas have been averted as mediated negotiations came up with offers strong enough to take to union members. ...19 hours ago - Broadly weaker NZ dollar drops vs pound
A broadly weaker New Zealand dollar fell sharply against the British pound as traders bet UK Prime Minister Theresa May will be able to survive a 'no confidence' vote, shoring up her position in pursuing a Brexit deal. ...20 hours ago - Poor health in Aboriginal children after European colonisation revealed in their skeletal remainsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shaun Adams, Isotope Bioarchaeologist Research Fellow, Griffith University The poor health conditions of eight young Aboriginal people who died around the time of early European colonisation have been revealed in their skeletal ...21 hours ago
- How a proposed new bill would make it easier to strip Australian citizenshipSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rayner Thwaites, Senior Lecturer, Sydney Law School, University of Sydney Last month, the federal government introduced a bill into parliament that, if passed, will make it easier to strip an Australian of ...21 hours ago
- Can (and should) a doctor tell my biological relative my genetic results without my consent?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Tiller, Ethical, Legal & Social Adviser – Public Health Genomics, Monash University A woman recently sued a London hospital for doctors not disclosing that her father had the genetic mutation that ...21 hours ago
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