Search Results
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Comment:Social insurance, a premium not afforded to all.
Date published: 3:34 pm, June 20th, 2021I agree that this subject needs to be discussed - the following is worth reading: https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/unemployment-insurance The ACC scheme covers accidents, and is cheaper than commercial insurance, despite National's cynical posturing to try...
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Comment:The Government's Feebate scheme
Date published: 8:25 pm, June 15th, 2021The system for large trucks is nearly that complex already. Current road user charges are based on distance measured by the vehicle odometer; and vehicles have to have paid forward. GPS may be better where a vehicle is driven both on road and on private ...
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Comment:The Government's Feebate scheme
Date published: 12:03 pm, June 15th, 2021I commented on Road User Charge and Fuel taxes and using individual emission measurements in 7.1 above. Probably should have read further before commenting, but I think the next review needs to re-look at the whole system for both road and rail - it may ...
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Comment:The Government's Feebate scheme
Date published: 11:56 am, June 15th, 2021I suspect this price subsidy is relatively short term, but I would have thought a half level subsidy for non-plug in hybrids. would have been reasonable, but ultimately a revision of fuel taxes / road user charges will be needed. We should be able to ...
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Comment:Auckland's Northern Pathway
Date published: 10:28 am, June 11th, 2021Return on capital should still have an impact. I don't know what the ROI was for Mill Road - either before or after the cost went from 1.3 to 3.5bn - is that recorded somewhere? Is it possible to only close one lane of the bridge and have a centre line for...
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Comment:The Climate Commission Report
Date published: 10:27 am, June 10th, 2021We need to keep remembering that problems with Wellington Transport are the natural result of the then National Government policies that forced the Regional Council to accept contracts on the basis of lowest price only, with bids able to be made on parts ...
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Comment:Daily review 25/05/2021
Date published: 10:52 pm, May 25th, 2021We don't know what is going on through diplomatic channels. It is best if this is resolved by the Samoans themselves. Were you looking for a gunboat?
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Comment:Open mike 18/05/2021
Date published: 2:20 pm, May 18th, 2021New Zealand has for many years sought immigrants with professional qualifications as a substitute for training enough of our own people. So we have doctors and nurses from India, the Philippines, etc; with transition difficulties relating to professional ...
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Comment:Open mike 27/04/2021
Date published: 3:23 pm, April 27th, 2021Old Man's Beard One of the nastier little changes the Nats made was to remove the requirement from house owners to eliminate noxious plants such as old mans beard. I don't know whether that can be done by regulation or whether an act is required, but there...
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Comment:Too much too far?
Date published: 9:48 pm, April 24th, 2021We have road user charges for some vehicles now - distance travelled can be easily determined. It makes sense with electric vehicles increasing. Not charging road user charges is effectively an incentive for such vehicles at present; in future fuel taxes ...
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Comment:National's very bad day
Date published: 1:51 pm, April 22nd, 2021Men experience higher mortality by women at most ages, and different ethnic groups have different rates. The big question is whether genetics are to blame or environmental factors. My perception is that the gap between Maori and Pakeha mortality has ...
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Comment:Open mike 18/04/2021
Date published: 1:28 pm, April 18th, 2021My trust in articles in The Herald is such that I am not prepared to waste money on reading articles behind their paywall. I suspect headlines are often click-bait, and from previous comments it is clear that yet again this article is based on an anonymous...
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Comment:Open mike 11/04/2021
Date published: 11:38 am, April 11th, 2021I am not clear what you are suggesting, greywarshark - If people are being automatically quarantined, all that the hazard suits are doing is giving a little more confidence that they may not have been infected in flight (whether in their seat or when ...
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Comment:The housing crisis and the Government's response
Date published: 10:22 pm, March 25th, 2021There was an exodus of many trades people with events like the Queensland floods - many of those did not come back. The developer / builder collapses meant that being a subcontractor was less safe, most employers did not want the forward commitment in ...
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Comment:The housing crisis and the Government's response
Date published: 9:46 pm, March 25th, 2021It is called "being in the market" - if you want to eventually live in a house you own, investing in that market as soon as you can makes sense. At hte other end, some are not prepared to sell because they may take a few months to buy the next home - they ...
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Comment:Much ado about nothing
Date published: 3:44 pm, March 14th, 2021I haven't followed this story, but when it originally rose it appeared that the sale of the building some time ago may have been subject to an existing lease to the Labour Party at a particular level - and over time that became lower than normal market ...
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Comment:You have 30 min to get your business in order!
Date published: 9:27 pm, March 12th, 2021Listening to radio news (I was driving), it seems that in Auckland, the only businesses concerned were bars and cafes/ restaurants - do they do anything else in Auckland? If they had a PR company feeding the media (without needing any real material to ...
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Comment:Open mike 08/03/2021
Date published: 11:53 am, March 8th, 2021I got it in Wellington; I read enough to see that there was no obvious NZ organisation inviting people to enquire . . . then straight to recycling collection.
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Comment:UBI experiment success
Date published: 11:43 am, March 8th, 2021Is a UBI a fixed amount, or like a grant to bring personal income up to a universal minimum? I would expect quite a few charities would be interested in seeing their name on a list of those providing funding for a trial - and it may increase donations. We ...
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Comment:UBI experiment success
Date published: 12:14 pm, March 7th, 2021Thanks for this Weka. While the long term solution is the ultimate goal, I was thinking more about whether even a trial scheme could work in New Zealand. The scheme referred to in NRT was funded by donations - effectively by Charities. My impression is ...
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Comment:Open mike 06/03/2021
Date published: 8:37 am, March 6th, 2021From No Right Turn: http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2021/03/more-evidence-that-ubis-work.html I wondered how such a scheme could work in New Zealand. We have different laws relating to social welfare assistance - would any payments from a charity to trial ...
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Comment:Open mike 05/03/2021
Date published: 11:15 am, March 5th, 2021I haven't seen comment on National's idea of paying people directly for covid lock down subsidies. Has it been discussed on The Standard or elsewhere? I can see horrendous setup problems at a time when the public sector is working very hard on other covid ...
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Comment:Open mike 23/02/2021
Date published: 3:21 pm, February 25th, 2021I am not aware of any evidence that she did not follow the rules. Not liking the rules is a separate issue - she managed to get publicity, but this article may not be what she was looking for: https://thespinoff.co.nz/media/25-02-2021/who-is-lucinda-baulch...
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Comment:Open mike 23/02/2021
Date published: 10:55 pm, February 23rd, 2021I have sympathy for those needing to stay in MIQ for more than a week if they have to stay longer due to a new infection that requires a longer stay as a precaution, but otherwise they should pay for every day they are there, and if the rules only allow ...
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Comment:Open mike 19/02/2021
Date published: 9:57 am, February 19th, 2021As I understand it, there is an increase in the minimum wage going through in April, and that will itself generate an increase in benefits in due course. I believe WFF needs to be phased out, but again that needs to be done over time, as wages alone meet ...
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Comment:Open mike 15/02/2021
Date published: 2:51 pm, February 15th, 2021Perhaps that is a point of the Easton paper - no one issue will solve the housing crisis. After all the current presumption of intent is flawed, but reversing it would mean that gains up to the time legislation takes effect are likely to remain tax free, ...
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Comment:Open mike 12/02/2021
Date published: 10:25 pm, February 12th, 2021Whether we are at the front of the queue or not, we have the luxury of being able to wait, and now to be selective about which ones are used for different groups - a choice not available to those who had to accept the first available. I am delighted that ...
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Comment:Open mike 11/02/2021
Date published: 12:30 pm, February 11th, 2021Yes Mallard is entitled to his opinion, and within the limits of the rules he is entitled to make decisions consistent with those rules. He did not make the original rule. He consulted regarding the rules and found significant views resisting a change. He ...
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Comment:Open mike 11/02/2021
Date published: 8:35 am, February 11th, 2021The Tie Issue My understanding is that rules of the house of representatives are set by a Committee of the House - a Standing Orders Committee? - chaired by the Speaker. The Speakers job is to uphold the Rules, but sometimes they will require ...
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Comment:Open mike 04/02/2021
Date published: 10:22 am, February 4th, 2021I think punishment is looking at it the wrong way. There really isn't a problem while we retain strict border controls and MIQ / Isolation. When the vaccination programme is completed there will be a group of people not vaccinated with medical exemption, ...
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Comment:Open mike 30/01/2021
Date published: 12:01 pm, January 30th, 2021I also agree with the first concept, but I suspect there are different concepts as to what a new MoW should be doing. I believe a priority is for engineers, designers, architects, and of course lawyers ad accountants to work with contractors to deliver ...
- Congratulations to the real Team of New Zealand and farewell to the fakers
The management gurus say ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast’. And what we saw over early breakfasts this morning was New Zealand’s Black Caps showing the world the best of team culture, admirable character and a group that not just carries the silver fern as representatives of this country, but does ...8 hours ago - Legal Beagle: First draft of a submission on the counter-terrorism legislation bill
Work has been busy, so my attempt to prepare a submission on the Counter-Terrorism Lgislation Bill has been delayed, and not allowed me the time working on it I would like. Hopefully others (perhaps the Free Speech Union?) will have had the time to address the general principles around control ...12 hours ago - Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Winston’s anti-woke path back to power
Could a backlash to “woke politics” be the basis for the revival and return of New Zealand First? The Winston Peters-led party held its first post-defeat conference in the weekend, in which the main theme was NZ First’s very clear focus on culture wars issues as a way to rebuild ...13 hours ago - Urgently upgrading NZ’s Covid-19 response
Amanda Kvalsvig, Nick Wilson, and Michael Baker Aotearoa NZ’s effective Covid-19 elimination strategy is now threatened by the global emergence of new variants with increasingly high transmissibility. We outline the upgrades that are now urgently needed to keep New Zealanders safe, particularly in the light of the current outbreak risk ...16 hours ago - Climate Change: Killing coal locally
If we are to avoid dangerous levels of climate change and making huge chunks of the Earth uninhabitable, we need to end fossil fuel use as quickly as possible. The International Energy Agency has recommended an immediate end to fossil fuel development. An obvious way to do this is by ...16 hours ago - Todd Muller gets crushed
What a complete catastrophe for the National Party. Not only did the public learn on Wednesday about Harete Hipango’s alleged dishonesty, the source of that information is none other than National MP and once Party leader, Todd Muller.Talk about a bad case of friendly fire gone wrong.Their current leader Judith ...18 hours ago - We need to fix the ETS againThe Emissions Trading Scheme is one of the government's key tools for driving reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. By putting a price on carbon, businesses face an incentive to reduce emissions, either by cleaning up or shutting down. Or at least, that's the theory. In practice, exemptions, subsidies, persistent low ...18 hours ago
- Hard News: Testing the fairiesA new paper by ESR scientists, published in the Australian Journal of Chemistry, has confirmed what close observers of the local cannabis community already knew, or at least suspected: the cannabinoid contents of local "green fairy" products vary widely, ratios in many products are not as claimed – and most ...18 hours ago
- Skating On Thin Ice: Labour’s Support Is Not As Solid As It Looks.
Deceptively Solid Support: What Labour would like us to believe is that they are skating on a solid sheet of ideological ice, more that capable of carrying the weight of their cultural revolution. In reality, the ice now bearing their electoral weight is wafer thin. Sadly, Labour’s leaders remain utterly ...23 hours ago - So it begins: The Climate Change Commission’s advice to government and what happened nextWhat’s that? You wanted action, not just words, on climate change? And you wanted it now, not next year or the year after? How about something big, really big, maybe also diving right into the heart of an emotional, touchstone issue – say, the private car? Welcome to the ...1 day ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #25, 2021
127 Articles Observations of climate change, effects Anthropogenic and climatic contributions to observed carbon system trends in the Northeast Pacific Franco et al Global Biogeochemical Cycles DOI: 10.1029/2020gb006829 Emergence of seasonal delay of tropical rainfall during 1979–2019 Song et al Nature Climate Change DOI: 10.1038/s41558-021-01066-x Dwindling ...2 days ago - End parliamentary secrecyThe Herald last night revealed that a National MP appears to be a thief: A National Party MP faced allegations of inappropriate spending of taxpayer money – allegations the MP is refusing to front on and which Parliamentary Service refuses to discuss under the cone of silence that protects ...2 days ago
- Harete Hipango should resignWell that was short lived. Less than two week’s into the job and National's new MP, Harete Hipango, has been accused of misusing taxpayer money.According to a National Party staff member the anti-abortionist used her Parliamentary expense account to purchase numerous furnishings for her own house, which is a gross ...2 days ago
- PardonedFour years ago, the Spanish government jailed nine Catalan leaders for the "crime" of advocating peacefully for independence. Now, it has pardoned them: Spain’s prime minister has called for a new “era of dialogue and understanding” as his Socialist-led government pardoned nine Catalan independence leaders for their roles in ...2 days ago
- Time to outlaw ecocideWe live in a time of historic ecological crisis, with the Earth on the verge of dangerous levels of anthropogenic climate change, threatening the ecology, food supplies, world peace, and the habitability of some of the most densely-populated parts of the planet. And while this is going on, some people ...2 days ago
- Carmel Sepuloni must fix ACCYou may have noticed that the Accident Compensation Corporation, or ACC for short, has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently. Not only has newish research shown that the claims process discriminates against woman, Māori and Pasifika people, ACC apparently also penalises Kiwis depending on how and ...2 days ago
- A slight relaxation of secrecyThe government has introduced a new Crown Minerals (Decommissioning and Other Matters) Amendment Bill. The bill is one of the products of the 2019-20 consultation on the Crown Minerals Act, and mostly addresses the problem of forcing oil companies to clean up their own mess, but it makes a number ...2 days ago
- COVID-19: The rise and rise of DeltaFrom media headlines it feels like hearing the boy cry “fire” in the theatre. There’s a new variant about. Or perhaps he is really a crier, calling out a new season of the show, a new plot twist with a craftier villain? The main feature in town is now the ...3 days ago
- Laurel Hubbard is a trailblazer
Laurel Hubbard has qualified to represent New Zealand at the next Olympics (whenever or wherever those happen) in women’s weightlifting. Virtually no one would have paid any attention to this – weightlifting not being one of the three sports (cricket, netball, league) New Zealanders actually care about – if it ...3 days ago - An attack on parliamentary privilegeToday the Speaker referred the High Court judgement in Staples v Freeman to the Privileges Committee. Its not surprising. The court in its decision finds that a speech by Winston Peters in Parliament was defamatory. That seems to violate s11 of the Parliamentary Privilege Act 2014, which prohibits the courts ...3 days ago
- The problem of police dishonestyRNZ has a major story this morning about the police killing of Shargin Stephens in Rotorua in 2016. The "Independent" Police Conduct Authority of course cleared police of any wrong-doing, and found police actions "reasonable" and the killing justified. The police are now using that finding to prevent a coronial ...3 days ago
- Penk wants to be Prime Minister3 days ago
- Against the militarization of spaceRocketLab is a cool company. Its right there in the title: "rocket". As someone who loves space exploration and the knowledge it brings, I love the fact that they're launching from New Zealand, and I love the fact that they're planning to send probes to the Moon and Venus (and ...3 days ago
- NZ’s clean car discount is a turn in the right direction, but how much will it drive consumer dem...Basil Sharp, University of Auckland New Zealand faces two enormous challenges if it is to meet its international climate change commitments under the Paris Agreement: biogenic methane emissions from agriculture, and carbon emissions from industry and transport. For now, there seems little prospect of significantly reducing agricultural emissions, short ...3 days ago
- More needs to be done about the slumlordsIt always amazes me to see the illogical arguments made by real estate industry insiders when they’re complaining about any type of housing sector regulation. They simply don't seem to care if their arguments make any sense or whether their unbound greed is worsening an already terrible housing crisis that ...3 days ago
- Who Else Is There? Why the Right Needs Winston Peters.3 days ago
- No Questions Please – We’re Revolutionaries!The Kids Were All Right: By stripping away all moral and practical grounds for unified struggle, Critical Race Theory can only strengthen the elites’ grip on contemporary society. The abdication of School Strike For Climate Auckland offers a textbook example of this phenomenon. The moral force of the nation’s secondary students ...3 days ago
- Making climate impact science more accessible to the public: ISIpedia launchThis is a re-post from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research based on their press release about the new Inter-Sectoral Impacts Encyclopedia - ISIpedia for short. Decision-makers on all levels are provided with a new tool to tackle the climate challenge. Data and explanations on global warming impacts – ...3 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – The case for and against the “They Are Us” filmThe last week has been full of debate over plans to make a film about the 2019 terrorist attacks on two Christchurch mosques. The vast majority of media coverage has focused on opposition to the film. These criticisms need to be taken seriously. But a strong case can be made ...3 days ago
- Perilous Treasures: Published
It’s the Winter Solstice here, which means (Northern Hemisphere) e-zine Eternal Haunted Summer has released its Summer Solstice edition for 2021:https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/summer-solstice-2021/ My story, Perilous Treasures, is out, as part of it:https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/summer-solstice-2021/perilous-treasures/ As previously mentioned, this was a fictional attempt to portray the very vexed medieval issue of writing ...4 days ago - Incompatible regimesThe Official Information Act is our core transparency legislation. But its only covers central government. Local authorities are covered by the parallel Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, which duplicates most of the OIA's provisions, and adds in some stuff about local authority meetings as well. Since the ...4 days ago
- Boris BerlusconiRemember Silvio Berlusconi? Whenever the Italian courts seemed to be catching up to his corrupt behaviour as Prime Minister, he would just change the law to get himself off the hook. Well, now there's a new contender for the "self-serving abuse of power" title: Boris Johnson: Boris Johnson is ...4 days ago
- Climate explained: could biofuels replace all fossil fuels in New Zealand?Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz Could biofuels replace all fossil fuels in ...4 days ago
- Josh Van Veen: NZ First UnbowedThe improbability of NZ First returning to power cannot be overstated. Between 2017 and 2020, support for the party collapsed from 7.2% to 2.6%. With barely a third of its 2020 vote, and no electorate seat, NZ First appears to be a spent force. But the party faithful were ...4 days ago
- Health co-benefits need to be adequately considered in the Climate Change Commission’s final advic...Tim Chambers, Simon Hales, Jude Ball, Michael Baker, Cristina Cleghorn, Nick Wilson (*Author details) The Climate Change Commission’s final advice to the Government has been tabled in Parliament. This final report further acknowledged the potential health co-benefits of climate action presented in the Commission’s draft advice. However, the Commission has ...4 days ago
- Winston's last throw of the diceYou’ve got to wonder if Winston Peters will ever retire. I mean what keeps the old rogue going? Perhaps Peters has been reinvigorated by the Government’s decision to follow through on various policy NZ First had previously put the kibosh on...or maybe he thinks there's still a chance of becoming ...4 days ago
- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #25Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, June 14, 2021 through Sat, June 19, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: Earth is now trapping an ‘unprecedented’ amount of heat, NASA says, Fake news: a simple nudge isn’t ...4 days ago
- Goldilocks and the three futuresGoldilocks, the house breaker, always had a choice of three, one of which always appeared to be just right. Temporally, there’s three types of futures too. Short-term, medium-term, and long-term. Those are all relative, depending on what you are looking at. Some technologies, for example, change very quickly, so “long-term” ...5 days ago
- Baby talk 3: the eggs, the lube, the triggeringSo we took a bit of an unscheduled posting hiatus there; but more on that later. Today we’re talking eggs, lube, and triggers. Just as the self-injection routine started to get good and routine, and I wasn’t having a total emotional break on a daily basis, came the sharp reminder ...5 days ago
- ‘There is no debate’ is simply a denial of reality
Hat tip to Mike Treen from Unite Union for this article by Lindsey Graham published in Counterfire. It raises important debates that are happening in many parts of the world, including New ZealandGood morning. I want to raise some issues here about the whole debate on trans rights in Britain. ...5 days ago - Leaked cabinet papers won’t help ACTIt was somewhat amusing to see the Act Party completely misread the room this week when they leaked a Labour Party document concerning our oceans and fisheries. It outlined the Government's intention to discuss several marine policies at cabinet, the most controversial being the installation of 300 cameras on commercial ...6 days ago
- Writing the Rights: No Right Turn is Wrong
New Zealand’s extreme form of parliamentary sovereignty is something of an international oddity these days. Under the New Zealand system, an Act passed by Parliament (and hence signed by the Governor-General) is automatically law. And in the absence of a written constitution, Parliament can Do Anything. Literally. Our checks ...6 days ago - Unemployment Insurance
Providing for the redundantly unemployed is admirable but difficult and expensive to implement.The 2021 Budget announced that the government was, at the urging of Business NZ and the Council of Trade Unions, committed to the development of a Social Unemployment Insurance scheme. It is likely to have two main components. ...6 days ago - Losing The “Struggle-Session” Over Climate Change.Blaming And Shaming: A "property owner" is humiliated before the masses during Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution. Critical Race Theory may substitute "White Privilege" for "Class Privilege", but the inescapability of the offending group's responsibility for "oppression" is exactly the same. The self-abasement of School Strike For Climate Auckland for its ...7 days ago
- Cleaning up the fishing industryThe government is finally cleaning up the fishing industry, with cameras on boats and an end to high-grading, with an easier penalties regime to enforce it. Good. Because as we've seen over the years, the fishing industry is pervasively criminal, routinely violating the law on discarding fish and reporting bycatch. ...7 days ago
- PM’s critics should stick to the factsThere’s been a lot of grumbling lately amongst the right wing and certain mainstream media pundits who are looking to either score cheap political points or attract readers by attacking the Prime Minister.Of course some of the criticism is justified. After all no Government is perfect and there are always ...7 days ago
- Climate Change: Auckland fails IILast year, the Auckland Council passed a climate change plan, setting goals of halving emissions by 2030, and net-zero by 2050. So you'd expect their new transport plan to be consistent with that goal, right? Wrong: The 10-year transport plan for Auckland has emerged from consultation with small changes, ...7 days ago
- Anti-fluoridation group tells porkies about NZ fluoridation review
FFNZ spreads misinformation about the NZ fluoridation review – yet again New Zealand opponents of community water fluoridation (CWF) are at it again. Their only response to the recently upgraded fluoridation review is to call it “propaganda” and to completely misrepresent it. But it’s interesting to look at their misrepresentation ...7 days ago - Landmark decision in the sex and gender debateOn June 10, after two years of legal battles, Maya Forstater won a landmark legal ruling that looks set to change the direction of the sex and gender debates in the Britain, and provide legal protection for gender-critical people against discrimination and harassment. This ruling will be important in New Zealand. ...7 days ago
- CSLDF and the Government Accountability Project Launch New Scientific Integrity Reporting ProjectThis is a guest post by the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund. Today, the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund and Government Accountability Project launched the Scientific Integrity Reporting Project: a confidential, anonymous way for scientists and others in science-adjacent roles to detail their experiences involving past and ongoing threats to scientific norms and scientific integrity. We ...1 week ago
- Australia needs a Bill of Rights ActAustralia is one of the few western democracies not to have legal protection for fundamental human rights. The closest they come is recognising an implied right to freedom of political communication (but not other forms of freedom of expression) from the "representative government" clauses of their constitution. But some of ...1 week ago
- FalloutLast week I revealed how the Police had lied to the public over their "emissions-free fleet" strategy. Stuff's Henry Cooke has done the obvious followup of asking the Minister what she thinks about it, and it seems she is not happy: Police Minister Poto Williams says she is disappointed ...1 week ago
- Can we be born into the wrong body?by Don Franks Are some of us born into the wrong body? The possibility is sometimes offered as a clinching argument that some people need to, and are able to, change their sex. With one proviso, the answer has to be, yes, such a thing is possible. The only requirement ...1 week ago
- Moa’s Ark or flypaper of the Pacific – New Zealand’s place in the biology of the PacificIt was the year 2002 and I was sitting in the shiny new office of our Biogeography Professor for my oral Diploma exam. It was going well, when I was asked to name an example of a Gondwanan distribution pattern, or in other words a species or group of species ...1 week ago
- Auckland is the world’s ‘most liveable city’? Many Māori might disagreeElla Henry, Auckland University of Technology While I am always happy to celebrate any accolades my country and city might garner on the international stage, seeing Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau awarded the top ranking in a recent “most liveable cities” survey left me somewhat flummoxed. In particular, I would argue that ...1 week ago
- Patrick Gower – Hero of the week1 week ago
- Juliet Moses – Arsehole of the Week1 week ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #24, 2021A hot budget problem This week's standout article for highlighting is Satellite and Ocean Data Reveal Marked Increase in Earth's Heating Rate (open access). From the two very different perspectives of above the atmosphere and below it, a team of authors led by Norman Loeb (head of NASA's CERES program) and including Gregory Johnson (head ...1 week ago
- Let it dieThe fishing industry is complaining in the Herald about their "labour shortage" and lamenting the fact that Young People These Days for some reason don't want to work for six weeks at a time doing hard, dangerous work on a boat in the middle of nowhere, and never seeing their ...1 week ago
- More bigotry in HungaryLast year Hungary ended legal recognition of trans people and banned gay people from adopting children. Now, they've followed that up with a Russian-style "propaganda law", banning "promotion" of homosexuality in schools or on TV: Hungary’s parliament has passed a law banning gay people from featuring in school educational ...1 week ago
- Institutionally corruptOver thirty years ago private investigator Daniel Morgan was murdered in London. The UK police repeatedly fucked up the investigation so obviously and blatantly that the government was forced to call a public inquiry. Now, after years of obstruction, it has finally reported back, finding the police to be "institutionally ...1 week ago
- With seas rising, stalled research budgets must also riseThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gary Yohe and Eric Rignot From 1900 to 2000, the ocean along the U.S. East Coast rose at twice the annual rate of the pace in the previous 19 centuries, according to a recent study from Rutgers University. From Miami to New York to ...1 week ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Worst could be yet to come for New Zealanders’ perceptions of ChinaNew Zealanders’ hostility towards China is growing rapidly – but the worst may be still ahead. International analyst Geoffrey Miller examines the latest survey results on how this country feels about China. The latest “Perceptions of Asia” survey from the Asia New Zealand Foundation, released today, shows a sharp rise ...1 week ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Cash for access to politicians continuesShould anyone have trust in politicians, given the manner in which they solicit money from the wealthy? Probably not, since virtually every party in Parliament in recent times has been found to be involved in flaunting the law or accepting dodgy donations from the rich. News reports of questionable donations ...1 week ago
- Proceed to your nearest (virtual) exit: gaming technology is teaching us how people respond to emer...Ruggiero Lovreglio, Massey University Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) aren’t just for gaming anymore, they’re also proving to be useful tools for disaster safety research. In fact, they could save lives. Around the world, natural and human-made disasters such as earthquakes, bushfires and terrorist attacks threaten substantial ...1 week ago
- Inaction speaks louder than wordsOne of the good things the government has done is implement a proactive release policy, requiring most cabinet papers to be published within 30 working days of a decision being made. Its not a perfect policy (note "most", but also they get to redact them however they want, without oversight), ...1 week ago
- Graham Adams: The dangers of putting media on the government’s payrollAccusations by a journalist that the Prime Minister leads an unusually secretive government don’t tell the whole story about its desire to control information. Graham Adams takes a closer look at the guidelines for the new $55 million journalism fund. Despite widespread cynicism about the Government’s ability to fulfil its ...1 week ago
- David Seymour caught telling liesAct Party Leader David SeymourIt really bothers me when the NZ Herald reports the claims of certain right wing politicians as the truth without any fact checking. Not only do they encourage dishonest politicians to continue to lie, they also degrade the standard of reporting we get in New Zealand.Of ...1 week ago
- To Speak, Or Not To Speak? That Is The Question.Speaking Rights: The spectacle of the nation’s prime minister being denied the right to speak to her fellow citizens, personally, on New Zealand’s national day would generate massive antagonism among Pakeha of both sexes. A refusal to be guided by the customs of Ngāpuhi, on the other hand, would be ...1 week ago
- We discovered what’s killing the world’s rarest penguin – and it could help us make a vaccineVartul Sangal, Northumbria University, Newcastle Yellow-eyed penguins are the most endangered penguin species in the world, with just 4,000 left in the wild. Found only in New Zealand and its outlying islands, these birds can grow up to 79cm tall and weigh 8.5kg, which is similar to a one-year-old ...1 week ago
- The COVID-19 lab leak theory highlights a glaring lack of global biosecurity regulationAlexander Gillespie, University of Waikato The revived debate over whether COVID-19 could be the result of an accidental release from the Wuhan Institute of Virology may never be adequately resolved. Either way, we risk not seeing the wood for the trees. While the World Health Organization (WHO) reported in ...1 week ago
- Opponents of fluoridation all at sea with new legislationImage credit: Why Ideology and Science Don’t Mix Opponents of community water fluoridation (CWF) should be supporting the proposed fluoridation legislation instead of organising opposition to it. Think about it. If Fluoride Free NZ (FFNZ) was honest in its claim that they are ...1 week ago
- Silent calamity: The health impacts of wildfire smoke
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob Henson Articles on U.S. wildfires don’t often show a photo of someone gasping in a hospital bed or felled by a heart attack. Yet an increasing body of evidence suggests that the biggest societal impacts of increasing wildland fire are happening ...1 week ago- Smokefree 2025
The Government’s proposed approach for achieving SmokeFree 2025 is a bit over-the-top. The proposals would restrict tobacco sales to a smaller number of to-be-licenced R18 outlets, which could then be subject to a sinking lid; impose an annual one-year increase in the purchase age for tobacco until full prohibition were ...1 week ago- Update on Long-COVID
Prof John D. Potter* This blog post updates an earlier post on Long-COVID and reports that estimates of prevalence are still wide at about 15 to 65% of those initially infected with the pandemic virus, SARS-CoV-2. As things stand now across the world, we do not yet have systems in ...1 week ago - Silent calamity: The health impacts of wildfire smoke
- Greens urge Wellington Council to support a Spatial Plan that best addresses the climate and housing...
The Green Party is urging Wellington City Council to pass an ambitious Spatial Plan that sets Wellington up for action on the housing crisis, allowing for more new homes close to the city centre. ...3 days ago - Housing solutions, accelerated
New Zealand’s housing crisis has been decades in the making. And we know that one of the key barriers to the construction of more homes is a lack of basic infrastructure. Our $3.8 billion Housing Acceleration Fund – designed to speed up the pace and scale of house building – ...3 days ago - Small steps for Hauraki Gulf protection, much more action neededThe Green Party welcomes the Government’s proposals for increased marine protection in the Hauraki Gulf, released today, but says much more needs to be done. ...3 days ago
- Greens announce Members Bill to stop military launches at Rocket Lab protestThe Green Party’s Security and Intelligence spokesperson, and Te Mātāwaka member Teanau Tuiono MP launched his Member’s Bill at the ‘STOP militarisation’ protest today outside RocketLabs Headquarters in Tāmaki Makaurau. This Bill will amend the Outer Space and High altitude Activities Act and prohibit the launching of military hardware into ...4 days ago
- Green Party supports call to end youth detention in police cellsThe Green Party strongly supports the call by the Children’s Commissioner to repeal the law allowing youth to be held in police cells. ...4 days ago
- Working in partnership with our primary sectorA few great days at Fieldays are done and dusted! We had a huge team of Labour MPs at Mystery Creek this year – and we were there because partnering with farmers, growers, and our rural communities matters to us. ...6 days ago
- Chlöe Swarbrick puts Bill aimed at minimising alcohol harm in Members’ ballotGreen Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick has put the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Harm Minimisation) Amendment Bill into the Members’ ballot. ...7 days ago
- Investing in our rural communitiesFarmers and growers have been the economic backbone for New Zealand throughout COVID-19, and our primary sector will be at the heart of our recovery. This week, as Fieldays gets underway, we’ve outlined the next steps in our work with farmers to secure our recovery. ...7 days ago
- Green MPs back calls for work to stop immediately in Pūtiki Bay following unnecessary police presen...Green MPs Dr Elizabeth Kerekere and Chlöe Swarbrick strongly support the calls by Ngāti Paoa for Auckland Council to immediately step in to stop works happening in Pūtiki Bay/Kennedy Point today. ...1 week ago
- Acting boldly to address the housing crisis so we all thriveTēnā koe Minister Woods, ...1 week ago
- Addressing period poverty in schoolsToday, we’re taking the next step in our work to support children and young people in poverty, starting to roll out free period products in more than 1,600 schools and kura across New Zealand. ...1 week ago
- Dawn Raids apology welcomed, needs to be backed up with amnestyThe Green Party’s Te Mātāwaka Māori and Pasifika Caucus welcomes an announcement today by the Prime Minister to apologise for the Dawn Raids. ...2 weeks ago
- Making cleaner cars accessible to more KiwisToday, we’re taking action in line with the advice of the Climate Change Commission to reduce our carbon footprint, so future generations have a fair go. Our Clean Car package, announced this morning, delivers on our promise to cut transport emissions. It will make it easier to make the switch ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party set to deliver open letter to Immigration Minister with 17k signaturesThe Green Party will deliver its open letter asking the Minister for Immigration to fix the broken immigration system next week. ...2 weeks ago
- Dr Elizabeth Kerekere receives her COVID-19 vaccinationToday, Green Party MP Dr Elizabeth Kerekere received her COVID-19 vaccination from Tamaiti Whāngai COVID-19 vaccination centre, which had its official opening yesterday. ...2 weeks ago
- Our action on climate changeIn 2019, we established the Climate Change Commission to provide independent advice on climate change action and to hold this Government and future Governments to account. Today, the Commission's final advice was released. It sets out the total amount of global warming pollution Aotearoa must cut by 2035 to be ...2 weeks ago
- Our action on climate changeIn 2019, we established the Climate Change Commission to provide independent advice on climate change action and to hold this Government and future Governments to account. Today, the Commission's final advice was released. It sets out the total amount of global warming pollution Aotearoa must cut by 2035 to be ...2 weeks ago
- It’s time to get behind our nursesThe Green Party supports the 30,000 nurses striking today for better pay and safer working conditions. ...2 weeks ago
- Celebrating our oceansAotearoa New Zealand is surrounded by Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, the Pacific Ocean. The ocean is central to our identities and to our ecosystems. The Big Blue both isolates us from other countries and connects us to our Pacific neighbours. We have the seventh largest maritime area in the world, ranging from ...2 weeks ago
- Caring for the land, caring for peopleHere in New Zealand, we have a remarkable natural environment, with unique ecosystems and native species. It’s taken millions of years for Aotearoa to develop this precious environment – and it’s up to us to protect it! In collaboration with communities across the country, we’re doing just that. ...3 weeks ago
- Caring for the land, caring for peopleHere in New Zealand, we have a remarkable natural environment, with unique ecosystems and native species. It’s taken millions of years for Aotearoa to develop this precious environment – and it’s up to us to protect it! In collaboration with communities across the country, we’re doing just that. ...3 weeks ago
- Pause on Quarantine Free Travel from New South Wales extended
The pause on Quarantine Free Travel from New South Wales to New Zealand will continue for a further 12 days, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. There are now 36 recent community cases of COVID-19 in New South Wales – including four not yet linked to the existing outbreak that ...10 hours ago - Address to the INZBC 7th International Summit 2021Day 2, India New Zealand Business Council 7th International Summit, Auckland (speech delivered virtually) Tēnā koutou katoa, Namaste, Sat sri akal, Assalamualaikum Good morning and good evening to you all, Thank you for this opportunity to be with you virtually today. The India New Zealand Business Council has put together ...12 hours ago
- Government commits $4 million additional support for flood-affected Canterbury farmersPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern today announced the Government is injecting a further $4 million into relief funding to support flood-affected Canterbury farmers who are recovering from the damage of a historic one in 200 year flood. An additional $100,000 will also be provided to the Mayoral Relief Fund to support ...17 hours ago
- Appointment of Queen’s CounselAttorney-General David Parker today announced the appointments of 10 Queen’s Counsel. The newly appointed Silks are: Auckland – Lynda Kearns, Stephen McCarthy, Ronald Mansfield, Alan (Fletcher) Pilditch, Davey Salmon, Laura O’Gorman Wellington – Greg Arthur, Michael Colson, Victoria Heine Christchurch – Kerryn Beaton “The criteria for appointment recognise that ...17 hours ago
- Prime Minister congratulates victorious Black CapsPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has congratulated Kane Williamson and the Black Caps for their victory over India in the final of the inaugural Cricket World Test Championship. “The Black Caps have made New Zealand proud. This was a masterful performance from a team at the top of their game and ...20 hours ago
- Further action to tackle cervical cancerParliament has taken another step to help reduce the number of women who develop cervical cancer, with the Health (National Cervical Screening Programme) Amendment Bill passing its third reading. “I am very pleased by the robust consideration this Bill has received. It will ensure technology allows healthcare providers to directly ...21 hours ago
- $500 million seized from gangs and criminalsA significant Government milestone has been reached with $500 million in cash and assets seized from gangs and criminals by Police over the past four years, Police Minister Poto Williams announced today. “During our last term in office, this target was set for 2021 with Police as part of our ...22 hours ago
- Congratulations to the Black Caps – World ChampionsMinister of Sport and Recreation Grant Robertson has congratulated the Black Caps as the deserved winners of the inaugural World Test Cricket Championship. “The Black Caps have pulled off a remarkable and deserved win in the World Test Championship final against India. The final is the culmination of two years ...23 hours ago
- Alert Level 2 in Wellington, Wairarapa and Kāpiti CoastAlert Level 2 measures are now in place for Wellington, Wairarapa and Kāpiti Coast to the north of Ōtaki, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. These measures are precautionary, following the potential exposure of New Zealanders to a COVID-19 case from Sydney. The person visited a range of locations in ...1 day ago
- Speech to the India New Zealand Business Council Summit5pm, Wednesday 23 June 2021 [CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY] Tuia te Rangi e tū nei Tuia te Papa e takoto nei Tuia te here tangata Ka rongo te pō, ka rongo te Ao Tihei Mauri Ora Introduction Namaskar, tēnā koe and good evening. Thank you for your kind invitation to ...2 days ago
- Financial support for caregivers widenedChildren’s Minister Kelvin Davis has welcomed changes that will make it easier for caregivers looking after children outside of the state care system to access much-needed financial assistance. The Social Security (Financial Assistance for Caregivers) Amendment Bill will also allow these caregivers to access further benefits previously unavailable to them. ...2 days ago
- Agencies to have powers to secure maritime domainA Bill introduced to Parliament today aims to prevent serious criminal offending at sea, including transnational offending and organised crime, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced. “Aotearoa New Zealand will be better placed to keep our maritime environment secure against threats like drugs trafficking, wildlife trafficking and human trafficking with the ...2 days ago
- Critical support for New Zealand’s budding researchersFellowships to attract and retain talented researchers in the early stages of their career, have been awarded to 30 New Zealanders, Associate Research, Science and Innovation Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “I am pleased to congratulate these researchers, who will be receiving funding through the MBIE Science Whitinga Fellowship. ...2 days ago
- Bill to stop taxpayers having to fund oil field decommissionsThe Government is preventing taxpayers picking up the bill for the decommissioning of oil fields, says Energy and Resource Minister Dr Megan Woods. “After the Crown had to take responsibility for decommissioning the Tui oil field, it became clear to me that the current requirements around decommissioning are inadequate and ...2 days ago
- Quarantine Free Travel from New South Wales to New Zealand to pauseNew Zealand’s Quarantine Free Travel from New South Wales to New Zealand will be paused while the source of infection of new cases announced in Sydney is investigated, says COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins. There are 10 new community cases of COVID-19 today in New South Wales, taking the Australian ...2 days ago
- Milestone reached for Iwi Affiliation Population CountsIwi affiliation data released today provides updated population counts for all iwi and addresses gaps in Māori data originating from the 2018 Census, says Associate Minister of Statistics Meka Whaitiri. “The release of the 2018 Iwi Affiliation Estimated Counts is a really important step, and I acknowledge the hard work ...3 days ago
- Ngāti Rangitihi Claims Settlement Bill passes first readingTreaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little welcomed Ngāti Rangitihi to Parliament today to witness the first reading of The Ngāti Rangitihi Claims Settlement Bill. “I know it took a lot of hard work, time and patience by all parties involved to reach this significant milestone. I am honoured to ...3 days ago
- Speech to the Sustainable Healthcare and Climate Health Conference AotearoaMihi Tēnā tātou katoa Kei ngā pou o te whare hauora ki Aotearoa, kei te mihi. Tēnā koutou i tā koutou pōwhiri mai i ahau. E mihi ana ki ngā taura tangata e hono ana i a tātou katoa, ko te kaupapa o te rā tērā. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ...3 days ago
- Infrastructure Acceleration Fund opening for businessCriteria to access at least $1 billion of the $3.8 billion Housing Acceleration Fund (HAF), announced in March, is now available, and an invitation for expressions of interest will be released on 30 June, Housing Minister Megan Woods has announced. “This is a key milestone in our plan to accelerate ...3 days ago
- Bringing back the health of Hauraki GulfNew marine protection areas and restrictions on fishing are among a raft of changes being put in place to protect the Hauraki Gulf for future generations. The new strategy, Revitalising the Gulf – Government action on the Sea Change Plan, released today, draws on input from mana whenua, local communities, ...3 days ago
- Speech to AI Forum – Autonomous Weapons SystemsAI Forum New Zealand, Auckland Good evening and thank you so much for joining me this evening. I’d like to start with a thank you to the AI Forum Executive for getting this event off the ground and for all their work and support to date. The prospect of autonomous ...3 days ago
- New Zealand boosts support to Fiji for COVID-19 impactAotearoa New Zealand is providing additional support to Fiji to mitigate the effects of the current COVID-19 outbreak on vulnerable households, Foreign Minister Hon Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “Recognising the increasingly challenging situation in Fiji, Aotearoa will provide an additional package of assistance to support the Government of Fiji and ...4 days ago
- Round 2 of successful energy education fund now open$1.65 million available in Support for Energy Education in Communities funding round two Insights from SEEC to inform future energy hardship programmes Community organisations that can deliver energy education to households in need are being invited to apply for the second funding round of the Support for Energy Education in ...4 days ago
- New Ngarimu scholarships to target vocational trainingAssociate Education Minister Kelvin Davis today announced three new scholarships for students in vocational education and training (VET) are to be added to the suite of prestigious Ngarimu scholarships. “VET learners have less access to study support than university students and this is a way to tautoko their learning dreams ...4 days ago
- Recognising the volunteers who support our health systemNominations have opened today for the 2021 Minister of Health Volunteer Awards, as part of National Volunteer Week. “We know that New Zealanders donate at least 159 million hours of volunteer labour every year,” Minister of Health Andrew Little said in launching this year’s awards in Wellington. “These people play ...4 days ago
- Drug Free Sport supported to deal with new doping challengesDrug Free Sport New Zealand will receive a funding boost to respond to some of the emerging doping challenges across international sport. The additional $4.3 million over three years comes from the Sport Recovery Fund announced last year. It will help DFSNZ improve athletes’ understanding of the risks of doping, ...4 days ago
- Government support for South Auckland community hit by tornadoThe Government is contributing $100,000 to a Mayoral Relief Fund to support Auckland communities impacted by the Papatoetoe tornado, Acting Minister for Emergency Management Kris Faafoi says. “My heart goes out to the family and friends who have lost a loved one, and to those who have been injured. I ...5 days ago
- Celebrating World Refugee DayWorld Refugee Day today is an opportunity to celebrate the proud record New Zealanders have supporting and protecting refugees and acknowledge the contribution these new New Zealanders make to our country, the Minister of Immigration Kris Faafoi said. “World Refugee Day is also a chance to think about the journey ...5 days ago
- Face to face meeting delivers significant progress on NZ-UK FTANew Zealand and the UK have committed to accelerating their free trade agreement negotiations with the aim of reaching an agreement in principle this August, Trade Minister Damien O’Connor announced. “We’ve held constructive and productive discussions towards the conclusion of a high-quality and comprehensive FTA that will support sustainable and inclusive trade, and ...6 days ago
- Government taking action to protect albatrossNew population figures for the critically endangered Antipodean albatross showing a 5 percent decline per year highlights the importance of reducing all threats to these very special birds, Acting Minister of Conservation Dr Ayesha Verrall says. The latest population modelling, carried out by Dragonfly Data Science, shows the Antipodean albatross ...7 days ago
- Adoption laws under reviewNew Zealand’s 66-year-old adoption laws are being reviewed, with public engagement beginning today. Justice Minister Kris Faafoi said the Government is seeking views on options for change to our adoption laws and system. “The Adoption Act has remained largely the same since 1955. We need our adoption laws to reflect ...7 days ago
- Wider roll-out of cameras on boats to support sustainability and protect marine lifeUp to 300 inshore commercial fishing vessels will be fitted with on-board cameras by 2024 as part of the Government’s commitment to protect the natural marine environment for future generations. Minister for Oceans and Fisheries David Parker today announced the funding is now in place for the wider roll out ...1 week ago
- Plan for vaccine rollout for general population announcedNew Zealanders over 60 will be offered a vaccination from July 28 and those over 55 from August 11, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. The rollout of the vaccine to the general population will be done in age groups as is the approach commonly used overseas, with those over ...1 week ago
- New Zealand introduces Belarus travel bansNew Zealand has imposed travel bans on selected individuals associated with the Lukashenko regime, following ongoing concerns about election fraud and human rights abuses after the 2020 Belarus elections, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta has announced. The ban covers more than fifty individuals, including the President and key members of ...1 week ago
- NZ economy grows driven by households, construction and business investmentThe Government’s efforts to secure the recovery have been reflected in the robust rebound of GDP figures released today which show the economy remains resilient despite the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Grant Robertson said. GDP increased 1.6 percent in the first three months of 2021. The Treasury had ...1 week ago
- Milestone 250th tower continues to improve rural connectivityThe Government has welcomed the completion of the 250th 4G mobile tower, as part of its push for better rural connectivity. Waikato’s Wiltsdown, which is roughly 80 kilometres south of Hamilton, is home to the new tower, deployed by the Rural Connectivity Group to enable improved service to 70 homes ...1 week ago
- Quarantine Free Travel pause with Victoria to lift on TuesdayFollowing a further public health assessment of the COVID-19 outbreak in greater Melbourne, New Zealand’s Quarantine Free Travel pause with Victoria has been extended to 11.59pm on Tuesday 22 June, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. It has been determined that the risk to public health in New Zealand continues ...1 week ago
- Prime Minister mourns passing of Dr Sir Ian HassallPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern is mourning the passing of Dr Sir Ian Hassall, New Zealand’s first Children’s Commissioner and lifelong champion for children and children’s health. As a paediatrician Sir Ian contributed to a major world-first cot death study that has been directly credited with reducing cot deaths in New ...1 week ago
- APEC structural reform meeting a successAPEC ministers have agreed working together will be crucial to ensure economies recover from the impact of COVID-19. Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs David Clark, chaired the virtual APEC Structural Reform Ministerial Meeting today which revolved around the overarching theme of promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth ...1 week ago
- Digital hub to boost investment in forestryA new website has been launched at Fieldays to support the forestry sector find the information it needs to plant, grow and manage trees, and to encourage investment across the wider industry. Forestry Minister Stuart Nash says the new Canopy website is tailored for farmers, iwi and other forestry interests, ...1 week ago
- Vaccines and our irrational natures
In our search for herd immunity, Nicholas Agar looks at factors making people reluctant to accept safe and effective vaccines, arguing we should focus on modes of delivery less likely to provoke anxieties At the outset of the pandemic, there were fears that finding a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 might turn out to ...16 mins ago - Changing South: Ōamaru: Moving forward by looking back
Ōamaru turned its historic Victorian-era buildings into a major tourist attraction but more recently it has added a retro/futuristic twist by embracing steampunk. Could it now be the steampunk capital of the world? Out of adversity comes ... goggles, airships, watches and waistcoats, brocade and boots. Every June, visitors head down to ...16 mins ago - The day of the vaccine
On Wednesday morning, at the same time as news filtered out of a positive Covid-19 case going on a tiki tour of Wellington, an operation was being executed with military precision at a retirement village in the Auckland suburb of Remuera From 5.30am, a steady trickle of vaccinators, pharmacists and ...16 mins ago - Long-awaited iwi data released after census failure
After more than two years of waiting, iwi finally have access to current data on their people. However, doubts remain over the next count in 2023. Official data on iwi affiliation is now available, after the botched 2018 census left Māori and iwi organisations empty-handed. The new information, released by ...16 mins ago - Newsroom's daily sudoku, Friday 25 June
...16 mins ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 25 June
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...16 mins ago - Every pudding in the Edmonds cookbook, cooked and ranked
Catherine Woulfe stocks up on white sugar and Granny Smiths and kills pudding for her family forever.“The Edmonds Cookery Book needs no introduction,” says the 1998 edition of the Edmonds Cookery Book, in the introduction.What it does need is a ranking. So turn straight to the Puddings section, where you’ll ...43 mins ago - Bernard Hickey: How hope for a generation was lostKids born after 2008 into rentals were already hamstrung. Now their hopes for secure, healthy homes for their own whānau and futures are gone. Bernard Hickey explains how the housing market bolted and destroyed the dreams for our youngest people. And why there’s no real prospect our leaders can (or ...45 mins ago
- Lead, arsenic in soil at up to 400 Defence houses
An urgent briefing to the defence minister revealed that up to 20 percent of the military's housing estate could have soil contaminated with lead and other harmful materials. ...46 mins ago - Climate plan just shifts industry overseas while Government grandstands
Minister for Climate Change James Shaw says the Climate Change Commission’s “blueprint” for a net-zero carbon economy pathway is the only game in town. But a net-zero target that ignores imported carbon is conceptually dishonest. And unless ...46 mins ago - Travel bubble worth the disruptions – tourism firms
Tourism companies say bubble has been the "light at the end of the tunnel" ...46 mins ago - Teen swimmer's feel for the water takes her to Tokyo
There's something special about New Zealand's youngest Olympian in Tokyo, teenager Erika Fairweather - both in the water and out. Erika Fairweather has an astute feel for the water; a gift not all swimmers have. “You can’t coach ‘feel’,” says Gary Francis, Swimming New Zealand’s Olympic team manager. He describes the 17-year-old ...46 mins ago - Grattan on Friday: Blowin’ in the wind with Barnaby
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison is fond of telling his troops they’re in a boat. On Thursday he said Barnaby Joyce was “a wind in the sails”. Perhaps better described as a gale hitting the craft, ...4 hours ago - Fiji may be facing heavy covid disaster within month, warns health officialBy Michael Field of The Pacific Newsroom Fiji could face around 600 covid-19 deaths within about eight weeks, and 50,000 active cases, unless decisive government-led action is taken quickly on controlling the epidemic. Diplomatic sources have told Pacific Newsroom that increasing alarm in Australia and New Zealand has prompted their ...7 hours ago
- AJF, RSF and other media freedom watchdogs condemn China’s ‘suffocation’ of free pressPacific Media Watch newsdesk Apple Daily has announced its imminent closure in a dark day for Hong Kong’s press freedom and democracy, sparking condemnation by global media freedom watchdogs. The Australian-based Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom, Reporters Without Borders in Paris and the Committee to Protect Journalists were among the watchdogs ...7 hours ago
- Cardiac arrests in young people — what causes them and can they be prevented or treated? A heart e...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Orchard, Postdoctoral Fellow, Centenary Institute; and Adjunct Senior Lecturer, University of Sydney Wolfgang Rattay/AP/AAP On June 12, 16,000 spectators at Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium and millions of viewers around the world watched in shock as Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen’s heart ...9 hours ago
- Politicians criticising women for ‘outsourcing’ parenting need a reality check. Here it isSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Associate Professor in Sociology and Co-Director of The Policy Lab, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock During a heated exchange in a Coalition party room meeting about childcare subsidies, a male MP stated working women are “outsourcing parenting”. The ...9 hours ago
- 'A mark of shame for the profession': Former Russell McVeagh partner guilty of misconduct
A former Russell McVeagh partner has been found guilty of misconduct over accusations of groping summer clerks, in a ruling the legal profession’s disciplinary tribunal says sends a clear message there is “no place for objectification of women or indeed any person” within the law. James Gardner-Hopkins, who can for ...12 hours ago - Cramming cities full of electric vehicles means we’re still depending on cars — and that’s a h...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kurt Iveson, Associate Professor of Urban Geography and Research Lead, Sydney Policy Lab, University of Sydney Shutterstock This week, the NSW government announced almost A$500 million towards boosting the uptake of electric vehicles. In its new electric vehicle strategy, the ...12 hours ago
- If I could go anywhere: the ‘cathedral’ at Blythburgh that rises from the marshesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Miles Pattenden, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry/Gender and Women’s History Research Centre, Australian Catholic University Shutterstock In this series we pay tribute to the art we wish could visit — and hope to see once travel ...12 hours ago
- UNESCO has always been mired in politics and squabbling, but this shouldn’t detract from its workSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Hill, Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts, University of Wollongong Australia’s Great Barrier Reef made the international headlines this week. It was not good news for the reef, described by David Attenborough as “one of the greatest and ...13 hours ago
- Business is Boring: How to sell a fast-growing companyScroll Media founder Jane Ormsby joins Simon Pound to talk innovation in the online ad industry and share some tips for selling a business.Follow Business is Boring on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast provider.The internet turned media publishing and advertising upside down, and continues to shake it around. ...14 hours ago
- It takes a village: why sending your kid to childcare isn’t ‘outsourcing parenting’Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laurien Beane, Course Coordinator, Queensland Undergraduate Early Childhood, Australian Catholic University Shutterstock A Coalition party room meeting this week debated the A$1.7 billion childcare package announced in the budget, which would increase subsidies for families with more than one child ...14 hours ago
- Locked Gates Over Unformed Legal Roads
"The law is clear that landowners cannot put lock gates over unformed legal roads", says Walking Access Commission chief executive Ric Cullinane. Landowners cannot put gates, locked or unlocked, on unformed legal roads without the permission ...14 hours ago - Robertson relishes responding to patsy questions and enthusing about the economic outlook – but is...
Grant Robertson, perennially exuberant as finance minister when it comes to telling the country how well the government is handling the economy, has been in top form on the subject in Parliament in recent days. Whether the same buoyancy is being felt in every sector of the economy could be ...15 hours ago - Survey Of Those Arriving In New Zealand Since The Onset Of COVID-19 Helps Assess Economic ImpactA survey of people arriving in New Zealand since the initial COVID-19 border restrictions has been carried out to find out more about their intentions and needs. This release presents the first findings from the Survey of New Zealand Arrivals, which surveyed ...15 hours ago
- How online bank transfers are being hijacked for harassment and abuseAn unexpected loophole is being used to target and intimidate victims of domestic violence – one that has the banking industry scrambling to fight back. Writing a silly joke or lewd message in the odd online payment is nothing new, and – other than potentially jeopardising your chances of being approved ...15 hours ago
- Will the government’s new plan save Tīkapa Moana/Hauraki Gulf?The culturally and ecologically significant marine area on Auckland’s doorstep has been in decline for years, but the government has a new strategy to restore it to health.It’s finally happened. After four years of waiting, the much-anticipated plan for the future of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park/Tīkapa Moana/Te Moananui-ā-Toi (the ...15 hours ago
- Mahuta cracks down on crime at sea while Williams counts the cash and assets ($500m) seized from cr...
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta is another member of the Ardern government who believes in the power of the law to eliminate criminal or undesirable behaviour. But she seems to be aware that laws have their limitations: a Bill she introduced to Parliament yesterday “aims” to prevent serious criminal offending ...15 hours ago - Further Charges Filed Following INZ Construction Sector Compliance WorkImmigration New Zealand (INZ) has filed further charges over the use of unlawful migrant labour in the building and construction sector. Four charges have been laid against an Auckland-based employer under section 350(1)(b) of the Immigration Act ...16 hours ago
- PM Jacinda Ardern announces more support for Ashburton after flooding
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced the government is injecting a further $4 million to support flood-affected Canterbury farmers. ...16 hours ago - Registrations Grow For Asia Harm Reduction Forum 2021Interest is building ahead of the 4th Asia Harm Reduction Forum (AHRF). This year, as a virtual event, it promises to be dynamic gathering of global Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) advocates with significant developments to discuss. Registration and participation ...16 hours ago
- Good bye and good riddance to Auckland’s worst live music venueWhen a concert venue shuts down, it’s usually a bleak day for New Zealand’s entertainment industry. But in the case of the Logan Campbell Centre, Chris Schulz couldn’t be happier.First published on Chris Schulz’s newsletter Boiler Room.At the beginning of 2018, in the middle of an absolutely legendary run of summer ...17 hours ago
- Prison For Directors Who Fail To Report On Climate Risks Unduly Harsh, Says The Institute Of Directo...Directors should not face jail time for failing to comply with proposed new climate-reporting standards, stressed the Institute of Directors (IoD). The IoD appeared before the Economic Development, Science and Innovation select committee today to present its ...17 hours ago
- Chief Human Rights Commissioner Should Stay In His LaneThe Free Speech Union says that Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt wasn’t hired to tell artists what work they can and can’t produce. He should start defending human rights, not stand against freedom of expression. A spokesperson for the Union, ...17 hours ago
- Eat it, haters. NZ are the champions, the greatest test side in the worldHistorically, Black Caps tragics have not had an easy time of it but today’s result confirmed how dramatically that had changed. Now, finally, is the time for unbridled joy, writes Samuel Flynn-Scott. Drifting in and out of a fitful sleep, I stopped resisting and picked up my phone one last time. ...18 hours ago
- Safer Drinking Water Key Issue For New ZealandersWater New Zealand says events such as the Havelock North contamination crisis and the frequent number of boil water notices in some parts of the country have led to drinking water becoming identified as our number one infrastructure issue. Chief ...19 hours ago
- Taxpayers’ Union Calls Out “coding Error” ExcuseThe Taxpayers’ Union is calling BS on claims that inappropriate spending of parliamentary funds by MP Harete Hipango was the result of a “coding error”. Union spokesperson Jordan Williams says, “A number of our staff used to work at Parliament and would ...19 hours ago
- Employment Indicators: Weekly As At 21 June 2021The experimental weekly series provides an early indicator of employment and labour market changes in a more timely manner than the monthly employment indicators series. Key facts The 6-day series includes jobs with a pay period equal to or less than ...19 hours ago
- We just watched the Blackcaps make cricket historyThe Offspin’s Alex Braae celebrates the Blackcaps’ monumental overnight World Test Championship victory, and the culmination of six days of intense early-morning podcasting.Follow The Offspin on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast provider.Six nights of tension. Two years of dominating the international circuit. Eight years of cultural reform and ...19 hours ago
- New Report Reveals New Zealanders' Views On Infrastructure IssuesOver 23,000 New Zealanders have called for action to address the country’s infrastructure issues in a new report published today by the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga. ...20 hours ago
- NZ Needs To Sign Up To International Law Making Workplaces Free From Violence And HarassmentA new international law to keep workplaces free from violence and harassment comes into effect on Friday 25 June. "The International Labour Organisation (an agency of the United Nations) adopted the Violence and Harassment Convention , 2019 (190) ...20 hours ago
- NZ’s housing market is broken and we’ve got the maps to prove itInspired by a map of the US housing market, analyst Emma Vitz created a graph showing how much people needed to earn to afford a property in their region. It quickly went viral.From the comfort of my 23 square metre apartment that I most definitely do not own, I mapped ...21 hours ago
- Dirty secrets: sediment DNA reveals a 300,000-year timeline of ancient and modern humans living in S...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elena Zavala, PhD Student, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Collection of sediment DNA samples in the Main Chamber of Denisova Cave. Bert Roberts, Author provided In the foothills of the Altai Mountains in southern Siberia lies Denisova Cave. It is the ...21 hours ago
- With Aung San Suu Kyi facing prison, Myanmar’s opposition is leaderless, desperate and ready to fi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Simpson, Senior Lecturer, University of South Australia As Aung San Suu Kyi finally faced court last week to defend herself against a litany of politically motivated charges, Myanmar is continuing its downward spiral into state failure. Suu Kyi was arrested following ...21 hours ago
- Stopping, blocking and dampening – how Aussie drugs in the pipeline could treat COVID-19Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vasso Apostolopoulos, Professor of Immunology and Associate Provost, Research Partnerships, Victoria University Shutterstock While widespread vaccination is key in our fight against COVID-19, people who are infected still need better treatment to improve their chance of survival and making a ...21 hours ago
- The government’s idea of ‘national environment standards’ would entrench Australia’s global ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martine Maron, ARC Future Fellow and Professor of Environmental Management, The University of Queensland A growing global push to halt biodiversity decline, most recently agreed at the G7 on Sunday, leaves Australia out in the cold as the federal government walks away ...21 hours ago
- ‘You’re the best!’ Your belief in your kids’ academic ability can actually improve their gra...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip D. Parker, Professor and Deputy Director, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University Shutterstock We have all met the parent who thinks their kid is the next Picasso or Einstein regardless of the evidence. But it’s hard ...21 hours ago
- Meat pies, desert, bloody dingoes: new Australian film Buckley’s Chance brims with dated cultural ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ari Mattes, Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame Australia Transmission Films Review: Buckley’s Chance, directed by Tim Brown. It’s a classic trope of Australian cinema: a foreigner comes here and discovers a wild, rugged place, replete with ...21 hours ago
- The adaptation era arrivesFor decades, climate change discussions have been dominated by what we can do to stop it, but there is a growing focus on how we live with its consequences.In recent years the conversation about climate change has been growing larger and louder, with everyone from activist investors to right-leaning politicians ...22 hours ago
- Live updates, June 24: Testing in the spotlight as Wellington wakes to alert level twoWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for June 24, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nzWe’re doing our utmost to keep you updated on all the Covid-19 coverage. We can’t do it without the generous support of our members. If you want ...22 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Wellington waits nervously amid move to level twoGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Wellington waits nervously amid move to level two, Todd Muller leaving politics at next election, and banks making major profits amid big lending demand.For the first time ever, Wellington’s Covid restrictions are more stringent than that of the rest of ...22 hours ago
- Soaring power prices drive firms to invest in solar energy
The rising cost of wholesale power is forcing some businesses to consider investing in solar energy, writes Nicholas Pointon. Many firms are facing significant hikes to renew their fixed power contracts, as dry weather, low hydro lake levels and a shortage of natural gas puts upward pressure on prices. Christchurch-based manufacturing firm, ...23 hours ago - Amount earned from managed isolation and quarantine fees far less than expectedOfficials have told the government they are sometimes struggling to identify who needs to pay for their managed isolation stay. ...23 hours ago
- The future of NZ First and its leaderThe Detail - From positions of power to periods in the political wilderness, the party's chances of a return to its glory days seem to rest with long-time leader Winston Peters. ...1 day ago
- Bringing back Winston
From positions of pivotal power in governments to periods in the political wilderness, NZ First is the enigma of New Zealand politics. The party's chances of a return to its glory days seem to rest, as they always do, with its long-time leader Winston Peters. They're out, but they're not ...1 day ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Friday 25 June
...1 day ago - Newsroom's daily sudoku, Thursday 24 June
...1 day ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 24 June
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...1 day ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Thursday 24 June
...1 day ago - Memory Games: The boxer floored by the haka
Alexis Pritchard - the first New Zealand female boxer to win an Olympic bout, in London 2012 - recalls watching a swimming legend with her grandpa, being overwhelmed by the haka, and her message for boxer David Nyika, in the Memory Games Q&A with LockerRoom writers who've been to the Olympics. ...1 day ago - Saving the mighty albatross
It's not too late to turn around the decline of our albatross populations, despite the multiple threats they face today. Ariel Micaiah-Heswall looks at how. Albatrosses are an amazing group of animals. They spend an incredible 84 percent of their lives soaring across the ocean, foraging and migrating thousands of ...1 day ago - Covid outbreak either easy to contain or out of control
On the one hand, the ramifications of the Sydney Covid-19 case who visited Wellington should be easy to handle. On the other, the Delta variant could throw health officials for a loop, Marc Daalder writes. Analysis: New Zealand has dealt with Covid-19 outbreaks before and always succeeded in eliminating the virus. But the ...1 day ago - How Laurel Hubbard’s road to Tokyo is forcing a rethink on what inclusivity really meansThe trans weightlifter’s inclusion in New Zealand’s Olympic team has generated debate about transgender athletes and sport. But it has led also to a global conversation about how we design our systems to be safe and inclusive, for everyone, writes Laura Walters.Kiwi weightlifter Laurel Hubbard is making global headlines after ...1 day ago
- We, the children of Centrepoint, are breaking through the silenceAs Centrepoint once again becomes a focus of media attention, Dr Caroline Ansley, a survivor of the North Shore commune, asks why the work of grappling with its legacy continues to fall on those who suffered. The most recent cover article of North & South left a greasy, nauseated feeling in ...1 day ago
- Wake up ministers – Covid doesn't sleep
‘Go hard and go early’ has been a winning formula against Covid-19. But as the virus rears its head again, some mistakes are being made too many times, writes political editor Jo Moir. Journalists are familiar with the expression ‘news knows no time’. The biggest stories and tips often come ...1 day ago - Wake up ministers – Covid doesn't sleepAs Covid-19 rears its head again, some mistakes are being made too many times, ...1 day ago
- Job market swings in favour of workers, with record listings
Job seekers are gaining power as closed borders shut migrants out of the employment market ...1 day ago - Is the America's Cup price really too high?
There's a reason why governments for the past 30 years have funded and basked in national sports successes, writes Peter Dunne, and that's why the America's Cup won't necessarily end up offshore. ...1 day ago - $5K Surrey-Newsroom writers residency open
Announcing the 2021 Surrey Hotel-Newsroom writers residency Calling all writers wanting the rare chance to sit down in privacy and comfort to work on their latest masterpiece. Applications open today, as of now, this very second, for the prestigious 2021 Surrey Hotel-Newsroom writers residency - with an added bonus of ...1 day ago - China, Australia and NZ: 'Anxiety and a sense of danger'
Who is to blame for tensions between the Asian superpower and our neighbours, and what does it mean for us? ...1 day ago - Covid infections in Fiji soar with record 279 cases – four deathsBy Timoci Vula in Suva Fiji has reported its highest daily total of positive covid-19 infections with 279 cases reported as of 8am today as the outbreak continues to soar. The ministry has also reported four deaths attributed to the virus. Health Secretary Dr James Fong announced these figures in ...1 day ago
- NZ’s capital moves to covid alert level 2 after Sydney tourist scareRNZ News The Wellington region moved to alert level 2 at 6pm today after an Australian tourist who visited the New Zealand capital on the weekend tested positive for covid-19 on his return to Sydney. Wellington, Wairarapa and Kāpiti Coast are now at alert level 2 until 11.59pm on Sunday ...1 day ago
- Fiji records two covid deaths amid record 180 new casesBy Lice Movono, RNZ Pacific correspondent in Suva Fiji’s covid19 case count broke records again yesterday as medical authorities recorded another two deaths at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWM) in the capital Suva. Two men, a 68-year-old and a 42-year-old are the latest certified covid deaths. The CWM Hospital ...1 day ago
- Bridging visas for three months granted to Tamil familySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Three members of the Biloela Tamil family have been given bridging visas for three months, which will allow the parents work and study rights. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has granted the visas to Nades and ...1 day ago
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