Search Results
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Comment:The reeferendum fails
Date published: 11:24 pm, October 30th, 2020Except National would ignore the result and with Labour - well they were forced into acceptance of any yes result of this one by their arrangement with Greens. What we do know is that Labour have now rejected decriminalisation as a policy and Greens have ...
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Comment:The reeferendum fails
Date published: 11:18 pm, October 30th, 2020What are you, press officer for Trump? Read the link, the polling data is not my reckon. It says those under 55 were voting yes, those over 55 were voting no. A baby boomer is someone who is over 55.
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Comment:The reeferendum fails
Date published: 11:13 pm, October 30th, 2020Green Party members might now refuse a support deal involving Ministers The left abandon Labour for Greens, who surpass 10% in polls and in the 2023 vote This scares all the centre right flotsom back to National Labour is reduced to 40% Centrist voters are...
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Comment:The reeferendum fails
Date published: 10:59 pm, October 30th, 2020He's got nothing.
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Comment:The reeferendum fails
Date published: 10:58 pm, October 30th, 2020Of course it does Mr Little. Even legalisation does not end criminal supply (as with theft and on-sale of tobacco). But decriminalisation is about reducing prosecution of young people, Maori and those seeking an affordable medical treatment. And what ...
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Comment:Daily review 30/10/2020
Date published: 9:29 pm, October 30th, 2020Decriminalisation means people can smoke without threat of prosecution. And without police using evidence (witchsmelling dope nearby) of it, for search of your property without a warrant. The legal matter is then amount of dope around, below amounts ...
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Comment:UK Labour suspends Corbyn for stating the obvious about anti-semitism in the Party
Date published: 9:25 pm, October 30th, 2020The irony is in the state of Israel it would have been Cameron's backing for (our co-sponsored - on behalf of Cameron and Obama) 2016 UN Resolution which began this campaign to change the political landscape there - as they did with the gollum man-child ...
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Comment:UK Labour suspends Corbyn for stating the obvious about anti-semitism in the Party
Date published: 9:20 pm, October 30th, 2020The classic defence of two parties competing to occupy the same space in turn. The illusion of choice, programmed by some architect who cannot be recalled ...
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Comment:Open mike 30/10/2020
Date published: 9:18 pm, October 30th, 2020Labour is competing to be the party of government, the space is more narrow since Key. He kept interest free fees and WFF tax credits, Labour went brightline 2 to 5 years and now a top rate of tax like Clark had (both these adjustments National will remove...
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Comment:The reeferendum fails
Date published: 9:07 pm, October 30th, 2020I've seen polls indicating the older voters were against. Given the close result I am presuming therefore that those born more recently must have been in the majority yes voters. This poll says that there is a majority of those under 55 for yes. You know ...
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Comment:Daily review 30/10/2020
Date published: 9:03 pm, October 30th, 2020The mandate is to not legalise. Not to decrminalise is a political call made by the Labour government.
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Comment:Daily review 30/10/2020
Date published: 9:01 pm, October 30th, 2020The differences in voting between those of different age demographic is no asumption. It is a known known.
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Comment:Daily review 30/10/2020
Date published: 8:51 pm, October 30th, 2020I base mine on the polls. Boomers voted for Brexit, for Trump and no for a drug they associate with younger people of a different skin. It's about identity and class self interest and remembering of childhood (monoculltural) nostalgia. The passing of the ...
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Comment:Daily review 30/10/2020
Date published: 8:50 pm, October 30th, 2020Why is decriminalisation dependent on the legalisation referendum result? Even some of those who organised against legalisation support decriminalisation.
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Comment:The reeferendum fails
Date published: 8:47 pm, October 30th, 2020Yeah people against legal persecution of marijuana users must be addicts. Just like those supporting the rights of sex workers and same sex people are just enemies of God and Family First.
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Comment:Daily review 30/10/2020
Date published: 8:39 pm, October 30th, 2020Racism is one sure way to take a centrist to the right. Brash, Brexit, Trump etc. Funny how people when young adults are rebellious, idealistic and have solidarity with others (because of whom they might partner in life), then they enter middle age and ...
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Comment:Daily review 30/10/2020
Date published: 8:24 pm, October 30th, 2020And has he monitored the minimal impact it made ... tokenism and platitudes. Little would now look like Ken Douglas in his corporate friendly makeover suit in the eyes of Kelly.
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Comment:Daily review 30/10/2020
Date published: 8:19 pm, October 30th, 2020Racist as the middle class centrist baby boomers who voted for them and no on this. They want to be the party of government and these are their influencers.
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Comment:Daily review 30/10/2020
Date published: 8:15 pm, October 30th, 2020He said Labour would not make any moves to decriminalise. And it is not effectively decriminalised now, police have scarcely changed their approach - it's power over people they can leverage (as they did pros prior to change there 2002/3). https://www....
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Comment:The reeferendum fails
Date published: 7:50 pm, October 30th, 2020Most born after 1963 voted yes, the no vote came from boomers.
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Comment:The reeferendum fails
Date published: 7:15 pm, October 30th, 2020To call decriminalisation a free pass to suppliers was simply not accurate. And given the Sallies are opposed to legalisation, but support decriminalisation, because they want the focus on the health of the users, why not work with those in the no camp to ...
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Comment:The reeferendum fails
Date published: 6:54 pm, October 30th, 2020No CGT, no wealth tax, no estate tax, no decriminalisation of marijuana - it's a fight for being the party of government, not for the cause of social democracy. Affordable dental ... giving Maori the cheap diabetic drug so they end up on kidney dialysis 10...
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Comment:The reeferendum fails
Date published: 6:47 pm, October 30th, 2020You're lying about what decriminalisation means, because you back Little and Labour, right or wrong. I've called that.
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Comment:Open mike 30/10/2020
Date published: 6:45 pm, October 30th, 2020Which explains the no affordable dental and the cheap diabetic drug Maori get which means they go onto kidney dialysis 10 years before they should (which makes them more vulnerable during a pandemic). National will not hold them to account, nor ACT - it ...
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Comment:The reeferendum fails
Date published: 6:41 pm, October 30th, 2020I doubt the breakdown of the referendum voting will be much different from that known from earlier polling (Greens very for, National very against and Labour more for than against).
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Comment:The reeferendum fails
Date published: 6:37 pm, October 30th, 2020It is a known fact that legalising the industry would create jobs, simply because currently there is no accounting of the number who work in the growing, distribution or retailing - as none are in the PAYE system. And if they were, some of the jobs would ...
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Comment:The reeferendum fails
Date published: 6:30 pm, October 30th, 2020Disinformatio much - decriminalisation does not include the suppliers.
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Comment:Open mike 30/10/2020
Date published: 6:27 pm, October 30th, 2020It had a mandate for decriminalisation - around 49% for legalisation and a major group in the no campaign supported decriminalisatuion. Not acting on that mandate, after the party leader said they would look to reduce harm to people (whatever the result) ...
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Comment:The reeferendum fails
Date published: 6:17 pm, October 30th, 2020People would get health benefits from affordable access, and people will still get pissed on by police bullies (just as pros were till 2002/3) until there is decriminalisation.
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Comment:The reeferendum fails
Date published: 6:12 pm, October 30th, 2020We are now reduced to waiting for the Shane Reti bill to get any progress at all.
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Comment:Open mike 30/10/2020
Date published: 6:09 pm, October 30th, 2020As one person who supports the Greens all I can say is, I no longer trust the Labour Party to do the right thing. And I would advise that they reconsider taking Ministerial positions or having anything to do with them. This three year period is going to be...
- One on One: Collins goes for it
This week the National leader Judith Collins began one on one meetings with the carcass of the caucus. What will these meetings be like? MyThinks doesn’t really know. We can only speculate. Which is what we are going to do right now. What follows is some possible scenarios of what ...6 hours ago - Kindness and Samfundssind
How we approached the threat of Covid tells us about possibilities for the future ways. The term ‘samfundssind’ increased in the Danish news from just 23 times in February 2020 to 2,855 in March. It means ‘putting the concern of society higher than one’s own interests’ or, more loosely, ‘community ...15 hours ago - A few days in the life of an ER
Most people hear “ER” and they think of an emergency room – ambulances, patients, life and death situations. But for the staff at the Science Media Centre, ER stands for “Expert Reactions” and means timely comments from experts responding to breaking news. When news breaks, journalists often want quotes ...22 hours ago - Capital Vol. 3 lectures: the transformation of surplus value into profit
This is the fourth in the lecture series by Andy Higginbottom on superexploitation.Here he looks at Marx’s solution and (some of) the interpretive literature in the converting of surplus-value into the rate of profit. (Part one of the lecture series is here, part two is here, and part three is here) ...22 hours ago - Counterfeiting information.
Although trite to say so, if knowledge is power, then information is its currency. The more complete the information at hand, the more knowledge that it imparts, which can be wielded for bad or good. In that light, spreading disinformation is akin to counterfeiting. It is fraud masquerading as fact. ...23 hours ago - Bugger
Preliminary referendum results are out, showing that cannabis legalisation was defeated, 46.1% to 53.1%. There's a gap of almost 170,000 votes, and its highly unlikely that the specials will be that disproportionate (OTOH, they're probably a different electoral population, swinging younger and more liberal on this issue, but that's probably ...23 hours ago - Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – A diverse yet narrower Parliament
Our House of Representatives has just become more diverse, and yet narrower at the same time. A record 40 new MPs have flooded into Parliament – with especially big intakes from the Labour and Act parties. You can see some short profiles of the new MPs in Simon Collins’ article, ...1 day ago - The SMC Video Competition: Ecological CluedoRecently, the Science Media Centre ran the third round of its 2020 SAVVY Video Competition for science researchers. With entries ranging from kea tracking to Beethoven’s piano pieces, we judges were incredibly impressed by the creativity and quality of submissions. This week, we’re featuring the work of the winner, conservation biologist ...1 day ago
- To Remain The Same, Everything Must Change.
A New Day: A middle-class concerned about preserving its own social status, and determined to prevent its children being forced to occupy a lower level of the socio-economic hierarchy than themselves, will do just about anything. Given sufficient incentives, it can be persuaded to vote for the Left. Given a ...1 day ago - Speaker: Mum
Ten years ago this week, Mum died.Her death wasn't surprising: my mother Alison had been living with a terminal breast cancer diagnosis for two and a half years.But it was still shocking. One evening, she was sleeping in the living room of our family home in Karori, Wellington. The next ...1 day ago - Ian Powell: The Dialectics of incrementalism and transformationThe incoming new government can be transformational, especially with help from the Greens. According to health commentator Ian Powell this is especially apparent in the health sector. In the lead up to the general election I was predicting a Labour-Greens coalition with, as a second option, a Labour majority government. ...1 day ago
- What If He Wins Again? The Dangerous Consequences Of A Second Trump Victory.1 day ago
- We need more state housesHow bad is the housing crisis? This bad: For the first time over 20,000 households are on the Government’s waitlist for public housing. By the end of August 20,385 eligible households were on the waitlist for state or social housing, with over 18,000 ranked as “priority A” – the ...2 days ago
- A Leap Of Faith – In Labour's Direction Of Travel.Impressive Political Maturity: If conservative New Zealanders require further convincing about the steps required to fulfil this country’s commitment to fighting climate change, then convince them. That won’t happen if all the Greens do is shout at them, and/or damn them as enemies of the planet. It might happen, however, ...2 days ago
- A contempt of Parliament?Back in July, Professor Anne-Marie Brady warned Parliament about foreign interference in New Zealand elections. Now, her employer is attempting to punish her for it: Canterbury University China expert Professor Anne-Marie Brady has been gagged by her employer while a review into her research proceeds. The review conducted by ...2 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – The Green Party’s fraught decisionThe Greens are at a crossroads. The direction they take in the next few days may have significant consequences, not just for the country and the shape of the Government, but also for the future of the Greens themselves. Currently, the Labour and Green negotiating teams are behind closed doors ...2 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #43, 2020
Hint from the past: "you're getting warmer" Even though we're accidentally experimenting with our climate we really oughtn't take that risk. Still, it would be nice to safely run global-scale manipulations of climate. We could further confirm our grasp on extending some fairly simple physical principles from theory to prediction and observation. ...3 days ago - Where Does the Media Stand on the Political Spectrum?
A recent study suggests most are near the centre. It is a standard trope of the American Right that the US media has a leftwing bias. This of course, depends on where the centre is located. I have heard, for instance, the New Zealand left arguing that the New ...3 days ago - The Labour Party is still rorting usBack in September, we learned that the Labour Party was rorting its Parliamentary expenses to steal from the public again, renting office space at a below-market rate from a union for $1500 a year, then subletting it to Parliamentary Services as an electorate office at a (significantly higher) below-market rate ...3 days ago
- A new study suggests coronavirus antibodies fade over time – but how concerned should we be?Sheena Cruickshank, University of Manchester Newly released research suggests that levels of antibodies against the coronavirus have declined across the UK population since testing began. Having randomly sampled 365,000 people across the country, the React2 study – which is yet to be peer-reviewed – estimates that 6% of the ...3 days ago
- How to Systematically Reduce the Border Failure Risk for COVID-19 in Aotearoa/NZProf Nick Wilson*, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Prof Michael Baker With the 2020 election over and with a newly elected government, it is an excellent time for a systematic review by NZ health authorities to identify optimal methods for reducing the risk of future COVID-19 outbreaks in Aotearoa/NZ. ...3 days ago
- Did atomic bomb tests damage our upper atmosphere?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 I recently read an article stating the atomic bomb ...3 days ago
- Building a norm against nuclear weaponsBack in 2017, the UN General Assembly approved the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and New Zealand was one of the first countries to sign. Now, a 50th ratification is finally going to bring it into force: Campaigners have hailed a "new chapter" after a key step ...4 days ago
- Change wins in ChileThis time last year, Chile was in rebellion against its government. Protests against a train fare increase turned into protests against inequality, and then, when the right-wing government deployed the military to crush them, into protests against the government and the dictator-imposed constitution. And the protestors won: half the cabinet ...4 days ago
- Speaker: Rewarding competenceIf you were listening to New Zealand’s punditocracy in the days since Labour won the general election with a record-setting outright majority, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Labour had actually lost.Last time around pundits could barely deal with the fact that the National government had lost its majority, and ...4 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily – 27 October 2020Today’s content Labour Party and new Labour Government Andrea Vance (Stuff): ‘Labour Connect’ the data analysis tool that boosted Jacinda Ardern’s campaign Heather du Plessis-Allan (Herald): Time for Govt to take some risks (paywalled) Audrey Young (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on her big win and big plans (paywalled) Audrey Young: What Kelvin Davis wants for Māori from ...4 days ago
- Thirty Years Ago Today: Musings on the Fourth Labour Government
The New Zealand media and the New Zealand public are still chattering about what Jacinda Ardern will do with her brand-spanking-new single party majority Government. The consensus – apart from a few wishful-thinkers – is “probably not much.” This is the era of “incrementalism”, which during the Helen Clark ...4 days ago - Water on the Moon?The space news this week is largely focused on an announcement from NASA regarding the discovery of water on the Moon. Not liquid water – the lunar surface is far too cold for that – but apparently ice deposits in the surface layers in near-polar regions, and perhaps deeper ...4 days ago
- Yes Minister.
What it is like to be a new Minister Good morning Minister? Congratulations, you are minister for the very important department of state which I run as Chief Excutive. Have they fixed you up with all the accoutrements of office: the chauffeured limousine, your own car, state supplied accommodation ...5 days ago - The Debunking Handbook 2020: Debunk often and properlyThis blog post is part 4 of a series of excerpts from The Debunking Handbook 2020 which can be downloaded here. The list of references is available here. Debunk often and properly If you cannot preempt, you must debunk. For debunking to be effective, it is important to provide detailed ...5 days ago
- The Debunking Handbook 2020: ReferencesThis is the list of references for The Debunking Handbook 2020Lewandowsky, S., Cook, J., Ecker, U. K. H., Albarracín, D., Amazeen, M. A., Kendeou, P., Lombardi, D., Newman, E. J., Pennycook, G., Porter, E. Rand, D. G., Rapp, D. N., Reifler, J., Roozenbeek, J., Schmid, P., Seifert, C. M., Sinatra, ...5 days ago
- When the dictator wears capes.Today Chileans voted overwhelmingly to elect a constitutional assembly and redraft the 1980 Constitution promulgated by the dictatorship of Agusto Pinochet. I regret that my old friend Bob Barros, whose death I wrote about a while ago, is not around to see this moment because he was the first person ...5 days ago
- Everyone I don’t like is Hitler, or, how i got banned by Facebook
I do not really use Facebook anymore. I used to. For several years now, however, my drug of choice has been Twitter. It is equally pointless but is more agreeable better than Zuckerberg's monster is for me.I haven't deactivated my account because I still use FB as a means of ...5 days ago - Gal Gadot, The Orient and Identity Politicsby Gearóid Ó Loingsigh (14/10/2020) A row has recently erupted over the casting of the Israeli actress Gal Gadot as Cleopatra in an upcoming film. Part of the objections to her playing the role are based on the fact that she is not only Israeli, but a Zionist to boot, ...5 days ago
- Getting Our Priorities Right
Much of the political debate over the past few months – as we have grappled with the coronavirus pandemic – has centred on the question of whether it is the interests of business or the health of the community that should take priority in policy terms. Much has been made ...5 days ago - 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #43Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review Story of the Week... Alarm as Arctic sea ice not yet freezing at latest date on record Delayed freeze in Laptev Sea could have ...5 days ago
- 2020 – Post mortem or Prologue?
. . A narcissistic, third-rate, Bond-villain code-named “Trump” takes control of the United States; a global pandemic brings human civilisation to a near stand-still; Whakaari/White Island erupts creating a hellish tragedy; Level 4 and 3 Lockdowns result in deserted streets straight out of The Quiet Earth; a new “Fortress ...5 days ago - Media Link: Some Bolivian and NZ post-election analysis on “A View from Afar.”This last week’s podcast featuring Selwyn Manning and I focused on post-election analysis in two small states, one land locked and the other surrounded by water. Check it out here. ...6 days ago
- Analysis of an Election – Aaaarghghgh! What happened????With a week or so gone since the catastrophic election result for the National Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, MyThinks have set the team to work to come up with their hot takes on what has caused the previous all powerful party of government to collapse under the weight of ...6 days ago
- A response to Judith ButlerFeminist Ani O’Brien takes a critical look at Judith Butler and the Kim Hill interview (17/10/20): It has been a while since I have done a bit-by-bit response piece, but this weekend Radio New Zealand journalist Kim Hill interviewed Professor Judith Butler on the conflict between trans activists and “TERFs” and I have ...6 days ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #43A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Oct 18, 2020 through Sat, Oct 24, 2020 Editor's Choice A second Trump term would mean severe and irreversible changes in the climate No joke: It would be disastrous on the ...6 days ago
- National’s electoral slaughter
1 week ago - The Ideal and the Reality for a New MP
Being an MP is not quite what you think. Hello Mr Orange Man, I’ve really depended on you during the election over the last few weeks. Thankyou for helping me to get elected to parliament. So what are you doing here, meeting me in parliament, now I have ...1 week ago - COVID-19: backing our front rowNew Zealand has been called out as an outstanding player in managing COVID-19. We’ve done well,[1] but we’re far from perfect. We could do a lot better at backing our front row. Epidemiologists advise nations not to play “wait and see”. If By the time they do see, it’s all ...1 week ago
- Fleeing to the Dawn – accepted
Good bit of news on the short story front: my 1700 word fantasy piece, Fleeing to the Dawn, has been accepted for the Autumn 2020 edition of Shorts Magazine: http://shortsmagazine.com/ This one was a case of a previously unsuccessful story being dusted off and polished up. It is ...1 week ago - The Debunking Handbook 2020: The elusive backfire effectsThis blog post is part 3 of a series of excerpts from The Debunking Handbook 2020 which can be downloaded here. The list of references is available here. The elusive backfire effects Ten years ago, scholars and practitioners were concerned that corrections may “backfire”; that is, ironically strengthen misconceptions rather ...1 week ago
- Prosecute ICEWe knew that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement was a moral void: they run concentration camps, and forcibly separate children from their parents. And now they're outright torturing people: US immigration officers allegedly tortured Cameroonian asylum seekers to force them to sign their own deportation orders, in what lawyers ...1 week ago
- Fly on the wall of the first National caucus since electionOver the past several months, the team at MyThinks have been involved in a vast insect training programme. We have been working to teach our six-legged friends to become the finest of political reporters. This week we sent our deputy political diptera into the National Party caucus room for their ...1 week ago
- The Twilight Of Boomer Power.1 week ago
- NZ Politics Daily – 23 October 2020Today’s content Labour government Peter Dunne (Newsroom): At the highwater mark with little wriggle room RNZ: Caucus: Explaining The Red Tide: Kiwis hug Jacinda back as Labour breaks records Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): It’s Time For Some “Earnest Struggle” Chris Trotter: “Change That Sticks.” Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): The Twilight Of Boomer Power Brent Edwards ...1 week ago
- “Change That Sticks.”Implementing Change With Us - Not Imposing It On Us: Jacinda Ardern, like Mickey Savage before her, understands what her more revolutionary critics do not: that the only sort of socialism that endures is democratic socialism – socialism by popular demand and with popular consent.AFTER THE BIGGEST WIN in nearly ...1 week ago
- Science at the movies: The new comet impact filmDisaster movies forever capture the public attention… but did you ever stop to think that the word disaster actually means bad star? That is, ‘dis’ implies a pejorative (as in disease, or disgust, or disrespect), while ‘aster’ comes from the Latin astrum, similarly the Greek astron. Asteroids are called that ...1 week ago
- The Adventures of Annalax: Volume XI
Yes, dinosaurs. Annalax would think of them as giant horned lizards. They were also terrified of us, what with Magni still being covered in spider goo, and hence smelling like a Leng Spider. The ... 1 week ago - PrioritiesMuch of the political debate over the past few months – as we have grappled with the coronavirus pandemic – has centred on the question of whether it is the interests of business or the health of the community that should take priority in policy terms. Much has been made ...1 week ago
- Farmers earning their reputation againNew Zealand farmers routinely complain about the public viewing them as environmental vandals. At the same time, they're opposing basic environmental regulation: Federated Farmers has asked that a wide-ranging plan change setting water use rules for South Canterbury remove all references to the protection of “indigenous fish”. [...] ...1 week ago
- NZ Politics Daily – 22 October 2020Labour-Greens talks, Labour govt Henry Cooke (Stuff): There is no evidence National voters backed Labour to keep the Greens out Audrey Young (Herald): Labour holds all the cards as Ardern’s talks with Greens get underway RNZ: Greens better off independent – Former Green MP Catherine Delahunty Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Greens would be ...1 week ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Stardust across the Middle East: How Arab media reported on NZ’s electionNews is not in short supply in the Middle East, and on Saturday, Arab media remained focused heavily on the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh. Nevertheless, the New Zealand election – and especially Jacinda Ardern’s personal success – received significant attention from Arabic-language TV news channels, newspapers and ...1 week ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Stardust across the Middle East – how Arab media covered the New Zealand electionNews is not in short supply in the Middle East, and at the weekend, Arabic-language media remained firmly focused on the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh. Nevertheless, the New Zealand election – and above all Jacinda Ardern’s personal success – still received significant attention from Arabic-language TV news ...1 week ago
- It's Time For Some “Earnest Struggle”.1 week ago
- Party Like It’s 1936: Songs for the Philologists
It’s the most obscure Tolkien book of all… so obscure that only fourteen copies exist: Songs for the Philologists, a 1936 collection of thirty humorous verses, by Tolkien (who wrote thirteen), E.V. Gordon, and ... 1 week ago - Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – National’s catastrophic collapse and fraught rebuildThe National Party’s defeat has been so comprehensive that few in the party seem optimistic they will recover anytime soon. Falling from 47% in 2017 to just 27% (which might drop as low as 25% once special votes are counted), is one of the most severe collapses in New Zealand’s ...1 week ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #42, 2020Dust-up at the Denial Corral, in "journal time" Way back in 2017 the Institute of Physics publication Environmental Research Letters (ERL) published a featured article, Assessing ExxonMobil's climate change communications (1977–2014), by Supran & Oreskes. The article reverberated widely as it exposed a documented a pattern of behavior arguably described as perfidious. The authors ...1 week ago
- Now’s the time – expand ACC
Having ruled out Capital Gains Tax and Wealth Tax, the incoming Labour government must be looking for some significant progressive policies that they haven’t already ruled out. Expanding the ACC scheme fits that brief, and the Green Party have conveniently already proposed doing so. But, how to fund it? The accident/illness ...1 week ago - Managing to the targetNew Zealand's health system is chronicly underfunded, and so almost all DHBs run deficits. Last month, just before he bailed out Canterbury DHB, Health Minister Chris Hipkins was repeating the mantra that DHBs must live within their means and "have a credible plan to return to financial sustainability". But yesterday, ...1 week ago
- Solarise all the things!If we are to avoid dangerous levels of climate change, we need to decarbonise the economy and shift our energy supply completely to renewables. The good news is that the International Energy Agency thinks that that is going to happen. The reason? Interest rates have dropped. And this means that ...1 week ago
- New Zealand weighs up a nation-sized batteryIan Mason and Robert McLachlan Climate change was a small but perceptible part of the recent election. On climate change, Labour pointed proudly to their record of legislating for net zero emissions by 2050 (nicknamed the ‘Zero Carbon Act’), establishing a Climate Change Commission to set carbon budgets and advise ...1 week ago
- WHO reform: a call for an early-warning protocol for infectious diseasesPeter Gluckman and Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato The World Health Organization (WHO) has come in for its share of criticism for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. While some faults are the responsibility of the WHO, others were caused by member states, which did not always act as quickly ...1 week ago
- NZ Politics Daily – 21 October 2020Today’s content Election Jack Vowles (The Conversation): The 2020 NZ election saw record vote volatility — what does that mean for the next Labour government? Jason Walls and Chris Knox (Herald): 20 fascinating facts about the 2020 election you might have missed Stuff: Labour Day: A vote-by-vote analysis of New Zealand’s historic shift ...1 week ago
- Do Landslides Change the Landscape in the Long Run?
It was easy for election night commentators to use the ‘landslide’ trope to describe Labour’s winning of the 2020 election. But the historical record suggests that such landslides may not last long. In 1935, the First (Savage-Fraser) Labour Government won 53 seats in a parliament of 80; National ...2 weeks ago - The Debunking Handbook 2020: Prevent misinformation from sticking if you canThis blog post is part 2 of a series of excerpts from The Debunking Handbook 2020 which can be downloaded here. The list of references is available here. Prevent misinformation from sticking if you can Because misinformation is sticky, it’s best preempted. This can be achieved by explaining misleading or ...2 weeks ago
- Graeme Edgeler: Mandates are not mandatory, but they are also not meaninglessThere’s a lot of talk about what the Labour Government’s new mandate is. For a discussion of exactly what that might mean, Graeme Edgeler explores the murky logic of what they can and can’t do, pointing out that ultimately voters decide if this mandate was properly used in three years. ...2 weeks ago
- Hyping it up over fluoridation
In my time as a scientific researcher, honest scientists used to condemn colleagues who over-hyped their science. To our mind there should have been a special place in hell for scientists who misrepresented their ... 2 weeks ago - Don’t fall for the Covid contrariansAs life in Aotearoa gets back to some kind of normal after our latest Covid-19 outbreak, cases in the northern hemisphere are on the rise again and that puts us all at risk. Because no one is safe until we are all safe. This is a tricky virus. We now ...2 weeks ago
- Liam Hehir: Online abuse and the standard you walk byThere’s a lot of nastiness in the online public sphere, much of it tribal, petty and personal. Political commentator and Twitter enthusiast Liam Hehir has seen too much of it, and explains why he’s going to actively stand up against it. I did a radio interview a little while ...2 weeks ago
- Tanzania: elections, neoliberalism and economic diplomacyPolitics in New Zealand is the main focus of Redline, along with supporting liberation movements and anti-imperialist struggles. We have had little material from the African continent, so are pleased to print this submission from a Tanzanian writer on their pending elections. Tanzania will be going to the polls on ...2 weeks ago
- Close preliminary Cannabis result means a wait for the specials: Greens
A close preliminary result for Cannabis legalisation and control shows that we won’t know for sure what the result in until the specials come in, Green Party spokesperson on Drug Law Reform Chlöe Swarbrick said today. ...24 hours ago - WATCH LIVE: Election Night 2020
...2 weeks ago - Election Night Speech – Marama DavidsonKia ora tātou kātoa. Ngā mihi maioha ki a koutou Te Roopu Kakariki, ngā kaitautoko, e aroha ana I te kaupapa mo te taiao me te mokopuna. No reira tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa. I am so proud to be standing here tonight, at the end of an ...2 weeks ago
- Election Night Speech – James ShawOn Election Night three years ago I stood up in front of you to say, “We are still here!” Well, tonight, not only are we still here, we are the first support party in MMP history to have started and finished a term in government above the 5% threshold. We ...2 weeks ago
- Greens only party with plan to meet scale of climate challengeA new report showing that the effects of climate change are already being felt in Aotearoa New Zealand shows the importance of the Green Party pushing for urgent action in the next Government. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party commits to stronger urban tree protection and no new mines on public conservation landThe Green Party is the only party in Parliament which is explicitly committing to protecting public conservation land and the indigenous plants and wildlife which live there, from destructive mining. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens close campaign with COVID-19 recovery pitchThe Green Party says a Green-Labour partnership next term is the only way to ensure that we build back better than before, whilst addressing the other crises of biodiversity, climate change and poverty. ...2 weeks ago
- Vote still undecided? Watch this.As of today, over 1.4 million New Zealanders have already cast their votes in this year’s election. While this shows that a huge number of people have already made up their minds about who they want to lead our country, there are many who are still undecided. ...2 weeks ago
- Labour's 2020 Election ManifestoThe Labour Party understands how important continuity, stability and clarity are for New Zealanders in these uncertain times. That’s why, in our 2020 Election Manifesto, we’re setting out how we will continue to invest in people, jobs, small businesses, infrastructure, and global trade, to set New Zealand up for the ...3 weeks ago
- Green Party releases tourism policyToday the Green Party’s conservation spokesperson Eugenie Sage went kayaking on Akaroa Harbour to highlight the greater protection achieved for Hector’s and Maui dolphins this term and the Greens’ election commitment to supporting sustainable tourism. ...3 weeks ago
- National’s false ‘wealth tax’ claims: The “last roll of the misinformation dice”“Collins has warned voters to expect a wealth tax. This is despite the fact Labour has ruled this out a number of times.” – Jason Walls, NZ Herald. “The Labour Party has ruled out implementing the Green Party's wealth tax.” – Henry Cooke, Stuff. “Labour has time and time again ...3 weeks ago
- Week that was: Counting down to Election DayIt’s getting incredibly close to Election Day now – and over a million people have already cast their vote! ...3 weeks ago
- Government's response to preliminary referendums' results
Minister of Justice Andrew Little has acknowledged the provisional results of the two referendums voted on in the 2020 General Election. New Zealanders were asked whether they supported the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill, and whether they supported the End of Life Choice Act 2019 coming into force. On ...24 hours ago - New testing requirements for international maritime crew arriving in NZThe Government is moving to provide further protection against the chance of COVID-19 entering New Zealand through the maritime border. “Yesterday I instructed officials to consult with the maritime sector around tightening of the requirements for international maritime crew entering the country,” Health Minister Chris Hipkins said. “Ultimately, this will ...1 day ago
- Fast-tracked Northland water project will accelerate economic recoveryThe Government has welcomed the decision to approve a new water storage reservoir in Northland, the first of a number of infrastructure projects earmarked for a speedy consenting process that aims to accelerate New Zealand’s economic recovery from Covid-19. The Matawii Water Storage Reservoir will provide drinking water for Kaikohe, ...3 days ago
- Tokelau Language Week reminds us to stay united and strongStaying strong in the face of challenges and being true to our heritage and languages are key to preserving our cultural identity and wellbeing, is the focus of the 2020 Tokelau Language Week. Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio, says this year’s theme, ‘Apoapo tau foe, i nā tāfea ...1 week ago
- NZ announces a third P-3 deployment in support of UN sanctionsThe Government has deployed a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion (P-3) maritime patrol aircraft to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea, announced Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Ron Mark. “New Zealand has long supported ...2 weeks ago
- Pacific trade and development agreement a realityPacific regional trade and development agreement PACER Plus will enter into force in 60 days now that the required eight countries have ratified it. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker welcomed the announcement that the Cook Islands is the eighth nation to ratify this landmark agreement. “The agreement represents ...2 weeks ago
- Securing a pipeline of teachersThe Government is changing its approach to teacher recruitment as COVID-19 travel restrictions continue, by boosting a range of initiatives to get more Kiwis into teaching. “When we came into Government, we were faced with a teacher supply crisis,” Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. “Over the past three years, we ...3 weeks ago
- Border exceptions for a small number of international students with visasThe Government has established a new category that will allow 250 international PhD and postgraduate students to enter New Zealand and continue their studies, in the latest set of border exceptions. “The health, safety and wellbeing of people in New Zealand remains the Government’s top priority. Tight border restrictions remain ...3 weeks ago
- First COVID-19 vaccine purchase agreement signedThe Government has signed an agreement to purchase 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccines – enough for 750,000 people – from Pfizer and BioNTech, subject to the vaccine successfully completing all clinical trials and passing regulatory approvals in New Zealand, say Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods and Health Minister Chris Hipkins. ...3 weeks ago
- International statement – End-to-end encryption and public safetyWe, the undersigned, support strong encryption, which plays a crucial role in protecting personal data, privacy, intellectual property, trade secrets and cyber security. It also serves a vital purpose in repressive states to protect journalists, human rights defenders and other vulnerable people, as stated in the 2017 resolution of the ...3 weeks ago
- Ministry of Defence Biodefence Assessment releasedThe Ministry of Defence has today released a Defence Assessment examining Defence’s role across the spectrum of biological hazards and threats facing New Zealand. Biodefence: Preparing for a New Era of Biological Hazards and Threats looks at how the NZDF supports other agencies’ biodefence activities, and considers the context of ...3 weeks ago
- Green vote on proposed Labour deal expected this afternoon
Green Party delegates will vote on whether to accept a proposed deal with Labour at 4pm today. ...41 mins ago - What editors are actually buying
In the age of #gifted, what are people spending their own money on? Six editors show Ensemble the receipts and share a recent, and genuine, style-related purchase.Leonie Hayden, editor of The Spinoff Ātea“I’m obsessed with discovering Māori and indigenous makers; my Instagram feed is mostly individuals and small businesses that make ...3 hours ago - Calls for decriminalisation as legal cannabis looks unlikelyWhile legalising recreational cannabis looks set to fail, doctors say the debate on decriminalisation should continue, while balancing associated health issues. ...4 hours ago
- The terrible fear of being a bystander: a review of Remote SympathyCatherine Chidgey’s new novel functions, disturbingly, as a mirror, writes Elizabeth Heritage. Every time I read a pukapuka set in Nazi times I become obsessed with the question: what would I have done if I had been there? I remember studying Nazi Germany in high school and perseverating on the ...4 hours ago
- Yes to snuffing but no to puffing: topping ourselves (voluntarily) is approved but going to pot (le...
Until yesterday there had been only three pronouncements from The Beehive since Election Day, October 17. One of those had been jointly made by Winston Peters as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Ron Mark as Minister of Defence, presumably a last-gasp announcement before they are despatched to the political wilderness ...4 hours ago - Every meat-free fast food burger in New Zealand, reviewed and rankedKind-of vegetarian Alex Casey brings you the only meat-free fast-food burger ranking you’ll ever need. At the start of the year, several centuries ago, I went vegetarian. Kind of. As a coward with commitment issues, I decided to enter into a dietary Yes Man situation, where I would always say “yes” ...5 hours ago
- Cannabis: 'lukewarm' Govt left gap for fake news
Fiona Hutton is trying hard to hope some positive change to drug laws is still possible, but the Government reaction to the cannabis referendum result has left her despairing As someone who campaigned for an evidence based ‘yes’ vote, for much needed reform of our drug laws, I am currently ...5 hours ago - Live updates, October 31: Labour-Greens agreement expected this weekendWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for October 31. All the latest New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. Reach me on aliceneville@thespinoff.co.nz8.00am: We could have a new government this weekendWhile yesterday was all about the referendum results, today our attention turns to the little matter of a new government ...6 hours ago
- Finding solace in the crowdCrowd-hater Michelle Langstone finds a new appreciation for being amid a maelstrom of humanity.I’ve always found crowds panic-inducing, sweaty, noisy and lacking in manners. My attitude to crowds is akin to an 80-year-old woman who’s cross about the neighbour’s dog getting into her garden — no time for it, inclined ...9 hours ago
- NZ referendum preliminary results – yes to euthanasia reform, no to cannabis
The euthanasia referendum has passed New Zealand’s public vote, with 65.2 percent voting in favour, but the cannabis question has 53.1 percent voting “no” so far, preliminary results show. The number of voters who chose “no” in the End of Life Choice referendum reached 33.8 percent. In the cannabis question, ...12 hours ago - Tall Fern mum on the road with her baby Boomer
Tall Ferns three-point shooting wizard Ashleigh Karaitiana has signed up to the Melbourne Boomers for this season's WNBL, wanting to show athlete mums they can continue living their dream. Besides the obvious goal to walk away with a championship title, Ashleigh Karaitiana wants nothing more than to prove that women ...13 hours ago - Eden Park concerts' economic benefits queried
Will allowing six big concerts a year at Eden Park really bring in economic benefits for Auckland? A retracted council document says no. Next week Eden Park makes its costly, final bid to over-ride homeowners' concerns and win the right to stage regular rock concerts - but faces questions over its claims ...13 hours ago - Farah Palmer gives All Blacks a run for their money
LISTEN: The Extra Time podcast debate which drums up more excitement - the All Blacks v Wallabies, or the Farah Palmer Cup final? The Bledisloe Cup is yet to be decided. There have been a few changes to both the All Blacks and Wallabies sides and Australia is set to ...13 hours ago - Short story: Mallrats, by Angelique Kasmara
"The customer she’s serving is telling her how hard it’s been having to work from home and look good for Zoom meetings": a lockdown saga by Angelique Kasmara The wind’s gone still, it’s my bike that’s doing the groaning. It carries on like this all the way up the ramp, ...13 hours ago - Ruby Tui's plans to help next gen sevens stars
WATCH: Sevens speedster Ruby Tui talks equality, mental health, breakfast with a tennis legend and the tough lessons learned from Olympic silver, on The Pod. Although the spectre of the Rio Olympics sevens final loss still looms large for Ruby Tui, the Black Ferns star has other big audacious goals on her ...13 hours ago - For French Muslims, every terror attack brings questions about their loyalty to the republicSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Greg Barton, Chair in Global Islamic Politics, Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University After three people died in a knife attack in Nice this week that French President Emmanuel Macron called an “Islamist terrorist attack”, there was a sense ...19 hours ago
- Labor politicians need not fear: Queenslanders are no more attached to coal than the rest of Austral...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruce Tranter, Professor of Sociology, University of Tasmania It’s written into electoral folklore that Labor was wiped out at the 2019 federal election because Queensland didn’t like its position on coal. As the story goes, Labor’s lukewarm support for the Adani coal ...19 hours ago
- Taxpayers' Union Vindicated With Release Of Napier City's Golden Handshake To Sacked CEO
The New Zealand Tax payers' Union is welcoming confirmation that previous claims by Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise that Council CEO Wayne Jack 'resigned' were untrue. Further, the Taxpayers' Union welcomes overdue public disclosure of the amount agreed ...19 hours ago - As it happened: Referendum results and reactionsThe Justice Minister says it is "highly unlikely" the preliminary referendum results will be overturned on the special votes. See how the day unfolded with RNZ's live blog. ...19 hours ago
- Set up national air fleet to fight fires, says royal commission, warning of worsening weatherSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Australia should develop a national aerial fire fighting capability and fuel load management strategies should be more transparent, the inquiry set up following last summer’s devastating bushfires has recommended. In its 80 recommendations, including many ...20 hours ago
- The bushfire royal commission has made a clarion call for change. Now we need politics to followSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania The bushfire royal commission today handed down its long-awaited final report. At almost 1,000 pages, it will take us all some time to digest. But it marks the start of Australia’s ...20 hours ago
- Covid-19: A Tale Of Two Islands“Taiwan continues to outperform New Zealand in its Covid-19 response,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “While Taiwan allows new arrivals to isolate at home, our Government has done such a poor job of running managed isolation and quarantine ...20 hours ago
- The cannabis vote is a defeat for health and justice. And a victory for political spinelessnessLabour is presenting the preliminary results in the referendum on legalisation as an endorsement of the status quo. It is no such thing, writes Madeleine Holden.Unless about two-thirds of special voters ticked “yes” in the cannabis referendum, the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill will not be introduced as legislation. Basically, ...20 hours ago
- The Unity Books children’s bestseller chart for the month of OctoberWhat’s the best way to get adults reading? Get them reading when they’re children – and there’s no better place to start than the Unity Children’s Bestseller Chart.AUCKLAND1 Neands by Dan Salmon (OneTree House, $24, 12+)A note on the font: we found it almost impossible to read. Those who’ve persevered ...20 hours ago
- The bushfire royal commission sets a strong precedent for change. Now we need politics to followSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania The bushfire royal commission today handed down its long-awaited final report. At almost 1,000 pages, it will take us all some time to digest. But it marks the start of Australia’s ...20 hours ago
- Review: Cursed! is a play of outrageous wit and deep thoughtSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Uhlmann, Professor of English, Writing and Society Research Centre, Western Sydney University Review: Cursed! by Kodie Bedford, directed by Jason Klarwein Tucked away at the back of the program for Kodie Bedford’s first play Cursed! is a blurb on Belvoir, mentioning ...20 hours ago
- Cannabis referendum: Greens not giving up on 'yes' vote yetThe Green Party's drug reform spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick is not yet giving up hope the vote on cannabis law reform will swing her way. ...21 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Covid-19: Belgium, Switzerland and SwedenAnalysis by Keith Rankin. Belgium has had the highest statistics per capita in the European Union. Chart by Keith Rankin. This week’s charts show three small economically prosperous European countries with similar populations; Belgium has 11.6 million people, Switzerland 8.6 million, and Sweden has 10.1 million. Belgium has the third highest ...21 hours ago
- How political parties legally harvest your data and use it to bombard you with election spamSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erica Mealy, Lecturer in Computer Science, University of the Sunshine Coast On Monday October 26, five days ahead of Queensland’s election, many voters received an unsolicited text message from Clive Palmer’s mining company Mineralogy, accusing Labor of planning to introduce a “death ...21 hours ago
- Yes, Adele has sung its praises. But the Sirtfood diet may be just another fadSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle The Sirtfood diet has been in the news again this week after singer Adele showed off her slimmed-down figure on US comedy show Saturday Night Live. Adele has previously credited her significant ...21 hours ago
- Cannabis: What now for the law and police
Donations of $4.20 a week to the 'yes' campaign weren’t enough to swing the preliminary results of the cannabis referendum to ‘yes’ vote for legalisation The Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill got the thumbs down with 53.1 percent of votes against legalisation and 46.1 percent of votes for it. There are ...21 hours ago - How COVID all but killed the Australian CBDSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul J. Maginn, Associate Professor of Urban/Regional Planning, University of Western Australia The central business district has historically been the beating heart of metropolitan regions across Australia. The polished glass and steel high-rise offices, hotels and apartment complexes stand as monuments to ...22 hours ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending October 30The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s True Story of the Life-changing Magic of Compassion & Mindfulness by ...22 hours ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: A diverse yet narrower Parliament22 hours ago
- Cannabis Referendum Results Show That The Government Needs To Be Courageous On Drug Law ReformThe provisional results on the Cannabis Legalisation and Control bill referendum show that the government needs to step up and show courageous leadership to implement evidence based drug law reform. “Of the people who voted, ...22 hours ago
- The breakout star of the new season of The Crown is… New ZealandA new trailer for season four of The Crown dropped overnight, and big news, Aotearoa: we’re in it. London-based Māori group Ngāti Rānana has confirmed they were involved in filming a haka scene.The fourth season of Netflix’s award-winning drama about the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II premieres next ...22 hours ago
- Euthanasia Referendum Result Extremely Disappointing“The voters of New Zealand have spoken, and we are naturally extremely disappointed with the outcome of the End of Life Choice Act Referendum,” Care Alliance spokesperson Doctor Sinead Donnelly says. “This is not ...22 hours ago
- VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on state borders, Australia post, and Doha airportSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and Vice-Chancellor and President Paddy Nixon discuss the week in politics. This week the pair discuss the ongoing disputes between the federal and state governments concerning borders, Australian ...22 hours ago
- Cannabis Summit To Lock In Gains Despite Referendum Result“Medicinal Cannabis is set to deliver some big economic wins for the country despite the referendum on recreational cannabis now unlikely to pass. Let’s not forget the majority of companies have not been focused on recreational, rather the medicinal ...22 hours ago
- The Friday Poem: Sentries by Lily HollowayA new poem from Auckland poet Lily Holloway.Sentries I’m frantically chasing my mother who weaves in and out of the aisles throwing down craft supplies. I trip over scissors and quick unpicks not seeing her face, only clean ponytail and collar poking out over plum cardigan. We ...22 hours ago
- No Vote Not A Vote For Inaction: Decriminalisation UrgedThe cannabis referendum result was released today with 46.1% of New Zealanders voting in favour of legalisation, and 53.1% against. The gap will likely close to some degree when remaining votes are counted, but the jury is still out on whether it can close ...23 hours ago
- “Yes” Vote For Euthanasia Puts Vulnerable On A Dangerous PathThe approval of the End of Life Choice Act Referendum puts vulnerable people and those who care for them on an unwelcome and dangerous path, says the ethics expert for the Catholic bishops, Dr John Kleinsman. “For very many people the End of Life ...23 hours ago
- Referendum: NZ Maori Council Calls For More Focus On The Health And Criminal Justice SystemThe New Zealand Maori Council has thanked the public of New Zealand for being bold and brave when it comes to the two national referendum questions – one on the End of Life Choice Bill and the second on Cannabis. Speaking to media outlets on the ...23 hours ago
- French minister Lecornu holds future talks in New Caledonia retreatFrench Overseas Minister Sebastien Lecornu has held talks with 10 New Caledonian politicians at a retreat near Noumea to promote dialogue between rival camps, saying a new accord will emerge. The minister, who delayed yesterday’s planned departure for Paris by at least two days, convened five anti-independence and five pro-independence ...23 hours ago
- Make It Legal Not Giving Up Following Preliminary Result On Cannabis Referendum...23 hours ago
- End of Life Choice Group Welcomes Yes VoteThe Yes vote in the End of Life Choice referendum brings a successful conclusion to a 42-year campaign to let terminally ill New Zealanders die peacefully at a time they choose. “At long last, the people’s wishes have been granted,” said Dr ...23 hours ago
- Euthanasia Law Will Be A Danger To The VulnerableFamily First NZ says that the End of Life Choice Act – a.k.a. euthanasia law – will be a danger to both the vulnerable and society in general. “It is one thing to say yes to a nice sounding phrase around having ‘choice’, but assisted suicide ...23 hours ago
- Prime Minister says she voted 'yes' in two referendumsPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she voted "yes" in the referendums on voluntary euthanasia and the legalisation of recreational cannabis. ...23 hours ago
- SATIRE: Drug Dealer's Union Thank Voters...23 hours ago
- Yes For Compassion Celebrates 65% Referendum Victory: “Kiwis Have Voted For Compassion And Choice....Supporters of Yes for Compassion celebrate today’s referendum results showing 65.2% of Kiwis voted ‘yes’ to the End of Life Choice Act becoming law in New Zealand. Preliminary results, released this afternoon by the Electoral Commission, ...23 hours ago
- The Salvation Army Expresses Serious Concern Over Referendum ResultThe Salvation Army is extremely concerned that assisted dying will become legal in New Zealand when the End Of Life Choice Act is adopted in a year’s time. We believe many New Zealanders are unaware of the lack of safeguards contained within ...23 hours ago
- NZ Union Of Students’ Associations And Te Mana Ākonga Respond To Cannabis Referendum Results.The preliminary result of the Cannabis Referendum announced today (46.1% in favour of legalisation, 53.1% opposed) provide some hope to the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) and Te Mana Ākonga (National Māori Tertiary Students’ Association), ...23 hours ago
- NZ rejects cannabis legalisation in referendum, but glimmer of hope for yes campBy a narrow margin, the cannabis legalisation and control bill has been voted down based on preliminary referendum results. There remains, however, a slim chance it could still win on special votes. On preliminary results, the cannabis legalisation and control bill will not become law, after falling short at the referendum.The ...24 hours ago
- Assisted dying will become legal in New Zealand in a year — what has to happen now?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Geddis, Professor of Law, University of Otago The preliminary results of New Zealand’s referendum on the End of Life Choice Act were conclusive. Some 65.2% of voters supported the law coming into force, while 33.8% opposed it. Although around 480,000 special ...24 hours ago
- GPs Cautious About ‘yes’ Vote On End Of Life Choice BillIn 12 months’ time some of New Zealand’s GPs could be enabling their patient to end their life after today’s preliminary ‘yes’ vote in the End of Life Bill referendum. In a similar way to the abortion legislation, GPs will work within the ...24 hours ago
- Referendum preliminary results: Yes to euthanasia reform, no to cannabisThe euthanasia referendum has passed the public vote, with 65.2 percent voting in favour, but the cannabis question has 53.1 percent voting 'no' so far, preliminary results show. ...24 hours ago
- Preliminary Referendum Results ReleasedThe Electoral Commission has released the preliminary results of the end of life choice and cannabis legalisation and control referendums. The preliminary results are based on the count of ordinary votes cast in advance and on election day and ...24 hours ago
- Yes votes prevail in assisted dying referendumThe End of Life Choice Act will be enforced in 12 months’ time, with 65.2% voting yes in the referendum.Assisted dying will be legal in 12 months’ time, according to the preliminary results of the End of Life Choice referendum, which showed 65.2% voted yes and 33.8% no.The yes votes ...24 hours ago
- The Salvation Army Calls For The Decriminalisation Of Cannabis In Light Of The No VoteThe Salvation Army is pleased with the referendum result rejecting the legalisation of cannabis. There was a groundswell of support for reforming cannabis law towards a more health-based approach by many who voted ‘yes’ and ‘no’ in this referendum, ...24 hours ago
- Ending your life is a choice, now what?
As expected, the End of Life Choice Act will come into force. David Williams explains what that means The votes are in, the debate over. The End of Life Choice Act, passed in Parliament but on hold until this vote, has been supported by 65.2 percent of voters at the ...24 hours ago - Referendum resultsEnd of Life Choice Referendum The referendum asked the question: "Do you support the End of Life Choice Act 2019 coming into force?" 65.2% Yes 33.8% No 1.0% Informal VOTES NUMBER OF VOTES RECEIVED PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL VOTES Yes 1,574,645 65.2% ...24 hours ago
- When, and how, will we learn about the Labour-Green government deal?With the Greens or without them, Labour is expected to form a new government next week. As negotiations between the two parties reach their conclusion, Justin Giovannetti walks us through how the next government will be formed.Labour and the Greens will finish their fifth and almost certainly final meeting today ...1 day ago
- Referendum Result Is Based On ConfusionEuthanasia-Free NZ is disappointed that the New Zealand public voted to pass a flawed euthanasia law, based on widespread confusion. Polling during the advance voting period showed that 80% of New Zealand adults were misunderstanding what the End of ...1 day ago
- Council Votes For Māori WardKaipara District Council has voted to establish a new Māori ward to improve opportunities for Māori to contribute to local Government decision-making. The Statistics NZ estimates the Māori electoral population in Kaipara to be 3,630 and the general electoral ...1 day ago
- Live updates: Referendum results and reactionsPreliminary results for the recreational cannabis and euthanasia referendums are due at 2pm. Follow our live blog. ...1 day ago
- Research shows whipping horses doesn’t make them run faster, straighter or safer — let’s cut i...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kirrilly Thompson, Adjunt Senior Research Fellow, University of South Australia The Melbourne Cup is upon us. This year will be different due to COVID-19 — but one thing we don’t expect to change is concern about horses’ welfare, which seems to resurface ...1 day ago
- Hurrah for Dame Hilda – but when her statue is unveiled, here’s hoping someone remembers which p...
TOTI – a charitable trust in Hamilton – this week announced that a public sculpture commemorating political pioneer Dame Hilda Ross and the 1919 Women’s Parliamentary Rights Act will be unveiled in Hamilton tomorrow. But Dame Hilda’s National Party stripes were curiously camouflaged in the TOTI press statement Actually, they are ...1 day ago - ‘What are you Christians doing here?’ Matt Renata on faith and protest at IhumātaoMatt Renata was a constant presence at Ihumātao, assembling what he calls a ‘church of the good vibes’. He tells Justin Latif about tackling the sceptics, and his work with old friend Pania Newtown.“Why do you believe in this colonised God?” That’s the question Protect Ihumātao co-leader Pania Newton put to ...1 day ago
- Making monsters – the depiction of mental illness in horror
Horror movies and some characters mimicked at Halloween can carry worrying sterotypes of mental illness, writes Snita Ahir-Knight With Halloween upon us, let’s talk about horror. As someone who works in the area of mental health, I am aware many horror films – and other genres – depict negative stereotypes ...1 day ago - Gone, and soon forgotten
Among the political nobodies and also-rans we will neither get to know nor get to forget, James Elliott anticipates one potential record-breaker After all the buzz and excitement of the general election we’re now in the crouch and bind phase before our politicians set to each other in earnest in the ...1 day ago - A year in Aotearoa: The photos that captured New ZealandJames Borrowdale learns the stories behind the images nominated for the New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year.The room is crowded, cramped with the memories and resonances of a life. “A simple life lived, and a hard life lived,” photographer Nathan Secker said of his entry, a finalist in the ...1 day ago
- Lifting The Ban On Live Animal Export: Let's Get Angry!Author: Lynley Tulloch (with Paul Judge) I am a big Jacinda Ardern fan on the whole. But I am also an angry Jacinda Ardern fan and here is why: the inexcusable recent decision by the Labour government to lift the temporary ban on live exports. Let’s ...1 day ago
- Big Buddy Wins Excellence In Community Contribution At The 2020 Westpac Business AwardsBig Buddy, a not for profit organisation that supports boys without fathers in their lives, has won Excellence in Community Contribution at the Westpac Business Awards last night, held in Auckland. The award coincides with a Big Buddy appeal for volunteers ...1 day ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – October 30 2020Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Today’s content New Labour Government Thomas Manch (Stuff): A Cabinet to fill: Who will take the top jobs in the new Labour Government? Matthew Hooton (Herald): Jacinda Ardern’s line on the Greens – ...1 day ago
- Emily Writes: The best spooky TV to binge this Halloween weekendAre you excited about spending Halloween on the couch this year? So is Emily Writes, who has some suggestions for a weekend of spooky streaming.If 2020 hasn’t been scary enough for you and you’re looking to be terrified this Halloween, there’s plenty to watch on all of the streaming services. ...1 day ago
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