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- AGU Fall Meeting 2022 – Cranky Uncle makes an appearance
This year's Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) takes place in Chicago as well as online from December 12 to 16. Thanks to being held in hybrid mode it was feasible for John Cook and me to submit an abstract to one of the sessions. Just like for the European ...7 hours ago - Is 3 Waters entrenchment really a stupid idea?
The 2023 elections will potentially be one of the most ideologically divided elections we will experience. The real solutions for most pressing social and environmental issues confronting us at the moment will involve systemic change and will necessarily challenge the neoliberal mindset that has dominated governance over the last four ...8 hours ago - Submit!
The Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee has called for submissions on the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill. Submissions can be sent using the form here and are due by Monday, 23 January 2023. The main thing the bill does is fix this problem, where the purpose of the Crown Minerals ...8 hours ago - Yet another OIA inquiryAll year the Ombudsman has been trying to tell us that everything is fine with the OIA. But earlier in the year he released another report showing problems, particularly around ministerial interference and stonewalling, and now he's been forced to open another inquiry into precisely those problems: Chief Ombudsman ...9 hours ago
- Bryce Edwards: New Zealand’s social cohesion is being torn apart
New Zealand is becoming a less socially cohesive country. And the driver of this division is worsening inequality. That’s the view of most New Zealanders according to a survey conducted for the New Zealand Herald. It shows that inequalities of wealth and housing access are tearing the country apart. The ...15 hours ago - The subtlety of neo-Nazi influence in Ukraine – ignored by our media
1 day ago- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 27, 2022 thru Sat, Dec 3, 2022. Story of the Week #ClimateScam: denialism claims flooding Twitter have scientists worried Many researchers are fleeing the platform, unnerved by the surge in climate misinformation ...2 days ago- New paper: A toolkit for understanding and addressing climate scepticism
This is a quick summary about the newly published paper "A toolkit for understanding and addressing climate scepticism" by Matthew J. Hornsey and Stephan Lewandowsky. It leverages a thread tweeted by Stephan Lewandowsky shortly after publication as well as a mention in Doug Bostrom's and Marc Kodack's New Research Week ...3 days ago- The Coming Recession?
Is leaving inflation fighting to the Reserve Bank all we can do?We are making sacrifices to restrain climate change, not because the particular climate is what we want, but because if it starts changing too quickly, our current way of life is unsustainable. Similarly the current price level may not ...3 days ago- Climate Change: More subsidised pollution
Back in 2020, the government realised that the industrial allocations in the ETS - supposed to protect large polluters from unfair competition from countries who didn't pay for their carbon - was overallocated. They were giving away too many free credits, resulting in windfall gains to polluters. So, they started ...3 days ago- Still asleep at the wheel
A couple of months ago, I asked various government agencies whether they had produced any advice on the impacts of Long Covid, and was shocked to learn that they hadn't. Newsroom's Marc Daalder has been keeping an eye on this issue, and in an article today, he reports that the ...3 days ago- On Entrenchment: The Politics of Anti-Privatisation
I was not wanting to wade into New Zealand’s little furor about the proposed Three Waters reform. To be honest, Labour has brought this one on themselves – the task of cleaning up this country’s waterways really ought to be funded via the resources (financial or otherwise) of the ...3 days ago- The Masque of the Covid Breath: Testing Positive
Well, it had to happen eventually. A week ago, someone I live with tested Covid positive, and despite my best efforts (testing every day), today I finally succumbed. That dreaded second line on the RAT showed up bright and red. It’s a decent effort, of course… making it ...3 days ago- Entrenching entrenchment
Last week, Parliament passed a rare entrenchment clause, protecting water assets from being sold by future governments without a referendum. As a supporter of anti-privatisation as a constitutional principle, I don't really have a problem with this - the supermajority which passed it represents a broad consensus across Aotearoa, and ...4 days ago- Parliament’s Collective Failure To Defend The Constitution.
Unbitten: It is one of the oddest and most worrying aspects of the events surrounding Green MP Eugenie Sage’s late-night attempt to re-write the constitutional convention on entrenched legislation while a weary House of Representatives was sitting under Urgency. Sherlock Holmes’ famous observation concerning the dog that did not bark, ...4 days ago- Gordon Campbell on why the SIS need operational ground rules
This is bad, right? Apparently the SIS used its powers illegally when it raided journalist Nicky Hager’s cell phone and extracted information that still failed to identify one of the key sources for Hager’s 2011 book Other People’s Wars. In that book, Hager had revealed hitherto unknown aspects of New ...4 days ago- Bryce Edwards: Clawing back $7bn of corporate welfare
The taxpayer is short of billions of dollars that were overpaid to businesses during Covid according to Christchurch philanthropists Grant and Marilyn Nelson. They are taking legal action against state agencies to push them to recoup up to $7bn that was wrongly paid out to wealthy employers who didn’t need ...4 days ago- Legal Beagle: The Entrenchment Angle We All Missed
I have a basically finished 800-word article on the entrenchment issue that is now unneeded. Dean Knight’s tweets, my tweets, and the open letter of the group of legal academics published by the New Zealand Herald say almost all that needs to be said on the manner in which the ...4 days ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #48 2022
Open access notables: Kunio Kaiho is a leading expert on past extinction events. In Extinction magnitude of animals in the near future just published in Nature Scientific Reports, Kaiho draws on mechanisms of prior mass extinction events to prognosticate on what effect Homo bolidus [our term] might impose on Earth's species. "It depends," ...4 days ago- Media Link: AVFA on protests in China and Iran.
This week in “A View from Afar” Selwyn Manning and I try to provide a conceptual/analytic backdrop to the protests in the PRC and Iran. The thrust is that although there are similarities as well as differences between them, each confrontation involves a strategic game between the protestors and regime ...4 days ago- Open Government: Not achieved
Newsroom reports on the reaction from civil society organisations to Labour's new draft Open Government Partnership National Action Plan, and its pretty scathing: The Government’s claims to greater openness and transparency have yet again been called into question, with New Zealand’s latest open government plan containing proposals “so weak ...4 days ago- Climate Change: Be careful what you wish for
Throughout the (misnamed) he waka eke noa process, farmers have insisted on farm-level pricing, largely as a way of getting more subsidies for their pollution - and sadly, Labour looks set to give it to them. They're already complaining about the "bureaucratic nightmare" - a nightmare entirely of their own ...4 days ago- Reported back
The Justice Committee has reported back on the Electoral Amendment Bill. The bill implements the recommendations of the Ministry of Justice consultation on election funding - the one where the Ministry of Justice conspired with the labour party to keep its highly influential submission totally secret - and the Labour-dominated ...5 days ago- Bryce Edwards: Nicky Hager strikes a win for media freedom and democracy
Do New Zealand state spies unlawfully surveil the government’s political critics? Do they spy on critical journalists? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. And yesterday the government domestic security agency was forced to apologise for one instance when they were caught spying on investigative journalist Nicky Hager. The New Zealand Security ...5 days ago- 2022 General Reading: November (+ Old Phuul update)
Completed reading for November: The White People and Other Weird Stories (collection), by Arthur Machen Not So Barren Or Uncultivated: British Travellers in Finland 1760-1830, by Tony Lurcock J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography, by Humphrey Carpenter The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead Legends of Aotearoa (collection), edited by ...5 days ago- Publishing a long overdue explainer about a scientific consensus
Recently, we happened upon a neat and detailed article, explaining what a scientific consensus is. This made us realize, that - even though we have a lot of material about the consensus - we were lacking an explainer about what a scientific consensus actually is. We have now remedied this ...5 days ago- The SIS: spying on the government’s political critics
The big worry about the SIS and GCSB is that they will be used to spy on the government's political critics. Whenever this worry is expressed, the spies and their Ministers say that of course that would never happen. The problem? It has: Journalist Nicky Hager will receive $66,000 ...5 days ago- Gordon Campbell on the gaslighting about inflation
Reportedly, we’re going to need to have a recession next year in order to curb our wild spending habits and bring inflation under control. According to some economists, we’ve all been spending our hefty wage rises so freely that up to 50,000 of us may have to lose our jobs ...6 days ago- Political Roundup: 30 November 2022
Items of interest and importance today THREE WATERS Jane Patterson (RNZ): Three Waters anti-privatisation blunder adds to storm of controversy Jo Moir (Newsroom): The chaos behind the Greens’ controversial Three Waters amendment Emile Donovan (RNZ): The problem with entrenching party policy Thomas Cranmer: Mahuta ditches ‘no surprises’ policy Anne Salmond ...6 days ago- Has Labour Become A Co-Governed Party?
The Power Of Two: It is possible that, formally or informally, the Labour caucus arrived at its own version of co-governance. What the Māori caucus decide upon as its priorities are not to be overridden or gainsaid by the broader Labour caucus’s Pakeha majority. An arrangement of this sort would ...6 days ago- Hope Defeats Hate.
Third Time Winner: Daniel Andrews’ Victorian victory is of a piece with the general failure of the American Right to achieve the gains it was expecting in the recent mid-term elections. Generally speaking, voters not already addicted to the Right’s ideological Kool-Aid find very little to like about candidates who ...6 days ago- We need greater transparency on party funding
Yesterday Max Rashbrooke and Lisa Marriott released their report on political party funding. The gist of it can be gathered from the title: Money for Something. Big donors are donating big money for big influence over policy, and the current regime seems designed to facilitate rather than prevent this ...6 days ago- Political Roundup: 29 November 2022
Items of interest and importance today POLITICAL FINANCE, PARLIAMENT, VOTING AGE Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Big money donors get access to PMs and party leaders – report Anna Whyte (Stuff): Political donations: Identity over $1,500 should be disclosed, new report recommends Brent Edwards (NBR): Research reveals influence bought through political donations Jem ...7 days ago- How 2022 has substantially, and favorably, changed global climate outlook
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Anew analysis by the Global Carbon Budget, published in the journal Earth System Science Data, shows global carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels have fully recovered from the temporary dip driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, setting new records in 2021 and 2022. But it’s not ...7 days ago- Gordon Campbell on entrenchment, and being ‘soft on crime’
Good grief. Is it really a grave misuse of power to entrench safeguards against the irreversible sale of key public assets? Hardly. If this country has learned anything over the past 40 years, it should be that New Zealand has suffered lasting economic and social damage from the previous sales ...1 week ago- Entrenching anti-privatisation
Last week, Labour put the House into urgency to push on with its legislative agenda. Part of this included the committee stage of the three waters bill, and something unusual happened: they passed an entrenchment clause protecting the bill's anti-privatisation clause - meaning that a future government would need the ...1 week ago- Bryce Edwards: The Misuse of power to entrench Three Waters legislation
When governments become tired and lose their popularity – usually in their third term – they often become desperate to get their way and prone to misusing their power. This is currently in evidence with the Labour Government’s push to lock in elements of their Three Waters reform programme by ...1 week ago- Revenge and rage optics continues to dominate the politics of the Right, even here. All voters deser...
The vapid cycle of self-serving performative rage when it suits… the screaming for repeal here, there and everywhere… the constant calls from columnists and the airwaves to “be angry”, for the public to just get up and be “stomping mad!”… Of course, none of this is the stuff from ...1 week ago- Top tweets on the Government’s Three Waters law entrenchment
Catching up on constitutional developments while I’ve been deep in the marking cave. And this one is a doozy — and perhaps concerning? An SOP entrenching a point of policy (ownership/control of water assets) was agreed, ie 60% majority needed to repeal.https://t.co/GRRXrmr6ZW pic.twitter.com/sm4MCOD85w — ᴅʀ ᴅᴇᴀɴ ...1 week ago- A Strange Hill To Die On.
Last Stand? Has Labour’s caucus chosen the Government’s deeply unpopular Three Waters policy as the hill upon which it will stand and die? And, if that is the case, then – why?CURIA RESEARCH recently conducted a poll in the Napier electorate. Bad news for Stuart Nash, the Labour incumbent, whose ...1 week ago- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 20, 2022 thru Sat, Nov 26, 2022. Story of the Week The Art at COP27 Offered Opportunities to Move Beyond ‘Empty Words’ In Egypt, visitors encountered creative works about climate anxiety, sustainability ...1 week ago- Revisiting the Big Three of Weird Tales: H.P. Lovecraft, C.A. Smith, and R.E. Howard
My October 2022 reading was marked by a reacquaintance with old-school Pulp Fantasy and Horror, specifically a binge through the collected works of H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and Robert E. Howard. Two of those three are still well-known names among fantasy readers, but in the first half of ...1 week ago- Open Government: Another farce
Yesterday the government released its draft Fourth Open Government Partnership National Action Plan 2023-24 for consultation. Like previous versions, the plan was meant to be "co-created" with civil society. And like previous versions, that obligation seems to have been observed mainly in the breach, with the government conducting a series ...1 week ago- The Crypto Casino
Financial activity is too often gambling. Cryptocurrencies are the latest example.Gambling is a zero sum game: the proceeds of the winners are offset by the losses of the losers. That statement is not quite true because typically there is someone between taking a margin on each transaction. Patrons leave a ...1 week ago- Bryce Edwards: Why Labour capitulated on hate speech laws
The Labour Government is currently fighting on multiple fronts that threaten its popularity in the run-up to next year’s election. Therefore, when a call had to be made about whether to push through divisive and poorly-designed hate speech laws, there really was no decision for Justice Minister Kiri Allan to ...2 weeks ago- Josh Van Veen: Wayne Brown’s first month
Wayne Brown has been Mayor for a month, and already he has done more to change Auckland than Phil Goff did in six years. The changes began even before Brown was sworn in. Only hours after the election results were announced on 8 October, the Chair of Auckland Transport Adrienne ...2 weeks ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #47 2022
Open access notables: Web bulb temperatures verging on unsurvivable are creeping into our world and heading toward familiar. That's the lesson we can infer from Dong-Quan & Sun's Effects of anthropogenic forcing and atmospheric circulation on the record-breaking welt bulb heat event over southern China in September 2021. Analyzing an event including 32.8°C the authors find: ...2 weeks ago- An engineered recession is class warfare
The Reserve Bank has just come out and admitted that they are engineering a recession to protect the rich: The Reserve Bank is deliberately engineering a recession to reign back inflation after being slow to raise interest rates, Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr admitted to a select committee on ...2 weeks ago- That’s no how you do democracy
Last night, the English Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish government cannot hold an independence referendum. Having said that Scotland is not a colony, they then turned around and effectively said that they are, by forbidding them from holding a democratic vote on their own constitutional arrangements unless another country ...2 weeks ago- Gordon Campbell on the centre-right’s internal ructions
For donkey’s years, political commentary has been all about the binaries: left/right, Labour/National, government/opposition, she said/he said. Yet currently, a lot of the fascinating conflict is occurring amidst the centre-right. That’s because National, ACT and New Zealand First all happen to be fishing in the same pond for cranky and ...2 weeks ago- Bryce Edwards: Politicians and the Reserve Bank are being blamed for an escalating economic crisis
Will the looming economic recession kill off Labour’s re-election chances? Is the Reserve Bank making things worse? And could a National Government do any better? These are some of the big political questions floating around after the full extent of the economy’s plight was made clear by the Reserve Bank ...2 weeks ago- Josephine Varghese: From Obama to Sunak–do representational milestones mean anything more than sym...
New Zealand media have recently discussed two major representational milestones in politics. Firstly, New Zealand Parliament achieving 50% women’s representation with the induction of Labour list MP Soraya Peke-Mason. Secondly, Rishi Sunak becoming the UK’s first non-White Prime Minister. Major media outlets have been celebrating these events as watershed moments ...2 weeks ago- Gustavo Petro and the Civic – Military Campaigns
Gearóid Ó Loingsigh looks at the new government in Colombia and how it talks of peace while increasing militarisation The Petro–Márquez government is one which proposes to bring us to what they term Total Peace. The term and the proposal as such have been subjected to justifiable criticism, not least ...2 weeks ago- Labour attacks LGOIMA – in secret
Today the government used urgency to introduce a new Local Government Official Information and Meetings Amendment Bill. The bulk of the bill deals with land information memorandums (LIMs), requiring local authorities to notify of natural hazards and granting them immunity for doing so in good faith (hopefully forestalling lawsuits by ...2 weeks ago- Climate Change: Fixing the Crown Minerals Act?
Back in August, the High Court ruled that the Zero Carbon Act isn't worth shit and that the government can continue to approve new fossil fuel exploration without having to consider climate change. The core of the problem is the Crown Minerals Act, and in particular its purpose: "to promote ...2 weeks ago- The True Cost
It is hard to take seriously the voices of those currently asserting that Brexit has come with a considerable economic cost. Where were those voices at the very beginning of what became the Brexit saga, when we were assured that membership of what was then the Common Market would produce ...2 weeks ago- Political Roundup: 23 November 2022
Items of interest and importance today VOTING AGE Henry Cooke (Guardian): New Zealand’s supreme court has forced voting age on to agenda, exposing absurd arguments for status quo Henry Cooke: The only reasonable argument for retaining the voting age Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Local election voting age looks set to change ...2 weeks ago- Phil Ferguson: a firsthand account of the Irish struggle
Phil Ferguson is a founding editor of Redline and was a regular contributor. He has been out of action for the past year after suffering a stroke. He is learning to walk again and hoping to get back to writing. Tim Leadbeater sat down with Phil to talk about topics ...2 weeks ago- The Most Pertinent Question.
Why Now? As Rebecca Wright pointed out to Justice Minister, Kiritapu Allan, on Newshub Nation, a great deal of political travail could have been avoided by the Labour Government if they’d simply accepted the Royal Commission’s recommendation to extend the already existing legal protections against the incitement of racial hatred ...2 weeks ago- Finally
At the 2020 election, Labour promised to regulate property managers. Now, they're finally doing it: The Government’s announcement that rental property managers will be regulated has left the industry asking for more detail, and tenants calling for landlords to be regulated too. Regulating property managers was one of the ...2 weeks ago- Young people must be allowed to vote
Let me just start out by saying that young people must be allowed to vote. Not because they are more enlightened than previous generations, but because the earlier people become voters, the more likely they will continue to participate in democracy.We have a serious problem in New Zealand with low ...2 weeks ago- How to counter holocaust denial – a particular type of hate speech
Plebity – a left free speech website looks at how to ‘counter hate speech with more speech’. This excellent article addresses one of the points discussed in the interview with Daniel Ben-Ami about how tolerance doesn’t mean silently allowing bad ideas or adopting a relativist outlook. WHAT DOES IT MEAN, ...2 weeks ago- Bryce Edwards: The High barriers to lowering the voting age
Sixteen-year-olds aren’t about to get the right to vote anytime soon. Despite yesterday’s Supreme Court declaration that a voting age of 18 violates the Bill of Rights, there are still many barriers to get over before the voting age could be lowered. In fact, as a best-case scenario, youth voting ...2 weeks ago- The Iran protests and the battle for Women’s Rights
In this Free Speech Union podcast Daphna Whitmore speaks with Dr Forough Amin about what’s happening in Iran after two months of growing protests across the country. Forough is a women’s rights activist and the founder of the Iranian Women in NZ Charitable Trust. Forough discusses the dire state of ...2 weeks ago- The Sagas and Fairy Tales of the South Pacific: Maori Legends, as collected by Sir George Grey (1855...
As a Pakeha New Zealander who spent the majority of his school-level education in the lower North Island in the 1990s, I received a smattering of Maori cultural infusion. I learned how to count to ten in Maori, learned the names of colours, some rudiments of pronunciation from singing ...2 weeks ago- A victory for democracy!
Today, the Supreme Court ruled on the case of Make it 16 Inc v AG, declaring that the law forbidding 16 and 17 year olds from voting was inconsistent with the right to be free from discrimination, and that it had not been justified under the BORA. Its a ...2 weeks ago- Gordon Campbell on Qatar, Joyce Carol Oates and Mimi Parker
The FIFA World Cup has kicked off amid laments about Qatar’s terrible human rights record, and FIFA’s greed in awarding them the Cup hosting rights in the first place. The criticism raining down on Qatar over its murderous treatment of migrant workers errs and its persecution of its LGBT community ...2 weeks ago- Geoffrey Miller: Does New Zealand need to up its game with World Cup host Qatar?
As the FIFA World Cup gets underway in Qatar, it is worth looking at the state of New Zealand’s wider relationship with the host nation. While New Zealand often likes to think of itself as a small country, it comfortably outranks Qatar in both size and population. In terms of ...2 weeks ago- Elizabeth Rata: The Curriculum, intelligence, and democracy
The intelligence of the New Zealand population increased during the 20th century. Nutrition played its part but so too did education. Young people were taught the abstract knowledge of academic subjects and in the process developed secondary intelligence. Since the 1990s, the emptying out of prescribed academic knowledge from the ...2 weeks ago- Where are Ukrainian refugees going? – an update
A temporary tent camp set up for Ukrainian refugees in Donetsk, in Russia’s Rostov region near the Russian-Ukrainian border, June 22, ... 2 weeks ago- If It Ain’t Broke, Why Fix It?
Still Going Strong: Why has the Minister of Justice cobbled together a group of “progressive” academics, most of whom subscribe to the core beliefs of Māori nationalism, “decolonisation”, and te Tiriti revisionism, to “review” our political system? In the absence of any convincing evidence that our electoral machinery is “broke”, ...2 weeks ago- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #47
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 13, 2022 thru Sat, Nov 19, 2022. Story of the Week Is COP27 the End of Hopes for Limiting Global Warming to 1.5 Degrees Celsius? The climate talks are going into overtime ...2 weeks ago- Labour grovels to the bigots
In the wake of the March 15 terror attack, the inquiry recommended tougher hate-speech laws. And after dragging their feet on it for a full year, the government has basicly said "fuck that": The Government has drastically watered down its hate speech reforms, Justice Minister Kiri Allan said on Saturday. ...2 weeks ago- Are We in a Stagflation?
Recently, I have often been asked whether we (New Zealand or the World) are experiencing a stagflation. There is no meaningful ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. You have to define the term before deciding what is going on.Rutherford once said there were only two kinds of science: stamp collecting and physics. ...2 weeks ago- More police racism
The police annual report was released this month, with the usual statutory information on surveillance warrants and DNA samples. And it turns out there's some shocking evidence of racism among the latter: The proportion of youth DNA samples collected by police that belong to rangatahi Māori continues to rise, ...2 weeks ago - 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
- Greens support Operation Pātiki restoring name for awa
The Green Party is proud to support Kohupātiki Marae to uphold the mana of their awa. ...8 hours ago - COVID inquiry disappointingly narrowThe Green Party welcomes a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic – but is disappointed with the narrow scope. ...8 hours ago
- Greens call on every party to improve accessibilityThe Green Party is calling on all political parties to commit to stronger representation for disabled people at every level of politics. ...18 hours ago
- Greens will keeping pushing to protect public ownership of waterThe Green Party will continue to push for strong protections of core public assets so they cannot be sold off against the wishes of New Zealanders. ...2 days ago
- Further action to tackle crime and keep our communities safe
Every community in New Zealand should be a safe place to live, work and raise a family. Our Government is focused on tackling the complex issues that cause crime while also making sure that appropriate consequences are in place. ...4 days ago - Backing farmers with a strong record on tradeAs countries around the world continue to face economic challenges, there is real reason for New Zealand to be optimistic about the future – and our primary sector is at the heart of that. ...6 days ago
- US court decision shows need for stronger protection of Māui dolphinA decision by a United States Court to ban seafood imports from New Zealand shows the Government needs to do more to protect Māui dolphins. ...6 days ago
- NZ needs strong protection against water privatisationNew Zealanders deserve strong protection against the future privatisation of water assets, the Green Party says. ...1 week ago
- Political parties call for action on IranParties from across Parliament have come together to call on the Government to take decisive action to hold those responsible for violence and human rights violations in Iran to account. ...2 weeks ago
- Social workers need to see pay equity immediatelyThe Green Party is welcoming today’s announcement that pay equity will be extended to more social workers, and urges the Government to work with unions to get this sorted as quickly as possible. ...2 weeks ago
- Case for excess profit tax on banks clearer than everThe Government should adopt an excess profits tax and use any revenue raised to help people make ends meet, following the rise in the Official Cash Rate today. ...2 weeks ago
- Easing the pressure on New ZealandersSince taking office in 2017, our Government has worked hard to lift wages and make life more affordable for New Zealanders, as we move forward with our plan to create economic security for all. ...2 weeks ago
- Crown mineral change does not go far enoughLong overdue changes to the Crown Minerals Act are a welcome step in the right direction but the Government needs to go further to end the nonsensical search for fossil fuels. ...2 weeks ago
- Healthy Homes for all means a WOF and Landlord RegisterThe Government’s decision to exclude landlords from property management regulations means more than half of Kiwi rentals will be left out in the cold. And, where they’re kicking the can down the road on Healthy Homes Standards, the Government falls short on the basics that a Rental Warrant of Fitness ...2 weeks ago
- Time to extend the voting ageThe Green Party is calling on the Government to take immediate action to lower the voting age to 16. ...2 weeks ago
- Supporting Kiwi kids this Children's DayOur Government has put the wellbeing of children at the heart of everything we do. As we celebrate World Children’s Day, we’re taking a look at some of the ways Labour is working to make New Zealand the best place in the world to be a child. ...2 weeks ago
- Hate speech change welcome, but still leaves communities at riskThe Green Party welcomes hate speech reform to protect religious groups, but is concerned that the exclusion of gender, rainbow, and disability communities sends a signal that these groups are less deserving of protection. ...2 weeks ago
- Young people deserve betterThe National Party’s plan to put children into military boot camps is so flawed it is dangerous. ...3 weeks ago
- Thousands more homes under LabourWe’ve just announced a massive infrastructure investment to kick-start new housing developments across New Zealand. Through our Infrastructure Acceleration Fund, we’re making sure that critical infrastructure - like pipes, roads and wastewater connections - is in place, so thousands more homes can be built. ...3 weeks ago
- Royal Commission to draw lessons from pandemic response
A Royal Commission to prepare New Zealand for future pandemics through lessons learned from COVID-19 has been announced by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today. “Every country in the world has grappled with COVID-19 and there was no playbook for managing it,” Jacinda Ardern said. “It had been over 100 years ...9 hours ago - Minister Sio to discuss Pacific development prioritiesAssociate Foreign Affairs Minister Aupito William Sio travels to Indonesia this week to represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the Indonesia Pacific Forum for Development and the 15th Bali Democracy Forum. “Attending these international meetings enables Aotearoa New Zealand to connect with our partners kanohi ki te kanohi, or face to ...11 hours ago
- Changes to partner work visas deferred to April 2023Changes to partner work visas that were set to come into effect in December 2022 have been deferred to April 2023, Immigration Minister Michael Wood has announced today. “I have made the decision to defer these changes to April 2023,” Michael Wood said. “Our Government wants to provide greater certainty ...11 hours ago
- Building Act changes put the environment at the heart of how we buildThe Government is taking action to reduce waste and lower emissions from the building and construction sector in significant Building Act amendments announced today. “This Government is proud to put the environment at the heart of how New Zealand builds. By enabling mandatory energy performance rating requirements for buildings, and ...16 hours ago
- Govt’s medicines boost paying off for New ZealandersPharmac’s plan to fund the cystic fibrosis medicine Trikafta is another example of the Government’s boost to the medicines budget helping New Zealanders, says Health Minister Andrew Little. “Pharmac, not politicians, makes the decisions on what treatments to fund, but politicians decide what funding to provide to Pharmac, and health ...1 day ago
- Better transport choices for New ZealandersForty-six councils across Aotearoa New Zealand, from large metro centres to small provincial towns, will receive funding to implement more transport options for communities, as part of the Transport Choices package 2022-24, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced today. “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport infrastructure system to make it ...1 day ago
- Te Rangiwaituhi – Maniapoto apologyMihi Ko taku rourou iti a haere, maringi kai whenua Ko taku rourou iti a haere, maringi kai moana kia mau ki te kawau māro, whanake ake! kō Maniapoto e! Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa Greetings and Thanks As we gather here this morning I want to ...2 days ago
- Maniapoto receives Crown Apology – Ka whakawhiwhia ki a Ngāti Maniapoto te Whakapāhatanga a ...Kua tukuna e te Pirimia, e Jacinda Ardern, i te taha o te Minita mō ngā Take Tiriti o Waitangi, a Andrew Little, te Whakapāhatanga a te Karauna ki a Ngāti Maniapoto mō āna mahi o mua i takahi i te Tiriti o Waitangi. I tū te hui i Te ...2 days ago
- Big online platforms to pay fair price for local news contentThe Government will legislate to require big online digital companies such as Google and Meta to pay a fair price to New Zealand media companies for the local news content they host and share on their platforms, Minister of Broadcasting Willie Jackson announced today. The legislation will be modelled on ...2 days ago
- Government to remove entrenchment from Three Waters legislationThe Government will fix the Water Services Entities Bill this week by removing the entrenchment clause that was voted on during committee stages, Leader of the House Chris Hipkins announced today. “It was a mistake to put the entrenchment clause in and the Government will fix the issue as soon ...2 days ago
- 10 new whare for Ngāi Tāmanuhiri kaumātua and whānau in Te MuriwaiAssociate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing) Peeni Henare joined Ngāi Tāmanuhiri and the wider Toitū Tairāwhiti collective, at the opening of 10 new homes built for kaumātua and whānau in Muriwai today. “Every whare that is built and whānau that is transferred from inadequate housing to a warm dry ...3 days ago
- Joint statement: Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand Foreign Minister ConsultationsAustralian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong welcomed Aotearoa New Zealand's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon Nanaia Mahuta to Canberra today for biannual Australia – Aotearoa New Zealand Foreign Minister Consultations. The Ministers acknowledged the unique strength of the relationship between Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, reaffirmed the shared ...3 days ago
- Funding boost for kaupapa Māori response to homelessnessAssociate Minister of Housing (Homelessness) Marama Davidson has announced a significant funding boost today for kaupapa Māori approaches that support whānau into housing. $24.7 million will be allocated to support the delivery of He Ara Hiki Mauri – a tangata whenua-led response to homelessness. “Homelessness is not inevitable. By working ...3 days ago
- Appointment of Judge of the High CourtAuckland barrister David Gary Johnstone has been appointed a judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Johnstone graduated from the University of Auckland in 1991 with a BCom/LLB(Hons), and joined Bell Gully as a solicitor, practising in general commercial litigation. During 1993 and 1994 he studied at the ...4 days ago
- MAIHI Whare Wananga celebrates innovative approach to Maori HousingNew Maori Housing dashboard for better data sharing and better outcomes New development training programme to grow sector capability Associate Minister of Housing (Maori Housing) Peeni Henare today attended the annual MAIHI Whare Wananga hosted by Toitu Tairawhiti Housing Limited in Kaiti. “Our MAIHI Whare Wananga is an opportunity ...4 days ago
- New mental health facility a step closer for GisborneHealth Minister Andrew Little was at Gisborne Hospital today to mark the next step of Te Tairāwhiti’s new Te Whare Awhiora mental health facility build. The Health Minister turned a sod to mark the start of groundworks at the site, in preparation for the placement of a mauri stone. “The ...4 days ago
- More rural broadband for regional communitiesNew contracts will improve around 30,000 broadband connections in rural homes and communities Govt on track to see 99.8% of all New Zealanders receive access to improved broadband as a result of various connectivity programmes by the end of 2023, including those targeting rural regions Applications open for one-off ...4 days ago
- Tauranga region to benefit from new funding and financing toolTauranga will be the first region to use a new Government tool to raise funding for much-needed infrastructure. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be used to raise finance from private markets, which is then repaid via the levy on those who benefit from the infrastructure. The finance raised by ...4 days ago
- New committee established to drive better public health outcomesSome of the country’s most difficult health issues will be tackled by a newly established public health advisory committee, whose members have now been appointed. Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall says the new Public Health Advisory Committee will investigate and help address long-term health challenges facing Aotearoa. “We ...4 days ago
- Government and sector back innovative regional and wool projects$2.17 million for new food and fibre ventures in Taranaki $2.24m to develop high-value, sustainable cashmere industry $233,000 to prototype an acoustic, knitted textile product from strong wool for high-end commercial and residential interiors. $530 million co-invested with business through the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund The Government closes ...4 days ago
- Statement on the death of Sir Murray HalbergNew Zealand has lost one our true sporting icons with the passing of Sir Murray Halberg, Grant Robertson, Minister of Sport and Recreation said today. “Sir Murray was an extraordinary athlete. His gold medal in the 5000m at the Rome Olympic Games in 1960 has been immortalised as part of New ...4 days ago
- Ministerial talks in Canberra to progress trans-Tasman relationshipThe importance of cooperation in the Pacific to support the region’s recovery and resilience will be a focus of formal talks in Canberra tomorrow between the Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta and her Australian counterpart Penny Wong. Nanaia Mahuta will meet Senator Wong for the second formal Foreign Ministers’ Consultations following ...4 days ago
- Iwi and Government partnership delivers more rental homes for Pāpāmoa whānauAssociate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing) Peeni Henare attended the official opening of 10 new rental homes built for working whānau of Ngā Pōtiki ā Tamapahore in Pāpāmoa today. “The Bay of Plenty region is one of many regions facing significant housing challenges and this Government is taking action by ...4 days ago
- Government investment to support growth of Māori businesses and jobs in the primary sectorTotal exports by Māori businesses have grown by 38% since 2017 to $872 million, with the majority from the food and fibre sector Launch of Rautaki mo te Taurikura action plan to support the continued growth of Māori food and fibre sector Support for Māori agribusiness innovation and workforce development ...4 days ago
- Government to address child abuse system failingsThe Government is adopting the majority of recommendations from an independent review into the actions of government agencies leading up to the death of 5-year-old Malachi Subecz, Minister for Children Kelvin Davis announced today. Following Malachi’s murder at the hands of his caregiver in 2021, Dame Karen Poutasi was appointed ...5 days ago
- More tools to help Police deal with fleeing driversIncrease the maximum driver licence disqualification period for a second offence of failing to stop or remain stopped, from 12 months to between 12 months and 24 months; Amend the Sentencing Act 2002 so that a vehicle can be forfeited on conviction for failing to stop. Offenders could have their ...5 days ago
- Govt books solid as global situation worsensThe Crown accounts are in a solid position thanks to the Government’s careful financial management through a deteriorating global environment. For the four months to the end of October, the Operating Balance before Gains and Losses (OBEGAL) recorded a deficit of $2.8 billion, $274 million lower than forecast at Budget ...5 days ago
- Expanded Dental Grants Available From Today· Increased Special Needs Grants for dental treatment are available to eligible New Zealanders available from today · New criteria means more Dental Treatment covered · People can now receive more than one grant in a year (any 52-week period), up to the maximum of $1,000 · Recent increases to ...5 days ago
- Exports tracking towards new record high growthPrimary industry exports to reach new record high of $55 billion in 2023 Forecasts $2.9 billion higher than in June 2022 Tracking strongly towards a 4 per cent increase in the year ending June 2023, despite global downturn New Zealand’s record food and fibre export revenue is projected to reach ...5 days ago
- New guidance for climate action at the local levelThe Government has released new guidance to support stronger links between New Zealand’s climate change goals, and local and regional planning. From today, it has become a legal requirement for local governments to consider the Government’s National Adaptation Plan and Emissions Reduction Plan when preparing or changing regional policy statements, ...5 days ago
- World-first bedside blood test good for people, good for health systemA single blood test that can diagnose heart attacks in minutes instead of hours, saving the health system millions of dollars and getting patients treated faster, is being rolled out in New Zealand hospitals, says Health Minister Andrew Little. “This research, led by emergency doctors at Christchurch Hospital, is ground-breaking,” ...5 days ago
- New rongoā workstream announced alongside Therapeutic Products BillA new workstream has been established within government to consider how rongoā might be protected in legislation. This comes as the Therapeutic Products Bill is introduced in Parliament today, Associate Minister for Health (Māori) Hon Peeni Henare said. “Under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Crown has an obligation to actively ...6 days ago
- Therapeutic Products Bill introducedLegislation to modernise the way medicines, medical devices and natural health products are regulated has been introduced in Parliament today. The Therapeutic Products Bill replaces the Medicines Act 1981 and Dietary Supplements Regulations 1985 with a comprehensive regulatory regime that is fit for the future. Health Minister Andrew Little said ...6 days ago
- New Climate Action Centre to support farmers maintain international edgeNew Climate Action Centre launched to support farmers reduce ag emissions through R&D investment 50:50 joint venture between Government and agribusiness to accelerate product development First Centre projects launched to get farmers the emissions reducing tools sooner Indicative funding commitment rising to $35 million per year by Joint venture partners, ...6 days ago
- Progress on firearms register and safety authorityThe launch today of a new firearms regulator to ensure the legitimate possession and use of firearms, and an online portal to apply for licences, marks a significant step towards modernisation and improvements in gun safety, Police Minister Chris Hipkins says. Police is moving from being an administrator of ...6 days ago
- Government sets out next steps for on-farm sequestration strategyGovernment to work with primary sector on developing a sequestration strategy Government confirms today it will bring all scientifically robust forms of sequestration into the Emissions Trading Scheme, starting from 2025. This will be done at full value, rather than at a discount, so farmers can realise the true potential ...6 days ago
- Prime Minister concludes bilateral talks with Finnish PMPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin have concluded their first in person bilateral meeting in Auckland this morning. The Prime Ministers reiterated how their respective countries shared similar values and reflected on ways to further strengthen the relationship between New Zealand and Finland. “New Zealand and Finland ...6 days ago
- Plan to boost value & lift sustainability of NZ forestry sectorSector ITP to grow domestic processing and low-carbon wood products Grow the wood processing sector by 3.5 million cubic metres (25%) by 2030 Grow export earnings from value-added wood products by $600 million by 2040 Increase the use of domestic timber in construction by 25% by 2030 The Forestry and ...6 days ago
- Government supports more energy-saving projects to help more Kiwis save money17 community energy-saving education projects share $1.7 million Builds on success of previous Government projects that have supported more than 13,000 households and 440 energy education events with more than 80,000 LEDs distributed Helping households to reduce their energy bills and make their homes warmer and more energy-efficient, is the ...6 days ago
- Govt funds new 80-bed mental health unit for CanterburyThe Government has granted final approval for a new 80-bed acute mental health facility at the Hillmorton Hospital campus, Health Minister Andrew Little says. “This is the second stage of Hillmorton’s major infrastructure redevelopment programme and is one of the largest investments ever made in New Zealand’s mental health infrastructure ...6 days ago
- Labor election review warns about risks in party’s ‘heartland’ seats
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Labor needs to develop plans to address dissatisfaction among voters in heartland seats, especially in outer suburban Melbourne, the party’s federal election review has warned. It also should develop plans to improve outcomes in Queensland, ...4 hours ago - Green MP Jan Logie will not stand for re-election in 2023
As preparation for the next election ramped up, Jan Logie said it was time she announced she wouldn't be standing again. ...4 hours ago - FijiFirst condemned over ‘politics of fear’ aimed at votersBy Shayal Devi in Suva The “politics of fear” pervading Fiji must go away, says National Federation Party (NFP) candidate Agni Deo Singh. The former general secretary of the Fiji Teachers Union (FTU) attacked the “politics of fear” aimed at the hearts of voters, especially Fijians of Indian descent. “Every ...4 hours ago
- Right bloc strengthens as Act, National continue rise: TVNZ/Kantar poll
National will comfortably hold the reins of power with Act’s support at next year’s election, according to the latest 1 News/Kantar Public poll. National is up one point to 38%, Labour is down one point to 33%, Act is up two points to 11% and the Greens are steady on ...5 hours ago - CNZ just picked embattled agency We Are Indigo for a $5m+ digital arts platformAn arts organisation awarding a contract to provide a ‘digital service’ wouldn’t normally be newsworthy – but today’s announcement from Creative New Zealand will raise some eyebrows. Sam Brooks explains. Today, Creative New Zealand, the government’s arts funding organisation, announced that it would be investing more than $5m into establishing ...6 hours ago
- Minister proposes new energy and waste building regulationsThe Minister of Energy has proposed changes to building regulations, including energy performance ratings and requiring builders to plan for waste. ...7 hours ago
- Latest political poll has Labour, National locked in head-to-head battleThe two major parties are still locked in a head-to-head battle, with little movement between them in the latest political poll. ...7 hours ago
- Astonishing government gaffes—but will they influence the Hamilton West by-election outcome?
Government bloopers have dominated the headlines over the past week: yet do they foretell the end of the Ardern government? Or, for that matter, the result of the Hamilton by-election on Saturday. The Prime Minister, deftly dancing on the head of a pin over the backdown on the 3 Waters ...8 hours ago - Qatar World Cup: Socceroos’ best ever performance, and what it means for the game in Australia ahe...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Rowe, Emeritus Professor of Cultural Research, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University Before the men’s FIFA World Cup commenced, the Socceroos’ most noteworthy contribution seemed likely to be their pre-emptive video campaign on human rights in host country Qatar. ...8 hours ago
- NZ’s Covid-19 response to be investigated by Royal Commission of InquiryChaired by an Australian-based epidemiologist, the 18-month long Royal Commission will assess the success of New Zealand’s elimination strategy as well as looking to the future. A Royal Commission of Inquiry will investigate New Zealand’s response to the Covid-19 crisis – including our use of the elimination strategy – and ...8 hours ago
- Royal Commission into Covid response announcedThe government has confirmed a Royal Commission of Inquiry looking into New Zealand’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Set to begin in February next year, the inquiry will assess the success of the elimination strategy and following minimisation strategy and help prepare New Zealand for any future pandemics. You can ...8 hours ago
- Wayne Brown should sell the golf courses insteadWayne Brown wants to sell Auckland Airport shares to save $88 million a year in interest costs, but has no plans to sell golf courses costing $162 million a year to run and worth over $2.9 billion. Bernard Hickey asks – why not? This article was first published in Bernard ...8 hours ago
- Taskmaster NZ is coming back for round fourGreat news! Taskmaster NZ will be back for a fourth round in 2023. I’ve consistently opined that our local edition of Taskmaster is one of the best comedy products on our screens – or at least the best homegrown version of a classic overseas format. I am so excited it’s ...8 hours ago
- How long does menopause last? 5 tips for navigating uncertain timesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yvonne Middlewick, Nurse & Lecturer, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock Around half of the world’s population are women or people who menstruate – yet the way their body works can be a mystery, even to them. Most women will experience ...8 hours ago
- Pacific churches call for boycott of Indonesian products over PapuaBy Shayal Devi in Suva In solidarity with West Papua, the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) has called for a boycott of all Indonesian products and programmess by the Indonesian government. The Fiji-based PCC said this should be done until Indonesia facilitated a visit by the United Nations High Commissioner ...8 hours ago
- Yan, Zhou plead guilty to conspiring to bribe Marshall Islands officialsBy Giff Johnson, editor, Marshall Islands Journal and RNZ Pacific correspondent in Majuro Three months after their extradition from Thailand to face bribery and money laundering charges in the United States, two naturalised Marshallese citizens pleaded guilty on Friday in a New York court to conspiring to violate the US ...8 hours ago
- Always forgetting to take your medicines? Here are 4 things that could helpSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amelia Cossart, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of Queensland ksenia yakovleva/unsplash, CC BY-SA Taking regular medicines is common, and it’s not unusual for people to miss an occasional dose or take it outside the regular time window. Forgetting to do ...9 hours ago
- All the brilliant and bonkers things on Shortland Street this yearEverything you need to know before next week’s Christmas cliffhanger. No matter how bad 2022 has been, we can take comfort that we do not live anywhere near Shortland Street hospital. In the 30th year of our longest running soap, the unlucky residents of Ferndale have endured one disaster after ...9 hours ago
- Pharmac accused of blacklisting media ahead of Trikafta announcementWe had the great news last night that life-saving cystic fibrosis drug Trikafta would be receiving funding from Pharmac. But since the announcement, there have been questions asked about Pharmac’s approach to getting that news out into the open. While Newshub’s Patrick Gower was able to present a lengthy and ...9 hours ago
- Jacinda Ardern, Ayesha Verrall announce Royal Commission of Inquiry into Covid-19 responseThe government has announced a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the government's Covid-19 response and the PM and Covid-19 Response Minister are holding a post-Cabinet media briefing. ...10 hours ago
- Jacinda Ardern, Ayesha Verrall announce Royal Commission into Covid-19 responseThe government has announced a Royal Commission into the government's Covid-19 response and the PM and Covid-19 Response Minister are holding a post-Cabinet media briefing. ...10 hours ago
- Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Covid-19 Response Minister Ayesha Verrall give media briefingThe government has announced a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the government's Covid-19 response and the PM and Covid-19 Response Minister are holding a post-Cabinet media briefing. Watch it here. ...10 hours ago
- Waiharara Fire Investigation Report Released
Fire and Emergency has released its findings today into the cause of a major fire incident at Waiharara in December 2021. The report shows the fire was accidental and was caused by a permitted land clearing burn on private property that got out ...11 hours ago - Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cathryn Trott, Research Fellow in Radio Astronomy, SKA-Low Chief Operations Scientist, Curtin University Artist’s impression of some of the SKA-Low antenna stations. DISR Construction of the world’s biggest radio astronomy facility, the SKA Observatory, begins today. The observatory is a global project ...11 hours ago
- ‘A state of aesthetic pleasure and satisfaction’: Pinchgut Opera’s Médée demands to be heardSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniela Kaleva, Program Manager, Researcher Development, Deakin University Cassandra Hannagan Review: Médée, directed by Justin Way and conducted by Erin Helyard, Pinchgut Opera Known for specialising in baroque opera and historically informed music interpretations, Pinchgut Opera always programs pieces that ...11 hours ago
- Covid-19 latest: 40 deaths over past week, over 34,000 new casesDaily new Covid-19 community cases are now averaging just below 5,000, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Health. There were 34,528 infections reported over the past week, with the seven-day rolling average of reported cases now at 4,926. Of the new cases, 9,099 were reinfections. There are ...11 hours ago
- The new greatest film of all time is an arty Belgian movie about houseworkIt’s just been named the best film ever made, but how many people have actually see Jeanne Dielman 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles? Chris Smol explains what’s going on with the film at the top of the world’s most respected cinema rankings. Let’s start with some context. When ...11 hours ago
- Hamilton West tracking towards dismal turnoutAll the Sharma drama, high-profile politician visits and talk of a 2023 dress-rehearsal in a bellwether electorate has yet to translate in voter turnout for the Hamilton West byelection. As of yesterday, with less than a week till election day on Saturday, 5,337 advance votes had been cast in the ...11 hours ago
- Meningitis Foundation Says Change To Vaccine For Pneumococcal Disease Comes Too Late For SomeThe Meningitis Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand has welcomed the re-introduction of a more comprehensive vaccination programme for invasive pneumococcal disease that began this month, but says that it has unfortunately come too late for some. From ...12 hours ago
- 46 councils sought funding from a $350m transport trough – and 46 councils are given funds (but w...
Buzz from the Beehive Hard on the heels of Chris Hipkins announcing an embarrassing U-turn on one (but only one) contentious aspect of the government’s Three Waters legislation, ministers seemed keen to remind the voters what a splendid government we have. Each of three Beehive statements since the ...12 hours ago - Chief Ombudsman Launches Fresh Investigation Into OIA DelaysThe Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier is launching a new investigation into claims agencies are frustratingly slow in responding to requests for information. Mr Boshier says 40 years ago this month Parliament passed the Official Information Act into law. ...12 hours ago
- Labor retains big lead in Newspoll as Albanese’s ratings jump; Victorian election updateSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Mick Tsikas/AAP A federal Newspoll, conducted November 30 to December 3 from a sample of 1,508, gave Labor a 55-45 ...13 hours ago
- The aftermath of the entrenchment u-turnIt’s Monday December 5 – start counting down those last work days of the year. I’m Stewart Sowman-Lund and welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates, made possible by our members. Reach me on [email protected] The agenda The government’s controversial three waters entrenchment may have been ditched, but ...13 hours ago
- Aucklanders to face 4.6% rates hikeThe average Auckland household will be spending an extra $154 a year on rates under a proposed budget by mayor Wayne Brown. The 4.66% rates hike is not as high as annual inflation, which remains above 7% – and Brown said it’s the first time an Auckland mayor has proposed ...13 hours ago
- Volunteering is easier than I thoughtA first person account of a nervous day spent volunteering. You know the marshmallow experiment? In the 1970s, folks at Stanford University offered a bunch of kids the choice between eating a marshmallow immediately or waiting and getting more marshmallows. Researchers found that the kids who could prioritise long term ...13 hours ago
- Decarbonising Aviation – Michelle Noordermeer Speaking At Blue & Green Tech ConferenceMichelle Noordermeer, Co-Founder and COO of CarbonClick, to speak about the path to a net-zero future in aviation at Blue & Green Tech Conference New Zealand enviro-tech company CarbonClick will make its debut at the upcoming Blue & ...14 hours ago
- Loss, decay and bleaching: why sponges may be the ‘canary in the coal mine’ for impacts of marin...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Bell, Professor of Marine Biology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Valerio Micaroni and Francesca Strano, CC BY-ND Marine sponges were thought to be more resilient to ocean warming than other organisms. But earlier this year, New ...14 hours ago
- Beach Energy Hearing Starts 6 DecemberA two-day hearing to consider evidence and submissions about an application from Beach Energy Resources NZ (Kupe) Limited begins on Tuesday 6 December 2022 in New Plymouth. Beach Energy has applied to drill up to two development wells in the Kupe ...14 hours ago
- Urban explorers document vandalism at Carrington HospitalVandalism is out of control at Carrington Hospital. That’s the claim from a group of urban explorers who broke into the site of the former psychiatric hospital in Auckland recently to document its decay. The historic Pt Chev site, also known as Building One, has been left sitting vacant and ...14 hours ago
- Merry (early) Christmas: It’s poll dayChristmas has come early for any politics obsessives out there (the rest of you can shield your eyes). TVNZ will reveal the results of its latest Kantar Public poll at 6pm this evening. It’s poll day. @1NewsNZ — Jessica Mutch McKay TVNZ (@MutchJessica) December 4, 2022 While the ...14 hours ago
- The cost of living crisis is hitting Pasifika parents the hardestA nationwide parenting survey has revealed confronting statistics about Pasifika parents struggling under cost of living stress, but community leaders on the ground say, ‘no shit, Sherlock’. “A shopping list for a family per week used to be between $100 to $300. Now it’s between $300 to $500,” says Jackie ...14 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Cystic fibrosis drug approvedIn August 2022, Pharmac acknowledged that Trikafta, a treatment for cystic fibrosis (CF), could give people with CF benefits equivalent to 27 more years at full health when compared to current available treatments. Pharmac and medicine supplier, Vertex, have reached a provisional agreement to fund Trikafta for people with cystic ...14 hours ago
- BRYCE EDWARDS’ Political Roundup: New Zealand’s social cohesion is being torn apartDr Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand is becoming a less socially cohesive country. And the driver of this division is worsening inequality. That’s the view of most New Zealanders according to a survey conducted for the New Zealand Herald. It shows that inequalities of wealth and housing ...14 hours ago
- Government Move To Cut Carbon Emissions From Buildings Great Step But Questions RemainResponding to today’s government announcement that buildings will have to display their energy use from 2024, Jo Duggan, chief executive of the Facilities Management Association of New Zealand, the group of thousands of professional Kiwis who run ...15 hours ago
- Ardern coy on how entrenchment botch-up was allowed to happenWe now all know that the government is backing down on its controversial 60% entrenchment of parts of the three waters legislation. As detailed in The Bulletin, leader of the house Chris Hipkins announced yesterday that the clause in the Water Services Entities bill that entrenched public ownership of the ...15 hours ago
- A Christmas cracker of end-of-year announcementsNo day of rest yesterday with entrenchment on Three Waters gone, and announcements on legislation for big tech, transport funding, and signals on any future cost of living payments, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday morning, sign up here. ...15 hours ago
- A Free Press: More Crucial Than EverNicky Hager’s recent win in court saw him receive an apology and $66,400 in compensation from The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (SIS). The payment and apology were for the unlawful obtainment of two months of Hager’s phone records in an attempt ...15 hours ago
- Ardern on government's U-turn on Three Waters entrenchment: 'We are taking this as a team&...Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the entrenchment clause in the government's Three Waters legislation was a mistake which the government is fixing. ...16 hours ago
- Canterbury Mayoral Forum Deeply Disappointed At Inadequate Submission Timeframe For Resource Managem...The Canterbury Mayoral Forum wrote to Parliament’s Environment Committee earlier this week to express its deep concern and disappointment with the inadequate timeframe to provide submissions on the Natural and Built Environment Bill and the Spatial ...16 hours ago
- FSANZ Plan To Deregulate Gene Editing Threatens Consumer Choice And Food Safety (GE Free NZ Press Re......16 hours ago
- Evangelical Christians are crucial voters in Republican primaries. Would they support DeSantis or Tr...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Smith, Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy, US Studies Centre, University of Sydney Butch Dill/AP/AAP Ron DeSantis’s re-election as governor of Florida was one of the few bright spots for Republicans in an otherwise disappointing 2022 midterm ...18 hours ago
- Homeless numbers have jumped since COVID housing efforts ended – and the problem is spreading beyo...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hal Pawson, Professor of Housing Research and Policy, and Associate Director, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Sydney The numbers of people who are homeless have risen sharply across Australia, with soaring housing costs emerging as the biggest driver of the increase. The ...18 hours ago
- How do you fix general practice? More GPs won’t be enough. Here’s what to doSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Breadon, Program Director, Health and Aged Care, Grattan Institute Karolina Grabowska/Pexels Australians are getting older, sicker, and harder to treat. This isn’t news to GPs, who say they are overwhelmed with demand and frustrated with a rigid system that ...18 hours ago
- Half of Australia’s biggest companies have net-zero emissions plans, but climate action may come t...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Wainwright, System lead – Sustainable Corporates, Monash University Shutterstock About half of Australia’s biggest listed companies have plans to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, our new analysis has found. We assessed the climate change commitments of 187 companies ...18 hours ago
- Australian private high school enrolments have jumped 70% since 2012Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Esperanza Vera-Toscano, Senior research fellow, The University of Melbourne Dan Peled/AAP An increasing number of Australian children are going to private high schools, new research shows. The latest Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Annual Statistical Report ...18 hours ago
- HILDA finds working from home boosts women’s job satisfaction more than men’s, and that has a do...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wooden, Professorial Fellow, The University of Melbourne Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND The shift to working from home is unlikely to reverse. Data from the HILDA (Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia) Survey released on Monday show the ...18 hours ago
- The addicts’ ball Narcotics Anonymous just celebrated 40 years in Aotearoa. Toby Manhire went along to the party. On a sunny Saturday afternoon in the middle of last month, a couple of hundred people gathered in a suburban Auckland marae to celebrate a 40th birthday. “Naughty 40” posters were stuck to the walls. ...18 hours ago
- Government splurge on climate-friendly transport projects welcomed by mayorsNew bus stops, routes and cycleways are on the cards for 46 local councils around the country, as the government announces $350 million in funding for transport projects. ...20 hours ago
- We may be forced: The global battle NZ just joined against Meta and GoogleLegislation requiring the big digital players to share revenue with local publishers is directly inspired by examples in Australia and Canada. Toby Manhire looks at the history and the stakes. On February 18 last year, Facebook folded its arms, held its breath and did something unimaginable: it banned the sharing ...22 hours ago
- Immigration Minister questioned over knowledge of Cobwebs useThe immigration minister says he was briefed about the use of social media searching technology around the same time RNZ first reported it. ...1 day ago
- Greens Will Keep Pushing To Protect Public Ownership Of WaterThe Green Party will continue to push for strong protections of core public assets so they cannot be sold off against the wishes of New Zealanders. “Universal, affordable access to water services is a basic human right and a public good. Keeping these ...1 day ago
- $350m new funding announced to bolster transport infrastructureThe package will help councils build more bus stops, cycleways and bus lanes as part of measures to deal with climate change. ...2 days ago
- Govt delivers more goodies and a Treaty apology – but the big news is that it has pulled the plug ...Buzz from the Beehive The government hadn’t finished a beneficent day or so of handouts, when we filed our previous Buzz from the Beehive on Friday. Lots of goodies had been up for grabs during that day, but geography, ethnicity and occupations largely determined who would benefit. The ...2 days ago
- Recipe: Chicken pineapple ‘salad’This is the perfect, delicious, summery salad for all those who don’t like… salad. Salad season is almost here, and it always fills me with fear. I didn’t grow up eating salads; even as an adult, I only eat them occasionally. Making them at home is not my forte because ...2 days ago
- New NZ law will oblige Google and Facebook to reach deals with local mediaThe government will introduce legislation that triggers an arbitration process if large digital players such as Google and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, fail to strike deals with New Zealand publishers, broadcasting minister Willie Jackson has announced. Speaking on Q&A, he said he expected between $30m and $50m to ...2 days ago
- Fuel tax cut extension decision coming ‘very shortly’Cabinet will take the decision whether to extend the current cut to fuel excise taxes before the end of the year, said finance minister Grant Robertson, who warned that any further extension would be brief. He told Q&A’s Jack Tame: “We will make our judgment very shortly around whether or ...2 days ago
- Three waters entrenchment clause will be binned, says HipkinsThe controversial clause that entrenched public ownership of the new water entities in the three waters legislation, requiring 60% of MPs for its repeal, will be chucked out. “It was a mistake to put the entrenchment clause in and the government will fix the issue as soon as the House ...2 days ago
- The houses that women built: women and architecture in AoteraoaHistorian Elizabeth Cox writes about the surprises she uncovered during the process of writing Making Space, about women in New Zealand architecture. A fact which often strikes people outside the profession of architecture – but hopefully is not a surprise for anyone within it – is that only 27% of ...2 days ago
- Three Waters: Government announces it will remove entrenchment clause from legislationThe government has announced it will remove the entrenchment clause from its Three Waters legislation. ...2 days ago
- 45 years of Radioactive.FMJohn Campbell, Samantha Hayes and Tova O’Brien remember the Wellington radio station where their careers began. John Campbell was studying English at Victoria University in the late ’80s when he fell in with a group of people working at Wellington radio station RadioActive. He and his friend Jim Scott began ...2 days ago
- Essay on Sunday: Where women were cloaked in shameAs demonstrators continue to risk and lose their lives challenging Iran’s regime, Aida Tavassoli recalls the shame and rage she felt growing up under it – and urges the world to support the protests. I have a picture of my mum, dad, my sister, and me outside our home. It’s ...2 days ago
- NZ Chinese local community protests against China lockdowns, ‘dictatorship’By Lucy Xia, RNZ News journalist More than 200 people from Aotearoa New Zealand’s Chinese community gathered for a vigil at Auckland’s Aotea Square last night to mourn the lives lost under China’s stringent covid-19 lockdowns and to call for an end to the country’s “Zero Covid” policy. The unprecedented ...2 days ago
- Three waters: Law Society urges Nanaia Mahuta to remove entrenchment provisionThe Law Society has lambasted a provision in three waters legislation making it more difficult to privatise water assets. ...2 days ago
- ‘Tourists buzzing’ in resorts and islands as Fiji welcomes back visitorsBy Rachael Nath, RNZ Pacific journalist A year after re-opening its borders, Fiji has recorded an injection of F$805 million into its economy from international visitor arrivals between April and August. After shutting its borders for almost two years at the height of the covid-19 pandemic, Fiji has welcomed 520,000 ...2 days ago
- Pro-independence groups want Kanak flag for New Caledonia’s official flagThe French flag and the Kanak independence ensign . . . flown together since 2011. Image: 123rf/RNZ Pacific The territorial government of New Caledonia debated the introduction of an official regional flag in 2008, as required by the Nouméa Accord. In July 2010, the New Caledonian Congress voted ...2 days ago
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