Search Results
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Comment:Election Night 2020
Date published: 8:47 pm, October 17th, 2020Nats 3rd in the Party-Vote in Auckland Central (that sort of thing only used to happen in Aro Valley).
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Comment:Election Night 2020
Date published: 8:41 pm, October 17th, 2020That notion of Green under-performance is part Myth / part Kernel of Truth. The Greens do usually underperform on their (temporarily inflated) Poll ratings during the final 3 weeks of the Election Campaign ... but more often than not they do a little ...
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Comment:Election Night 2020
Date published: 8:31 pm, October 17th, 2020Lab 6 points ahead in True Blue Bay of Plenty (Party-Vote) ... Lab + Green slightly ahead of Nat + ACT.
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Comment:Election Night 2020
Date published: 8:23 pm, October 17th, 2020. You've all relentlessly been taking the piss out of Judith ... & now she's thoroughly redeemed herself ... I hope you'll all be eating humble pie.
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Comment:Election Night 2020
Date published: 8:09 pm, October 17th, 2020Blimey ! .... Labour blitzing Nats by 9 points (Party-Vote) in True Blue Taranaki-King Country Lab + Green currently more than 600 Party-Votes ahead of Nat + ACT in this Blue as a New Tattoo Seat. Dairy farmers have gone Hippie ... All Peace & Love.
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Comment:Election Night 2020
Date published: 7:49 pm, October 17th, 2020. So ... with 14.9% counted nationwide. Lab 50.3% Nat 26.0% Green 8.0% ACT 7.7% NZF 2.3%
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Comment:Pollwatch: 2020 Pre-election rush
Date published: 11:57 pm, October 16th, 2020Juuuusst in the nick of time ! https://twitter.com/swordfish7774/status/1317055908648636417 Remember ... the preliminary Election Night result won't be precisely the same as Final tally.
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Comment:Daily review 16/10/2020
Date published: 10:05 pm, October 16th, 2020Which, of course, also means we can expect the Labour & Green % to end higher than the provisional Election Night result (& the Nats to fall a little further). Hopefully pundits of all stripes will bear that in mind tomorrow night.
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Comment:Jacinda or Judith?
Date published: 10:34 am, October 16th, 2020Dennis As with some other commentators, I'm half expecting the legendary late run by Winston to get NZF leaping the hurdle. Odds are still fairly heavily against ... but probably around a 20% chance they'll just manage to scrape the 5% threshold. If the ...
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Comment:Latest UMR Poll - National sinking
Date published: 2:34 pm, October 14th, 2020Artistic influences included: Red Dwarf: Kryten as Jake Bullet scene Seinfield: Library Cop scene with just the merest hint of: Monty Python: Architects slaughterhouse sketch
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Comment:Open mike 12/10/2020
Date published: 1:47 pm, October 14th, 2020Cheers ... Serves me right for going to the official Elections.NZ site ... they're clearly a little behind the times. Last Updated 9 Oct. 25-29 year-olds clearly higher enrolment than 18-24.
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Comment:Latest UMR Poll - National sinking
Date published: 1:27 pm, October 14th, 2020. You young people have a smart answer to everything, don't you ... ya crazy mixed up punks with your crack cocaine habits & your replica Arnold Palmer golf-clubs. Well, let me tell ya something, punk .. this is a friggin fantastic single … I'd regularly ...
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Comment:Latest UMR Poll - National sinking
Date published: 12:59 pm, October 14th, 2020https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKRJfIPiJGY
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Comment:Latest UMR Poll - National sinking
Date published: 12:53 pm, October 14th, 2020. NZF 4% in the final polls and it becomes a 50/50 proposition ... 3% odds against but still theoretically possible ... under 3% = Toast.
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Comment:Open mike 12/10/2020
Date published: 12:38 pm, October 14th, 2020Mind you, 2020 stats are, of course, pre-election ... 2017 were post-election (over 94,000 (of all ages) enrolled over the final 3 days before 2017 election day). So if similar last minute surge then final 2020 tally for 18-24 yo may well exceed 2017.
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Comment:Latest UMR Poll - National sinking
Date published: 12:17 pm, October 14th, 2020Odds are heavily against ... but never say never. Entering that polling booth concentrates the mind ... unusual things can happen ... 2017 NZF voters who've ostensibly deserted to Labour in the wake of COVID-19 - sensing the election's a fait accompli - ...
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Comment:Latest UMR Poll - National sinking
Date published: 11:29 am, October 14th, 2020Exactly like that ... precisely my image of most Standardistas.
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Comment:Latest UMR Poll - National sinking
Date published: 11:22 am, October 14th, 20201938 (Lab 55.8% vs 1935 45.7%)
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Comment:Latest UMR Poll - National sinking
Date published: 10:44 am, October 14th, 2020Here's something for you Young people with your fancy postmodern hairdos & ostentatious avant-garde attitudes to contemplate: NZ First poll ratings in Colmar Bruntons 2011 vs 2020: ( Note: M12 = Poll 12 months before election / M11 = 11 months before ...
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Comment:Open mike 12/10/2020
Date published: 9:59 am, October 14th, 2020Oct 2020 Age 18-24 ... 72.4% enrolled (326k) 2017 Age 18-24 ... ? % enrolled (333k)
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Comment:Latest UMR Poll - National sinking
Date published: 9:19 am, October 14th, 2020https://twitter.com/secondzeit/status/1316108380151316481
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Comment:Latest UMR Poll - National sinking
Date published: 9:07 am, October 14th, 2020We don't yet know when the fieldwork took place ... Corporate UMR's are usually conducted on a monthly basis over the final week of the month, occasionally spilling over into the first day or two of the following month. So this one might just be a little ...
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Comment:Open mike 13/10/2020
Date published: 4:48 pm, October 13th, 2020Latest UMR https://twitter.com/henrycooke/status/1315857609161752576
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Comment:Open mike 13/10/2020
Date published: 4:33 pm, October 13th, 2020Final round of polling should be interesting. While the odds are pretty heavily against it ... I'm still not entirely ruling out NZF just managing to scrape over the 5% threshold. There are one or two sound reasons that no-one has adequately explored in ...
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Comment:Open mike 12/10/2020
Date published: 12:57 pm, October 12th, 2020. Barely acknowledged, if at all by commentators ... the last Reid Research Poll found a whopping 21% of 2017 -Nats- planning to swing to -Labour-. Not surprising, of course, given the significant re-alignment suggested by all the post-COVID Lockdown polls...
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Comment:2020 election campaign - 6 days to go
Date published: 11:04 am, October 12th, 2020LOL
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Comment:2020 election campaign - 6 days to go
Date published: 10:58 am, October 12th, 2020. All over the bloody place ... it was a complete lash up ... mayhem everywhere ... blood was spilt ... but, yes, over those final 2 weeks the votes swung first & foremost to the -Winstonians- & the -Dunnites-.
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Comment:2020 election campaign - 6 days to go
Date published: 10:43 am, October 12th, 2020I don't think we'll see the same enormous plunge for the Nats as in 02 ... Crusher is more popular with the base than Bill was (though maybe not by quite as much as some Pundits imagine) ... but I wouldn't rule out a milder echo of that Death Spiral down ...
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Comment:2020 election campaign - 6 days to go
Date published: 10:34 am, October 12th, 2020Yep ... just 6% of voters cast an Advance Vote in 2002 (a little over 110k).
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Comment:2020 election campaign - 6 days to go
Date published: 9:41 am, October 12th, 2020. I'll just repeat my Open Mike comment: To buttress his argument that "a 4% swing from Labour to National or ACT in the last two weeks" of the current election campaign is certainly achievable (and thus "there is a credible path to victory for National") ...
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Comment:Open mike 12/10/2020
Date published: 9:28 am, October 12th, 2020. To buttress his argument that "a 4% swing from Labour to National or ACT in the last two weeks" of the current election campaign is certainly achievable (and thus "there is a credible path to victory for National") ,David Farrar cites polling evidence ...
- Governing For All Of Us.
2 weeks ago - NZ Politics Daily – 20 October 2020
Today’s content Coalition negotiations, shape of government Gordon Campbell: On why the Greens shouldn’t join the government Andrew Geddis (Pundit): What Sort Of Relationship Might Labour And The Greens Agree On? Audrey Young (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern holds preparatory talks with Greens but coalition looking unlikely Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Jacinda Ardern tight-lipped after ...2 weeks ago - What sort of relationship might Labour and the Greens agree on?
Even without knowing the final election result (because, don’t forget there’s about 500,000 special votes still to count and they very likely will change Saturday’s results), we can say two things for certain about the next government. Jacinda Ardern will be its Prime Minister. And Labour will be at its core. But ...2 weeks ago - Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Leftwing euphoria meets realityThe political left has been euphoric since Saturday’s night historic landslide victory for Labour. But political commentators from across the spectrum are united in warning that the new Government isn’t about to be transformative. Instead, we will see more of a status quo administration grappling with a crisis, with very ...2 weeks ago
- Yes, a mandate for sure… but issues for NZ will be far, far more difficult now
With the NZ General Election and Referendums over for 2020, Jacinda Ardern is to form a Government over the next few weeks, “there are some areas we do want to crack on with, that we will need to expedite”, and talks will begin to form around what the voters ...2 weeks ago - Labour Party landslide – 2020 Election in review
Jacinda Ardern - Prime Minister of New ZealandThe 2020 General Election has been one of the most interesting in New Zealand’s political history. Not only did we have voters provide the Labour Party with a stratospheric 49.1% mandate to govern, the results also delivered National with a crushing 26.8% defeat ...2 weeks ago - Be careful what you wish for: Labour's difficult triumph
Labour’s overwhelming victory at the election has been greeted with rousing cheers on the left of New Zealand politics and the start of transformational demands. It’s a multi-generational win for Labour, out-polling the Kirk, Lange and Clark victories. You have to go back to 1938 for a bigger percentage (55.8%) ...2 weeks ago - A Skeptical Science member's path to an experiment on carbon sequestration
During what now seems like another era entirely- back in February of this long year- Skeptical Science regular RedBaron (aka Scott Strough) mentioned in a discussion thread here that he'd been working on an idea for no-till cultivation of vegetables, was seeking to quantify what appeared to be promising results. Scott ...2 weeks ago - Jacinda Will Keep Us Moving – To The Same Place.Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes? Not Likely: Though few New Zealanders would express it in such a fashion: Jacinda’s and Labour’s general handling of the Covid-19 crisis proved both to be highly effective defenders of the capitalist status quo. She, and they, kept the lights on. And that, in the absence of an alternative ...2 weeks ago
- The Greens and Labour
With an absolute majority, Labour can govern in its own right, and doesn't need partners. But while unnecessary, they're a nice-to-have, both as backup and for PR reasons. Ardern has talked about "consensus", and there are obvious benefits for her of having government policy endorsed by as many parties as ...2 weeks ago - 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #42Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... Earth has warmest September on record, and 2020 may clinch hottest year Record warmth in Europe and Asia overwhelms a ...2 weeks ago
- Josh Van Veen: The Vindication of Winston PetersAn egalitarian spirit is currently being revived in New Zealand, and we should thank Winston Peters for keeping alive that spirit. Josh Van Veen, who once worked with the NZ First leader, pays his tribute. With New Zealand First receiving less than 3% of the vote, critics are happily ...2 weeks ago
- The Hunt for Red October: Musings on Taieri
So New Zealand has had its general election. Jacinda Ardern has managed a single-party majority government, New Zealand’s first in twenty-six years, and its first since the adoption of proportional representation. I intend to do a comment on that further down the line – my feelings on the Sunday ...2 weeks ago - Lessons from the Election
This year’s general election has broken new ground – and not just in terms of its outcome, the seats won and votes cast, and – in an MMP environment – the margin of victory. It also suggests that something quite fundamental has changed in New Zealand politics. The outcome is ...2 weeks ago - The unexpected resultThe people have spoken, and its a Labour majority government. This wasn't meant to happen under MMP, and in fact its exactly what the system was designed to prevent: no majority governments, no elected dictatorships, unless we really, really want it (which at the time seemed unlikely on 40 years ...2 weeks ago
- Schadenfreude is a dish best served blue
What started out as the largest party in parliament has ended election night scratching the back door of the house of irrelevance. ...2 weeks ago - 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #42A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Oct 11, 2020 through Sat, Oct 17, 2020 Editor's Choice A FIELD GUIDE TOTHE ELECTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE The presidential election is just weeks away, and climate change has broken ...2 weeks ago
- Legal Beagle: Election '20: The Special Votes
The 2020 General Election has a preliminary result. For reasons I am unable to really explain, we will not have even a preliminary result for the end of life choice and cannabis legalisation referendums for some weeks (I dropped the ball on that one when the referendum legislation was before ...2 weeks ago - National rejects tonight’s result as a ‘rogue poll’
National are dismissing tonight’s election result as an “obvious outlier” Half an hour into counting, National Party leader Judith Collins and deputy leader Gerry Brownlee are already dismissing tonight’s election result as a “rogue poll”, saying it’s an incomplete survey with shoddy methodology. Brownlee called an emergency media stand-up just ...2 weeks ago - Jacinda Ardern ran down four National supporters with her car this morning but due to electoral law ...Dr. Ashley Bloomfield reported at today’s 1pm health briefing that the Coronavirus turns out not to exist, but that information was also withheld on the same grounds. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern began her election morning by ruthlessly driving her car into a family of National supporters just blocks from her ...2 weeks ago
- Six weird animals that have nothing to do with the electionGet a load of these things! Some of these animals are just crazy. You wouldn’t want a single one of these animals anywhere near your kids. It could ruin them for life. Last thing you’d want is your kid growing up around any of these, and thinking that’s what animals ...2 weeks ago
- 1pm Covid Health Update for 17th October, 2020What follows is today’s 1pm health update from the Ministry of Health There are 12 new cases of Covid-19 today, six in managed isolation, three escaped, and three are wealthy foreigners so it’s fine. One of these cases is a man in his 50s who visited Auckland sex club Fisting ...2 weeks ago
- It's Election Day.2 weeks ago
- National caucus convening to elect new leader for final 2 hours of the campaignThis is a breaking news event, and further updates and clarifications may be forthcoming. With less than three hours to go in the election campaign, The National Party is holding an emergency meeting to elect a new leader, one they hope can turn things around in the final one and ...2 weeks ago
- Judith Collins asking for two week extension on election due dateCollins says she was “ever so close” to finishing everything up, but a family member died, her computer crashed, and she just needs “a little more time” to get things right. In a late move this evening, Judith Collins has written an urgent letter to the Electoral Commission requesting a ...2 weeks ago
- The Debunking Handbook 2020: Misinformation is damaging and stickyThis blog post is part 1 of a series of excerpts from The Debunking Handbook 2020. The list of references is available here. Misinformation can do damage Misinformation is false information that is spread either by mistake or with intent to mislead. When there is intent to mislead, it is ...2 weeks ago
- Not as a Christian, but as a New Zealander: Why I am voting against assisted suicide tomorrow.
I am no stranger to lost causes. And, while there is always hope, it does appear that David Seymour’s “End of Life Choice” law will receive the necessary endorsement of voters to finally legalise assisted suicide in this country. A significant minority of voters will dissent, however.I will be one ...2 weeks ago - Ardern reassures voters that Greens’ negotiating table will be a tiny, humiliating oneOn the eve of the election, the Prime Minister wants New Zealanders to know the Greens will be given a very small seat at the table, quite literally. In the final hours of the campaign, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has made a forceful appeal to the electorate not to be ...2 weeks ago
- A Waste of Time: The Hundred “Best” Fantasy Books
Time Magazine has put out a list of the hundred best fantasy books of all time: https://time.com/collection/100-best-fantasy-books/ It is bad. Very bad. I get that this is clickbait nonsense, but… really. Time Magazine ought to be ashamed of themselves. Ostensibly, the selection process was as follows: ...2 weeks ago - Big changes do stickIn one of her last pre-election interviews, Jacinda Ardern tries to defend her policy of doing nothing while in government: Ardern reflected on large changes made by Helen Clark’s government – particularly in education and welfare – that were still part of the system now, saying they prove smaller ...2 weeks ago
- Polls show regret for not voting Green
I have looked at election polling for last four elections and have noticed a concerning pattern. The Green Party's polling leading up to each election is stronger than what they actually achieve, then the poll immediately afterwards is always considerably higher. For most parties the opposite is generally the case. ...2 weeks ago - Climate Change: Planning to failLast year, the government passed the Zero Carbon Act, setting short-term and long-term goals for carbon reduction. And they're already saying that they will fail to meet them: Environment Minister David Parker appears to have already given up on the country’s ability to meet the 2030 methane goal set ...2 weeks ago
- Another issue Labour is ignoring its voters overJacinda Ardern is trying to rule out even discussing a wealth tax if she gets re-elected. But if she gets re-elected, it will be by voters who support one. A Newshub poll shows that nearly half of all voters - and 60% of labour supporters - support a wealth tax: ...2 weeks ago
- Scholarship Physics
It’s that time of year when school students become seriously focused on exams. This year has been messy for student learning, and has affected some students more than others, but the NCEA external assessments and the Scholarship exams are going ahead pretty-much as normal. I’ve taken some interest in the ...2 weeks ago - “Fitz” On Cannabis."I Like It!" “Shall I tell you the real reason to legalise cannabis? Because all the stuff I’ve told you, while true, isn’t enough. You should legalise cannabis because you’d like it. No, actually, you’d love it! Cannabis makes food taste better. It turns music into magic. It suppresses pain and nausea ...2 weeks ago
- Crusher fails to resonate2 weeks ago
- A flaw in our electoral transparency regime IILast month, we learned there was a flaw in our electoral transparency regime, with the New Zealand Public Party receiving a quarter of a million dollars in donations which will never have to be decalred. And now its got worse,as it turns out they're also explicitly soliciting donations from rich ...2 weeks ago
- “Entirely separate”When two people whose identities we all know but cannot say publicly due to name suppression were charged with "Obtaining by Deception" over routing donations to NZ First through the NZ First Foundation, Winston Peters claimed his party had been exonerated because "The Foundation is an entirely separate entity from ...2 weeks ago
- Judith Collins' little green liesNew Zealand is not the United States, thank goodness. We don't have the same level of political partisanship nor public media outlets that blatantly display political bias. However, during the closing weeks of this campaign I do feel an infection of trumpism is evident. Judith Collins and her National Party ...2 weeks ago
- Which ‘milk’ is best for the environment? We compared dairy, nut, soy, hemp and grain milksMaking eco-conscious choices at the shops can be tricky when we’re presented with so many options, especially when it comes to milk. Should we buy plant-based milk, or dairy? We’ve looked at the evidence to help you choose. Dora Marinova, Curtin University and Diana Bogueva, Curtin University Dairy has the ...2 weeks ago
- Josh Van Veen: The Psychology of ArdernismJacinda Ardern has made New Zealanders feel safe. Josh Van Veen looks at psychological understandings of leadership to help explain the ongoing success of Labour in this election campaign. Simon Bridges could have been the Prime Minister. Opinion polls in February suggested a close election, with Colmar Brunton giving the ...2 weeks ago
- Let's Make Jacinda Break Her Promises.2 weeks ago
- Two days to go, 12 questions still worth asking
One last lap. One last crack. One last chance to boost your own policies or knock down your opponents. Tonight TVNZ hosts the final leaders’ debate and although over a million New Zealanders have voted and much of the policy debate seems to have stagnated around negative attacks, there are ...2 weeks ago - Possible inter-satellite collision on FridayTwo objects in low-Earth orbit may collide with each other on Friday, in a hyper-velocity impact which would lead to millions of fragments being left on-orbit, each potentially-lethal to functioning satellites. Fingers crossed (not that I am superstitious) that it is a miss, rather than a hit. One local ...2 weeks ago
- Do Elections Deliver What We Want?
MMP may deliver a parliament which reflects us, but frequently the government does not. At the heart of my recent history of New Zealand, Not in Narrow Seas, is the interaction between economic and social change. I could measure economic change via the – far from comprehensive – ...2 weeks ago - Flailing last grasps bring lasting gasps in the NZ General Election…
The last week of the 2020 election here in New Zealand has been an increasingly torrid and venal affair has it not? Many expect the last week of any Election campaign to get considerably more tetchy, everyone is hurrying to nail the last voter down after all. But this ...2 weeks ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #41, 2020Zika follows climate Sadie Ryan and coauthors combine what we know about the Zika virus and its preferred regime with modeling to show the pathogen will greatly expand its range during the next few decades. We do have some remaining control over the situation. From the abstract: "In the ...2 weeks ago
- Does a delay in COP26 climate talks hit our efforts to reduce carbon emissions?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 Will the delay of the COP26 UN climate negotiations impact ...2 weeks ago
- Where do the parties stand on open government?The election is in less than a week, so I thought I'd take a quick look at where the parties stand on open government, freedom of information, and the OIA. The short answer is that most of them don't. While Andrew Little has "promised" to rewrite the OIA, there's no ...2 weeks ago
- The Second Time As Farce: National's Election Campaign Falls Apart.2 weeks ago
- National's Little Helpers have A Cunning Plan.Keep Your hands Off Of My Stash: Viewed from the perspective of the 2020 General Election as a whole, the intervention of the Taxpayers’ Union against the Greens' Wealth Tax confirms the Right’s growing sense of desperation that the campaign is slipping away from them. With hundreds of thousands of ...2 weeks ago
- Covid-19: A planetary diseaseLouise Delany* This blog focuses on the underlying environmental causes of Covid-19 (Covid) and the role of international law in tackling both Covid and other planetary crises. I argue that major changes to our relationship with our planet and its creatures are needed and these changes must be supported by ...2 weeks ago
- Liam Hehir: How to make your mind upIf you’re still on the fence about how to vote, Liam Hehir says it’s probably more important for you to vote on the basis of your principles, and he offers a way to think about how these principles might align with the main party options. Still undecided? Here’s how ...2 weeks ago
- What else apart from a Wealth Tax? The shape of a Labour-Greens coalition
If you haven’t heard, the Green Party supports a Wealth Tax. Yeah, I thought you might have heard of it. Everyone’s been talking about it on the campaign trail these past few days. It would force the wealthiest six percent of New Zealanders to pay a one percent tax each ...2 weeks ago - Time is slipping by for the fruit industry to improve wagesThe covid-19 pandemic has meant a lot of changes for New Zealand. Lockdowns, social distancing, a massive shift to working from home and the death of tourism for a start. But the sensible and necessary border closure has also completely cut off the supply of cheap, migrant labour - and ...3 weeks ago
- A new low in American “democracy”Every US election, we're used to seeing long lines of voters, and reading stories of widespread gerrymandering and voter suppression (including things like flyers falsely telling people their assigned polling place (!) has moved or that voting will be on a different day, and robocalls threatening that people will be ...3 weeks ago
- A suggestion for Biden’s foreign policy.
I have been thinking about US foreign policy after the upcoming election. My working assumption is that try as he might, Trump will lose the election and be forced from office. There will be much litigating of the results and likely civil unrest, but on Jan 21, 2021 the Orange ...3 weeks ago - Bleak views of melting Antarctic ice, from above and belowThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk Images from satellites high above the Earth have helped a research team put together a stark visual chronicle of decades of glacier disintegration in Antarctica. Meanwhile, a separate international research team has taken the opposite perspective – studying the ice ...3 weeks ago
- Five reasons I am voting for National (and why you should too)
Centre right voters have three realistic options this year.- The National Party, which is currently at something of a low ebb but which remains the primary vehicle for conservative and moderate liberal voters; orThe libertarian ACT Party, which is undergoing a temporary boom as National struggles; orThe centre-left Labour ...
3 weeks ago - Graeme Edgeler: How to vote, and how to think about votingYour choice of who to vote for could make a real difference. Electoral law expert Graeme Edgeler suggests you make an informed choice, and he goes through a variety of different ways to think about your voting options. The New Zealand general election is being held next Saturday, the ...3 weeks ago
- That School Debate: Tolkien, Shakespeare, and Anti-Stratfordianism
Today, I am responding to one Philip Lowe, who back in August 2019 produced an interesting but flawed piece, looking at the way in which Tolkien viewed Shakespeare: Tolkien and Shakespeare: Counterparts ... 3 weeks ago - Marching to the ballot boxesToday's advance voting statistics are out, showing that 450,000 people voted over the weekend, bringing the total advance vote to 1.15 million - just 90,000 shy of the 2017 total. So its likely that by the end of today, more people will have advance voted than did in the ...3 weeks ago
- Hard News: The long road to “Yes”One day in 1985, I came down from the loft where I was working as deputy editor of Rip It Up magazine, looking for lunch, and walked into a scene. There, on the corner of Queen and Darby Streets, a man was in the process of getting two kids to ...3 weeks ago
- A funny thing for Labour to die in a ditch overOver the weekend, National unveiled its latest desperate effort to try and gain some attention: campaigning hard against a wealth tax. Its a Green Party policy, so its a funny thing for national to campaign against (alternatively, I guess it shows who their true opponents are). But even funnier is ...3 weeks ago
- The comforting myth of the referendum ‘soft option’
Assuming we don’t count Bird of the Year, last week was my first time voting in a New Zealand election. I’ve been here a while, but for reasons too dull to recount, I didn’t have permanent residence in time for any of the others. Anyway, it’s hardly up there with 1893, ...3 weeks ago - Election: Equality Network’s Policy Matrix
How will you vote this Election? We suggest comparing the Party policies on addressing inequality: The Equality Network identifies Ten Key Policy Areas that will make a difference: ...3 weeks ago - Equality Network: Party Policy Star Chart...3 weeks ago
- A Tale of Two ElectionsAS 2020 draws to a close, two very different countries, in different hemispheres and time zones, are holding elections that are of great importance, not only for their own futures but for the future of the world as well. The USA and New Zealand differ greatly in physical and economic ...3 weeks ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #41Story of the Week... El Niño/La Niña Update... Toon of the Week... Climate Feedback Article Review... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... How Joe Biden could reorient foreign policy around climate change A new report lays out ...3 weeks ago
- More than 200,000 abusive tweets towards female candidates during elections – Twitter bot
A Twitter bot has been working to find and combat abusive tweets aimed at female candidates in the New Zealand elections. ...1 day ago - Euthanasia referendum expected to pass in initial vote count – Catherine MarksPreliminary results for the cannabis legalisation and euthanasia referendums will be out today. ...1 day ago
- Be Firewise This Guy Fawkes
Fire and Emergency wants a much safer and less eventful Guy Fawkes this year. National Advisor Fire Risk Management, Todd O'Donoghue says "we had a very disappointing Guy Fawkes last year." "Between 2 November and 9 November 2019, our crews ...1 day ago - Conscious consumers, beware: green energy isn’t as straightforward as you think
Think you know an energy provider who delivers 100% renewable power to its customers? Think again. From the clothes we wear to the food we eat, much of what we consume we take for granted. Part of that is because, as consumers, we only ever see the final product, and electricity ...1 day ago - Cannabis referendum preliminary results: What to expectThe provisional results of the recreational cannabis referendum from ordinary ballots - which make up the majority of votes - will be announced at 2pm today. ...1 day ago
- The reputation of Australia’s special forces is beyond repair — it’s time for them to be disba...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Elliott, PhD Researcher (Political Anthropology), Defence Studies Department, King’s College London Four years into a constant stream of misconduct allegations, it’s hard to know how to process the latest revelations about the actions of Australia’s special forces in Afghanistan. In village ...1 day ago - From scary pumpkins to bridal bling, how masks are becoming a normal part of our lives in AustraliaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, UNSW On Halloween this Saturday, it won’t be just trick-or-treating children who are wearing spooky costumes. Adults handing out sweet treats may also be sporting Halloween-themed ...1 day ago
- COVID-19 slashed health-care use by more than one-third across the globe. But the news isn’t all b...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ray Moynihan, Assistant Professor, Bond University It’s no secret the COVID-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of our lives. One is how often we access health care. We’ve conducted what we believe is the first systematic review on this topic, bringing together ...1 day ago
- UN report says up to 850,000 animal viruses could be caught by humans, unless we protect natureSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Woolaston, Lawyer, Queensland University of Technology Human damage to biodiversity is leading us into a pandemic era. The virus that causes COVID-19, for example, is linked to similar viruses in bats, which may have been passed to humans via pangolins or ...1 day ago
- First, do no harm: education research should answer to the same standards as medicineSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lawrence, Principal Research Fellow, University of Western Australia Australia has one of the highest-quality systems of medical research in the world. It has helped underpin the high standing of Australia’s health system — it’s ranked as one of the finest in ...1 day ago
- Aged care isn’t working, but we can create neighbourhoods to support healthy ageing in placeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melanie Davern, Senior Research Fellow, Director Australian Urban Observatory, Deputy Director (Acting) Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University This article is part of our series on aged care. You can read the other articles in the series here. In 2020, the ...1 day ago
- Vital Signs: we’ll never cut unemployment to 0%, but less than 4% should be our goalSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW One of the most concerning things that happens in any recession is the spike in unemployment. The COVID-19-induced recession in Australia and around the world is no exception – other than perhaps the magnitudes involved. Being ...1 day ago
- Friday essay: Alice Pung — how reading changed my lifeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alice Pung, Author (non-fiction, fiction, young adult), University of Melbourne Having survived starvation and been spared execution, my father arrived in this new country, vassal-eyed and sunken-cheeked. I was born less than a month later and he named me Alice because he ...1 day ago
- Wealthy Areas Switched Support To Labour Party In New Zealand ElectionAfter being re-elected on October 17 with 49.1 percent of the votes, the New Zealand Labour, led by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, is the first party able to govern alone since 1996. An estimated 480,000 special votes (from overseas voters and late registrants), ...1 day ago
- Live updates, October 30: Super Friday – Here’s everything happening in politics todayWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for October 30. All the latest New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nzSuper Friday – Here’s everything happening in politics todayAs detailed in The Bulletin (see more below), today’s a big day in New Zealand politics. It’s a day that ...1 day ago
- The Bulletin: Referendum results day, and a Green deal decisionGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Referendum results day, problems abound for Air NZ, and what Labour’s manifesto included that wasn’t campaigned on.We’re finally going to get the provisional results of the two referendums today, on cannabis legalisation and assisted dying respectively. They’ll be announced at 2pm, ...1 day ago
- Labour and National MPs urge Jacinda Ardern to adopt Hong Kong lifeboat schemeMPs from both National and Labour are urging the government to adopt a lifeboat scheme for young Hongkongers who face political persecution. ...1 day ago
- Pharmac review: Drug companies challenged to cut prices
As a new health minister is tasked with commissioning an independent review of Pharmac's drug-purchasing model, there are exciting signs of agreement. ...1 day ago - Business & Investing: US and European markets tumble
Stock markets in the northern hemisphere shudder at the surge in Covid-19 infections and possibilities of lockdown, plus ANZ in New Zealand' profit drops 27 percent ...1 day ago - This week's best-selling books
This week's biggest-selling New Zealand books, as recorded by the Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list and described by Steve Braunias NON-FICTION 1 Supergood by Chelsea Winter (Random House, $50) From Jesse Mulligan's wildly entertaining review at ReadingRoom: "The Chelsea Winter ingredient palette doesn’t quite fit with Michael Pollan’s famous ...1 day ago - The future Dr Bloomfield returns to the football field
At just 21, Alosi Bloomfield has the world at her feet - on her way to becoming a doctor and returning to a promising football career, as the game kicks off again in NZ After wearing the silver fern for her country, Alosi Bloomfield had to settle a tiebreaker - between football and ...1 day ago - Europe virus surge shows limits of living with Covid-19
As Europe sees new daily cases of Covid-19 reach more than six times their March/April high, the limits of living with Covid-19 are becoming evident. ...1 day ago - Looking to nature to design climate-resilient cities
Aotearoa New Zealand and other Pacific Islands are at the forefront of climate change impacts affecting ecosystems and human wellbeing, so how do we adapt our cities to be more resilient and more liveable? Dr Maibritt Pedersen Zari is leading an interdisciplinary team of researchers developing an Oceania-specific form of ...1 day ago - 'Amazon of money’ – billions raised in world’s biggest IPO
Ant Group is expected to be the biggest IPO in history. The question is whether it can expand beyond China. ...1 day ago - Covid-19: A 'bubble' of two billion people?
New Zealand hasn't even opened up to Australia yet - but an American economist and UN adviser says the Asia-Pacific should consider opening a region-wide, Covid-free travel zone New Zealand and other Asia-Pacific countries which have kept Covid-19 under control should consider opening up a mega-bubble of two billion people ...1 day ago - Waiting for Joe: NZ's America under a Biden presidency
After four years under Trump, a Biden presidency would benefit NZ - but bring new challenges too. ...1 day ago - The pain of the patriarchy goes both ways
It is relatively easy to identify ways in which patriarchy harms and hinders women. What's harder, but equally necessary, is the need to demonstrate how it also harms and hinders men. The pandemic with the longest history is the pandemic of violence against women. It is a pandemic underpinned by ...1 day ago - All fired up: Māngere gets set for first-ever marae food festivalThis weekend’s Te Ahi Kōmau festival will celebrate South Auckland’s fiery volcanic past and amazing local produce. Justin Latif visited the marae as the hāngī pits were being dug in preparation.Not all superheroes wear capes and not all chefs wear a toque and apron. Anthony Adlam is one such chef, described ...1 day ago
- When will we know the results of the US presidential election?It could be days or even weeks before we know the full outcome of the US presidential election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, and it’s likely to be complicated. Here’s when we might start getting answers.When is the US presidential election?Officially, the election date is November 3, which is ...1 day ago
- The changing face of Auckland Zoo
Why do we still hold animals in captivity? Jessie Chiang takes a trip to Auckland Zoo to find out how it's changed. If you've spent any amount of time online recently, you've probably seen the pictures of baby animals at Auckland Zoo. There have been cute furry baby otters, ...1 day ago - The power of ethical leadership
The ethical vacuum among politicians is inflicting great harm on many societies. ...1 day ago - Grattan on Friday: As Melbourne’s Christmas arrives early, Queensland’s election will test wheth...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Anticipating reactions to political attacks can be a tricky business. When Scott Morrison spectacularly trashed the reputation of Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate over her now-notorious gift of Cartier watches to high-performing employees, he assumed ...1 day ago
- As Melbourne’s Christmas arrives early, Queensland’s election will test whether COVID is a vacci...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Anticipating reactions to political attacks can be a tricky business. When Scott Morrison spectacularly trashed the reputation of Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate over her now-notorious gift of Cartier watches to high-performing employees, he assumed ...1 day ago
- Wenda accuses Indonesian special forces over Papua ‘hunting ground’Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk Indonesian special forces are turning West Papua into “more of a hunting ground”, warns an exiled Papuan leader in response to the shooting of protesting university students this week. “These were live rounds.” Earlier, Benny Wenda, the London-based chair of the United Liberation Movement of West ...2 days ago
- Colourful opal fossils point to a diverse group of giant dinosaurs that shared Australia’s terrainSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Frauenfelder, PhD Candidate in Palaeontology, University of New England North-central New South Wales today is known for its arid, drought-prone climate. During the Cretaceous period, however, it was a lush coastal floodplain with a high diversity of vertebrates including dinosaurs, crocodiles, ...2 days ago
- Genome and satellite technology reveal recovery rates and impacts of climate change on southern righ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Carroll, Rutherford Discovery Fellow, University of Auckland After close to a decade of globe-spanning effort, the genome of the southern right whale has been released this week, giving us deeper insights into the histories and recovery of whale populations across the ...2 days ago
- We put forward a way to govern ASIC better. The government said noSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Davis, Professor of Finance, University of Melbourne The current governance/management crisis at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, ASIC has seen a deputy chairman resign and the chairman step aside under a cloud. It might have arisen simply because of lax ...2 days ago
- Fuel50 is changing HR software to fit the new ways we workBusiness is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he’s joined by Jo Mills, co-founder of Fuel50.The world of work has changed a lot recently ...2 days ago
- Men score higher on financial knowledge than women, but why?A new survey from the CFFC has highlighted the gender gap when it comes to financial literacy, with some of the lowest scores among women with children and over 35.While much has been said about the wage gap between men and women in recent years, it’s isn’t the only gender ...2 days ago
- How witchcraft became a multi-billion dollar industrySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Lenoir-Jourdan, PhD candidate and author, Deakin University Yoko Ono once noted: “people respect wizards. But a witch, my god, we have to burn them”. Witches were maligned for centuries because of their perceived dark power and influence — but could this ...2 days ago
- Fear of going out? Here’s how Melburnians can manage anxiety when returning to ‘normal’Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jill Newby, Associate Professor and MRFF Career Development Fellow, UNSW Many Melburnians are joyous at the prospect of a return to socialising, as the city regains some old freedoms this week following significantly eased coronavirus restrictions. Social media is teeming with images ...2 days ago
- Living with the train wreck: how research can harness the power of visual storytellingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Angela Fitzgerald, Associate Professor of Science Curriculum and Pedagogy, University of Southern Queensland Mesmerised by the cats of YouTube? Tumbled down the rabbit holes that are Insta Stories? Horrified by the US presidential debate, but kept watching regardless? You are not alone. ...2 days ago
- Debt to the future: The cost of recoveryJonathan Cotton looks at where the government is getting all the money to pay for the Covid-19 recovery, and where that debt is taking us. New Zealand is borrowing huge amounts of money to get us through the Covid-19 crisis. But borrowing what? From whom? And how will we pay it ...2 days ago
- $40 Million COVID-19 Fund OpensTe Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs has announced a new lottery fund worth $40 million has opened, focusing on community and social initiatives following COVID-19. Clare Toufexis, General Manager Hāpai Hapori says “the fund will support ...2 days ago
- Australia must do more to ensure Myanmar is preventing genocide against the RohingyaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Gerry, Professor and Queen’s Counsel, Deakin University In January, the International Court of Justice ruled unanimously that Myanmar must take all measures to prevent acts of genocide against the Rohingya minority by its military and police forces. Since then, Amnesty International ...2 days ago
- Blueprint For Human Rights Or Left-wing Wish List?The Human Rights Commission (HRC) has released its ‘ Ko Ō Tika, ko Tō Reo/ Your Rights, Your Voice ’ report urging the new Government to implement all its alleged promises relating to human rights. The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union immediately ...2 days ago
- Sensitive Expenditure: Auditor-General's Good Practice Guide UpdatedWe’ve updated our good practice guide on controlling sensitive expenditure . Our guide provides practical guidance on specific types of sensitive expenditure, outlines the principles for making decisions about sensitive expenditure, and emphasises the ...2 days ago
- Why is the government denying small business recycling initiatives?The country’s biggest bulk wine supplier has begun turning gigantic flexibags into plastic fenceposts. But the fencepost manufacturer protests that a lack of government funding is barring the way from doing so much more, reports Phil Pennington for RNZ.Multinational giant Hillebrand spent months trying to find a recycler to complete ...2 days ago
- Public Need To Know When Broadcasting Standards For Alcohol Have Been BreachedAlcohol Healthwatch welcomes the decision from the Broadcasting Standards Authority to uphold our complaint regarding a MediaWorks radio station broadcast that advocated excessive alcohol consumption. Whilst MediaWorks conceded the broadcast in April ...2 days ago
- Green Party continues talks with Labour Party on possible dealGreen Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and James Shaw say they expect to have an announcement about how they would work with Labour on Sunday. ...2 days ago
- SAFE Says New Analysis Of Live Export Ships Shows There Is Still A High Risk To AnimalsNew analysis from The Guardian has found that live export ships are twice as likely to be lost at sea as cargo vessels. SAFE Campaigns Manager Bianka Atlas said the growing evidence supports what SAFE has been saying for years. "It is clear ...2 days ago
- Live: Green Party continues talks with Labour Party on possible dealGreen Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and James Shaw say they expect to have an announcement about how they would work with Labour on Sunday. ...2 days ago
- A Socialist Program Against The New Zealand Labour Government's Right-wing AgendaPublic webinar: For a socialist program against the New Zealand Labour government's right-wing agenda ...2 days ago
- When will we know the cannabis and assisted dying referendum results?And what do the results in the general election tell us about how they might go? Toby Manhire weighs it all up.When do the results come through?The latest instalment in the time-transcending New Zealand election campaign comes this Friday, October 30 at 2pm when the Electoral Commission will reveal the ...2 days ago
- Port Moresby evicts 400 squatters to make way for new capital highwayBy Miriam Zarriga and Clifford Faiparik About 400 squatters in Papua New Guinea watched helplessly as excavators demolished their homes and properties to make way for the construction of a K100 million four-lane road outside the capital of Port Moresby. Police were present to ensure that the court-ordered eviction at ...2 days ago
- After we learn the Greens’ role in the new government, the focus should turn to who gets jobs such...
Media attention since the general election has focused largely on the shape of any formal relationship between Labour and the Greens in the formation of the next government. But the need for party leaders to negotiate, talk or whatever with other party leaders to forge a government partnership is ...2 days ago - A letter from the actually not-so-bad futureUnfortunately, this is an imaginary letter written by nomadic, wild-living Miriam Lancewood to be read at Wellington’s Verb Festival next week. Verb opens on Thursday, October 29 and will run until Sunday, November 8. For the showcase event on Friday night, nine writers were asked to write letters with this ...2 days ago
- LIVE: Paul Buchanan + Selwyn Manning on US and ASEAN Move to Contain ChinaHi I’m Selwyn Manning and you are watching A View from Afar. As always, we are joined by political scientist and former Pentagon analyst… Paul Buchanan… and this week we will discuss: How United States Secretary of Defense, Mike Pompeo, has this week been traveling around South East Asia. ...2 days ago
- General Practice Being Short-changed By Health Funding AgenciesGenPro, the General Practice Owners Association, whose objectives include supporting the sustainability and viability of members businesses and the services they provide, has today published a guide for its members in response to claims that already stretched ...2 days ago
- It’s The Race That Stops Two NationsEvery year the Melbourne Cup brings workplaces across Aotearoa to a standstill to take in the spectacle, and while there may not be any fashion in the field this year, there will be no shortage of action. The office sweepstake is a Kiwi favourite, bringing ...2 days ago
- Uncertainty around billions in Defence Force spendingMilitary analysts think Labour's victory at the general election will put some Defence Force changes and purchases on the backburner. ...2 days ago
- 'Stressed' vets desperate for help from 200 foreign workersThe government has no plans to change border exemptions for vets despite pleas from the Veterinary Association that vets are burning out and animal welfare is at stake. ...2 days ago
- Prioritising Māori perspectives could make Aotearoa thriveThe fourth episode of Conversations That Count – Ngā Kōrero Whai Take takes a look at the role that mātauranga Māori could – or should – play in shaping the future of our country.The principle of cooperation is a crucial one in te ao Māori – as the oft-deployed and co-opted whakataukī states, ...2 days ago
- Māori Party's Rawiri Waititi replaces John Tamihere as co-leaderThe Māori Party has confirmed Rawiri Waititi as its new co-leader, pending special votes confirming his win in the Waiariki electorate seat. ...2 days ago
- The campaign promises Labour didn’t talk aboutNot everything Labour plans to do over the next three years was announced during the campaign. Two promises that didn’t get any public announcement: reopening the door to refugees and a review of how political parties can raise money.Labour just won its most resounding victory in a half-century with a ...2 days ago
- Dunne Speaks: Where Have The Liberals Gone?The 53rd New Zealand Parliament elected recently is without doubt the most representative in our history. It contains more women than ever before – well over half the expanded Labour Caucus are women; there are more Maori and Pasifika represented; and MPs from ...2 days ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – October 29 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 National Party Tim Murphy (Newsroom): National MPs need to avoid their own spin Claire Trevett (Herald): The case for Judith Collins to make Deputy Shane Reti and put Simon Bridges ...2 days ago
- Waitomo District Council Undermining Free Speech, Democracy“Waitomo District Council is undermining freedom of expression and local democracy. Its new rules mean those elected by the people to hold the council bureaucracy accountable are gagged by the council bureaucracy,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “The code ...2 days ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The Green Party’s fraught decisionAnalysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. The 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, ...2 days ago
- Time To Abolish Human Rights Commission“The Human Rights Commission’s left-wing manifesto is clear evidence that the organisation must be abolished,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “The Commission is a hard-left organisation masquerading as a government department. “Its new manifesto ...2 days ago
- Govt Must Provide Farmers Clarity On Freshwater Rules“The Government must immediately provide clarity to farmers about the enforcement of its new freshwater rules,” says ACT’s Primary Industries Spokesperson Mark Cameron. “The new rules require all paddocks to be resown by 1 October or 1 November ...2 days ago
- Live updates, October 29: Experts propose flexible quarantine solutionWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for October 29. All the latest New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz7.45am: Experts propose flexible quarantine solutionA group of top epidemiologists are suggesting New Zealand’s quarantine system could become more flexible, in order to catch us up with other ...2 days ago
- The Bulletin: Idiots abroad infuriated by NZ’s Covid responseGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Assessing some of the bizarre recent international interventions on NZ’s Covid policy, documents reveal what ministers knew about border staff testing, and Gerry Brownlee under pressure for deputy spot.Apologies in advance, because I don’t normally make a habit of using ...2 days ago
- Embarrassing Sponsors For TRC Enviro Awards“The regional council’s annual environment awards tonight at the Devon Hotel are once again sponsored by some of the region’s worst environmental polluters,” says Climate Justice Taranaki spokesperson Elin Arbez. Climate Justice will be demonstrating ...2 days ago
- Business & Investing: QEX shares hit by China theft
A theft in Shanghai hits the share price of local logistics company QEX, plus renewed pressure on the Reserve Bank to reinstate loan restrictions after September's housing lending boom ...2 days ago
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