Search Results
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Comment:Open mike 12/11/2020
Date published: 12:45 pm, November 12th, 2020https://twitter.com/NewshubBreaking/status/1326666346407452672
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Comment:Open mike 12/11/2020
Date published: 10:07 am, November 12th, 2020. Professor Jack Vowles briefly explores a few 2020 Flow-of-the-Vote stats from Vote Compass (the various swings & counter-swings going on beneath the surface of net vote movement at the Election): https://www.newsroom.co.nz/politics/where-did-nationals-...
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Comment:Open mike 10/11/2020
Date published: 8:02 am, November 10th, 2020. Oh no ! ... actor Gabriel Byrne a "convergence moonbat" too ? http://web.archive.org/web/20201108220809/https://amp.theguardian.com/film/2020/nov/08/gabriel-byrne-its-an-obscenity-to-tell-innocent-children-theyre-going-to-hell Forget the pollsters. If ...
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Comment:President Biden and Vice President Harris.
Date published: 9:42 am, November 8th, 2020. I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States and will, to the best of my ability, preserve the ... uh ... protect the ... you know, you know the thing!
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Comment:President Biden and Vice President Harris.
Date published: 7:56 am, November 8th, 2020Exit Poll Demographic swings in support 2016-2020 (Some provisional analyses): https://www.ft.com/content/69f3206f-37a7-4561-bebf-5929e7df850d https://www.brookings.edu/research/2020-exit-polls-show-a-scrambling-of-democrats-and-republicans-traditional-...
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Comment:Open mike 08/11/2020
Date published: 6:15 am, November 8th, 2020Just when I was about to say: It's Groundhog Day !!! (again) ... suddenly I find it's all over (bar a certain amount of shouting). #POTUS2020 Those damn Ruskies & "Convergence Moonbats" who apparently exert an extraordinary control over US voters appear to...
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Comment:In support of Nanaia Mahuta
Date published: 6:45 am, November 7th, 2020For me I see class and race as being closely linked. That's your problem right there.
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Comment:In support of Nanaia Mahuta
Date published: 9:17 am, November 6th, 2020I can understand the attacks from the right. They are motivated by distaste because not only is she not a man but she is not one of them, her skin colour is not quite right as far as they are concerned Ohhh, Poor Little Rich Girl. Mission of the Political...
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Comment:Open mike 05/11/2020
Date published: 5:14 am, November 6th, 2020. Final Vote Prediction (New Zealand ... not the Failed State south of Canada): I'll almost certainly regret this ... but my prediction (which is a little more Lab-friendly than most): -Lab: ...... 50.4% -Nat: ...... 25.2% -Green: ... 8.0% -ACT: ....... 7....
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Comment:Open mike 01/11/2020
Date published: 6:09 pm, November 2nd, 2020Thanks, Patricia, Just in case you didn't see my reply to your kind query back in August ... I'll post it here ... https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-26-08-2020/#comment-1745738 ... took me a couple of days to reply so you might have missed it.
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Comment:Less buzz and more cooperative governing
Date published: 5:10 pm, November 1st, 2020. One key concern for the future: Polls & Surveys over the past decade (both within NZ & Internationally) suggest disturbingly low levels of support for Democracy & democratic norms among the Millennial Generation. Reflected, no doubt, in the authoritarian...
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Comment:Open mike 01/11/2020
Date published: 3:37 pm, November 1st, 2020I'll be taking the notoriously dim computer that runs the site, along with its encrypted backup systems, uninterruptible power supplies & associated software on a series of romantic dates over the next few days to celebrate our eternal love. Might trot out...
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Comment:Open mike 01/11/2020
Date published: 2:39 pm, November 1st, 2020Happy 10th Anniversary, Darling .... ... started commenting here 10 years ago (give or take a few days) ... with a particularly dreary & longwinded series of comments (so what's new ?) on the Mana By-Election. https://thestandard.org.nz/mana-campaign-...
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Comment:The reeferendum fails
Date published: 6:38 pm, October 31st, 2020Not impossible. Pretty unlikely, though. Preliminary Results are: NO: 53.5% YES: 46.5% Final Result will almost certainly be in the 53/47 to 52/48 region. Losing by 51/49 is about the very best the YES campaign can hope for at this stage ... and even ...
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Comment:Open mike 28/10/2020
Date published: 8:03 pm, October 28th, 2020Be quick ... this post will self-destruct in the not-too-distant future :smile: https://sub-zero-politics.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-offending-comment-ill-just.html
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Comment:Open mike 28/10/2020
Date published: 7:13 pm, October 28th, 2020I've deleted this comment ... outside chance it could be considered borderline as far as putting the site in some sort of legal jeopardy.
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Comment:Open mike 27/10/2020
Date published: 5:03 pm, October 27th, 2020more of your own words and less of other people’s words Yeah, but there's a good argument to be made that - despite all the smoke & mirrors - there are, in fact, only 3 individuals who have ever commented on The Standard since its inception in 2008 ... ...
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Comment:Open mike 27/10/2020
Date published: 2:28 pm, October 27th, 2020It was obviously a Fait Accompli election from April onwards. That massive realignment in Labour's favour always looked pretty solid & secure from April right through to October. When National is consistently so far behind in the polls & falling apart in ...
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Comment:Open mike 27/10/2020
Date published: 1:25 pm, October 27th, 2020. Much simpler: Fait Accompli Election: Unpopular, deeply Polarising Opposition Leader of a Party well behind in the Polls & widely perceived to be in disarray ... up against a highly regarded Govt (albeit centred largely on the handling of one dominant ...
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Comment:Open mike 26/10/2020
Date published: 11:26 pm, October 26th, 2020. Possibly ... but bear in mind that if that demographic rationale is correct then it should've applied in 2017 too ... and yet the Advance vs Election Day differences were minimal in that Election. Just over 1 million Advanced Votes in 2017 (compared to ...
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Comment:Open mike 26/10/2020
Date published: 7:24 pm, October 26th, 2020Suspect Labour will end up closer to 51% than 50% after Specials ... acknowledged expert Graeme Edgler guesses 49.9% ... I think that's too low. (Only proviso ... that no-one has mentioned afaik ... is the uncertain implications arising from the unique ...
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Comment:Open mike 25/10/2020
Date published: 6:23 pm, October 25th, 2020Could you possibly TAKE it easy WITH the bold and italics, Drowsy ? Emphasis on too MANY conjunctions Giving ME a headache.
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Comment:Large caucuses can be devilishly dangerous as National showed
Date published: 3:15 pm, October 25th, 2020Exactly. It's the experiences of the outsized first Bolger Govt that Labour should be studying with care.
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Comment:Rangitata and the Future of the National Party
Date published: 3:06 pm, October 24th, 2020Ashburton, Methven, Temuka and Timaru, Rangitata’s population centres, aren’t townships that spring to mind when discussing the Labour Party (big ups to those Labour activists who hung in there and triumphed anyway). Ashburton & Methven have always been ...
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Comment:Will consensus building paralyse Ardern?
Date published: 5:30 pm, October 21st, 2020OMG Red. I'd just go for a surfing metaphor. OMG OMG OMG THIS ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ Sooooo much THIS !!!
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Comment:Open mike 18/10/2020
Date published: 9:53 pm, October 18th, 2020Auckland -Lab- .... -Green- .... -L+G- ......... -Nat- .... -ACT- .... -N+A- .... -NZF- 48.8% ....... 7.6% ....... 56.4% .......... 29.7% .... 7.6% ......37.3% ...... 2.1% . Constituent Regions Central/City 49.5% ...... 14.0% ....... 63.5% ........ 23.7% ...
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Comment:Open mike 18/10/2020
Date published: 5:02 pm, October 18th, 2020. So ... Wellington Wellington (Greater) -Lab- .... -Green- .... -L+G- ........... -Nat- .... -ACT- .... -N+A- .... -NZF- 52.6% ....... 15.7% ...... 68.3% ............ 18.9% ..... 5.6% ...... 24.5% ...... 2.1% Constituent Regions City 48.5% ....... 22.6% ...
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Comment:Labour crushes election - now what?
Date published: 4:40 pm, October 18th, 2020Yeah, bit of both, I'd say.
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Comment:Open mike 18/10/2020
Date published: 2:16 pm, October 18th, 2020Cheers, M ... appreciate the help.
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Comment:Open mike 18/10/2020
Date published: 1:11 pm, October 18th, 2020. A few Questions for you avant-garde Auckland Types with your fancy Post-modern Hairdos (if you'd be so kind as to reply at your earliest convenience) I'm thinking of looking at the geography of the Vote (incl the swing). Amongst other things, I want to ...
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Comment:O Winston I love you
Date published: 1:06 pm, October 18th, 2020Interesting / Surprising that, back in the early-mid 80s, Colin James had Winston down as one of National's Drys (in the Ruth Richardson Camp).
- Climate Change: Committing to failure again
The Climate Change Commission released its final advice to the government today, and the media is full of reports about how "ambitious" it is. Bullshit. Because when you look at the budgets - the only thing in the entire document that actually matters and has legal weight - they tell ...2 weeks ago - Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Jacinda Ardern’s opaque government by PR
One of the most important, and scathing, critiques of Jacinda Ardern’s Government was published this week by senior political journalist Andrea Vance. She reveals how the current administration has become adept and determined at keeping information secret and the public in the dark about crucial issues. You can read her ...2 weeks ago - Member’s DayToday is a Member's Day, the first since the Budget. Unfortunately it looks like most of the time will be taken up with boring committee stages. First up is Anahila Kanongata’a-Suisuiki's District Court (Protection of Judgment Debtors with Disabilities) Amendment Bill, followed by Louise Upston's Rights for Victims of Insane ...2 weeks ago
- A Failure of Tone: The National Party’s Week of Woe.
Tone Deaf? From a party-political point of view (and what other point of view should a National Party MP be taking?) Paul Goldsmith’s comments regarding the “benefits” of colonisation merely played into the fast-solidifying narrative of National being a stale white bread party that can’t get out of its own way ...2 weeks ago - How virus detectives trace the origins of an outbreak – and why it’s so tricky
Marilyn J. Roossinck, Penn State Every time there is a major disease outbreak, one of the first questions scientists and the public ask is: “Where did this come from?” In order to predict and prevent future pandemics like COVID-19, researchers need to find the origin of the viruses that ...2 weeks ago - Self-inflicted “poverty”Nurses are going on strike tomorrow in pursuit of better pay and higher staffing levels. So why isn't the "Labour" government paying them properly? Apparently, they're pleading poverty: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the nurses’ union wanted a 17 per cent pay increase for all nurses, but the Government ...2 weeks ago
- Surrendered IIGood news on the climate front: OMV's surrender of its exploration permits in the Great South Basin, announced last December, has finally gone through. But there's other good news as well: from the sudden hole in NZPAM's permit map, they've also surrendered a pair of permits - 51906 (Matuku) and ...2 weeks ago
- From smallpox to polio, vaccine rollouts have always had doubters. But they work in the endDavid Isaacs, University of Sydney In 2019, before COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten greatest threats to global health. Every year, vaccination saves around 4-5 million lives, although a further 1.5 million lives could be saved annually with improved global ...2 weeks ago
- How much is the Greens’ reputation worth?$54,000, apparently: The Green Party says it won’t return two five-figure donations from a woman convicted of animal neglect which required several horses to be put down. Three weeks before being sentenced in the District Court for animal neglect described by the SPCA as amongst the worst it had ...2 weeks ago
- What would sustainable tourism really mean for New Zealand? Let’s ask the riverJason Paul Mika, Massey University and Regina Scheyvens, Massey University Excitement among Cook Islands tourism operators and officials at the opening of quarantine-free travel with Aotearoa New Zealand was understandable. The impact of the pandemic on the island nation’s economy has been massive and will be felt for a ...2 weeks ago
- Power from the ocean: can we use bio-fouling organisms to help extract energy from waves?Craig Stevens, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research; Louise Kregting, Queen’s University Belfast, and Vladislav Sorokin, University of Auckland People living near the coast are familiar with the power of ocean waves. What we see when a typical wave breaks on a beach is the endpoint of a global ...2 weeks ago
- Cooling effect of clouds ‘underestimated’ by climate models, says new study
This is a re-post from Carbon Brief by Ayesha Tandon Clouds could have a greater cooling effect on the planet than climate models currently suggest, according to new research. The paper, published in Nature Climate Change, aims to correct a “long-standing” and “unaddressed” problem in climate modelling – namely, that existing models ...2 weeks ago - Perilous Treasures – accepted
In a good bit of news, I’ve had another short story acceptance. My 1750-word (loose) Historical-Fiction piece, Perilous Treasures, will feature in the upcoming Summer Solstice edition of Eternal Haunted Summer (https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/). This one is a fictional elaboration on an earlier blog post of mine, specifically about ...2 weeks ago - 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Update #23Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, May 30, 2021 through Sat, June 6, 2021 This week we included links to some older videos which we think are still valuable because they provide some good basic information about climate science, like Kerry ...2 weeks ago
- The Adventures of Not-Annalax: A D&D Interlude
Session forty-nine. Recall the terrible situation the party was in at the end of the previous session: Annalax and Elknel fleeing for their lives through the forest, with the rest of the party being dragged away by Nightmare Creatures. Well, the DM had a cunning plan on how ...2 weeks ago - Unpacking Peggy McIntosh’s Knapsack
This article in Quillette by William Ray takes a look at the origins of the concept of white privilege. Ray was a volunteer in an imperialist army in the former Yugoslavia where he saw up close the horrors of identity politics being played out. [White Privilege is] the unquestioned and unearned ...2 weeks ago - Update of NZ fluoridation review timely and useful
Image credit: Kurt:S/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0). An updated New Zealand scientific review of community water fluoridation (CWF) finds that CWF in New Zealand is safe and effective. The new review, Fluoridation: an update on evidence, was published by the New Zealand Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor Juliet Gerrard FRSNZ HonFRSC. It examines ...2 weeks ago - Who Poses the Bigger Threat: The Far Right, Or the Far Left?2 weeks ago
- Tampering with Tradition: The Regent Booksale On the Move
First Scribes Bookshop closing… now changes are afoot with the famous Regent Booksale. Clearly, second-hand book purchases in Dunedin will never be the same again.
I have written before about my annual midnight visit ... 2 weeks ago - A Boringly Benign Economy or Going Through a Concerning Climacteric?
What was the big change the Treasury saw in its budget 2021 forecasts?For much of the time, an economy is in a boringly benign phase. New Zealand seems to be in one at the moment. This is not the way the commentariat present it. To grab your attention they magnify ...2 weeks ago - Climate Change: Dereliction of dutyBefore the pandemic, air travel was one of the fastest growing causes of greenhouse gas emissions. Fully half of those emissions are caused by a global elite of super-emitting frequent flyers, so the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's proposal in February to discourage it with distance-related departue taxes seems like ...2 weeks ago
- We performed magic tricks on birds to see how they perceive the worldElias Garcia-Pelegrin, University of Cambridge Magic tricks can teach us about how the brain works. Magic capitalises on very specific blind spots in people’s attention and perception so the techniques that magicians use to trick audiences are particularly interesting to psychologists like me. Misdirection, for example, relies on the ...2 weeks ago
- How well your immune system works can depend on the time of dayAnnie Curtis, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences When microorganisms – such as bacteria or viruses – infect us, our immune system jumps into action. It’s highly trained to sense and eliminate infections and clear up any damage caused by them. It’s typically assumed our immune systems work ...2 weeks ago
- Rugby, concussions and duty of care: why the game is facing scrutinySeema Patel, Nottingham Trent University There’s growing concern about concussion-related injuries in contact sports like rugby and American football. Several high-profile collisions between participants and a growing body of research about their impact have drawn attention to the adequacy of the safety protocols in place to protect players. Since ...2 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – The Low standards in the National PartyThe National Party has a major problem with standards, especially amongst its MPs and election candidates. The latest controversies involve the resignation of their longest-serving MP Nick Smith over an employment dispute, and allegations of abhorrent behaviour by election candidate Jake Bezzant. The party has been beset by a series ...2 weeks ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Trends emerge in New Zealand’s relations with ChinaNew Zealand’s evolving foreign policy – especially with China – is put under the microscope by international analyst Geoffrey Miller who says it’s important to look at the longer-term trends than just the latest twist in the story. This week’s meeting between Jacinda Ardern and Scott Morrison in Queenstown was ...2 weeks ago
- Liam Hehir: Reforming the National PartyThe National Party is currently facing questions about the quality control processes in its candidate selection. Liam Hehir reports on his experience at the grass roots of the party, and puts forward some suggestions for reform. On the question of whether the National Party has a culture problem, ...2 weeks ago
- This is obsceneWe all know multinational corporations cheat on their taxes, using complicated legal arrangements to funnel money through different jurisdictions to avoid paying anything to support the societies that host them. How obscene are such arrangements? This obscene: An Irish subsidiary of Microsoft made a profit of $315bn (£222bn) last ...2 weeks ago
- The change we need to seeTwo big transport announcements from the government this morning: first, they're killing Mill Road, another bloated superhighway with a terrible BCR. Secondly, Auckland will get a second harbour bridge for bikes and pedestrians. The net effect: fewer cars, more bikes in Auckland. This is the sort of change we need ...2 weeks ago
- Whakaari tragedy: court case highlights just how complex it is to forecast a volcanic eruptionShane Cronin, University of Auckland and David Dempsey, University of Canterbury While today’s pre-trial hearing over the Whakaari White Island tragedy revealed most of the 13 parties charged have yet to enter pleas, there is no disputing the basic facts. The December 9 2019 eruption struck when 47 people ...2 weeks ago
- Review: The Republia Times (2012)Many moons ago, I reviewed the original Crisis in the Kremlin (1991) and its 2017 re-make. Then I did The ReDistricting Game (2007), the availability which has, alas, suffered with the demise of Flash. Time for a review of another amusingly political video-game: The Republia Times.2 weeks ago
- The Many Faces Of Racial Terror.
Tulsa's Greenwood District Burning, 1 June 1921. In a frenzy of race hatred, a veritable army of whites descended on the prosperous African-American neighbourhood of Greenwood, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and laid it waste. As many as 300 African-Americans were murdered by the rampaging white mobs, who came against their fellow citizens with ...2 weeks ago- Sucking Up and Kicking Down: The NZ Media Covers the Queenstown Summit.
Steady-On, Cobber: After the vicious attack on New Zealand’s prime minister and foreign policy, broadcast on Channel Nine’s “60 Minutes” programme, during which this country was accused of selling its soul and abandoning its Australian “mate” for a mess of Chinese pottage, most Kiwis would have greeted the Aussie media ...2 weeks ago- Jean Drage: Reviewing local government
Local government is about to go through a major reorganisation that will affect all our lives, with the Government’s three-year independent review into the future for local democracy. Researcher Jean Drage calls for some urgent debate about exactly what is needed from local government, and she warns against New Zealand ...2 weeks ago- Climate Change: No wiggle room
Farmers are constantly whining at the thought of having to take even minimal measures to reduce emissions. But according to Climate Commissioner Rod Carr they no longer have any choice: Dr Carr told hundreds of people - including farmers - at an agricultural climate change conference in Wellington today ...2 weeks ago- An accomplice to war crimes
That's the only way to describe MFAT, who are merrily approving weapons exports to help the United Arab Emirates' ongoing crimes against humanity in Yemen: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade approved the export of weapons systems sent to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) despite officials warning they ...2 weeks ago- Josh Van Veen: A Tale of two parties
On 22 May 1942, a failed prime minister sat down to record what would become one of the most influential and celebrated political speeches in Australian history. The previous year Robert Menzies had dramatically resigned after Federal MPs vetoed his grandiose plan to leave Australia and sit in Winston ...3 weeks ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #22, 2021
CO2 and staple crop nutritional quality Dr. Kristi Ebi leads a diversely skilled author team to lend us a thought-provoking tap on the shoulder concerning our lack of full understanding of how increased concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere will affect primary sources of food, particularly grains, and how we ...3 weeks ago- New Zealand relies on scientific research for good policy. It’s a pity the budget didn’t reflect...
Nicola Gaston, University of Auckland New Zealand’s government has been praised for listening to scientists as it continues to pursue its COVID-19 elimination strategy. But it’s difficult to find any signs of significant investment in science in the recent budget — or in fact previous budgets. It was with ...3 weeks ago- The real challenge to COVID-19 vaccination rates isn’t hesitancy — it’s equal access for Māor...
Jesse Whitehead, University of Waikato; Kate C. Prickett, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, and Polly Atatoa Carr, University of Waikato Reports of potentially higher rates of vaccine hesitancy among Māori and Pacific populations have seen the government target COVID-19 vaccine and information campaigns at those communities. ...3 weeks ago- This is what institutional racism looks like
Last month, a man was arrested for threatening to kill National MP Simeon Brown. Over the weekend a second man was arrested on the same charge. This is appropriate: threatening to kill is a criminal offence, and threatening to kill an elected representative an offence against democracy. But it appears ...3 weeks ago- Shakespeare in Sitcom: Upstart Crow (2016-2018?)
Over the past week, I have finished a re-watch of Upstart Crow, the BBC’s three-season sitcom based around William Shakespeare. I think it holds up pretty well – in fact, I enjoyed it more this time than the first time, since I was not dealing with the problem of ...3 weeks ago- We should not tolerate parties which tolerate this
In the wake of National MP Nick Smith's resignation on Monday night, people have finally been talking about what a scumbag he was. Newshub reports that his behaviour was an open secret around Parliament, something everyone knew about but no-one talked about, with people saying (anonymously, for fear of repurcussions): ...3 weeks ago- Coronavirus variants have new names: we can finally stop stigmatising countries
Ed Feil, University of Bath The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a new naming system for the coronavirus that uses Greek letters to refer to the different variants. For the variants of concern, B117 (the UK or Kent variant) will now be known as alpha, B1351 (South Africa) ...3 weeks ago- Australia’s Eschatological Diplomacy.
Riders In The Sky: This extraordinary snapshot of a thunderstorm over Brisbane reveals nothing less than the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse riding the storm-clouds to Doomsday. The Australian Right's dangerous liaisons with the dark eschatology of Evangelical Christianity have turned Australian diplomacy - especially as it relates to China ...3 weeks ago- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – NZ and Australia play “happy families” in Queenstown
The level of orchestration and political acting was turned up a notch this week in Queenstown by prime ministers Jacinda Ardern and Scott Morrison, who went to great pains to put on a highly contrived united front about their different orientations towards China. Clearly, both leaders were highly sensitive to ...3 weeks ago- Climate explained: why is the Arctic warming faster than other parts of the world?
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 What is Arctic amplification? Do we ...3 weeks ago- A critical review of Steven Koonin’s ‘Unsettled’
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Mark Boslough Iwould normally ignore a book by a non-climate scientist promising “the truth about climate science that you aren’t getting elsewhere.” Such language is a red flag. But I’ve known the author of “Unsettled” since I took his quantum mechanics course ...3 weeks ago- The idea of ‘green growth’ is flawed. We must find ways of using and wasting less energy
Michael (Mike) Joy, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington As countries explore ways of decarbonising their economies, the mantra of “green growth” risks trapping us in a spiral of failures. Green growth is an oxymoron. Growth requires more material extraction, which in turn requires more energy. The ...3 weeks ago- NZDF gives the finger to the Burnham inquiry
Last year, the inquiry into Operation Burnham reported back, finding (among other things) that SAS and NZDF officers had deceived Ministers and the public, and that NZ soldiers had assaulted a prisoner. So will anyone ever be held accountable for that? Of course not: Two soldiers at the centre ...3 weeks ago- Climate Change is already killing us
One of the big risks from climate change is that it will make large chunks of the planet uninhabitable due to heat and humidity, and if you've read The Ministry for the Future you'll be aware of how it can lead to death on a massive scale. But there's also ...3 weeks ago- Graham Adams: Ardern’s gamble on shutting down the “white privilege” debate
The Prime Minister’s denials that the topic forms part of the school curriculum are puzzling. Graham Adams tries to make sense of her tactics. Jacinda Ardern has offered herself as a hostage to fortune by repeatedly denying that the doctrine of “white privilege” is being taught in schools, or ...3 weeks ago- May ’21 – NZ blogs sitemeter ranking
Image credit: How to Start a Successful Blog in 2021 I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or the numbers seem ...3 weeks ago- Climate policy that relies on a shift to electric cars risks entrenching existing inequities
Alistair Woodward, University of Auckland; Kirsty Wild, University of Auckland, and Rhys Jones, University of Auckland At the end of this month, the Climate Change Commission will deliver its final advice to government, outlining how New Zealand can reach its climate targets. New Zealand has committed to reaching net ...3 weeks ago- A conversation with Kobad Ghandy
In 2009 while waiting at a Delhi bus stop Kobad Ghandy was abducted by a black ops team. They interrogated him for three days accusing him of being a leading member of a banned Maoist party. When news of his disappearance reached the media his abductors handed him over to ...3 weeks ago- Supplier Diversity Aotearoa Summit: Navigate 2021
*** Check with delivery *** A mihi to all who have contributed to making today a success – starting with you! As you have explored and navigated government procurement today you will hopefully have reflected on the journey of our people so far – and how you can make a ...1 week ago - Pukemiro School to closePukemiro Primary School near Huntly will close following years of declining roll numbers, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. “I’ve consulted with the School Commissioner, and this decision acknowledges the fact that the few remaining students from last term are now settled at other nearby schools. “I want to thank ...1 week ago
- Govt acts to protect NZers from harmful contentNew Zealanders will be better protected from harmful or illegal content as a result of work to design a modern, flexible and coherent regulatory framework, Minister of Internal Affairs Jan Tinetti announced today. New Zealand currently has a content regulatory system that is comprised of six different arrangements covering some ...1 week ago
- Consultation on exemption of new builds from proposed tax rulesThe Government has today confirmed new builds will be exempt from planned changes to the tax treatment of residential investment property. Public consultation is now open on details of the proposals, which stop interest deductions being claimed for residential investment properties other than new builds. “The Government’s goal is to ...1 week ago
- Speech for Predator Free 2050 ConferenceIntroduction E ngā mana E ngā reo E ngā iwi Tēnā koutou katoa Ka huri ki ngā mana whenua o te rohe nei. Tēnā koutou He mihi hoki ki a tatou kua tau mai nei i raro i te kaupapa o te rā Ko Ayesha Verrall toku ingoa No ...2 weeks ago
- New stock exchange to help grow small businessesA new share trading market, designed as a gateway to the NZX for small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has been granted a licence by the Government. Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister, David Clark said Catalist Markets Ltd will provide a simpler and more affordable ‘stepping stone’ for SMEs to raise capital. “This ...2 weeks ago
- Visa extensions provide certainty to employers and 10,000 visa holdersChanges to onshore visas will provide employers and visa holders with more certainty, Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi has announced. Around 10,000 Working Holiday visas and Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) work visas due to expire between 21 June 2021 and 31 December 2021 will be extended for another six months to ...2 weeks ago
- Border class exceptions approved for more farm workers and vetsThe Government has approved border class exceptions for an additional 200 dairy workers and 50 veterinarians to enter New Zealand, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. “It is clear from conversations with the dairy and veterinarian sectors that they are facing workforce pressures. These border exceptions will go a long ...2 weeks ago
- More freezers and South Island hub to support vaccine roll-outA South Island hub and 17 new ultra-low temperature freezers will help further prepare New Zealand for the ramp up of the vaccination programme in the second half of this year, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. The new freezers arrived in New Zealand on 27 May. They’re currently being ...2 weeks ago
- Speech at the release of Climate Change Commission's final adviceGood morning – and thank you Prime Minister. Over the last three and half years we have been putting in place the foundations for a low-carbon Aotearoa that will be a catalyst for job creation, innovation, and prosperity for decades to come. In that future, many of our everyday tasks ...2 weeks ago
- Achievable blueprint for addressing climate change releasedReport says Government making good progress on emissions reduction, but more action required Meeting climate targets achievable and affordable with existing technology Economic cost of delaying action higher than taking action now Benefits from climate action include health improvements and lower energy bills All Ministers to help meet climate targets ...2 weeks ago
- Speech to release of Climate Commission final reportA few years ago in a speech in Auckland, I compared climate change to the nuclear free movement of roughly four decades ago. And I did so for a few reasons. Firstly, because the movement of the 1980s represented a life or death situation for the Pacific, and so does ...2 weeks ago
- Appointment of Judge of the High CourtAuckland Barrister Michael Robinson has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Robinson graduated with a BA and an LLB (Hons) from the University of Auckland in 1996, and commenced practice as a solicitor with Brookfields in Auckland. In 1998 he travelled to London ...2 weeks ago
- Government takes action to improve protections for subcontractorsThe Construction Contracts (Retention Money) Amendment Bill – which provides greater financial protection for subcontractors, has passed its first reading today. The Bill amends the retention provisions in the Construction Contracts Act 2002 (CCA) to provide increased confidence and transparency for subcontractors that retention money they are owed is safe. ...2 weeks ago
- 1 million more Pfizer doses to arrive in JulyPfizer has scheduled delivery of an estimated 1 million doses of vaccine to New Zealand during July, COVID1-9 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “These consignments will double the total number of Pfizer doses we have received this year to more than 1,900,000 – enough to fully vaccinate almost 1 ...2 weeks ago
- Long-term home of the Independent Children’s Monitor identifiedThe Independent Children’s Monitor (Te Mana Whakamaru Tamariki Motuhake), which is currently located within the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), will become its own departmental agency within Government. “Following the recommendations of several reviews, Cabinet agreed in 2019 to build a significantly expanded independent monitor for children in care,” Carmel ...2 weeks ago
- Racing Integrity Board members announcedThe new Racing Integrity Board will be up and running from July 1 to ensure high standards of animal welfare, integrity and professionalism in the racing industry. Racing Minister Grant Robertson today announced the appointments to the new Board: Sir Bruce Robertson KNZM – Chair Kristy McDonald ONZM QC Penelope ...2 weeks ago
- Govt crackdown on organised crime continuesA major operation against multiple organised crime groups with international links will make a significant dent in drug harm and violent offending linked to organised crime networks, Police Minister Poto Williams says. “I want to take an opportunity to congratulate the Police for their role in Operation Trojan Shield. This ...2 weeks ago
- Farm planning framework supports farmers into the futureA new framework, agreed between Government and industry, will make it easier for farmers and growers to integrate future greenhouse gas emissions and freshwater regulatory requirements into their farm planning, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said. “The Good Farm Planning Principles Guide out today, provides guidance for how farmers can organise ...2 weeks ago
- Enhanced Task Force Green Approved for CanterburyThe Government has activated Enhanced Taskforce Green (ETFG) in response to the Canterbury floods. The Minister of Social Development and Employment, Hon Carmel Sepuloni says $500,000 will be made available to help with the clean-up. The flooding in Canterbury has been a significant and adverse event damaging farmland, homes, roads ...2 weeks ago
- Connecting rangatahi to the soilA Jobs for Nature project to raise 480,000 native plants in nurseries across South Auckland will provide work for communities disproportionately affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19, Acting Conservation Minister Ayesha Verrall says. The Mana in Kaimahi project is being run by Te Whāngai Trust Board and will establish ...2 weeks ago
- Roll out of high-resolution elevation mapping beginsThe first tranche of mapping data from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)-LiDAR project is now available to the public from Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand. LiDAR data, which creates 3D baseline elevation information, will deliver multiple uses over the coming decades to councils and regional industries. “This mapping ...2 weeks ago
- Champions of Pacific education rewarded in Queen’s Birthday HonoursMinister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio said the Queen’s Birthday 2021 Honours list show that across Aotearoa New Zealand there were many champions of Pacific education. “Education is so vital to the success of Pacific people that it’s truly fitting that a number of educators have been honoured this ...2 weeks ago
- PM congratulates Queen’s Birthday Honours recipientsPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has added her congratulations to the New Zealanders recognised for their contributions to their communities and the country in the Queen’s Birthday 2021 Honours List. “This group represents decades of services across many areas, and those honoured highlight how many New Zealanders are going above and ...2 weeks ago
- Change of status for Rangiriri kuraA change of status for Te Kura o Rangiriri sees it become a designated character school within the Māori-medium network, Associate Minister of Education Kelvin Davis announced today. “This kura has been providing Māori immersion learning since 2003 in the historic town of Rangiriri, so I’m delighted that it is ...2 weeks ago
- APEC trade ministers’ unite on COVID-19 vaccine steps and rejuvenating the WTOAPEC trade ministers today committed to speeding up the cross-border flow of vaccines and related goods to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. This followed the completion of the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting chaired by Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor early this morning. “As we face the ...2 weeks ago
- Further consultation for Melville schoolsFormal consultation is set to begin on specific options for the future of schooling in South West Hamilton, Education Minister Chris Hipkins says. “Recent engagement has shown that the schools and community want a change to Year 7-13 schooling for the area. “I am now asking the Boards of Melville ...2 weeks ago
- Primary schoolkids dig trees for Arbor DayA new Arbor Day initiative announced by Forestry Minister Stuart Nash will see thousands of primary school children get the chance to plant native trees in their communities. The initiative is open to more than 2,400 primary schools. It is a partnership between Te Uru Rākau/NZ Forest Service and the ...2 weeks ago
- NZ Upgrade Programme kept on trackThe Government is increasing its investment in the New Zealand Upgrade Programme (NZUP) to support New Zealand’s economic recovery. Over two thirds of the projects will proceed as announced despite increased costs due to COVID, with modifications being made to others. “NZUP is already supporting over 1,000 jobs with 13 ...2 weeks ago
- New Northern Pathway gets green lightThe Government is committed to the Northern Pathway with its preferred option being a separate structure for walking and cycling alongside the Auckland Harbour Bridge, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced today. Geotechnical investigations and testing has determined that building a structure connected to the Auckland Harbour Bridge is not possible ...2 weeks ago
- Quarantine Free Travel pause with Victoria to continue, planning underway for managed return flightsFollowing the Victorian Government’s decision to extend their lockdown restrictions, New Zealand’s Quarantine Free Travel pause with Victoria will also be extended for a further six days, with a further review due on Wednesday 9 June, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. I acknowledge this extension will cause further inconvenience ...2 weeks ago
- Housing supply to be sped up in major changes to New Zealand’s building lawsNew building laws passed today will support housing supply and affordability, improve trust and confidence in the building sector and support the use of new, innovative and efficient building methods, Building and Construction Minister Poto Williams announced today. The changes passed in Parliament today are the first phase of a ...2 weeks ago
- Speech to Conference of Federation of Commercial FishermenKia ora koutou, I would like to begin by extending Minister Parker’s apologies for not being able to be here today. The Minister has asked me to speak to you today on his behalf. I am very excited to have the opportunity to meet with you all and talk ...2 weeks ago
- Speech to The New Zealand Federation of Commercial FishermenNB: Speech delivered on behalf of Minister David Parker by Under-Secretary Rino Tirikatene. Kia ora koutou, I would like to begin by extending Minister Parker’s apologies for not being able to be here today. The Minister has asked me to speak to you on his behalf. I am very excited ...2 weeks ago
- Innovative financing and construction methods deliver 68 new Auckland homes68 new homes (46 in Flatbush, 22 in Westgate) Use of offsite manufactured, energy efficient panels Use of ’impact investment’ to generate positive social impact alongside financial return Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the Minister of Housing Megan Woods have today opened two new Salvation Army developments at Westgate and Flatbush, delivering 68 ...3 weeks ago
- Professor Dame Juliet Gerrard reappointed as Prime Minister’s Chief Science AdvisorProfessor Dame Juliet Gerrard FRSNZ has been reappointed as the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced. Professor Gerrard was initially appointed for a three-year term beginning 1 July 2018. She has now been appointed for a further three years to 30 June 2024. Jacinda Ardern ...3 weeks ago
- Crown accounts reflect Govt focus on securing recoveryThe Government’s ongoing support to secure the economic recovery continues to be reflected in the Crown’s financial accounts. The Crown accounts for the ten months to the end of April 2021 show both the operating balance before gains and losses (OBEGAL) and the operating balance are better than forecast in ...3 weeks ago
- Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership between the Government of New Zealand and the Government ...On the occasion of the virtual Summit, on June 2 2021, between H.E. Ms. Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand, and H.E. Mr. Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, President of the Government of the Kingdom of Spain. New Zealand and the Kingdom of Spain: Welcoming the existing strong links between the two ...3 weeks ago
- Reports prove case for urgent water infrastructure reformUrgent reform needed to save households from ballooning water bills Reforms estimated to deliver a $14b-$23billion increase in GDP Supports the creation of 5900 to 9300 additional new jobs New analysis of New Zealand’s drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure provides New Zealanders with a clear picture of the ...3 weeks ago
- New Zealand welcomes start of UK CPTPP accession processNew Zealand has joined other members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in agreeing to start the process towards the UK becoming a member of the Agreement, Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. A special CPTPP Commission meeting, chaired by Japan, was held virtually ...3 weeks ago
- Australia needs construction waste recycling plants — but locals first need to be won over
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Salman Shooshtarian, Research Fellow, RMIT University Shutterstock Strong community opposition to a proposed waste facility in regional New South Wales made headlines earlier this year. The A$3.9 million facility would occupy 2.7 hectares of Gunnedah’s industrial estate. It’s intended to ...3 days ago - Vital Signs: Why has growth slowed globally? It has something to do with technologySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW Even before COVID-19 hit, Australia was experiencing slow growth in GDP per capita and real wages. There has been a distinctly lower rate of both economic and real wages growth since the financial crisis of 2008-09. ...3 days ago
- Friday essay: how our new archaeological research investigates Dark Emu’s idea of Aboriginal ‘ag...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Westaway, Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Archaeology, School of Social Science, The University of Queensland An aerial view of an Aboriginal stone arrangement in the Channel Country of Central Australia. Such arrangements may be associated with initiation ceremonies and exchange of ...3 days ago
- How New Zealand plugged the leak on insider trading
Gossip Week: Insider trading and the sharing of sensitive financial information is a big no-no in New Zealand. However, there was a time when it was all part of the game.All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – ...3 days ago - Live updates, June 18: Worksafe concerned over paramedic fatigueWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for June 18, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz7.45am: Worksafe concerned over paramedic fatigueWorksafe is concerned about worker fatigue among Wellington Free Ambulance paramedics, and has issued instructions to fix it, reports Eva Corlett for Radio ...3 days ago
- The Bulletin: Interest rate hike tipped after GDP figuresGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Interest rate hike tipped after GDP figures, major changes to rules for commercial fisheries, and Covid vaccine rollout timeline released.They’re probably not the sort of numbers you’d pop champagne over, but the NZ economy has avoided falling into a recession. The NZ ...3 days ago
- Cook Islands businesses see uptick but labour shortages remain
Pacific island nation looks to NZ school holidays, and is in talks with Australia to expand its travel bubble, writes Adam Jacobson. Many Cook Islands businesses are experiencing a boom a month since the travel bubble with New Zealand opened, but major labour shortages are presenting a serious challenge to ...3 days ago - Auckland Council Leads With Human Rights Standards For Goods And Service Providers
Uyghur Solidarity Aotearoa New Zealand are proud of Auckland City councillors for their unanimous vote yesterday at Auckland Council’s Finance & Performance Committee in amending the Group Procurement Policy, to ensure it requires all goods ...3 days ago - The March Of Migrants II – June 26Close to one thousand people marched through centre of Auckland on 5 June 2021, in the first March of Migrants organised by The Federation of Migrants - FAM. Issues faced by migrants due to the broken immigration system remain unresolved. Therefore, ...3 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 18 June
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...3 days ago - Climate change is all of our business
Biodiverse ecosystems are, quite literally, lifesaving. Here's why we cannot separate ourselves, nor our financial markets, from this fragile equation. It’s no secret we’re living in an increasingly unstable climate. Apart from the disastrous effects climate change is wreaking on biodiversity and humanity at large, the crisis is changing our ...3 days ago - Olympic Bonds: Rebecca Petch and her power coach
Rebecca Petch, who's taken over from Sarah Walker as our BMX Olympic medal hope, has made a huge jump ahead in power thanks to her strength and conditioning coach, Shaun Paterson, as Sarah Cowley Ross discovers in our Olympic Bonds series. It’s the first five pedal strokes that make the difference. And that’s something ...3 days ago - Falling harvests threaten to nip NZ wine's worldwide growth in the bud
After a $1.9bn bumper export year, falling harvests nip our wine's growth in the bud. ...3 days ago - Changing South: Blackball, the West Coast town that refused to die
From coal and cannabis to a writers’ festival and a forest track – Blackball is the town that refused to die A writers’ residency, a literary festival, a museum of working class history, a legendary pub and now a 55-kilometre walking and biking track through dramatic West Coast scenery - Blackball, ...3 days ago - Newsroom's daily sudoku, Friday 18 June
...3 days ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Friday 18 June
...3 days ago - Falling harvests nip NZ wine's worldwide growth in the bud
After a $1.9bn bumper export year, falling harvests nip our wine's growth in the bud. ...3 days ago - How to lose friends but influence history
Nicholas Agar explains how to understand some of the crazy things world leaders have said about the pandemic High on the list of callous statements about the pandemic was the one recently attributed to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that he would rather see bodies piled “high in their thousands” ...3 days ago - National wants new mental health units fast-tracked
National is calling on the Government to speed up a build programme to replace outdated mental health units and do more to fix other ‘unacceptable’ facilities. Oliver Lewis reports in the final article in a five-part series on mental health inpatient units. Mental health units around New Zealand have been ...3 days ago - Anna Rawhiti-Connell: From victim to villain in NZ's housing crisis
That Anna Rawhiti-Connell is able to make the rash decision to buy a house in the suburb of Beach Haven - somewhere she'd never been - makes her wonder if she's now a villain of the housing crisis I was a bit drunk when I decided to move to the Auckland ...3 days ago - Match fit: A sleep expert on surviving the overnight World Test Championship finalThe World Test Championship final poses severe challenges for any NZ-based fan hoping to watch it overnight. We asked a sleep expert for some survival tips, and whether it is totally foolish to stay up all night and then podcast. If you’ve been a long-suffering New Zealand cricket fan for decades, ...3 days ago
- The best and very, very worst schoolyard gossip, rankedGossip week: Still traumatised from the stories she was told about Po from the Teletubbies and Steve from Blue’s Clues, Alice Webb-Liddall seeks closure in a ranking of schoolyard gossip.All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – read ...3 days ago
- Bernard Hickey: Our empires of cold and mouldAs winter sets in, it’s worth facing facts: Our houses are heat-leaking mould machines – and we won’t meet our child poverty and carbon zero targets unless something drastic is done to fix them, writes Bernard Hickey.Follow When the Facts Change on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast provider.Back ...3 days ago
- The strategy to protect NZ seas you haven't heard of
The governance of maritime domains more critical than at any point since WWII, a Cabinet minister says. ...3 days ago - 'Suspicions' about economic growth's sustainability
New Zealand's GDP rose by 1.6 percent in the March quarter, but continued volatility paints a murkier picture of the economy's recovery from Covid, economists say. Three-month-old data isn't much help when assessing the health of the economy during one of the most uncertain periods in modern history. The latest Stats NZ’s ...3 days ago - The trials of putting tragedy on screen
Plans for the They Are Us film have people complaining it's too soon after the Christchurch mosque attacks, and it's the wrong story - but we don't know yet what the story is about. When news broke last week that Hollywood producers were planning a film based around the events of the ...3 days ago - Winston Peters' comeback no sure bet
The rift between NZ First’s favoured president and its leader calls into question the latter's future. ...3 days ago - Rod Oram: World has co-crises it must solve in tandem
New Zealand and the rest of the world can't solve the climate crisis or the biodiversity crisis separately, but must work on them in tandem, writes Rod Oram ...3 days ago - Grattan on Friday: Will bolshie Nationals or Joe Biden have more sway with Morrison on 2050 target?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Many observers have been assuming Scott Morrison’s strategy is to creep towards endorsing the 2050 target of net zero emissions, finally embracing it before the Glasgow climate conference in November. But this week’s developments suggest ...3 days ago
- Australians under 60 will no longer receive the AstraZeneca vaccine. So what’s changed?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Griffin, Associate Professor, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, The University of Queensland Australians aged under 60 will no longer receive first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine due to the rare risk of a serious blood clotting disorder among people aged 50 to ...3 days ago
- The Handmaid’s Tale season finale: At last, something to smile aboutThe Handmaid’s Tale season finales are always big, but this finale went bigger than we expected. Tara Ward recaps the gripping final episode of season four. This was the season of The Handmaid’s Tale when June Osborne got almost everything she wanted. She escaped from Gilead, reunited with her husband and ...3 days ago
- The Biden-Putin summit: no magic reset of relations, but no hitting the snooze button, eitherSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Sussex, Associate Professor, National Security College, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Patrick Semansky/AP Much speculation surrounded the lead up to the just concluded summit in Geneva between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir ...3 days ago
- Greens Want Government To Get Cameras On Boats FasterThe Green Party welcomes progress to get cameras on around 300 inshore fishing vessels, but wants the Government to move faster and the industry to contribute more funding. “Our oceans are taonga. The Government and industry need to move with urgency to ...3 days ago
- The march of the titanosaurs: the Snake Creek Tracksite unveiledSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Poropat, Adjunct Researcher, Swinburne University of Technology Fossilised bones belonging to enormous long-necked sauropod dinosaurs have been known from western Queensland since the 1930s, when Austrosaurus mckillopi was discovered on Clutha Station near Maxwelton. Since then, western Queensland has yielded many ...3 days ago
- We moved hundreds of tonnes of rock to preserve the dinosaur footprints of the Snake Creek TracksiteSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Poropat, Adjunct Researcher, Swinburne University of Technology Fossilised bones belonging to enormous long-necked sauropod dinosaurs have been known from western Queensland since the 1930s, when Austrosaurus mckillopi was discovered on Clutha Station near Maxwelton. Since then, western Queensland has yielded many ...3 days ago
- PODCAST: Buchanan and Manning on G7 NATO EU Get Behind US for the Biden-Putin SummitA View from Afar: Selwyn Manning and Paul Buchanan present this week’s podcast, A View from Afar, where they analyse how leaders of the G7, NATO and EU juxtapositioned behind the United States to form a consensus-pact immediately prior to the Biden-Putin Summit. United States President Joe Biden spoke ...3 days ago
- Victorian Labor holds comfortable lead; flawed climate change question in federal Resolve pollSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne AAP/Luis Ascui A Victorian Resolve poll for The Age gave Labor 37% of the primary vote (42.9% at the 2018 election), the Coalition 36% (35.2%), the Greens ...3 days ago
- Fiji babies test positive for covid-19 as health officials report 121 new casesBy Siteri Sauvakacolo in Lautoka, Fiji Six infants who tested positive to covid-19 are in stable condition at Lautoka Hospital in the west of Fiji. Health Secretary Dr James Fong confirmed this to The Fiji Times this week. The infants and their mothers were from a community in lockdown in ...3 days ago
- A Niuean man’s story of Lake Alice: ‘The pain was so bad … [you feel] your body is off the bed...By Khalia Strong Hakeagapuletama Halo walks into the courtroom. He is a head taller than most, dressed in a crisp white shirt. He has a nervous smile and bright, eager eyes. Known as Hake to his family and friends, this is not the first time he has detailed the abuse ...3 days ago
- Problem of racism towards Pasifika in climate change: ‘We want to be valued’SPECIAL REPORT: By Mariner Fagaiava-Muller, RNZ Pacific Journalist In New Zealand, youth climate change movement School Strike 4 Climate Auckland has declared itself as racist, and disbanded, but young activists say going silent is not the answer. The group had organised large protests in centres throughout the country, becoming the ...3 days ago
- 50 years of the Polynesian Panthers: ‘It was a time of revolution’The Polynesian Panther Party will hold a three-day fonotaga commemoration event this weekend at the University of Auckland’s Fale Pasifika. Whakaako kia Whakaora – Educate to Liberate. Image: RNZ/Polynesian Panthers Dawn Raid apology The Panthers’ golden jubilee couldn’t be more forthcoming, given an announcement made this week of a ...3 days ago
- Indigenous Papuan graduates praise Aotearoa – and their governorsBy Laurens Ikinia in Auckland Four fresh indigenous Papuan students have graduated with degrees from Aotearoa New Zealand universities in the past few weeks to fulfil the dreams of Papuan provincial government leaders Lukas Enembe and Dominggus Mandacan. The two governors of both Indonesian-Melanesian provinces, Enembe (Papua) province and Mandacan ...3 days ago
- Elderly Pasifika man sobs as memories of Dawn Raids surface over apologyBy Barbara Dreaver, TVNZ News Pacific correspondent As the New Zealand government confirmed it would apologise for the 1970s Dawn Raids against Pacific Islanders, memories have surfaced for those traumatised by them, including one elderly man. The politically-driven crackdown on overstayers from the Pacific Islands involved special police squads raiding ...3 days ago
- Councillor calls out racist comments
An email exchange over the Auckland harbour cycleway included one racist criticism too far for an Auckland councillor, who says she encounters it "all the time" An Auckland councillor fed up with racist comments from members of the public has posted one on her social media accounts to try to ...3 days ago - Business is Boring: What Woop does differently with their food boxesOn this week’s episode of Business is Boring, Simon Pound talks to Thomas Dietz, founder and CEO of Woop, about breaking into the competitive food box market.Subscription food boxes have become big business in the last decade. In New Zealand, My Food Bag achieved huge revenue, attracted private equity money ...3 days ago
- Australia’s 2.5% minimum wage rise: there’s something in it for you, and the economySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Buchanan, Professor, Discipline of Business Information Systems, University of Sydney Business School, University of Sydney Australia has a serious wage problem. Over the past decade wages for all but the top 20% of income earners have flat-lined. This is part ...3 days ago
- Team NZ’s rejection of public funding offer means around $100m won’t be sunk into America’s Cu...
It’s full steam ahead for the economy, according to the latest GDP statistics and a Finance Minister who eagerly drew attention to the new data. Our farm industries, generally, are doing nicely, too, thank you, in spite of head winds which include a growing raft of government regulations. But prospects ...3 days ago - Party people: Flamingo Pier on the places that inspire them to get downSome of New Zealand’s best party people have finally released a debut album. We asked Flamingo Pier about the places that inspired it.The lads from Flamingo Pier call themselves a “music collective”. Yeah, they do your normal band things – they have a couple of EPs, an upcoming tour, and ...3 days ago
- Remembering New Zealand’s gossipiest newspaperGossip Week: Writer and former NZ Truth reporter Redmer Yska recounts a pivotal moment for New Zealand’s grubbiest paper – losing the right to report on divorce proceedings. All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – read more Gossip ...3 days ago
- An adventure every visit: From Skyworld’s glitzy launch to its bleak presentTwenty-one years ago, the Force Entertainment Centre was meant to be the crown jewel of Queen Street. What stands there now is the empty shell known as Skyworld, writes Sam Brooks.Two security guards stand sentinel over nothing. There are no stores, the toilets are closed, and even if they were ...3 days ago
- Why a carbon price alone won’t be enough to drive down New Zealand’s emissionsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hall, Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences and Public Policy, Auckland University of Technology Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images With its emissions budgets, the Climate Change Commission’s final advice to the government charts a course towards a low-emissions economy. But its comprehensive ...3 days ago
- PM Jacinda Ardern reveals Covid-19 vaccine plan for group 4
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has given details about the vaccine rollout plan for the general population who so far haven't been eligible - group 4. ...3 days ago - How morale among our food producers is flagging in the face of Covid fatigue and Ardern’s regulato...
KPMG’s global head of agribusiness, Ian Proudfoot, reports morale in NZ’s farming industries has slumped over the past year, with industry leaders struggling under the pressure. “We could sense anger during our conversations, particularly in relation to the labour shortages the sector faces”. Proudfoot is the author of the KPMG “Agribusiness Agenda” ...3 days ago - At last, health, aged care and quarantine workers get the right masks to protect against airborne co...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By C Raina MacIntyre, Professor of Global Biosecurity, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow, Head, Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Shutterstock Almost a year ago, in July 2020, our calls for the government to urgently upgrade the guidelines to protect health workers from ...3 days ago
- Watch live: PM Jacinda Ardern reveals Covid-19 vaccine plan for group 4Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is giving details about the vaccine rollout plan for the general population who so far haven't been eligible - group 4. ...3 days ago
- Covid-19: NZ's quarantine-free travel pause with Victoria extended to 22 JuneNew Zealand's quarantine-free travel pause with Victoria has been extended by five days to 11.59pm on Tuesday 22 June. ...4 days ago
- Millennials And Gen Z Pushing For Social Change And AccountabilityClimate change and other societal issues remain top of mind for New Zealand’s millennials and Gen Zs. Across the world people have seen a year of intense uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, political instability, racial discord, and severe climate ...4 days ago
- NZ’s clean car discount is a turn in the right direction, but how much will it drive consumer dema...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Basil Sharp, Professor of Energy Economics, University of Auckland www.shutterstock.com New Zealand faces two enormous challenges if it is to meet its international climate change commitments under the Paris Agreement: biogenic methane emissions from agriculture, and carbon emissions from industry ...4 days ago
- Ten places where you can still buy a house for under $300kTurns out there are still some places in New Zealand where you can buy a house for a relative pittance. But where are they?For many of us, $300,000 is a lot of money. In the context of New Zealand housing, however, such a number has become positively paltry. Try making ...4 days ago
- SCHEDULED LIVE: Buchanan and Manning on G7 NATO EU Get Behind US for the Biden-Putin SummitA View from Afar: Selwyn Manning and Paul Buchanan present this week’s podcast, A View from Afar, where they will analyse how leaders of the G7, NATO and EU juxtapositioned behind the United States to form a consensus-pact immediately prior to the Biden-Putin Summit. United States President Joe Biden ...4 days ago
- A New Board Brings Energy And Focus To The New Zealand Institute Of International AffairsFollowing a major change to its constitution and governance arrangements, the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs recently elected a new board to take it forwards. The Institute is an independent non-governmental organisation that encourages ...4 days ago
- Singing the news: How our stories (and our gossip) were shared through waiataGossip Week: A chat with composer Tweedie Waititi about the days when our gossip and news was sung, and how our waiata have evolved.All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – read more Gossip Week content here.“Mōteatea, that was ...4 days ago
- Complaint That Officer Used Excessive Force During Arrest In WellingtonThe Independent Police Conduct Authority investigated a complaint that excessive force was used on a youth following his arrest in Wellington on 12 January 2020. The incident took place after a car appeared to evade an alcohol checkpoint. The ...4 days ago
- Here’s hoping Damien O’Connor can strike a trade deal with the UK on terms similar to those secu...
We have had the chance to scan the new Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade agreement and – if Trade Minister Damien O’Connor can negotiate similar terms for us – the prospects look hearteningly good for NZ. Beef and sheep meat tariffs on Australian exports to the UK will be eliminated after ...4 days ago - 2021 Ratepayers’ Report ReleasedThe New Zealand Taxpayers' Union has today published the 2021 edition of Ratepayers' Report – online local government league tables – at www.ratepayersreport.nz With these league tables, New Zealanders can easily compare their local council’s performance ...4 days ago
- Perfectly TayiFaith Wilson responds to Rangikura, the much-anticipated second book of poetry by Tayi Tibble. I find myself on Facebook, as us older millennials so often do, on a stalking mission looking back through Tayi Tibble’s childhood photos. I’m midway through reading a poem in Tibble’s first book, Poūkahangatus, called ‘Ode to ...4 days ago
- Dunne Speaks: Ministry Of Health Needs Better Day-to-day Leadership...4 days ago
- This deep-sea creature is long-armed, bristling with teeth, and the sole survivor of 180 million yea...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim O’Hara, Senior Curator of Marine Invertebrates, Museums Victoria C. Harding/Museums Victoria, Author provided Let me introduce you to Ophiojura, a bizarre deep-sea animal found in 2011 by scientists from the French Natural History Museum, while trawling the summit of ...4 days ago
- Resettling refugees in other countries is not working, nor is it fair. So, why is Australia doing it...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Higgins, Senior Research Fellow, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW The federal government has scrambled in recent days to minimise the political fallout from its treatment of the Tamil family from Biloela. After almost two years stuck on Christmas Island, ...4 days ago
- Which COVID vaccine is best? Here’s why that’s really hard to answerSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wen Shi Lee, Postdoctoral researcher, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity from www.shutterstock.com With the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines accelerating, people are increasingly asking which vaccine is best? According to Google Trends, more and more people want to ...4 days ago
- Bones and all: see how the diets of Tasmanian devils can wear down their sharp teeth to blunt nubbin...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tahlia Pollock, PhD candidate, Monash University Zoos Victoria, Author provided Tasmanian devils are expert scavengers, with strong jaws and robust teeth that give them the notorious ability to eat almost all of a carcass — bones and all. Scientists have ...4 days ago
- More stress, unclear gains: are selective schools really worth it?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa Tham, Research officer at the Centre for International Research on Education Systems, Victoria University Shutterstock Thousands of primary and secondary students in Sydney and Melbourne are preparing for selective entrance exams. If successful, students will gain entry into a ...4 days ago
- Hidden women of history: Eliza Hamilton Dunlop — the Irish Australian poet who shone a light on co...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Johnston, Associate Professor of English Literature, The University of Queensland Portrait of Eliza Hamilton Dunlop (no date), colour photograph of oil painting Wollombi Endeavour Museum In this series, we look at under-acknowledged women through the ages. Eliza Hamilton Dunlop’s poem ...4 days ago
- Meet the ‘unusual’ new CEO of Kiwi WealthRhiannon McKinnon wants to user her position as head of a Kiwisaver fund to help New Zealanders think about investing – including those groups traditionally excluded from the investment conversation. Kiwi Wealth’s new acting chief executive Rhiannon McKinnon is the first to admit her appointment was “unusual”. She is among ...4 days ago
- Live updates, June 16: Several MIQ breaches revealed Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for June 16, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz7.35am: Several MIQ breaches revealedTwelve people attempted to break the rules of managed isolation in an Auckland hotel over the weekend, in three different groups.The NZ Herald’s Vaimoana ...4 days ago
- The Many Faces Of Racial Terror.
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