Search Results
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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).
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Comment:O Winston I love you
Date published: 12:54 pm, October 18th, 2020. First time I ever saw one Winston Raymond Peters was in National's 1978 Election Campaign ads ... he pretended to be a neutral journalist interviewing Muldoon ... and at the end turned to the camera, as if an objective observer who had clearly just been ...
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Comment:Labour crushes election - now what?
Date published: 12:24 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:Labour crushes election - now what?
Date published: 10:13 am, October 18th, 2020Advance Vote here https://www.electionresults.govt.nz/advance-votes.html Subtracted Advance Vote from Overall Vote to get Election Day Vote (obviously excludes Specials at this stage)
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Comment:Labour crushes election - now what?
Date published: 9:53 am, October 18th, 2020. Advance Vote ... Vs ... Election Day Vote Lab ...... 51.0% ................ 45.2% Green ... 8.1% .................. 6.4% (L+G) .... 59.1% ................ 51.6% Nat ...... 25.5% ................ 30.3% ACT ....... 7.5% ................... 9.3% (N+A) .... ...
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Comment:Election Night 2020
Date published: 11:34 pm, October 17th, 2020Specials might just push Labour back over 50% ... and the Nats below 26%.
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Comment:Election Night 2020
Date published: 11:07 pm, October 17th, 2020There will be Blood https://twitter.com/henrycooke/status/1317405224944857089
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Comment:Election Night 2020
Date published: 11:00 pm, October 17th, 2020The farmers swinging to ACT ... The Townies swinging to Labour, I'll be bound. Easy to overestimate the % of Farmers in Rural Seats ... always far more townies than a lot of pundits realise.
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Comment:Election Night 2020
Date published: 10:26 pm, October 17th, 2020Early on in the Night ... but I'm calling it for Labour. You heard it here first.
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Comment:Election Night 2020
Date published: 10:14 pm, October 17th, 2020Yep ... same here .... clearly somewhat more Left-leaning Advance Vote counted early / came in first.
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Comment:Election Night 2020
Date published: 10:12 pm, October 17th, 20202017 Specials saw Nat down 1.6 .... Lab up 1.1 .... Greens up 0.4. Should be more Special Votes this time ...
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Comment:Election Night 2020
Date published: 9:47 pm, October 17th, 2020Yep ... as the Election Day votes come in ... Labour & the Greens slowly dropping ... Nats & ACT slowly creeping up. But then Specials will no doubt move things back in a Leftward direction in a few weeks time.
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Comment:Election Night 2020
Date published: 9:14 pm, October 17th, 2020Looks like the Nats may have suffered a somewhat milder version of 2002's last minute Death Spiral ... except this time the swing was to Labour rather than NZF, UF, ACT. (Most Nat-to-ACT swingers had obviously already decided weeks ago ... I'm speculating ...
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Comment:Election Night 2020
Date published: 9:05 pm, October 17th, 2020. Unless things change dramatically (highly unlikely) looks like it's gonna be a bad night for Colmar Brunton & Reid Research too. Final Polls ............. Lab ..... Nat CB ....... 46.0 ... 31.0 RR ....... 45.8 .... 31.1 UMR .... 50.0 .... 29.0 RM ..........
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Comment:Election Night 2020
Date published: 8:48 pm, October 17th, 2020Bishop Tamaki or Bishop Chris ?
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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.
- After Brexit?
The deed is done, the doers undoneHad I been a Brit, I would have voted ‘Remain’ rather than Brexit (or ‘Leave’). Instead, I have been bemused by the comic theatre of British politics, fascinated by what the Brits actual think and professionally interested by the revelations of the complexity of ...2 weeks ago - Happy New Year?
But Will She Keep Smiling? Kindness is as kindness does. And the one thing kindness cannot do is force people to be kind. Understanding that was the single most important factor in the Prime Minister’s success at stamping out the Coronavirus. She took New Zealanders with her; she encouraged them ...2 weeks ago - 2020 Just Reading: The List
Completed reads for 2020: The History of the Britons, by NenniusThe Annales CambriaeThe Life of King Alfred, by AsserThe Wood Beyond the World, by William MorrisThe Life of Merlin, by Geoffrey of MonmouthThe History of the Kings of Britain, by Geoffrey of MonmouthThe Life of Gildas, by Caradoc ...2 weeks ago - 2020 – Blog views by country
As per my blog tradition, here is where my blog viewers came from in 2020: United StatesUnited KingdomCanadaAustraliaNew ZealandBrazilGermanySpainSwedenThe Netherlands The top four remain as per 2019. After four years at #6, New Zealand gains a spot. Brazil is up four, and The Netherlands jumps from #16 to #10. ...2 weeks ago - “2020, well that was an interesting vintage…!” And all the other thoughts before it firmly kic...
There was all kinds of musings this blogger had thought about up to this point, the eve of a New Year (at least, in one calendar. Maybe we get to postpone some of this if we’re operating off the Chinese Calendar or Mayan one?). Some of those will ...2 weeks ago - 2020 Just Reading: DecemberCompleted reads for December: Frankenstein, by Mary ShelleyMurder on the Orient Express, by Agatha ChristieA Study in Scarlet, by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleThe Sign of Four, by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleDracula, by Bram StokerKing Solomon’s Mines, by H. Rider HaggardThe Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, ...3 weeks ago
- Coffee Culture (Roslyn – Dunedin)
I have been here several times, and love it every time. Great range of coffees and other drinks, and amazing cakes! The staff are on… ...3 weeks ago - Speights Ale House (Dunedin)My review is from Monday 28th December 2020, in the early evening. Being a public holiday there was a 15% surcharge on the bill, but… ...3 weeks ago
- The Left Has Turned Into a Guild Hall
If you think the American left looks like an association of market actors, it’s because it is. This article by Oliver Traldi looks at woke as a guild rather than an ideology. The difference he says is that the rules of a guild keep changing. Join the guild or have ...3 weeks ago - End of Year Roundup.
We have arrived at the end of another year here at KP, making it the 11th since we started in January 2009. I am the only one left of the original crew and am the only one who posted this year. Lew is still nominally involved with KP as an ...3 weeks ago - Scientists shine in New Year’s Honours
In a fitting bookend to a year of science, over a dozen scientists and health experts have been distinguished in the New Year’s Honours. Every year at New Year and Queen’s Birthday I scan the list of honours looking for familiar names from the research field, and I can’t think ...3 weeks ago - NZ Politics Daily: 31 December 2020
Today’s content New Year’s Honours 2021 list announced Amber Allott (Stuff): Christchurch’s new knight reflects on nearly 30 years in politics Rahul Bhattarai (RNZ): David Carter on knighthood: Speaker’s role vital in a democracy Bridie Witton (Stuff): Wellington epidemiologist who pushed for lockdown honoured John Weekes (Herald): New Year 2021 Honours: Constellation of Kiwi stars shine bright Caroline Williams (Stuff): New Year ...3 weeks ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #52, 2020
Happy Holidays, Crew! Given the smoothing effect of the publication pipeline, it's safe to say that publisher staff took a full holiday this month, as reflected in this edition's paltry collection of 54 articles, around 1/2 of our normal bill of lading. Post-AGW research After viewing a few dozen editions ...3 weeks ago - NZ Politics Daily: 30 December 2020Today’s content Housing Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): What would actually happen if *shock horror* house prices fell? Rob Stock (Stuff): House prices set to rise further in first half of 2021 Susan St John (Interest): The speech I would like Grant Robertson to give in the New Year Tom Peters (WSWS): Housing crisis fuels poverty and inequality in New Zealand Brendon Harre: Depoliticising ...3 weeks ago
- Masking Alone.A while back I was talking to a friend about the reasons why I believe that the US has failed so miserably in managing the Covid-19 pandemic. Our starting point was the idiocy surround the “masks interfere with our freedom” arguments. Besides the fact that there are all sort of ...3 weeks ago
- Two Degrees, now just as bad as others – maybe worseTwo Degree’s mobile started off with a hiss and a roar – yes they brought us lower prices, yes they created competition for the then… ...3 weeks ago
- Coping with fire-scorched land more prone to mudslidesThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons After a fire, rain can feel like a refreshing mercy. But it also spells fresh danger in fire-struck areas made newly vulnerable to mudslides. Amidst recovering from the trauma of a wildfire, people in hillside homes across much of the ...3 weeks ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 29 December 2020Today’s content Parliament, and end of year reviews Bryce Edwards (Guardian): The secret of Jacinda Ardern’s success lies in her conservatism Chris Trotter (Interest): Jacinda Ardern knows that it’s restoration people want – not revolution Alexander Gillespie (The Conversation): New Zealand’s 2020 report card: doing well but could try harder Martin Van Beynen (Stuff): A year of soul-searching and virtue signalling ...3 weeks ago
- Sensible Sentencing Trust: Cowards Who Withhold Information In Child Abuse Cases Should Be Prosecute...
“It is basic human decency to speak up and protect any vulnerable child from harm, so withholding information in child abuse cases and allowing the abuse to happen by not speaking up is, put simply, a cowardly move,” says Jess McVicar Co-Leader ...4 days ago - ExportNZ Welcomes Back International StudentsAllowing 1,000 returning international students back to New Zealand is the right move by the Government, and hopefully we will be able to welcome more, says ExportNZ Executive Director Catherine Beard. "International education has contributed ...4 days ago
- Live: US House votes to impeach President Donald Trump after Capitol riot
A majority of the House of Representatives have voted to make Donald Trump the first US president ever to be impeached twice, formally charging him in his waning days in power with inciting an insurrection just a week after a violent mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol. Follow the ...4 days ago - January 26th 100 Days 4 Action RallyThe Youth of NZ will be standing up for climate action once again on January 26th outside of Parliament for School Strike 4 Climate NZ’s 100 Days 4 Action campaign rally. “We believe it is vital to hold our new Labour-led government to account ...4 days ago
- Council Must Release Engineering Safety Report On Hemo Gorge Monument LeanThe Taxpayers’ Union is calling on Rotorua Lakes District Council to urgently release the engineering report on the public safety and structural integrity of the visible foundation-misalignment and lean of the City’s Hemo Gorge monument to government ...4 days ago
- Child Poverty And Hospitalisation Study Gets Surprising ResultChanges in income and movement in and out of poverty over time are only weakly associated with higher rates of child hospitalisation in New Zealand, according to a new University of Auckland study. Published today in PLOS ONE, the collaborative study led by Dr ...4 days ago
- 8 Tips To Protect Your Pets From The Summer SunWith a long, hot summer upon us, pet owners are urged to be extra mindful of their pet’s health and safety. Unusually warm weather can quickly take its toll on furry family members, who aren’t well equipped for dealing with blazing heat. The National ...4 days ago
- Suspended Twitter accounts: Concern over Simon Bridges' reaction
The Council for Civil Liberties is challenging a claim by former National Party leader Simon Bridges that people should have total freedom of expression on Twitter. ...4 days ago - A Century Of Sexual Abuse Of New Zealand Women Analysed In StudyA century of sexual abuse of women in New Zealand is analysed in a University of Auckland study. The newly-published research looks back as far as 1922 by analysing interviews with thousands of women about their lifetime experiences. The study indicates ...4 days ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – January 14 2021
Editor’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 Twitter suspension of NZ accounts Rachel Sadler (Newshub): Twitter’s suspension of New Zealand-based right-wing accounts ‘an overreaction’ – Simon Bridges Alex Braae (Spinoff): NZ right-wingers caught up in global purge of Twitter ...4 days ago - Over 60,000 Native Tree Christmas Gifts To Combat Climate Change62,686 more native trees will be planted in New Zealand in 2021 thanks to generous Kiwis who chose to go green for Christmas gifting. <img src="https://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/2101/cf409712f141732a8543.jpeg" width="720" height="540"> Trees That Count, a programme ...4 days ago
- Placing Cuba on the List of State Sponsors of Terrorism Discredits U.S. Foreign PolicySource: Council on Hemispheric Affairs – Analysis-Reportage By Arturo López-Levy Oakland, California Unfortunately, the attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters, encouraged by the Inciter-in-Chief, will not be the last act of mischief. Trump is insisting on causing as much damage as possible to the interests and values ...4 days ago
- Tiwai Point aluminium smelter to keep operating until end of 2024
The threatened Tiwai Point aluminium smelter will keep operating through to the end of December 2024, in a new deal just announced to the New Zealand stock exchange. Mining conglomerate Rio Tinto announced last year it was closing Tiwai due to high energy and transmission costs. Meridian Energy said that ...4 days ago - SuperGold or SuperWhite? A call for a more Māori gold card
The lack of Māori language or symbolism on the SuperGold Card isn’t just a design issue – it’s emblematic of the overwhelming whiteness of Aotearoa’s superannuant population, writes former race relations commissioner Joris de Bres.I’ve enjoyed the SuperGold Card since I retired eight years ago. I appreciate the free public ...4 days ago - We found the oldest known cave painting of animals in a secret Indonesian valleySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Brumm, Professor, Griffith University The dating of an exceptionally old cave painting of animals that was found recently on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi is reported in our paper out today. The painting portrays images of the Sulawesi warty pig (Sus ...4 days ago
- How China is controlling the COVID origins narrative — silencing critics and locking up dissentersSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Garrick, University Fellow in Law, Charles Darwin University Just over a year has gone by since the novel coronavirus first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan and the world still has many questions about where and how it originated. The ...4 days ago
- 2021 is the year Australia’s international student crisis really bitesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Hurley, Policy Fellow, Mitchell Institute, Victoria University 2021 is shaping up as very difficult for universities, as well as the more than 130,000 people whose jobs rely on the international education sector. In October 2019 almost 51,000 new and returning international ...4 days ago
- Why the far-right and white supremecists have embraced the Middle Ages and their symbolsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Young, Lecturer, Deakin University Medievalist references littered the insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6th. Rudy Giuliani called for a “trial by combat”; the “Q Shaman”, Jacob Chansley (also known as Jake Angeli), was covered in Norse tattoos; rioters brandished ...4 days ago
- Mental health services urgently needed in Canterbury and BOP, says therapist
A Whakatāne therapist says the Whakaari eruption and Christchurch mosque shooting reveal a health system unable to deal with mass casualty events. Whakaari after its eruption in 2019. Photo: Supplied/Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust This comes amid calls for millions of dollars of promised mental health funding to be urgently re-routed to Canterbury ...4 days ago - The bestselling NZ author behind Mystic, TVNZ’s latest teen seriesSummer reissue: Business 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 talks to Stacy Gregg, author of Pony Club Secrets and The Princess and ...4 days ago
- Alice Snedden’s Bad News: Why are we still so scared of breasts?Summer reissue: The latest episode of Bad News follows Alice Snedden on a quest to expose the double standards around nudity, and break down the barriers by getting the first-ever topless scene on Shortland Street.First published August 25, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The ...4 days ago
- Waikeria protests put a spotlight on prison conditions
While the protests at Waikeria shine a light on prisoner conditions, abuses of power and inhumane treatment in prison are not new and will continue until prisoner numbers significantly reduce, writes Christine McCarthy The recent six-day Waikeria protest highlighted problems at that prison, but it is not unique. The December ...4 days ago - APEC, NZ and economic interdependence
The Asia-Pacific economy will take centre stage in the next decades. Here's why that might be important for New Zealand. ...4 days ago - Being benched by the Team of Five Million
At a time when Kiwis need their squad the most, Laura Walters writes about the experience of overseas Kiwis who feel sidelined ...4 days ago - NZ absent from major biodiversity pledge
NZ isn't among the 50 signatories to an international commitment to legally protect 30 percent of the world's land and oceans for biodiversity by 2030. ...4 days ago - Siouxsie Wiles: What the new, more infectious strains of Covid-19 mean for usThe new variants of the virus can spread like wildfire, and all of us have a role to play in keeping them out of the community.I have to admit, when I first heard UK prime minister Boris Johnson talking about a new, more transmissible strain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible ...4 days ago
- The Oxford vaccine has unique advantages, as does Pfizer’s. Using both is Australia’s best strat...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kylie Quinn, Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fellow, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University On Sunday, federal Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly said most Australians will be offered a vaccine from Oxford-AstraZeneca. Australia currently has agreements in place to receive 53.8 million ...4 days ago
- Why is it so offensive to say ‘all lives matter’?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karen Stollznow, Research fellow, Griffith University This week acting Australian Prime Minister Michael McCormack uttered a controversial phrase. Defending previous comments in which he compared the Capitol riots to the Black Lives Matter protests, he asserted, All lives matter. McCormack ...5 days ago
- Worried about Earth’s future? Well, the outlook is worse than even scientists can graspSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Matthew Flinders Professor of Global Ecology and Models Theme Leader for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Flinders University Anyone with even a passing interest in the global environment knows all is not well. ...5 days ago
- Sydney Festival review: Sunshine Super Girl is destined to become a legacy piece of Australian theat...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liza-Mare Syron, Indigenous Scientia Senior Lecturer, UNSW Review: Sunshine Super Girl, written and directed by Andrea James, Performing Lines and Sydney Festival Evonne Goolagong Cawley is one of Australia’s greatest sportspeople. She was the top woman tennis player in the world in ...5 days ago
- Despite being permanently banned, Trump’s prolific Twitter record lives onSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Audrey Courty, PhD candidate, School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science, Griffith University For years, US President Donald Trump pushed the limits of Twitter’s content policies, raising pressure on the platform to exercise tougher moderation. Ultimately, the violent siege of the US ...5 days ago
- Indonesia’s aviation safety has improved, but a lot remains to be doneSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Volodymyr Bilotkach, Associate Professor, Singapore Institute of Technology The Sriwijaya Air Flight 182 disaster serves as a warning for aviation safety regulators, not only in Indonesia but worldwide. Four minutes after taking off from Jakarta in heavy rain on January 9, the ...5 days ago
- Parliament axe attack accused bailed to secure mental health unitA 31-year-old man accused of an axe attack on Parliament has been bailed to a secure mental health unit. ...5 days ago
- Film review: in My Salinger Year, hope and optimism win outSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Maxwell, Professor, School of Culture and Communication, University of Melbourne Review: My Salinger Year, directed by Philippe Falardeau In 2014, Joanna Rakoff published a memoir, My Salinger Year, recounting the events of the year she spent working as a “Girl Friday” ...5 days ago
- Seymour is saying the most as the pollies thrust and parry on the pros and cons of Covid policies
The tightening of the border to keep new strains of Covid-19 at bay and demands to hasten the Covid-19 vaccination programme have dominated political debate – at least insofar as press statements provide a measure – in recent days. Opposition parties have been much busier than the government – or ...5 days ago - Enjoy them while you can? The ecotourism challenge facing Australia’s favourite islandsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management, University of South Australia I fell for Kangaroo Island from my first visit. I recall standing on a headland on the island’s southern coast, near Remarkable Rocks (a popular tourist site), and being awestruck by ...5 days ago
- How internet sleuths are tracking down the Capitol insurrectionistsIn the wake of the Capitol invasion and riot, a Twitter-based, crowd-sourced effort to uncover the perpetrators’ identities swung into action. Dylan Reeve, who is involved in the efforts, explains how Open Source Intelligence works, and who it’s helped bring to justice so far.The recent events in Washington DC were ...5 days ago
- The Norse myths behind the tattoos worn by the Capitol riot’s ‘QAnon Shaman’The tattoos on the chest of a prominent participant in last week’s Capitol invasion and riot are Norse symbols now used to indicate adherence to far-right politics, writes an expert in Old Norse mythology.The defining image of the storming of the US Capitol on January 6 was undoubtedly that of ...5 days ago
- What’s at stake for NZ in Australia’s case against China at the World Trade Organisation?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato With the relationship between China and Australia souring in the past six months, New Zealand’s response will need to be nuanced and careful, but also principled. First and foremost, we must ensure the dispute ...5 days ago
- NZ far-right Twitter accounts suspended
As part of its crackdown on far-right and QAnon-related activity, Twitter has suspended the accounts of a number of local far-right activists, Marc Daalder reports Days after removing outgoing United States President Donald Trump from its platform, Twitter's crackdown on far-right and QAnon-related accounts has reached New Zealand's shores. In ...5 days ago - Dietary Requirements: The lockdown sourdough phenomenonSummer reissue: What is sourdough and why did so many people become obsessed with it during lockdown? This month’s Dietary Requirements podcast cracks open the starter to investigate.First published September 11, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by its members ...5 days ago
- National backtracks on support for Trump's NZ staffer Chris LiddellThe National Party has rescinded its backing for Chris Liddell to take over as secretary-general of the OECD given the recent rioting at the United States Capitol. ...5 days ago
- Local right-wingers caught up in global purge of Twitter accountsSeveral prominent Twitter users on the fringe of right-wing politics in New Zealand have had their accounts suspended amid a wider clampdown by the social media giant. Twitter has suspended the accounts of several prominent members of the right-wing fringe of New Zealand politics, amid a broader crackdown following last ...5 days ago
- Doctors In Training Settle For Improved Working Conditions Over Pay In The Wake Of COVID-19Doctors in Training negotiate a MECA focusing on improved conditions, reflecting the difficult financial times The Specialty Trainees of New Zealand (STONZ) says its new collective agreement with District Health Boards recognises the exceptional ...5 days ago
- We warned Kelvin Davis about the Waikeria uprisingWho could have predicted the stand-off at Waikeria prison? Absolutely anyone, writes Emilie Rākete of People Against Prisons.The Waikeria uprising protesters have come down safely from the rubble of the prison unit they destroyed. The last smouldering embers have been extinguished. As a member of the prison abolitionist group People ...5 days ago
- New Zealand 'pushing the odds toward warmer' – climate scientistThe government needs to take practical action on climate change as the country gears up for warmer years in the future, a climate science professor says. ...5 days ago
- Church leader defends decision to exclude politicians from huiThe Rātana Church will have an opportunity to sort out its long-running problems by deciding not to host politicians this month, its chairman says. ...5 days ago
- Big Business pulls the plug on donations to Republicans who bridled at BridenFollow the money, urged a character in the 1967 film All the President’s Men on the Watergate saga – it’s advice well worth heeding today, a week from the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Several major US companies, including Amazon, AT&T, Comcast, Airbnb, Mastercard, Verizon and Dow, the chemical company. ...5 days ago
- What I learned growing up daughter of an ‘extreme’ conservation activistWhen Pete Bethune was bitten by a venomous snake in the Costa Rican jungle a couple of weeks ago, it was far from his first brush with death. Here the Kiwi conservationist’s daughter, Danielle Bethune, reflects on what she’s learnt from her unconventional father. “You haven’t lived until you have ...5 days ago
- Gender Curriculum Rejected, Support For Opt-In Sex Ed – PollA new nationwide poll has found increasing opposition to gender ideology being taught to children in schools, and increasing support for sex education in general to be opt-in, rather than the current status of opt-out. The poll also found support for ...5 days ago
- Artificial intelligence can deepen social inequality. Here are 5 ways to help prevent thisSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tiberio Caetano, Chief Scientist, Gradient Institute, University of Sydney From Google searches and dating sites to detecting credit card fraud, artificial intelligence (AI) keeps finding new ways to creep into our lives. But can we trust the algorithms that drive it? As ...5 days ago
- You could break espionage laws on social media without realising itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Kendall, PhD Candidate in Law, The University of Queensland Did you know you could be charged with spying if you connect with someone who turns out to be a foreign spy on LinkedIn? Apparently, not enough of us do. Australia’s domestic ...5 days ago
- Net-zero, carbon-neutral, carbon-negative .. confused by all the carbon jargon? Then read thisSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Allen, Senior Lecturer and DECRA Fellow, University of Newcastle Countries around the world are taking steps to tackle climate change and become net-zero emitters of carbon dioxide (CO₂) by 2050. Most recently, Joe Biden’s presidential election win means the US is ...5 days ago
- In thrall to the sprawl: How Aroha can cure Auckland’s addiction
A protest to save a macrocarpa tree on Avondale’s Ash Street began just before Christmas. Auckland apartment builder Ockham’s Mark Todd argues that while the loss of a lone macrocarpa is not the ideal option, he says it’s far preferable to losing another six hectares to urban sprawl. Every year ...5 days ago - Govt research: NZ importing right-wing extremist content
This country is not immune to the online extremist content that's divided the world, Govt research shows ...5 days ago - No politicians at Rātana in 2021 as celebrations made exclusive to church members
Annual celebrations at Rātana pā will be different this year, amid a decision to hold an internal hui for church adherents only. The Rātana celebrations historically draw in many whānau and members of the community to Rātana Pā near Whanganui - and are also attended by political leaders. The government ...5 days ago - The month the meetings stopped: How summer makes us work smarter
Research shows much of the time we waste in workplace meetings can be better spent on solo tasks and deep thinking. ...5 days ago - Government's latest Covid measures described as both too strong and too weakThe new rules announced yesterday mean nearly all New Zealanders living abroad will soon have to show a negative Covid-19 test before boarding their flight home. ...5 days ago
- Alice Snedden’s Bad News: How come churches don’t have to pay any tax?Summer reissue: In the fourth episode of Alice Snedden’s Bad News, Alice makes some inquiries upstairs about the charitable status of churches after finding out the makers of Weet-Bix have an exemption from paying tax.First published August 20, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The ...5 days ago
- Gone By Luncthime: Mervmania hits the 2020 election campaignSummer reissue: Merv Lee-Mather, Merv Thomas and Merv Manhire gather to discuss the most pressing issues of election 2020.First published August 11, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by its members – click here to learn more about how you can support ...5 days ago
- How NZ should respond to new Covid variations
The University of Otago's Philip Hill and Brian Cox look at how findings about new variations in Covid-19 strain transmissibility should influence our approach in New Zealand How should we interpret the reported increased transmissibility of variants of the virus that causes Covid-19? It is important to note that phenomena like ...5 days ago - Vaccine rollout will be 'mammoth undertaking'
Experts on immunisation tell Newsroom distributing and providing the Covid-19 vaccine to the general population will be a 'mammoth undertaking'. Here's what that might look like. ...5 days ago - Simon Bridges: As Trump’s mob storms the Capitol, here’s the book to tells us how we got hereHow did America get to this point? A Time to Build, by leading conservative intellectual Yuval Levin, goes a long way to explaining what has happened there, and in New Zealand, too, writes a former leader of the NZ National Party.Yuval Levin used to be one of the most influential ...5 days ago
- Here for the right reasons: Two Bachelor US fans chew over the new seasonLong-time Bachelor US fans Jane Yee and Tara Ward met for a one-on-one date to discuss the premiere episode of the 25th season, which featured meatballs, vibrators, and a whole lot of feelings. Tara Ward: Jane, everything in my life has led me to this point. I stand before you on ...5 days ago
- No, Twitter is not censoring Donald Trump. Free speech is not guaranteed if it harms othersSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katharine Gelber, Professor of Politics and Public Policy, The University of Queensland The recent storming of the US Capitol has led a number of social media platforms to remove President Donald Trump’s account. In the case of Twitter, the ban is permanent. ...5 days ago
- No politicians at Rātana in 2021 as celebrations made exclusive for church adherentsThe decision to make the annual celebrations exclusive is due to internal issues at the pā, according to the MP for Te Tai Hauāuru, Adrian Rurawhe. ...6 days ago
- Asking people to prepare for fire is pointless if they can’t afford to do it. It’s time we subsi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania Once again, Australia is on fire. This year it’s the turn of Western Australia and South Australia, where bushfires are threatening homes and lives. In the south of Tasmania, conditions are ...6 days ago
- Vic, QLD and NSW are managing COVID outbreaks in their own ways. But all are world-standardSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, La Trobe University It hasn’t been the start to 2021 many of us wanted. In the past three weeks Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales have dealt with fresh COVID outbreaks, but it’s worth remembering each have faced ...6 days ago
- With COVID-19 mutating and surging, NZ urgently needs to tighten border controlsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Wilson, Professor of Public Health, University of Otago The global COVID-19 pandemic is intensifying, with more infectious variants of the virus, and more rapid spread, especially in countries such as the US and UK. This deterioration has meant a higher number ...6 days ago
- State Of Emergency On The Health Of Our OceansIn mid December, Māori from across Aotearoa gathered on Aotea Great Barrier Island to declare a state of emergency on the health of our oceans. “Mauri o te Moana”, a group focussed on giving voice to this issue, was established from this gathering. ...6 days ago
- Lifewise Strike: Complaints About Care Quality, Methodist Church Members ConcernedLifewise homecare workers continue their action to win a fair collective agreement which protects quality care at the Auckland-based homecare provider, taking strike action from 6am-9pm tomorrow (Wednesday) and picketing outside their employer’s ...6 days ago
- 14 billion litres of untreated wastewater is created each day in developing countries, but we don’...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacqueline Thomas, Lecturer in Environmental and Humanitarian Engineering, University of Sydney To limit the spread of disease and reduce environmental pollution, human waste (excreta) needs to be safely contained and effectively treated. Yet 4.2 billion people, more than half of the world’s ...6 days ago
- The right medicine for NZ (we are told) is a matter of Pharmac’s ethnic mix rather than pharmaceut...
Stuff delivered another woke-up call to its readers this morning with a report which presses Pharmac to hire more Maori. There’s nothing in the article to convincingly explain how current staff ratios adversely affect Pharmac’s job of buying medicines or how they actually undermine the nation’s health. The drug-purchasing agency’s ...6 days ago - It’s official: the first 12 days of 2021 show the apocalypse is comingFrom aggressive squirrels to the return of SATC, the start of the year has presented clear evidence that the end is nigh, says Emily Writes.Happy New Year! I think we’re all going to die! The first days of 2021 have shown that those who said “2021 will be better” in ...6 days ago
- 14 billion litres of untreated wastewater is created each day in developing countries, but we don’...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacqueline Thomas, Lecturer in Environmental and Humanitarian Engineering, University of Sydney To limit the spread of disease and reduce environmental pollution, human waste (excreta) needs to be safely contained and effectively treated. Yet 4.2 billion people, more than half of the world’s ...6 days ago
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