Posts Tagged ‘black hole’
Black Hole
Written By: - Date published: 8:16 am, April 11th, 2019 - 126 comments
The first image of a black hole has been released. It’s brighter than expected, but kinda underwhelming.
- Kids’ quality of life will depend on today’s climate choices
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections It’s the moral quandary of human-caused climate change: People least responsible for the problem will bear the brunt of its harmful consequences. As a substantial body of scientific research has established, this reality is true of developing countries. They generally are located in already-hot regions ...10 hours ago - Purpose-built MIQ: National’s sums don’t add up
. . Parts of National’s document – to open up Aotearoa New Zealand “to the world” – has been recycled from various policy and media releases last year and more recently. Despite demanding that the country open up to the outside world and end lockdowns by 1 December, and ...12 hours ago - Member’s Day
Today is a Member's Day, and there's an interesting bill up for debate for once. But they'll have to get through a lot of boring stuff first. First up is Simeon Brown's Arms (Firearms Prohibition Orders) Amendment Bill (No 2), which should go quickly as it has been overtaken by ...17 hours ago - Justice for Brazil?Brazil has been one of the countries worst-hit by the pandemic, with over 21 million confirmed cases and 600,000 deaths. Much of the blame for that can be squarely laid at the feet of its president, Jair Bolsonaro, who put the economy first and let the disease spread unchecked, while ...18 hours ago
- Freedom Day is coming!
Could 1 December be Freedom Day? ...19 hours ago - Gordon Campbell on juggling Covid, and France’s Trump-like populist
It is the age-old Covid problem. How to balance the needs for firms (and schools) to re-open against the need to protect public health. In the past, the balance has been struck by insisting that the best public health outcomes also deliver the best economic (and educational) outcomes. While that ...20 hours ago - Ben Santer on ‘separating’ and his ‘small part’ in understanding of climate scienceThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Separating is hard. I’ve spent most of my scientific career trying to separate observed climate records into human-caused signals and the background noise of natural variability. It’s been challenging and fascinating work. Challenging because so many different human and natural factors affect Earth’s ...21 hours ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 20 October 2021
Today’s NZPD testimonial from Joe Atkinson, Political Scientist, University of Auckland: “NZPD is an indispensable source for political junkies like me. It sorts the wheat out from the media chaff and saves a lot of time.” Anyone can sign up to NZPD for free at: https://democracyproject.nz/nz-politics-daily/ Today’s content Housing Zane Small (Newshub): How ...21 hours ago - The Picnic Period: A sign of our Covid times
Auckland. For a long been it’s been known to Maori as Tamaki Makaurau, a place of ‘many lovers’. In the past fortnight, though, Auckland has shaken out the rug and grabbed a drink to become Tamaki Pikiniki, a place of many picnics. The humble picnic is now, in many ways, a ...2 days ago - Are Covid vaccines becoming less effective?
A critical debate about Covid-19 vaccines is when does protection wane, by how much, why, and what does this mean for controlling the pandemic and the impacts of infections. Depending on the studies or headlines you read it can be confusing. Some report declining vaccine effectiveness, and others don’t. Some ...2 days ago - NZ Politics Daily: 19 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Dr Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director, The New Zealand Initiative “There is a dearth of quality journalism in New Zealand, and so I am grateful to NZ Politics Daily for sifting through our media to discover the gems of reporting and opinion editorials. It is a valuable contribution to ...2 days ago
- Geert Jan van Oldenborgh, 1961–2021This is a re-post from World Weather Attribution With deepest sadness we must share with you the news that Geert Jan van Oldenborgh, dear friend, amazing scientist, co-founder and co-leader of World Weather Attribution, husband and father, and a wonderful human, passed away on 12 October 2021. Geert ...2 days ago
- The Entrust electionAuckland is holding elections for EnTrust, its local electricity trust. Entrust is important - it owns electricity and gas-supplier Vector, and so the decisions it makes around energy infrastructure could make a significant difference to greenhouse gas emissions. But the elections have traditionally been ignored, so its run by CitRats ...3 days ago
- Argentina returns the favourIn the early 2000s, Argentinian victims of the Dirty War, denied justice due to a local amnesty, sought justice in Spanish courts, who obligingly convicted agents of that country's dictatorship of crimes against humanity under Spain's "universal jurisdiction" law. But Argentina wasn't the only country with a repressive dictatorship which ...3 days ago
- Climate Change: A good move, but not enoughThe government has announced that it will quadruple climate aid to developing nations, from $300 million to $1.3 billion over four years. This is good: "climate finance" - aid to developing nations to decarbonise and offset the damage caused by rich-country emissions - is going to be a flashpoint at ...3 days ago
- Too Much Say, Not Enough Do.
When The Green Party Co-Leader Speaks, Does He Make Any Sound? James Shaw must know that neither New Zealanders, nor the rest of humanity, will ever take the urgent and transformative action that Science now deems necessary to stave-off climate catastrophe.POOR JAMES SHAW: He’s the man this government sends out ...3 days ago - Gordon Campbell on the perils of declaring premature victorySure enough, Saturday’s Vaxathon was a barrel of fun and a throwback not merely to the Telethons of the past. It also revived memories of those distant days of early 2020, when we were all carefully wiping down our groceries, not touching our faces, washing our hands for 20 seconds ...3 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 18 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Kim Gillespie, Editor NZME Newspapers Lower North Island & Communities “I find the daily email great for giving me an overview of each morning’s big issues across the media landscape, and really appreciate the huge amount of work that must go in to compiling it each day.” Anyone ...3 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Celebrating and critiquing 25 years of MMPOver the last week, MMP has been in the spotlight, given that it’s now been 25 years since the first general election was held under this proportional representation system. This has produced some important commentary and storytelling about the introduction of MMP and about the various pros and cons of ...3 days ago
- COVID-19 in Aotearoa: what does public health do now?Dr Belinda Loring, Dr Ruth Cunningham, Dr Polly Atatoa Carr* Public health activities have collectively made an incredible contribution to minimising the impact of COVID-19 in Aotearoa. But the work for public health is not over. As the situation in Auckland heralds a transition point in our approach to the ...3 days ago
- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #42Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, October 10, 2021 through Sat, October 16, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: ‘This is a story that needs to be told’: BBC film tackles Climategate scandal, Why trust science?, ...3 days ago
- Is injection technique contributing to the risk of post vaccine myocarditis?Recent misleading media headlines about vaccines being administered incorrectly in the absence of evidence do little to help public confidence in vaccines. Spoiler alert, vaccines are not being administered incorrectly. The topic of this blog is based on what could be an important scientific question – is one of the ...3 days ago
- A Māori health expert reports from the Super Saturday frontlinesRawiri Jansen, National Hauora Coalition I write this as I charge my car, getting ready to head home at the end of a pretty good Super Saturday. It started with coffee and checking the news feeds as any good day should. Between 9 and 10 am as I drove to ...4 days ago
- Weddings and Leopards
Could it be that the Herald is beginning to twig that an unremitting hostility to the government does not go down well with all its readers? The evidence for that is that, in today’s issue, two contributors (Bill Ralston and Steven Joyce) who usually enjoy sticking the knife in, take ...4 days ago - The Chronicles of Kregsmal and Krunch: Volume I
As noted previously, my weekly DND campaign with Annalax and Gertrude has been put on ice. I expect it to return eventually, but for now it is very much on hiatus. The remainder of the group have decided to run an entirely new campaign in the meantime. This ...4 days ago - Super Saturday recap: Patrick Gower doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do
It was Aotearoa’s first national day of action in over ten years, the first since 2010, when Prime Minister John Key tried to inspire us to clean up our nation’s berms. It didn’t work. Today, New Zealand’s berms are worse than ever. But history is not destiny, and other cliches. ...4 days ago - COVID-19 Worried about getting your vaccine or want a simple explanation?Worried about getting your vaccine? Let me tell you a secret. No-one likes getting a vaccine. People do it because they know they’re better off to. Let me tell you another secret, a weird one: the vaccine doesn’t really “do” anything. Confusing? Let me explain… Vaccines are a face at ...5 days ago
- Delta puts workers’ power under the spotlight
by Don Franks Foremost fighting the Delta virus are workers, especially in health, distribution, service and education sectors. Unionised members of these groups are centrally represented by the New Zealand Council of trade unions ( NZCTU). Political journalist Richard Harman recently noted:“Businesses are caught in a legal tangle if they ...5 days ago - Faster transitions to clean energy are also cheaperThis is a re-post from the Citizens' Climate Lobby blog Several clean energy technologies like solar panels have become consistently cheaper year after year as the industries have benefited from learning, experience and economies of scale. Falling solar costs are described by “Swanson’s Law,” much like Moore’s Law described the rapid and consistent ...5 days ago
- Abstraction and Reality in Economics
Sometimes high theory loses the human point of the exercise.One of the joys of teaching is you learn from your students. When fifty-odd years ago, I was at the University of Sussex, a student doing our first-year economics course, Jim, came to me, saying he was pulling out because it ...6 days ago - What Happened to the Team?Last year, in the early stages of the pandemic, the Prime Minister’s “team of five million” performed well; team discipline was maintained and we all worked well together. This year, however, has been a different story; team discipline has weakened, and many people have on numerous occasions behaved badly and ...6 days ago
- Climate Change: Another legal victoryAcross the world climate change activists have been going to court, seeking to make their governments act to protect future generations. And hot on the heels of victories in the Netherlands and Germany, there's been another one in France: A French court has ordered the government to make up ...6 days ago
- Invasion Of The (Covid) Body Snatchers.6 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 15 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Associate Professor Grant Duncan, Massey University, Auckland “The NZ Politics Daily email is very helpful in giving me a quick overview of current events and opinion. It allows me to pick out important or informative columns that I may otherwise have missed. I recommend NZ Politics Daily to anyone ...6 days ago
- Missing From The Anti-Covid Action.The Invisible Man: Where has the NZ Council of Trade Unions been during the Covid-19 Pandemic? Why hasn’t its current president, Richard Wagstaff (above) become a household name during the pandemic? Up there with Ashley Bloomfield, Michael Baker, Shaun Hendy and Siouxsie Wiles? WHERE HAVE THE UNIONS BEEN during the Covid-19 ...6 days ago
- “Go West, Young Virus”
The Auckland Coronavirus Outbreak potters along, not helped by the perception that the Government is disturbingly enthusiastic about “managing the virus” or loosening the border. Health Minister Andrew Little said today he envisages 90% vaccination rates (which we don’t have) eventually leading to 5,000 cases in Auckland a week… ...6 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #41, 2021How to fill a glass and thereby drink— from a fire hose So far this year, New Research has published listings for 3,291 papers concerning climate change from one aspect or another. Each edition includes two dozen or so articles describing freshly and directly observed effects of global waming. These ...6 days ago
- Climate Change: UKanians supports cutsThe Guardian reports a study on emissions reduction policy from the UK, which found that UKanians overwhelmingly support stronger action than their government: The UK public backs a carbon tax on polluting industries, higher levies on flying and grants for heat pumps in order to tackle the climate crisis, ...7 days ago
- Media Link: “A View from Afar” on PRC-Taiwan tensions.
In this week’s podcast Selwyn Manning and I discuss the upsurge in tensions between the PRC and Taiwan and what are the backgrounds to and implications of them. You can check the conversation out here. ...7 days ago - Labour’s 2023 election manifestoThis morning Health Minister Andrew Little effectively unveiled Labour's 2023 election manifesto: 5,000 cases a week in Auckland alone: Thousands of people will be infected with Covid-19 every week even with vaccination levels at 90 per cent, and hospitals face being overwhelmed once restrictions are eased and borders opened, ...7 days ago
- Don't Blame James.7 days ago
- The “Pulpit of Strewth”Barry Soper is one half of one of one of those right-wing husband-and-wife duos in which the Herald seems to specialise. In today’s issue, he has a piece that doesn’t quite reach the heights (or depths) of a Hoskings-style anti-government hostility, but which does provide an interesting example of the ...7 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the epic fails of Kris FaafoiEver since Winston Peters first breathed life into this government in 2018, its own branding has been all about social justice and how we all need to be “kind” to each other. Somehow, Kris Faafoi must have missed the memo. His performance in the immigration portfolio (in particular) has neither ...7 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 14 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Mike Treen, Advocate, Unite Union “Please continue your incredible work compiling these news digests. As someone operating in the fields of advocacy for workers and the broader social justice areas it is invaluable to be able to check what is happening in the media relating to the issues I have to deal ...7 days ago
- Overconfident Idiots: Why Incompetence Breeds CertaintyThis is a re-post from the Thinking is Power website maintained by Melanie Trecek-King where she regularly writes about many aspects of critical thinking in an effort to provide accessible and engaging critical thinking information to the general public. Please see this overview to find links to other reposts from Thinking is Power. ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Abandoning ambitionWhen Labour was first elected to power in 2017, they promised us "[an] ambitious plan to take real action on climate change". Four years and a lot of foot-dragging later, they've finally released that plan. And its not what was promised. Where to begin? Firstly, they've taken the Climate Change ...1 week ago
- Many e-cigarette vaping liquids contain toxic chemicals: new Australian researchAlexander Larcombe, Telethon Kids Institute From October 1, it’s been illegal to buy e-liquids containing nicotine without a prescription from a doctor everywhere in Australia, except South Australia. But vaping with nicotine-free e-liquids is not illegal in Australia (though in some jurisdictions the e-cigarette devices themselves are illegal). Vaping ...1 week ago
- Young adults worldwide have blunt message for governments: ‘We don’t trust you.’This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk Elizabeth Marks describes herself as “a psychologist who works on difficult problems.” Her past research aimed at helping people cope with challenging health conditions, apt training, it appears, for taking on climate change issues. A few years ago, she altered ...1 week ago
- Making ‘Second Age’ Hobbits Work: Amazon Series SpeculationTime for a good old-fashioned fandom furore. The Tolkien fandom hasn’t had a proper one of those since the Great Nudity Scandal of October 2020… so it clearly must be time to pontificate from on-high about a television series we still know vanishingly little about. This time the subject ...1 week ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 13 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Dr Lara Greaves, Political scientist, University of Auckland: “I love the NZ Politics Daily emails as they help me to keep on top of current events. It’s incredibly easy to skim through and follow the links. I really appreciate these as it means that I am exposed to a ...1 week ago
- The Data and Statistics Bill and the OIAThe government introduced a new Data and Statistics Bill today to modernise and replace the 45-year old Statistics Act. Part of the Bill re-enacts the existing confidentiality regime (with one exception), which while a secrecy clause isn't an especially controversial one. Another part is aimed at removing "outdated" (inconvenient) limits ...1 week ago
- Graham Adams: The debate over the $55 million media fund erupts againRNZ’s Mediawatch and a video clip viewed 42,000 times keep the topic of the Public Interest Journalism Fund fizzing. Graham Adams reports. A week ago, the NZ Taxpayers’ Union posted a short video clip of the exchange in Parliament between Jacinda Ardern and Judith Collins in which the National ...1 week ago
- Multiple sclerosis: the link with earlier infection just got stronger – new studyScott Montgomery, UCL For most of the time since the first description of multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1868, the causes of this disabling disease have remained uncertain. Genes have been identified as important, which is why having other family members with MS is associated with a greater risk of developing ...1 week ago
- Hit hard by the pandemic, researchers expect its impacts to linger for yearsSora Park, University of Canberra; Jennie Scarvell, University of Canberra, and Linda Botterill, University of Canberra The impacts of COVID-19 on Australian university researchers are likely to have consequences for research productivity and quality for many years to come. According to an online survey of academics at the University ...1 week ago
- Covid and free speechby Don Franks Some commentators have likened the struggle against Covid 19 to the world war experience. To those of us not alive in those times, that comparison can only be academic. What the anti virus battle reminds me of much more is an industrial strike. In my twenties and ...1 week ago
- “Angry Blowhards”In today’s Herald, their excellent columnist, Simon Wilson, takes to task those “shouty” people whom he further describes as “angry blowhards”. They are those whose prime reaction to the pandemic is anger – an anger they seamlessly (and perhaps unwittingly) transfer from the virus to the government. The basis for ...1 week ago
- Looking Forward To 2022.1 week ago
- Gordon Campbell on Covid mandates, and the Covid pillThe cliché about “living with Covid” will not mean life as we’ve known it, Jim. Vaccination is fast becoming a condition of employment, and also a requirement to participate in aspects of social life, such as travel, attending bars, cafes, and concerts etc. These protective measures enjoy a high level ...1 week ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 12 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Prof Alan Bollard, Professor of Practice at the School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington; Chair of the Infrastructure Commission: “NZ Politics Daily” provides a great public service – a quick and unbiased way to check policy announcements and analysis every morning.” Anyone can sign up to NZPD ...1 week ago
- Legal Beagle: A submission on the COVID-19 Public Health Response Amendment Bill (No 2)
I have made a submission on the COVID-19 Public Health Response Amendment Bill (No 2).In preparing it, I looked at the Hansard for the first reading debate, and got name-dropped as someone likely to make a submission. So, of course I did. I focus on a small bit of the ...1 week ago - Hard News: More tales from the Medicinal Cannabis SchemeYou may have read last week that two years after the publication of regulations for medicinal cannabis – and three years after the enabling legislation – two local products from a local manufacturer have finally met the minimum quality standards for prescription. You may also be interested to know that ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Real action requires governmentOver the weekend someone pointed me at a journal article on "The Poverty of Theory: Public Problems, Instrument Choice, and the Climate Emergency". Its a US law journal article, so is a) very long; and b) half footnotes (different disciplines have different norms), but the core idea is that the ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Not doing our bitLast month the US and EU announced they would push an agreement to cut methane emissions by 30% (from 2020 levels) by 2030 at the upcoming climate change conference in Glasgow. The good news is that New Zealand is looking at joining it. The bad news is that that won't ...1 week ago
- Delta’s Week Of Doom.Classic Shot: Are the Prime Minister’s formidable communication skills equal to the task of getting her government’s anti-Covid campaign back on track?IF JACINDA ARDERN thought last week was bad, the week ahead promises to be even worse. Sixty community cases of Covid-19, one of the highest daily totals so far ...1 week ago
- Urgent measures needed to allow the safe re-opening of Auckland schoolsDr Rachel Webb, Dr Jin Russell, Dr Pip Anderson, Dr Emma Best, Dr Alison Leversha and Dr Subha Rajanaidu* In this blog we describe the range of urgent measures that are needed to facilitate a safe return to schools in Auckland and other regions of the country where there is ...1 week ago
- Children live online more than ever – we need better definitions of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ scree...Kathryn MacCallum, University of Canterbury and Cheryl Brown, University of Canterbury The pandemic has fundamentally altered every part of our lives, not least the time we spend on digital devices. For young people in particular, the blurred line between recreational and educational screen time presents new challenges we are ...1 week ago
- Putting Aotearoa on the map: New Zealand has changed its name before, why not again?Claire Breen, University of Waikato; Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato; Robert Joseph, University of Waikato, and Valmaine Toki, University of Waikato Our names are a critical part of our identity. They are a personal and social anchor tying us to our families, our culture, our history and place in ...1 week ago
- Speaker: Yes, of course festival organisers will follow the law on vaccinationOn Tuesday 5 October the New Zealand Government announced that proof of COVID-19 vaccination would be a requirement to attend large events this summer.It took a few days for event owners to absorb the information and understand the implications. By the end of the working week, most of the big ...1 week ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 11 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Jim Hubbard, Cartoonist “NZ Politics daily is a go to for cartoonists, or should be. Political reporting enmasse like this gives cartoonists and political junkies a smorgasbord to get their teeth into. Essential and I daresay vital reading for those who care about the future of NZ.” Anyone can sign ...1 week ago
- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #41Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, October 3, 2021 through Sat, October 9, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: VFX Artist Reveals how Many Solar Panels are Needed to Power the ENTIRE World, Will you fall ...1 week ago
- The Night of Parmenides: accepted
A bit of good news on the writing front. My 3900-word short story, The Night of Parmenides, has been accepted by SpecFicNZ for their upcoming Aftermath anthology, to be published in early 2022. This is my first published short story to be explicitly set in my home-town of ...1 week ago - The Virus, the Politician, and the gang member. . . . . References Newshub Nation: Gang leader Harry Tam denies Winston Peters’ claims he helped infected woman breach COVID boundary, sparking Northland lockdown Te Ao News: ‘Apologise!’ Mob leader slams Peters’ Covid, Northland allegations Stuff media: Covid-19 – Search for contact of Northland case ‘extraordinarily frustrating’ CNBC: ...2 weeks ago
- Rapid kits, responses, and openings: watch motivations, or catch something worse with Covid…
Last week was probably a high point for many armchair “experts”, fresh from their high after some deep inhaling of the various musings and fumings, of an actually very smug, and very insualted John “Things all work for me…” Key, former Prime Minister and FOREX trader, had blitzed the ...2 weeks ago - Bollocks
It would appear we have an unwelcome presence in town.Positive wastewater results had been detected in Hamilton and Palmerston North on October 6 and 7. There are 26 cases in hospital, seven of these are in ICU or high dependency units (HDU).One of the people in hospital is in Palmerston ...2 weeks ago - World-leading?So, the Herald has found someone, as we can see from today’s issue, who is able to explain why we should not claim to have been “world-leading” in our response to the covid epidemic. It seems that we have been kidding ourselves when we celebrated our low total number of ...2 weeks ago
- Make it a shore thing – Bird of the Year 2021
The Green Party is calling on people to go dotty for dotterel and vote for the New Zealand Dotterel/Tūturiwhatu as Bird of the Year 2021. ...15 hours ago - National’s irresponsible COVID plan will cost livesThe National Party’s plan to remove all COVID restrictions on 1 December, regardless of whether or not people are vaccinated, would cost lives, the Green Party says. ...18 hours ago
- New research reinforces urgency to end conversion practicesNew research from the University of Waikato showing a link between conversion practices and negative mental health for trans and non-binary people reinforces the urgent need to pass the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill. ...19 hours ago
- Te Mātāwaka: Greens call for the Government to listen to Māori health expertsTe Mātāwaka caucus support the call from iwi leaders, and Māori providers for a COVID-19 vaccination rate of 95 percent for Māori, Pasifika and other marginalised communities before further lifting COVID-19 restrictions. ...2 days ago
- Govt must build on foundation of planning rule changes to solve housing crisisFamilies looking for their first home will welcome a bipartisan commitment to increase housing supply, but will be asking what more can be done. ...2 days ago
- Equitable financial support urgently needed to combat COVID outbreakThe Green Party is calling for a broader and more equitable financial support package to slow the COVID-19 outbreak and ensure everyone in Alert Level 3 can make ends meet, following the announcement that Alert Level 3 has been extended for at least two more weeks in Auckland and at ...2 days ago
- Waste strategy needs to learn from natureAnything less than a transformational national waste strategy and waste legislation will not be enough, the Green Party said today. ...6 days ago
- 5 ways you can help New Zealand get vaccinated
Getting vaccinated is the best thing we can do to protect ourselves and the people we care about from COVID-19. It means we’ll all be able to do more of what we love this summer, while keeping each other safe. ...7 days ago - Te Mātāwaka: Greens support iwi led housing solutionsThe Green Party’s Te Mātāwaka Caucus welcome the Government’s investment into iwi Māori-led housing initiatives. ...7 days ago
- Greens call for expanded protection for renters, overseas voting for COVID-19 billThe Green Party is calling for expanded protections for renters and extended eligibility for overseas voters for the COVID-19 Response Management Measures Legislation Bill, which is currently before select committee. ...1 week ago
- One-off residency scheme needs to include working holiday and seasonal workersThe Green Party says the Government needs to extend the one-off residency scheme to all workers, instead of keeping them in limbo with visa extensions every 6 months. ...1 week ago
- Camping, concerts, cuddles: Kiwis tell us why they’re vaccinatedRight now, the single most important thing New Zealanders can do in the fight against COVID-19 is get vaccinated. More and more of us are stepping up, with more than two million people now fully vaccinated. ...1 week ago
- Green Party deeply concerned space launches may be breaching nuclear-free lawsThe Green Party is deeply concerned that space launches by Rocket Lab may be breaching New Zealand’s long-standing nuclear-free position and legislation. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens welcome work on electoral reform, but call for recommendations of previous reviews to be impl...The Green Party welcomes the review of New Zealand’s electoral laws as chance to make elections fairer and more accessible. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt plan risks vulnerable communitiesThe Green Party says the Government’s planned roadmap for Auckland risks the safety of vulnerable communities and children. ...2 weeks ago
- Climate crisis demands better transport optionsThe Green Party said the Government’s decision to scrap the Northern Pathway highlights the need for urgent, people-centred transport options. ...3 weeks ago
- Health reforms bill introduced to Parliament
Legislation central to fixing the health system has been introduced into Parliament by Health Minister Andrew Little. “Rebuilding the public health system is critical to laying the foundations for a better future for all New Zealanders,” Andrew Little said. “We need a system that works for everybody, no matter who ...17 hours ago - NCEA and NZ Scholarship Exams to proceedNCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams will proceed, including in areas where Alert Level 3 has been in place, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “The New Zealand Qualifications Authority, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health have been working together to ensure exams can be managed in a safe ...17 hours ago
- Limited change to onsite learning – for senior secondary students – in Level 3 regionsOnsite learning at schools in Level 3 regions will start from next week for senior secondary school students to prepare for end of year exams, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “Secondary schools in these regions will start onsite learning for years 11 to 13 on Tuesday 26 October,” Chris ...17 hours ago
- Guaranteed MIQ spots for health workersThe Government is changing the way managed isolation is co-ordinated for health workers, guaranteeing 300 spots a month for the health and disability sector. “Our world-class workforce is vital in rebuilding the health system and dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic,” Andrew Little said. “Whether it’s bringing doctors or nurses in ...19 hours ago
- Govt helps to protect New Zealanders digital identitiesMaking it easier for New Zealanders to safely prove who they are digitally and control who has access to that information is one step closer to becoming law, Minister for Digital Economy and Communications, Dr David Clark said. The Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Bill passed its first reading today ...19 hours ago
- Red tape cut to boost housing supplyNew building intensification rules will mean up to three homes of up to three storeys can be built on most sites without the need for a resource consent New rules will result in at least 48,200 and as many as 105,500 new homes built in next 5-8 years Bringing forward ...2 days ago
- Nationwide business partnership grows conservation jobsFurther Government support for New Zealand’s longest-standing sustainable business organisation will open up opportunities for dozens of workers impacted by COVID-19 to jump start a nature-based career, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. Partnering to Plant Aotearoa, led by the Sustainable Business Network (SBN), is a collaboration with iwi, hapū and ...3 days ago
- New Zealand increases climate aid contributionGovernment commits $1.3 billion over four years to support countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change At least 50 percent of funding will go to the Pacific as it adapts to the impacts of climate change The increase means New Zealand now meets its fair share of global ...3 days ago
- Super Māori turnout for Super SaturdayMāori have put a superb effort into mobilising to get vaccinated over Super Saturday, with thousands rolling up their sleeves to protect themselves, their whānau and communities from COVID-19, Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare says. “It was absolutely outstanding that 21,702 Māori got vaccinated on this one day alone with 10,825 ...4 days ago
- Language assists Tagata Niue to thriveDespite the uncertain times we face with the challenges of COVID-19, our cultural knowledge, values and language remain constant, helping us progress towards goals in life, said the Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. This year, the Niuean community in New Zealand decided on the theme, “Kia tupuolaola e ...4 days ago
- New Zealand Ambassador to France announcedForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of Caroline Bilkey as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to France and the OECD. “Aotearoa New Zealand and France have a shared history, and enjoy a strong, collaborative partnership. This includes a strong trade and economic relationship, a shared commitment to support ...6 days ago
- Govt welcomes nurses’ pay settlementThe Government is welcoming news that a new employment agreement for nurses working in public hospitals has been settled. “I am very pleased that the hard work of the Nurses Organisation and District Health Boards has led to a settlement that both can support,” Health Minister Andrew Little said today. ...6 days ago
- Judge of the High Court appointedMāori Land Court Judge Layne Harvey has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Harvey graduated with an LLB from the University of Auckland in 1992 and commenced employment as a law clerk with Simpson Grierson in Auckland that same year. In 1997 ...6 days ago
- Kiwis to have their say on plan to reduce wasteNew Zealanders are invited to have their say on proposals for a new waste strategy and options for new waste legislation. “Reducing waste is one of the issues all New Zealanders – especially younger Kiwis - care deeply about,” Environment Minister David Parker said today “New Zealand is one of ...6 days ago
- Next steps in action plan for indigenous rights kicks offMinister for Māori Development Willie Jackson has today meet with more than 30 national Māori organisations in an online hui, kicking off the process to develop a plan for New Zealand to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Declaration). The previous National Government signed ...7 days ago
- Iwi-led housing solutions build homes for the futureWhai Kāinga, Whai Oranga will open on 20 October, to receive applications for investment through Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Te Puni Kōkiri The $730m fund combines investment from Budget 2021 ($380m) and the Māori Infrastructure Fund ($350m) - the largest investment seen ...7 days ago
- E whakarite ana Te Kāwanatanga i ngā tūāpapa mō twhakamaumahara ki Te Petihana Reo Māori ka t...I te rā nei, i pānuihia e te Minita mō Manatū Taonga, ko Carmel Sepuloni, rāua ko te Minita Whanaketanga Māori, ko Willie Jackson, ā tērā tau, ka whakanuia rawatia te 50 o ngā tau mai i te whakatakotoranga o te petihana mō te Reo Māori me te huanga mai ...7 days ago
- E whakarite ana Te Kāwanatanga i ngā tūāpapa mō tewhakamaumahara ki Te Petihana Reo Māori ka t...I te rā nei, i pānuihia e te Minita mō Manatū Taonga, ko Carmel Sepuloni, rāua ko te Minita Whanaketanga Māori, ko Willie Jackson, ā tērā tau, ka whakanuia rawatia te 50 o ngā tau mai i te whakatakotoranga o te petihana mō te Reo Māori me te huanga mai ...7 days ago
- Government green lights rapid antigen testingSome of the country’s largest businesses have put in an order for 300,000 approved rapid antigen tests for their workforce, after working at pace with the Government on a new scheme unveiled by Associate Minister of Health and Research, Science and Innovation Ayesha Verrall. A coalition of around 25 businesses ...7 days ago
- Government lays foundations as Māori Language Petition commemorations take shape for 2022Taiaha hā! Taiaha hā! - Te kairangi o te reo hoki mai ki taku tikanga, ki taku taumata, ki taku reo, ki taku ao. He reo whai tikanga, he reo whai mana, he reo whai tangata koe. Ki te whāngaihia te reo Māori he ao tēnā, ki te kore he ...7 days ago
- Major contract awarded to power NZ Battery investigationA consortium of specialist firms has been awarded a major contract to advance the New Zealand Battery Project’s feasibility investigation into a pumped hydro storage scheme at Lake Onslow, the Minister of Energy and Resources Megan Woods has announced. “This contract represents a major milestone as it begins the targeted ...7 days ago
- Additional Funding for Foodbanks and Social AgenciesThe Government has approved $13.55m from the Covid Response and Recovery Fund to support foodbanks and social sector agencies, Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni has announced. “Foodbanks and social agencies across Auckland are doing a great job supporting their communities and the Government is today providing them with more ...1 week ago
- Generating a new generation of guardiansThe Government is supporting a Whakatōhea-led project undertaking landscape scale restoration in forests and around vulnerable rivers within the Eastern Bay of Plenty, Minister of Conservation Kiri Allan says. “The Whakatōhea Tiaki Taiao project will employ four people to undertake pest and weed control, ecosystem restoration and monitoring over three ...1 week ago
- Parts of Waikato, Northland staying at Alert Level 3The parts of Waikato that have been in Alert Level 3 and Northland will remain in Alert Level 3 for a few more days, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. Auckland remains at Alert Level 3, Step 1. “Based on the latest public health information, ministers have decided that ...1 week ago
- New courthouses for Tauranga and WhanganuiThe Government is moving ahead with new courthouses in Tauranga and Whanganui, which the Justice Minister says provide an opportunity to redesign court facilities that help put victims at the heart of the justice system. “These courthouses are part of the 10-year infrastructure investment plan to restore and modernise Ministry ...1 week ago
- Speech on the launch of the consultation on the development of the Emissions Reduction PlanTēnā koutou katoa. Ngā mihi o te ata. Earlier this month Save the Children wrote to me with their most up to date analysis on the impact of climate change. What they said was that children born in Aotearoa today will experience up to five times as many heatwaves and ...1 week ago
- Opportunity to shape NZ’s first Emissions Reduction PlanThe Government is inviting New Zealanders to inform the country’s first Emissions Reduction Plan with the release of a consultation document containing a range of policy ideas to decrease the country’s emissions, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Climate Change Minister James Shaw announced today. The Emissions Reduction Plan will set ...1 week ago
- Convention on Biological Diversity COP 15, Virtual High-Level SegmentKia ora koutou katoa. I want to thank China for hosting this critically important Conference of the Parties. We are all here for the same reason. Biodiversity loss, and the ongoing degradation of nature, are accelerating at an unprecedented rate. These losses are causing irreparable harm to our planet’s ability ...1 week ago
- Government books show resilient and strong economyThe end of year audited Crown accounts released today show the Government’s health led approach to the COVID-19 pandemic has protected New Zealand’s economy. “On almost every indicator the accounts show that the New Zealand economy has performed better than forecast, even as recently as the Budget in May. It ...1 week ago
- Health system is ready for assisted-dying lawThe health system is ready for the implementation of the End of Life Choice Act when it takes effect next month, making assisted dying legal in New Zealand, Health Minister Andrew Little said today. The law received 65.1 per cent support in a public referendum held alongside last year’s general ...1 week ago
- Taking a lead in threat to curious keaReducing lead poisoning of kea, the world’s only alpine parrot and one-time New Zealand bird of the year winner, is the goal of a two year project being backed by the Government’s Jobs for Nature programme, Minister of Conservation Kiri Allan says. “Lead poisoning is a serious threat to this ...1 week ago
- Government provides certainty to working holiday and seasonal visa holders and employers for summerThe Government will extend Working Holiday visas and Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) work visas for six months to provide more certainty to employers and visa holders over the coming summer period, Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi has announced. “This offers employers and visa holders the certainty they’ve been asking for going ...1 week ago
- Lower card fees good for businesses, consumersThe Bill to help lower the cost of the fees retailers get charged for offering contactless and debit payment options is another step closer to becoming law, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Dr David Clark said today. “COVID-19 has changed the way we spend our money, with online and contactless ...1 week ago
- Mandatory vaccination for two workforcesHigh-risk workers in the health and disability sector to be fully vaccinated by 1 December, 2021, and to receive their first dose by 30 October School and early learning staff and support people who have contact with children and students to be fully vaccinated by 1 January, 2022, and to ...1 week ago
- Fund allows more Pacific community led vaccinationsThe Government has made $1.1 million available through ‘The Prepare Pacific Community Vaccination Fund’ to directly support Pacific community-led initiatives towards increasing vaccinations, said Associate Minister of Health, Aupito William Sio. “The best way to protect our communities from COVID-19 is through vaccination. “We need to explore every avenue to ...1 week ago
- Small business at heart of economic recovery across APEC regionThe Minister for Small Business says support for small and medium enterprises will remain ongoing as the Asia-Pacific region moves through response and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Stuart Nash today chaired a virtual summit from Wellington for the APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting (SMEMM). “APEC Ministers responsible ...2 weeks ago
- Restrictions on abortion medication lifted for health practitionersAbortion services can now be provided in primary care, meaning people can access this care from someone like their trusted GP and in a familiar setting, Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “By lifting some restrictions on the funded medications used for early medical abortions, more health ...2 weeks ago
- Record day for Māori vaccinationsMore than 10,000 vaccinations were administered to Māori yesterday, the highest number in the vaccine campaign so far, Associate Minister of Health (Maori Health) Peeni Henare announced. There were 10,145 doses administered across the motu yesterday this is almost equivalent to the population of Hāwera. The doses are made up ...2 weeks ago
- Statement on Joint Cooperation in Agriculture between Ireland and New Zealand8 October 2021 - Dublin, Ireland Agriculture plays an important role in the economic, social, environmental, and cultural wellbeing of Ireland and New Zealand. We are focused on increasing the productivity, inclusivity, and resilience of our respective primary sectors. As agri-food exporting nations, we also share a commitment to a ...2 weeks ago
- Northland to move to Alert Level 3 tonightNorthland will move to Alert Level 3 restrictions from 11:59pm tonight following recent information on the risk presented by the positive case initially tested in Whangarei earlier this week and confirmed in Auckland yesterday, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said. The person is now in an Auckland Managed Isolation Quarantine ...2 weeks ago
- Siouxsie Wiles: What the data is telling us about New Zealand’s delta outbreak
Nine weeks on, the Auckland outbreak has hit record levels, and continues to grow. The numbers tell a compelling story, writes Siouxsie Wiles. Data visualisations by Harkanwal Singh.The Spinoff’s ongoing coverage of Covid-19 relies on support from readers via Spinoff Members. Help us stay on the story by joining here. This ...1 hour ago - One chance to avoid a needless bonfire of Auckland businessDeep into a delta lockdown, businesses in New Zealand’s biggest city urgently need a new form of support, writes Richard Meade.The government has pledged to announce tomorrow long-overdue economic support measures to relieve the burden on Auckland’s people-facing businesses. These businesses have taken a massive eight week – and counting ...1 hour ago
- How to open a positive conversation with your vaccine hesitant friendLoving, meaningful and understanding engagement can mean resisting the temptation to bombard with data, writes Dr Elspeth Frascatore, founder of Doctors Stand Up For Vaccination.Vaccine hesitancy. It’s a phenomenon that has uncomfortably co-existed with vaccines for hundreds of years. Vaccines have been in existence since 17th century China, when Buddhist ...1 hour ago
- Book of the Week: Margaret Wilson's revenge
Phillida Bunkle examines hidden agendas in the memoirs of Margaret Wilson “History will be kind to me – for I will write it”: Sir WinstonChurchill Margaret Wilson's apparently boring book Activism, Feminism, Politics and Parliament is actually a story of friendship betrayed and cool revenge. Wilson was said to be ...1 hour ago - The travel barriers before you even get to Customs
Flight in the age of Covid will never be the same. Think socially distanced planes, vaccine passports and sky high air fares. The ubiquity and affordability of air travel is one of the major developments of the past century, but the devastation Covid-19 has wreaked on the industry may have ...1 hour ago - Educators' frustrating wait for vaccine mandate details
As the deadline for education workers to get the vaccine approaches, principals and teachers want clarity from the Government on what this will mean for the sector Schools are set to be one of the crucial battlegrounds for vaccination. With children under the age of 12 still unable to ...1 hour ago - What our child protection system should be doing
Reorienting Oranga Tamariki towards prevention, rather than reaction to harm, is a step in the right direction. But there is still a long way to go in addressing the organisation’s fragmentation, argues Emily Keddell. Is a child protection agency more like a police force, or more like a support service? Is ...1 hour ago - Kevin Rudd on China: 'A thousand-pound gorilla in the front living room'
Former Australian PM has harsh words for China's wolf warrior diplomacy – and his country's response. ...1 hour ago - Olympic champ takes the tiller of women's sailing
Olympic gold medallist Jenny Armstrong is now plotting the course of women’s sailing in New Zealand - and she's already leading by example, Suzanne McFadden discovers. As a kid sailing her P class dinghy on the upper reaches of the Otago Harbour, Jenny Armstrong wanted nothing more than to beat ...1 hour ago - Covid: It's unlikely the Govt has lost the plot
Has this month's Covid management been panic, shambles or shrewd political and economic calculation? ...1 hour ago - Government shuts down move to refer Christian Porter’s secret funds to privileges inquiry
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government has blocked an inquiry into whether Christian Porter breached parliamentary privilege in refusing to reveal who donated to his legal costs. This was despite Speaker Tony Smith giving the Labor motion for the ...6 hours ago - After a bombshell day at ICAC, questions must be asked about integrity in Australian politicsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andy Marks, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Strategy, Government and Alliances, Western Sydney University AAP/Dan Himbrechts A few days into the current Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) proceedings in NSW, and it appears two relatively popular former NSW premiers and Cabinet colleagues – ...8 hours ago
- More than 50,000 illegal firearms in PNG, but general denies gun tradeBy Rebecca Kuku in Port Moresby Many allegations have been leveled against Papua New Guinea’s disciplinary forces over the years, alleging that police and soldiers sell firearms. However, Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) Commander Major-General Gilbert Toropo denies these claims, saying all firearms are inspected and are accounted for ...8 hours ago
- NZ reports 60 new community covid cases – three positives ‘escape’ MIQ8 hours ago
- Backes rejects delaying New Caledonia independence referendumRNZ Pacific A leading anti-independence politician in New Caledonia, Sonia Backes, has rejected calls for the referendum on independence from France to be postponed, saying it should be held as planned. Pro-independence politicians have asked Paris to postpone the vote — due on December 12 — until next year because ...8 hours ago
- Perceptions over NZ’s public interest journalism project – saint or sinner?SPECIAL REPORT: By Sri Krishnamurthi for Asia-Pacific Report “Public interest journalism plays a crucial role in promoting the quality of public life, protecting individuals from misconduct on the part of government and the private sector, and giving real content to the public’s ‘right to know’.” – The Crucial Role of ...8 hours ago
- Celebrity Treasure Island power rankings: My kingdom for Art Green’s pantsIt’s week seven of our favourite reality show and things are getting awkward for our celebs. Our favourite celebrity castaways have spent three long and filthy weeks marooned on a beach together, and things have gotten tense. Nobody is sleeping, everyone hates rice, and there’s only one pair of Art ...10 hours ago
- Treating a child’s mental illness sometimes means getting the whole family involvedSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jade Sheen, Associate Professor, School of Psychology, Deakin University Shutterstock Half of all adult mental health issues emerge before the age of 14, with 14% of Australian children aged four to 17 currently impacted by poor mental health. These ...10 hours ago
- LIVE@Midday Thurs: Supply-Chains, Geo-Economic Resets, Post-Pandemic Security – Buchanan and Manni...A View from Afar – In this podcast, Paul G. Buchanan and Selwyn Manning will analyse how supply-chain bottlenecks, a global economic reset, and post-pandemic security are about to trigger a new era in geo-economics. Wherever you are around the world, if you haven’t yet experienced the impact of ...12 hours ago
- ‘It takes a mental toll’: Indian students tell their stories of waiting out the pandemic in Aust...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Preeti Vayada, PhD Candidate, School of Education, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The stories of international students’ struggles amid the challenges and uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic seem to have reached the stage of psychic numbing. Despite their numbers, their ...12 hours ago
- Pae Ora Healthy Futures Bill: Health system reform introduced to Parliament
The bill will be up for consultation at the Select Committee stage once the bill has its first reading. The legislation is expected to be passed next year, and come into effect on 1 July. ...13 hours ago - National's plan risks vulnerable communities, critics warnThe government says the National Party's Covid-19 business plan is economically illiterate, while others say it puts Māori, Pacific people and other vulnerable communities at risk. ...13 hours ago
- From counting birds to speaking out: how citizen science leads us to ask crucial questionsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Possingham, Professor, The University of Queensland Shutterstock My utopia is based on one simple idea: we should all become citizen scientists. Why? Because citizen scientists can overturn the information inequity that plagues much of our collective decision-making. If citizens ...13 hours ago
- Home Truths review: is David Williamson a reformed ‘Bad Art Friend’?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kerrie Davies, Lecturer, School of the Arts & Media, UNSW AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein Review: Home Truths: A Memoir by David Williamson (HarperCollins) Is playwright David Williamson a “Bad Art Friend”? The ethical questions raised by the viral New York Times ...13 hours ago
- BEIA Welcomes National’s Plan To Support Event Insurance
Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) has welcomed National’s Back to Business plan which would see government fund the premium for events industry insurance cover. BEIA Chief Executive, Lisa Hopkins says the Government rejected an industry-led proposal ...14 hours ago - How it feels to be an African-Kiwi on NZ screensCome Dine With Me New Zealand’s Kelvin Taylor wants to see more African-Kiwi talent on local screens.When I worked as a background actor in the Spartacus series Vengeance and War of the Damned, many of the other African background artists started to refer to themselves as “the blackground” on set. ...14 hours ago
- Dame Cindy Kiro To Be Sworn In As New Zealand’s 22nd Governor-GeneralDame Alcyion Cynthia (Cindy) Kiro will be sworn in as New Zealand’s first wahine Māori Governor-General in a ceremony at Parliament House in Wellington tomorrow, 21 October. The ceremony is the most significant State event since the opening of ...14 hours ago
- Peace Action Plan Climate ActionPeace Action Wellington is holding an info evening on Thursday, 21 October from 6-9pm at the Newtown Community Centre to discuss and plan a climate justice action to coincide with the international climate negotiations happening in Scotland, COP ...14 hours ago
- Re-opening Of Level 3 Schools Next Week A Reckless DecisionSecondary teachers are dismayed and angry at the Government’s announcement today that senior students in COVID-19 Alert Level 3 areas will return to the classroom from next Tuesday. “We’re not sure who Minister Hipkins consulted before he made ...15 hours ago
- Review: Euthanasia series The Pact tells a tough story with generosity and graceThe new local series, streaming now on TVNZ On Demand, makes a moving family drama out of an issue most of us would rather not think about, writes Catherine McGregor.This review discusses euthanasia and suicide.If there’s one activity I really prefer to keep to a bare minimum, it’s contemplating my ...15 hours ago
- National's reopening date isn't rooted in science
National's insistence that the country reopen in six weeks come hell or high water would see disastrous outcomes, particularly for Māori, Marc Daalder writes Comment: Both National and the New Zealand hospital system are lucky we'll never experience the consequences of the party's reopening plan. If implemented, the plan would see Covid-19 ...16 hours ago - The Nats come up with a Covid plan – and the Greens come up with nonsense to rebut it
Latest from the Beehive One of two new announcements, when we checked the Beehive website around noon, changes the managed isolation system for health workers. The other is a progress report on the government’s aim to make it easier for New Zealanders to safely prove who they are digitally and ...16 hours ago - Millions of people were evacuated during disasters last year – another rising cost of climate chan...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane McAdam AO, Scientia Professor and Director of the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Melizabeth Uhi, a school principal, stands in front of her destroyed home in Vanuatu, a week after Cyclone Pam tore through the South Pacific archipelago in ...16 hours ago
- The vaccination rate for every suburb in New Zealand on an interactive mapMaps showing the vaccination rate for every suburb* in the country, updated weekly. Built by the Spinoff’s head of data, Harkanwal Singh. These maps display the most recent available data, released on Wednesday October 20.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid story depends on support from Members. Keep us going by ...16 hours ago
- Ombudsman Launches Investigation Into MIQ Booking SystemThe Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier is launching a broad investigation into the Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) booking system after receiving hundreds of complaints. Mr Boshier says he has identified some common themes in about 200 complaints relating ...16 hours ago
- The power of outdoor education to break the cycle of povertyAccess to nature might seem free, but in reality poverty can be a significant hindrance to outdoor education and the benefits that come with it. Hillary Outdoors helps rangatahi experience our natural environment, without the stress of financial barriers.From Cape Reinga to the Southern Alps and all the way to ...17 hours ago
- Global dairy prices rise, hurrah – but so did the Kiwi dollar, and farm costs are climbing, too
At first blush, there might have been some cheering in the cowsheds at results from the latest Fonterra Global Dairy Trade auction, with prices up by an average 2.2%. But the ebullience would have become more subdued as the reality sank in that the rise in the NZ dollar against ...18 hours ago - The Ladyhawke song Christina Aguilera nearly (maybe) coveredThe singer-songwriter tells us about a notorious Wellington flat, a tantalising rumour and more in this week’s episode of FIRST.Ladyhawke still doesn’t know if there was any truth to the best rumour she ever heard about herself. “To this day I can’t confirm [it]”, she says, but the rumour going ...18 hours ago
- National’s Plan Deserves A LookNational’s economic plan covers the immediate Covid situation as well as the next step of reopening the economy, BusinessNZ says. Commenting on the National Party’s plan released today, BusinessNZ Chief Executive Kirk Hope noted its immediate focus ...19 hours ago
- The mandate conundrum: NZ employers weigh up their options on requiring vaccinationSome large companies have begun to issue vaccine mandates. Others are wary without a government directive. We ask employers what they’re planning, and a specialist lawyer explains what businesses can and can’t do.Law firm Russell McVeagh was the first big player last week to announce that it will require all ...19 hours ago
- National proposes reopening fully vaccinated businesses in 'back in business' planNational's reopening plan would also see areas with 70 percent vaccination and no Covid-19 move to level 1, with temporary tax cuts and industry-specific support. ...19 hours ago
- You Can't Beat COVID With Māori PokemonThe New Zealand Taxpayers' Union is challenging the value of large arts grants handed out under the Ministry for Culture and Heritage's new $60 million COVID-19 "Innovation Fund" . So far, 32 projects have received $6.2 million from the fund. Examples ...20 hours ago
- National Plan Rightly Rewards Vaccination EffortsThe EMA says recognising vaccination efforts and freeing up restrictions for those vaccinated in the workplace and in their everyday lives is a welcome approach in the National Party’s ‘Back in Business’ plan released this morning. "Many ...20 hours ago
- Govt defends Auckland restrictions, says daily Covid-19 cases could reach 'high hundreds'The government is defending its continued Covid-19 restrictions in Auckland, saying the need hold off the virus' spread while vaccinating as many people as possible remains a priority. ...20 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Covid19 Impact: Excess deaths in Latin AmericaAnalysis by Keith Rankin. These charts give an insight into the actual impact – and progression – of Covid19 in South and Central America. As for the previously posted charts showing Russia, and showing the Middle East, these countries are included because they report their overall mortality monthly rather than ...20 hours ago
- Judith Collins launches National's plan for supporting business during the pandemicNational Party leader Judith Collins is releasing the party's 'Back in Business' plan on support for companies during the pandemic. ...20 hours ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – October 20 2021Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. You can sign up to NZ Politics Daily as well as New Zealand Political Roundup columns for free here. Today’s content Housing Zane Small (Newshub): How it happened: The ...21 hours ago
- Housing Differences A Major Contributor To NZ’s Inequities – Expert ReactionNearly a third of New Zealand households spent 30 per cent or more of their total income on housing costs in 2019, according to a new report. The report, written by an expert panel convened by Royal Society Te Apārangi, says spending ...21 hours ago
- Judith Collins on National's target for ending lockdownsNational would set a six-week deadline for ending lockdowns, with leader Judith Collins saying a target of 85-90 percent vaccinated is 'do-able' within that time. ...21 hours ago
- This e-waste expert recycles ‘anything with a plug’Computer Recycling’s Patrick Moynahan is bound to encounter the odd item when 2,000 tonnes of digital rubbish comes through his door every year. Reweti Kohere meets the man at the coalface of our e-consumption.We stare at screens all day and all night. Is this good for us? We’re going to ...21 hours ago
- Is it even possible to regulate Facebook effectively? Time and again, attempts have led to the same ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olga Kokshagina, Researcher – Innovation & Entrepreneurship, RMIT University Matt Rourke/AP The Australian government’s recent warning to Facebook over misinformation is just the latest salvo in the seemingly constant battle to hold the social media giant to account for the ...22 hours ago
- COVID exposed our fractured national identity, but state-based loyalties were rising long beforeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Judith Brett, Emeritus Professor of Politics, La Trobe University Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND The formation of Australia’s federation in 1901 was both practical and sentimental. Pressing policy matters in the areas of immigration, trade and defence required the coordination ...22 hours ago
- How to talk to your child about a COVID diagnosis … and share the news with othersSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Margie Danchin, Paediatrician at the Royal Childrens Hospital and Associate Professor and Clinician Scientist, University of Melbourne and MCRI, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Shutterstock Vaccination rates across Australia continue to rise. Teenagers aged 12 to 15 have only had access ...22 hours ago
- Australia ranks last out of 54 nations on its strategy to cope with climate change. The Glasgow summ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Johanna Nalau, Research Fellow, Climate Adaptation, Griffith University Shutterstock The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is widely discussed, but the other side of climate action is less often talked about: adapting to impacts already locked in. Even if we ...22 hours ago
- How a maximum security prison offers a pathway to academic excellence and a PhDSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Tietz, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design, UNSW The person taking notes during our meeting, we later learn, is averaging a high distinction in their studies for a bachelor degree. If this level of performance is maintained this student is heading for ...22 hours ago
- Guide to the classics: Euripides’ The Trojan Women – an unflinching look at the brutality of warSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Mackie, Professor of Classics, La Trobe University Aomawa Baker as Andromache in a production of The Trojan Woman in Los Angeles. Wikimedia Commons The story of the long struggle for the life of the city of Troy might be thought of ...22 hours ago
- Situation vacant: who will turn around the transport supertanker for Aotearoa?There are few more important jobs than leading NZ’s transport agency. The country needs someone who can steer us towards a positive, climate-friendly future, urges Jolisa Gracewood.Cool job alert! Waka Kotahi (the New Zealand Transport Agency) is looking for a new chair of the board, to guide the organisation through ...22 hours ago
- Live updates, October 20: Daily Covid numbers could get into the ‘high hundreds’, says HipkinsWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for October 20, by Stewart Sowman-Lund. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz. Help support our Covid coverage – join Members today.8.20am: National calls for reopening date – December 1December 1 would be freedom day if the National Party was in charge of the current delta response.The ...22 hours ago
- The breaker-upperer Tex Edwards: Taking on the supermarkets duopoly
Ahead of Commerce Commission hearings, NZ's most renowned breaker-upperer lays out his plan ...23 hours ago - The mastermind behind Super SaturdayWhat began as Tamati Shepherd-Wipiiti’s brainstorm ended up as the biggest day in the country’s vaccination programme, Justin Giovannetti writes in The Bulletin.The story behind Super Saturday. Three weeks before the most successful day in the country’s vaccination programme, Tamati Shepherd-Wipiiti was at home, surrounded by post-its, unicorns and scribbled notes. ...23 hours ago
- How the new human right to a healthy environment could accelerate New Zealand’s action on climate ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Cooper, Associate Professor of Law, University of Waikato Shutterstock Last week’s formal recognition by the United Nations Human Rights Council that the right to a healthy environment is an essential human right has been heralded as a historic victory ...23 hours ago
- How I survived being deleted by the supermarkets
As MPs are asked today to break up the supermarkets duopoly, a homegrown fruit business owner tells of sleepless nights ...1 day ago - The burning questions about gas
Does New Zealand really need the under-pressure gas industry to reach net-zero carbon emissions? ...1 day ago - Housing density plan: Mayors caught off guard by announcementCouncils were kept in the dark until the day of the announcement on changes for major cities to allow three homes of up to three storeys on most sections without the need for a resource consent. ...1 day ago
- Newsroom daily crossword, Wednesday 20 October
...1 day ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 20 October1 day ago
- Anti-alcohol campaigners call for end to Auckland bottle stores’ ugly signsCommunity advocates say Auckland Council needs to bring in new regulations to stem the ongoing harm caused by alcohol. Council says it has run out of time to incorporate them into a new bylaw on signage across the city. Drive through any South Auckland suburb and it’s hard not to ...1 day ago
- I’m an Aucklander, I hate lockdown, and I want Auckland to go back to level fourWith the highest number of daily cases since the start of the pandemic announced yesterday, the argument to raise alert levels again is growing stronger.Yesterday, 94 new Covid-19 cases were announced. That’s New Zealand’s highest daily total of community Covid cases since the start of the pandemic. Those alarming numbers, ...1 day ago
- Little points finger at DHBs failing Māori on vaccination
Health Minister names and shames two DHBs for failing Māori in its vaccination rollout. ...1 day ago - Jo Cribb: Unequal pay in sport just not cricket
Sport is integral to the Kiwi way of life and how we see ourselves. But our 'play hard play fair' attitude only goes so far - especially when it comes to how we pay sportspeople and their leaders. ...1 day ago - Small retailers hit with early Christmas demand
Kiwis are having to plan much further ahead for Christmas as Covid-related shipping disruption changes how we shop, ...1 day ago - How Olympic silver rower has thrown off the blues
In the first in a series, Out into the Open, on female athlete wellbeing, Olympic rowing medallist Hannah Osborne talks about her depression and how pottery has helped her through the dreaded post-Olympic slump. Since returning from the heady heights of winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, rower ...1 day ago - Bad blood: anniversary of a slaughter
Man alone Stan Graham was shot dead 80 years ago today. The author of his story marks the anniversary I first heard the story of Stanley Graham after Erica and I arrived from Australia in early 1970. We were thinking of a year or so working holiday, but we liked ...1 day ago - Linda Clark: What will it take to close the pay gap?
Changing the law and making it mandatory for employers to report on the pay gap at their workplaces may be necessary if equal pay is to become a reality, writes Linda Clark. There is an honour call of hard working women who have lobbied, struggled and fought for equal pay. ...1 day ago - Political consensus on NZ's deep-rooted housing problems
Labour and National's unlikely collaboration on housing intensification is set to slow the growing inequality between homeowners and renters – but councils may still need some convincing of the policy's benefits, Sam Sachdeva writes Analysis: Megan Woods and Judith Collins may not have led a conga line into the Beehive ...1 day ago
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