The Jacinda and Ashley Show:Before the neoliberals could come up with a plausible reason for letting thousands of their fellow citizens perish, the Ardern-led government, backed by the almost forgotten power of an unapologetically interventionist state, was producing changes in the real world – changes that were, very obviously, saving ...
Last month, National passed a racist law requiring local councils to remove their Māori wards, or hold a referendum on them at the 2025 local body election. The government was clearly hoping that, despite all their prior opposition, local authorities would bow down, obey, and vote to disenfranchise Māori. But ...
This is an opinion piece I’ve written after publishing my morning email, which includes many of the details informing it, as have the dozens I’ve written in recent weeks detailing the policies mentioned. This piece is being sent to all subscribers in full immediately and is fully open to the ...
If it could have been like she saidI'd be loving you nowWouldn't have to dream of tonightAs August moves onIf it could have been like she wroteOur truth would be trueWatching the storm disappearYeah, watch it goSong: Jordan Luck.Today in Nick’s Kōrero - things said that should be discussed. From ...
Social Development Minister Louise Upston has described the drastic changes as"ripping off the scab to deal with the mess underneath". Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, August 29:A quietly-administered and arbitrary ...
Ten years ago this week in August 2014, with an election on the horizon, Greater Auckland (then known as Transportblog) co-hosted a transport-themed debate with the Campaign for Better Transport and Generation Zero – inviting speakers from the political parties to share their transport visions for our city. Matt’s report ...
A beautiful illustration by Substack artist Jean KaiyouYesterday, someone told me that as I comment on the government, it was only right that I should reveal my identity. If I didn’t do so, they said, they would not stay.And my first reaction was surprise, followed by small tinges of reactivity ...
Even a Labour MP was asking yesterday whether the country’s polytechnics were still a going concern. At the Education Select Committee, Deborah Russell asked Jeremy Morley, a Te Kupenga Council member, whether the polytechnics, grouped together as Te Kupenga and which lost $37.9 million in 2022 and are forecast to ...
Voting Together? Collectively, Māori and Pasifika workers, professionals and managers employed by the state, and “progressive” Baby-Boomer superannuitants, possess the electoral clout to defeat the Coalition Government. But will they?TO WIN THE NEXT ELECTION, “The Left”, as we still rather hopefully refer to it, needs three key demographics. Voting together, the ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Coral reefs are in hot water... literally. Climate change is ramping up temperatures, causing increasing bleaching of reefs across the world. ...
After deliberately under-funding Health NZ, and asking Kiwis to personally pray for him, Dr Lester Levy couldn’t help but show his hand today.Health NZ is now calling for voluntary redundancies, and who do you think will leave first? The most qualified or not?But that won’t be all - we all ...
Cartoon credit: Emma CookeMaori WardsNo Right Turn reports that only 2 of 19 councils who have made a decision on Māori wards will be getting rid of them.Remember, per the government’s legislation, all councils which want to keep them will be forced now to send it to referendum and bear ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Osha Davidson For 20 years now, Ken Nedimyer has been strapping on his scuba gear and diving into the waters off the Florida coast in a desperate effort to restore coral reefs that have been decimated by climate change ...
When you start doing research into transport and urban topics and policies, one thing you realise is how messy and chaotic many government websites are. Given that these are (in theory) the most accessible version of the official archive, that’s a challenge. Anyone who has tried to look something up ...
Labour is looking at various types and structures of wealth and capital income taxes, including a land tax. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, August 28:Chris Hipkins has confirmed ...
Hey Uncle Dave, Can I ask you a question, or are you still crook as a dog?Mac GyverPleased to say I’m upright in Kolkata airport at this hour, thanks very much Mac. Only, I just saw this recipe in Instagram for extra-super-creamy carbonara with triple cheese and lardons and I remembered ...
Greater competition and lower prices for Kiwi consumers are a step closer today as consultation begins on ‘open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Energy Minister Simeon Brown say. “Every New Zealander relies on banking and electricity – these are foundational services for our ...
New Zealand’s first national tyre recycling scheme is now fully operational with free collections starting today, says Environment Minister Penny Simmonds. “The first priority product stewardship scheme for end-of-life tyres marks a significant step toward addressing a long-standing issue for our country,” Ms Simmonds says. “Every year, New Zealand imports ...
An agreement signed on Thursday between New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Public Safety Canada will strengthen international cooperation on emergency management matters says Emergency Management and Recovery Minister, Mark Mitchell. “With the frequency and severity of emergencies increasing globally, it’s important, now more than ever, that countries ...
Proposed speed limit increases of 110km/h on State Highway 1 from Orewa to Warkworth will mean faster journey times for Kiwis travelling between Auckland and Northland and has been welcomed by Transport Minister Simeon Brown. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the ...
Whekuwheku ana te whenua i te tāhekenga o roimata, haehae ana te manawa i te ngau o te aroha, hotuhotu ana te ngākau i te kaponga ōu e te kupenga a Taramainuku. Kei konei mātou, kua taka a roto i te rongotanga ake i te hinganga ōu. Ka tangihia tonutia ...
A Waikato Regional Growth Summit planned for next Tuesday in Hamilton has been postponed following the passing of Kiingi Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. “I join the many voices already that have expressed sorrow at this news and offer my condolences and aroha to ...
Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Paris to support the New Zealand Paralympic Team during the 2024 Paralympic Games – the first time a New Zealand Sport & Recreation Minister has ever attended a Paralympics. “The Paralympic Games are the third-largest sporting event in the world and ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government is making it easier to verify your identity online by rolling out RealMe Identity Verification Service [RealMe] access to an additional seven private sector organisations. “The Government is now expanding this service to further organisations including financial service companies and ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and Police Minister Mark Mitchell have welcomed the announcement by Health NZ and NZ Police on their transition to a stronger mental health-led response for those requiring crisis mental health support. Health NZ and NZ Police have announced that from November 2024 agencies will streamline ...
Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters has expressed the Government’s condolences on the passing of Kīngi Tūheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII. “It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of the King, and we express sympathies and prayers to the Kingitanga family and Tainui people. “Kīngi ...
An important milestone in the Coalition Government’s commitment to restoring law and order was reached with the passing of the Firearms Prohibition Orders Legislation Amendment Bill today, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says. “The Firearms Prohibition Orders Legislation Amendment Bill was part of this Government’s 100-day plan and committed ...
The Government continues to introduce measures that will strengthen the economy and ensure New Zealand businesses and individuals have a more secure future, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2024-25, Emergency Response, and Remedial Measures) Bill, which passed its first reading today, proposes several measures aimed ...
INTRODUCTION What an honour to be running the anchor leg of this incredible conference, and to be able to update you on some of the work I’ve had the privilege of doing across two of the best portfolios for a civil engineer – Infrastructure and RMA Reform. New Zealand’s infrastructure ...
Court participants, particularly victims, will benefit from the passing of a bill today that will enable greater use of audio and audiovisual technology in court proceedings, Courts Minister Nicole McKee says. The Courts (Remote Participation) Amendment Bill which makes targeted amendments to the Courts (Remote Participation) Act 2010 and ...
Today’s ANZ Business Outlook shows businesses are feeling a whole lot better about the future, Minister of Finance Nicola Willis says. “It’s so pleasing to see business confidence is the highest in a decade, and firms’ outlook for their own activity, looking 12 months into the future, is the highest ...
Minister of Local Government Simeon Brown has announced new appointments to the Board of the Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai (the Authority), including a new chair, and has reappointed two members of the Authority’s Māori Advisory Group for a further three-year term. Former Watercare chief executive Raveen Jaduram is ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says updated guidance provided to the Health Research Council (HRC) means future projects will have an increased focus on Government priorities and improved health for New Zealanders when being considered for funding. The refreshed guidance for applicants is included in the two HRC funding opportunities ...
The Government will be cracking down on people who misuse car parks for disabled people, ensuring towage fees do not leave tow-truck operators out of pocket, and adjusting parking fines for inflation, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston and Transport Minister Simeon Brown say. “Increasing penalties for people who misuse mobility ...
Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith is announcing new appointments to the RNZ and TVNZ Boards. “I am delighted to appoint Brent Impey, Gracie MacKinlay and Mads Moller to the RNZ Board, and John Fellet to the TVNZ Board,” says Mr Goldsmith. “These appointments will bring new experience and a ...
The Government has announced a Revenue Action Plan to enable a clear infrastructure pipeline that delivers the critical transport infrastructure our country needs sooner, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the Government. With New Zealand facing a prolonged ...
Too many government announcements affecting disabled people don’t even mention disabled people, leaving the community googling for answers, and feeling forgotten or invisible. ...
Despite Kaikōura District Council’s project to rebuild the Waiau Toa/Clarence River Glen Alton bridge after the Kaikōura earthquake being eight years deep, the Council have still not even managed to gain the appropriate resource consents or ...
A man who threw what turned out to be tomato juice at UK women’s rights advocate Kellie-Jay Keen and Tania Sturt, an organiser of the “Let Women Speak” event in Auckland’s Albert Park on 25 March last year, has been convicted of assault ...
The panellists will speak about the importance of formal recognition of gender apartheid, give background as to the situation of women and girls in Iran and Afghanistan and outline a way forward towards greater equality and basic rights for all. ...
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) in Oceania calls on the current bishops of Hamilton, Auckland, and Rarotonga, and all church leaders, to not follow in Bishop Browne’s negligent ways, and instead, support the abused in their dioceses ...
The Court of Appeal recently ruled that the Griffin Creek hydro scheme concession, issued by DOC in 2011, contains no maximum water take. It is now possible that a bigger scheme could be built on Griffin Creek than had originally been proposed. ...
“We shouldn’t see queues like that anywhere, let alone in a supposedly developed country like New Zealand,” says Dr Buzz Burrell, interim chair of General Practitioners Aotearoa (GPA). ...
The Government looks to have cemented New Zealand as one of the most expensive countries in the world for a holiday today by increasing the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) to $100. ...
Greenpeace says it’s "unbelievable" that wannabe seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources has been given the go-ahead to nearly quadruple the size of the area it wants to mine in the South Taranaki Bight. ...
Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) is very disappointed the industry’s cumulative voice hasn’t been heard, and is keen to see the government’s investment plan for the funds to be raised from the increase in the International Visitor Levy (IVL) ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Police Minister Mark Mitchell have announced a 22 percent drop in assaults in the Auckland CBD in the past year. Follow our live coverage here. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University Three years have passed since the United States, Australia and United Kingdom announced on September 15 2021 that they would enter into a security partnership called AUKUS. A major part of ...
COMMENTARY:By Laurens Ikinia in Jakarta Pope Francis has completed his historic first visit to Southeast Asian and Pacific nations. The papal apostolic visit covered Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore and Timor-Leste. This visit is furst to the region after he was elected as the leader of the Catholic Church ...
Pacific Media Watch A month before the anniversary of the death of photojournalist Issam Abdallah — killed by an Israeli strike while reporting in southern Lebanon — Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and 10 organisations have sent a letter to the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including ...
In light of the governments shopping list of roading projects, TRAC would like to draw attention to the governments total wilfully neglectful attitude to rail, climate change, pollution, road congestion and road safety. ...
The 2022/23 annual report by the National Preventive Mechanism on the Optional Protocol to the United Nation’s Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) has been tabled in Parliament (Friday, 3pm) ...
ACT Leader and MP for Epsom David Seymour has written to Auckland Transport and the Albert Eden Local Board in opposition to removing car parks from the West Side of Manukau Rd at Greenwoods Corner. ...
National Road Carriers Association (NRC) is pleased to see the Government’s announcements today allocating funding to Roads of National Significance (RONS) and Roads of Regional Significance (RORS). ...
Kiwis shouldn’t have to sacrifice their membership of a rowing club or bridge club just because a piece of legislation loaded on costs in a cost-of-living crisis. The people running these clubs are busy parents, grandparents, and hobbyists building ...
Union members are calling for a 5% increase for all members to keep up with the cost of living. This is their second strike in three weeks, after eight months of negotiations led to Visionwest offering meagre pay increases ranging from 0% to 2.6%. ...
The minister for mining and burning, Shane Jones, is trying to take New Zealanders for fools with inflated claims and misinformation about seabed mining off the coast of Taranaki, says Greenpeace. ...
We have decided to extend the deadline for submissions on the Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill to invite submissions on amendments proposed by the Minister for Economic Development, in Amendment Paper No 84. ...
Greenpeace Aotearoa is denouncing Ballance Agri-nutrients’ call for more fossil gas production, maintaining that urea needs to be phased out altogether. ...
The paper examines extending section 21 of the Human Rights Act prohibited grounds of discrimination to include people who are transgender, non-binary and with innate variations of sex characteristics. ...
Health research isn’t a game. Lives depend on medical advancements, and every cent spent on frivalous pet projects is money that can’t go towards improving outcomes for Kiwis. ...
At least 15 Hector's dolphins have been killed from fishing activity since Christopher Luxon became Prime Minister almost a year ago, a protest group says. ...
MONDAYIt was a bright cold day in September, and the clocks were striking thirteen. A cold wind swept through the main street of Dodge. Rain was headed over the mountain range and would wash all the scum off the streets – but not if Sheriff Seymour, First Minister of Moral Conduct and ...
Recent Comments