Posts Tagged ‘donald trump’
Trump Whitehouse bans critical media from briefing
Written By: - Date published: 2:19 pm, February 25th, 2017 - 54 comments
It is day 37 of Donald Trump’s reign as POTUS. Today he decided to attack elements of the press that have been critical of him by banning them from a press conference.
The Trump bump
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, February 19th, 2017 - 27 comments
This week’s Economist looks at the resurgence in the business of the more effective mainstream media in the US. But the effect reaches all the way over here. Even I’m reading more on a the ongoing debacle that is the incompetent Trump White House. Good reporting and perfect reading for the summer season and I suspect that it is impacting all of the blogs at present.
The new world order
Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, February 18th, 2017 - 60 comments
With former adversaries USA and Russia now the best of friends and with China now emerging again as the preeminent economy in the world the question is will the transition of power be handled smoothly?
Hypocrisy watch – Michael Flynn
Written By: - Date published: 9:35 am, February 15th, 2017 - 35 comments
Over in the United States of Trumpsville National Security Advisor to the Trump White House Mike Flynn, who famously said that Hillary Clinton should be locked up for threatening national security by having a private email server, has been sacked for threatening national security and for lying to the vice president.
Sad
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, February 9th, 2017 - 109 comments
Ad wonders how left wing Trump supporters are now feeling.
Justin Lester: No matter where you come from, you are welcome here
Written By: - Date published: 1:49 pm, January 30th, 2017 - 3 comments
The PM may not know where he stands but the Mayor of Wellington does.
Maybe Trump is what the left needed
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, January 28th, 2017 - 72 comments
Donald Trump’s ascendancy to power presents the left with the chance of showing that progressive politics is a much better choice than the alternative.
Special Relationship 2
Written By: - Date published: 8:41 am, January 27th, 2017 - 58 comments
The Bush Blair “special relationship” was a geopolitical disaster of epic proportions. Get ready for Round 2, Trump May.
Godzone for billionaires
Written By: - Date published: 8:59 am, January 26th, 2017 - 93 comments
Peter Thiel’s fast tracking of his citizenship application needs some explaining by the Government.
The inauguration of Trump: Jonathan Pie reacts
Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, January 24th, 2017 - 15 comments
Jonathan Pie gets angry at Trump’s treatment of the media.
RIP TPP
Written By: - Date published: 8:39 am, January 24th, 2017 - 70 comments
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order withdrawing the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement and leaving the agreement effectively dead in its tracks.
Starting out with an obvious lie
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, January 23rd, 2017 - 195 comments
The Trump / Spicer claim that the inauguration crowds were “the largest audience ever to witness and inauguration, period” are such an obvious lie that it seems unhinged. But there could be method to the madness.
(Update: Apparently in Trump speak these are “alternative facts”.)
T Day
Written By: - Date published: 6:16 am, January 21st, 2017 - 124 comments
Donald Trump has now been sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. And we are in unchartered territory.
Women to protest Trump’s inauguration
Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, January 17th, 2017 - 39 comments
Various events are planned in protest around Trump’s inauguration. One of them is a series of marches organised by and for women. There are (at time of writing) 386 marches organised world wide, including in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
The Trump Dossier
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, January 12th, 2017 - 176 comments
Buzzfeed’s release of the Dossier suggesting that Russia has considerable leverage over Donald Trump has caused ructions the effects of which will be felt for months.
The CIA Director confirmation hearings
Written By: - Date published: 11:03 am, January 10th, 2017 - 17 comments
Mike Pompey is Donald Trump’s chosen head for the CIA. He is someone who believes in the mass collection of all metadata and combining it with all publicly available information. Are we going to see the unprecedented destruction of rights of privacy?
Changes in the United States
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, January 8th, 2017 - 79 comments
The implications for the world of Donald Trump’s forthcoming ascendancy to the office of President of the United States.
Wikileaks unravels
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, January 8th, 2017 - 222 comments
In the space of a day Wikileaks managed to complain about another entity leaking information, threaten to dox pretty well every reporter, delete the tweet and then sound like Donald Trump.
Obama’s last days
Written By: - Date published: 10:05 am, December 30th, 2016 - 150 comments
Barak Obama is using the last few days of his presidency to do some quite radical stuff.
Facebook, fake news and Donald Trump’s election
Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, December 26th, 2016 - 72 comments
Donald Trump’s success in the recent Presidential Election may have had a lot to do with very judicious use of targeted Facebook advertising and the proliferation of fake news stories.
Well done Murray McCully
Written By: - Date published: 7:48 pm, December 24th, 2016 - 287 comments
Murray McCully has had New Zealand co sponsor a successful Security Council resolution condemning Israel for violating International Law through its resettlement policy.
Reason #3751 progressives should oppose Donald Trump presidency
Written By: - Date published: 8:09 am, December 23rd, 2016 - 26 comments
President Donald Trump reckons that the US must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability to make the world come to its senses regarding nukes.
Keep it in the ground
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, December 22nd, 2016 - 51 comments
In the last days of the Obama presidency the current President is taking steps to protect the Arctic from oil drilling.
The first Trump ripple
Written By: - Date published: 1:17 pm, December 17th, 2016 - 96 comments
Donald Trump’s telephone call with the Taiwanese president has created a response which it seems clear he did not anticipate.
The great US climate scientist witch hunt
Written By: - Date published: 8:55 am, December 11th, 2016 - 15 comments
Donald Trump’s transition team have been quizzing state employees of the Department of Energy about their beliefs and activities in relation to climate change. Is a clear out of those who believe climate change is a reality possible? And why is he refusing to investigate the possibility that Russia affected the Presidential election in his favour?
Trump’s broad international challenges
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, December 1st, 2016 - 10 comments
Barak Obama is leaving Donald Trump a number of international crises to face. What will the Donald do and will he make America great again?
Everybody wants a recount
Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, November 29th, 2016 - 100 comments
US President elect Donald Trump has expressed support for a widespread investigation of America’s electoral system
America’s broken democratic system
Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, November 27th, 2016 - 92 comments
Through partisan control of the electoral system and continuing attempts to suppress votes America’s electoral system is in clear need of an overhaul.
Angela Merkel’s values
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, November 19th, 2016 - 30 comments
Angela Merkel has offered Donald Trump close cooperation on world issues, but with a rather important tag.
An interesting time for the Republicans
Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, November 13th, 2016 - 55 comments
Trump is going to be a figurehead, not a president, leaving governance to an unfettered Republican machine. That machine is no friend of the disenfranchised, never was, never will be. How will Trump’s base react to being betrayed?
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- Thursday 12 December
There has been widespread condemnation of the Government’s mishandling of the Cook Strait ferry replacements, including from unions, industry, and political parties. It has also led to public division among the coalition, with Winston Peters and David Seymour at odds regarding cost and privatisation. In other political news, Labour says ...1 week ago - Foreshadowing HYEFU 2024
By way of prologue, the closest parallel to the current economic situation may be when Ruth Richardson became Minister of Finance in late 1990. The economy had been contracting, although there were signs of a fragile recovery. She was an Austerian and cut public spending savagely. The economy plunged a ...1 week ago - How unusual is current post-El Niño warmth?
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink As I noted a few months back, despite the end of El Niño conditions in May, global temperatures have remained worryingly elevated. This raises the question of whether this reflects unusual El Niño behavior, or a more persistent change in the underlying climate forcings ...1 week ago - Nicky No Boats
I remember you by, thunderclap in the skyLightning flash, tempers flare'Round the horn if you dareI just spent six months in a leaky boatLucky just to keep afloatSongwriters: Brian Timothy FinnToday, a tale of such ineptitude, unwarranted confidence and underplanning that you will scarcely believe it. I can hear you ...1 week ago - Ferries delayed again, then handed to Peters, who hits out at Seymour
Willis wouldn’t give a cost estimate or confirm new ferries would be ‘rail enabled’ rather than ‘rail-compatible’, but Seymour has let slip the ferries and ‘landside’ development would cost around $1.5 billion. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...1 week ago - When Should You Consider Retreat? – The Sooner the Better
This is a guest post by Waitematā local board member Dr Alex Bonham, about the Auckland Council’s Shoreline Adaption Plans. Currently consultation is open for the Auckland Central & Ōrākei to Karaka Bay SAPs until December 18th. If the sea bowls through your front door, through the house and ...1 week ago - Shameless advertising: Two days only — 50% off subscriptions, forever
But wait!! If you would like to pay me LESS, on Friday the discount will be bigger. Subscription benefits include my endless gratitude, warm fuzzy feelings, bragging rights, and a slight spring in your step. ...1 week ago - Toot, toot, here comes Winston
The big question hanging over yesterday’s ferry announcement press conference was why Winston Peters was there at all. Finance Minister Willis went out of her way to tell a press conference yesterday afternoon that the Government had not decided whether to have rail-enabled ferries or even whether KiwiRail should run ...1 week ago - Channelling Madame Defarge: Of Lampposts and CEOs
The recent shooting of that Health Insurance CEO in the USA has sparked quite the online furor. On one hand, one is confronted with a violent murder… on the other hand, many, many people think the victim was such a monster, he got what was coming to him. The result ...1 week ago - Ranking the New Zealand Prime Ministers since 1893
The New Zealand Listener has a poll of historians ranking Prime Ministers since Seddon (1893-1906): https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-listener/politics/the-real-power-list-nzs-prime-ministers-rated/UEHAIM2NQRDKNPWR3HNKBLKK6Q/#google_vignette Alas, it’s behind a paywall. Bastards. So I thought I’d provide my own list as an exercise: Peter Fraser Richard Seddon Helen Clark Keith Holyoake (second term) M.J. Savage Gordon Coates Norman Kirk ...1 week ago - Wednesday 11 December
The Government has kicked the can down the road on the replacement Interislander ferries, by setting up a company to begin a procurement process, rather than making a decision. But they have made a decision when it comes to greyhound racing, banning the sport over the next 20 months. The ...1 week ago
- It’s got to be good for you
One of my favourite Substackers had an intriguing question to ask this morning:Why was a British baby born after September 1953 significantly more likely to die from disease later in life than a British baby born before September 1953?I gave it a good try but I didn’t get it. Makes ...1 week ago - NZCTU slams Government’s ferry fiasco
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is slamming the Government for failing to show any leadership on infrastructure delivery after they revealed today that they have no plan to replace the Cook Strait ferries a year on from their decision to cancel the iReX project. “Today’s announcement by the Minister of ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Hope is not a plan
One of the purposes of the Zero Carbon Act was to break the bad old cycle of announcing targets and then doing nothing to meet them. Instead, governments would have regular carbon budgets with relatively short deadlines - meaning any failure would happen on their watch - and be required ...1 week ago - A bad joke
That's the only way to describe National's announcement today on replacement Cook Strait ferries. A year ago they cancelled iRex, which would have given us two new, rail-enabled ferries in January 2026 for $551 million (plus port costs). Today, they're promising two smaller, non-rail enabled ferries sometime in 2029, and ...1 week ago
- The Long Awaited Kiwirail Interislander Announcement
Complimentary:In July, Nicola Willis promised that her expensive Kiwirail Interislander “independent” advisory committee had finished their work - and an answer was due to the public imminently.That blew out to August, then September, October, November, before Winston Peters announced the government was definitely going to announce the decision on December ...1 week ago - Does Luxon understand Keynesian economics?
Do our journalists? Do LabourDo we? John Maynard KeynesOh, I do so love New Zealand news, our left-leaning, deliberatively disinterested, striving-to-be-unbiased media. They are working so hard for us, doing the mundane jobs that I would hate to do. That’s why deliberatively never used my English degree to become a ...1 week ago - Luigi Mangione’s Pain
This morning I followed a link to Luigi Mangione’s now defunct Substack He is the accused in the murder of US health insurance CEO Brian Thompson.And of course it must be noted that murder is not the right course of action, and there can only be condolences to Thompson’s family.But ...1 week ago - Seymour’s Principles Rejected
Look inside, look inside your tiny mind, now look a bit harder'Cause we're so uninspiredSo sick and tired of all the hatred you harbourSo you say our treaty is not okay; well, I think you're just evilYou're just some racist who can't tie my lacesYour point of view is medievalFuck ...1 week ago - Top 10: Ferries, $2.1 billion in fossil fuel related healthcare costs, Curia’s Problem & M...
1. Fast-Track projects: Speaker rules no private benefit in list (RNZ, Russell Palmer)In a fairly rare move, the Speaker of the House Garry Brownlee (National) overturned the ruling of the Clerk, David Wilson, and Assistant Speaker, Barbara Kuriger (National).The Clerk of the House of Representatives advises the speaker and members ...1 week ago - Does AT misunderstand the government’s new PT targets?
A few weeks ago we revealed that a new policy from the NZTA is pushing for changes to the level of public transport costs covered by fares (and a few other things), which could potentially lead to fare hikes by as much as 70 percent or service cuts. While some ...1 week ago
- When haste makes waste & is risky, dangerous & mean
Mōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, December 11 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus and Pick ‘n’ Mix are:The National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government is set to announce today it will spend $900 million on new ferries to ...1 week ago
- Gordon Campbell on the government’s ongoing ferries disaster
The Interislander ferry Aratere approaching the entrance to Wellington Harbour after crossing Cook Strait on the final ferry sailing of the day, due to large swells. 12 July 2017 New Zealand Herald Photograph by Mark MitchellI wouldn’t have picked Nicola Willis to be a big AC/DC fan, but “Dirty Deeds ...1 week ago - Sabin 33 #6 – Are solar projects harming biodiversity?
On November 1, 2024 we announced the publication of 33 rebuttals based on the report "Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles" written by Matthew Eisenson, Jacob Elkin, Andy Fitch, Matthew Ard, Kaya Sittinger & Samuel Lavine and published by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia ...1 week ago
- Submission on the NZ Post Deed of Understanding 2024 review
Postal services enable individuals, businesses, and communities to build and maintain social connections, and to participate economically, culturally, and politically. The NZCTU is concerned that the proposed changes in this MBIE consultation on postal services will further undermine the provision of this essential public service and have major social and economic ...1 week ago
- What I saw, sort of, at the emergency eye clinic
In a moment, the latest instalment of Once Again Dave Finds Himself in Hospital Even Though He Looks Quite Fit and Healthy Really, but first, a little bit of an insight into the way Ministers like Chris Penk and Casey Costello use data.Allow me to illustrate, using my own personal ...1 week ago - Bringing the House into disrepute
Last month we all thrilled to see Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke's haka in parliament in response to National's racist, anti-constitutional Treaty "Principles" Bill. Of course, the targets of that haka did not like someone speaking so forcefully and well against them - so they had Maipi-Clarke named and suspended from Parliament for ...1 week ago
- NZCTU urges political parties to vote down extreme anti-worker bill
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting President Rachel Mackintosh is calling on political parties to vote down Brooke van Velden’s Employment Relations (Pay Deductions for Partial Strikes) Amendment Bill, as it would undermine the ability of workers to engage in industrial action and may even lead to workers losing pay for ...1 week ago
- Atlas Network? Yawn.
One of the most compelling articles I’ve read about Atlas Network is from The Guardian columnist George Monbiot. His article is titled: “What links Rishi Sunak, Javier Milei and Donald Trump? The shadowy network behind their policies.”It’s an excellent summation outlining the strategies and modus operandi of the Atlas Network, ...1 week ago - Tuesday 10 December
Government has introduced legislation under urgency to allow employers to deduct workers pay for engaging in partial strikes, which will give further power to bosses to intimidate workers and will lead to the escalation of industrial disputes. NZNO workers begin rolling strikes in Auckland today, in their latest round of ...1 week ago
- As renewables rise, the world may be nearing a climate turning point
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Climate pollution caused by burning fossil fuels hit a record 37.4 billion metric tons in 2024, marking a 0.8% rise from the previous year – and dashing hopes that a peak in global emissions might occur this year. That’s according to ...1 week ago
- Govt eyes ‘PPP-lite’ for health centres
Wellington’s Children’s Hospital under construction in 2018, largely funding by a philanthropic donation. Now there are fears of a type of creeping privatisation within the health system, starting with buildings. Photo: Lynn Grieveson Mōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and ...1 week ago
- Book Review: The Future Embraced
This is a guest post by George Weeks, reviewing a book called The Future Embraced by Kobus Mentz The Future Embraced is more than a book. It is an accumulation of 50 years of work, 13 years in the making. It takes the tone of a mentor, reflecting the accumulated ...1 week ago
- Dream Scenario
2023, directed by Kristoffer Borgli Dream Scenario is a movie about a mild-mannered (read: kind of pathetic and outright whiny) professor played by a nigh on unrecognisable to me Nicolas Cage who suddenly starts appearing in people’s dreams. At first he’s not doing anything other than just watching, failing to ...1 week ago - How Fed Farmers is driving Willis’s campaign against the banks
The pressure on the retail banks might only be just starting.Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday announced that she was changing the Reserve Bank remit to make it more pro-active in encouraging competition within the retail bank sector.And, Federated Farmers, who have been a major prod in the government’s side over ...1 week ago
- Poll number 4: Dead Govt Walking
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.RNZ reports the latest TVNZ/Verian Poll results:National: 37%, n/c (46 seats)Labour: 29%, n/c (36 seats)Greens: 10%, -2% points (12 seats)ACT: 8%, n/c (10 seats)Te Pāti Māori: 7%, up 3% (9 seats)NZ First: 6%, -1% ...1 week ago - Guest post!
David has, unfortunately, been losing pieces of himself and turns out it’s a bit hard to write a column when the affected parts are your eyeballs and it’s painful to read, so I offered to add to his pain by writing a guest column for him and the fool said ...1 week ago - Climate Change: An alternative plan
The government is supposed to release its second Emissions Reduction Plan any day now, and if its anything like the draft, it will be a pile of false accounting and wishful thinking, which will do nothing to actually reduce emissions. The central problem here is that national is legally required ...1 week ago
- Monday 9 December
The families of two workers killed in the forestry industry are pushing for a boss connected to both deaths to be pushed out of the industry, highlighting the need for corporate manslaughter legislation. Politicians are heading to Tokoroa to attend the Save Our Mill meeting regarding the significant proposed job ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Sabotaging the Climate Commission
Throughout its term in government National has been annoyed by repeated unwelcome advice from He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission to move faster, do more, or even just do something. But Rod Carr's term as commission chair expired over the weekend, as did those of two other board members. ...1 week ago
- I Put A Spell On You
You know I can't stand itYou're running aroundYou know better, daddyI can't stand it 'cause you put me downOh, noI put a spell on youBecause you're mineSongwriter: Jay Hawkins.Please note that there is a paywall later in this newsletter, so before I begin, a reminder of my current offers and ...1 week ago - A Confession
Hi,I have a confession to make — I have been on holiday. I don’t really do holidays. They fill me with guilt. I need to be making something, or trying to make something. It’s all tied in with my sense of self worth, but we’ll get to that another day.I’ve ...1 week ago - Simeon Brown alienates another National electorate
Brown’s abrupt and ideological rulings have overturned locally driven plans and expectations and angered locals in yet another National electorate. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, December 9 are:Warkworth residents are angry that Transport ...1 week ago
- Monday Wrap Up: Politics News
1. Anti-red tape ministry advises against anti-red tape bill (The Post, Andrea Vance)David Seymour's anti-red tape ministry says his new bill to slash red tape is unnecessary.An interim regulatory impact statement from [The Ministry of Regulation] said while it supports the overall objectives [of Seymour’s bill], it says the legislation ...1 week ago - Simeon Brown’s fanaticism kills Warkworth intersection fix
I grew up in Warkworth, and the infamous Hill Street intersection has been an issue not just my whole life, but for decades before I was even born. My dad told me stories of how, back in the 80s, he’d set up seats overlooking the intersection and sit watching the ...1 week ago
- Gordon Campbell on the fall of Assad, and the new Dylan movie
Hold the champagne. Ugly and brutal as it was, the Assad regime may have been the lesser evil for Syria, the Middle East region and the rest of the world. The last time an extremist Sunni fighting force – called Islamic State (IS) – exerted control over large swathes of ...2 weeks ago
- 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #49
A listing of 24 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 1, 2024 thru Sat, December 7, 2024. Alternative listing prototype Instead of a "Story of the Week" we added a listing by assigned category, so this installment will ...2 weeks ago
- Mokopuna Thinking
Because the sky is blueIt makes me crySongwriters: Paul McCartney / John Lennon.This morning, I went along to the launch of the Greens’ alternative plan for emissions reduction. Contrasting the coalition’s approach of burying their head in the sand and glowering “thou shalt not” at others who try to stop ...2 weeks ago - Are Lester Levy and Shane Reti “cooking the books?”
This news piece is important enough it serves as a recap of events:Please consider supporting my work if you can afford to.In July, after most Health NZ Board members had already resigned – many without notice and it was starting to look embarrassing for the sitting Government - Shane Reti ...2 weeks ago - Watching the Tide
So I'm just gonna sit on the dock of the bayWatching the tide roll awayI'm sittin' on the dock of the bayWastin' timeSongwriters: Stephen Lee Cropper / Otis ReddingChristmas PartiesAs you might recall from yesterday’s newsletter, last night was Christmas Party time for the Rockels.One of the younger members of ...2 weeks ago - My Saturday Soliloquy for Dec 7
Mōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty in this week were:PM Christopher Luxon said his Goverment was ‘re-learning’ the austerity-infused economic lessons taught by former National Finance Minister Ruth Richardson in 1991, when she slashed spending to reduce public ...2 weeks ago
- TKP 26/50 solutions: A new home without a power bill
As part of The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50) and When The Facts Change ,I interviewed Octopus Energy Zero Bills Technical Director Nigel Banks from the UK about this week's launch in New Zealand of a partnership with Classic Homes to build new homes in Auckland1 with ...2 weeks ago
- A wellbeing economy is the only option!
I recently attended a conference organised by WEALL (Wellbeing Economy Alliance) Aotearoa. WEALL defines 'economy' differently from the current neoliberal approach and that is simply 'the way that we produce and provide for one another'. Attending this conference made me even more aware of how far we have drifted away ...2 weeks ago
- Interview with John Cook about misinformation and artificial intelligence
In March, John Cook met with Adam Ford from Science, Technology & the Future to talk about his work researching misinformation and how to counter it. The interview - published on October 10 - explored the complex and evolving landscape of climate misinformation, covering a range of topics including the different types ...2 weeks ago
- Economic Progress May Not Add To Wellbeing
How the Prospect Theory of Behavioural Economics Makes Economic Analysis DifficultBehavioural economics has been described as the most revolutionary thing which has happened to economics for ages. The notion that people do not behave like ‘rational economic men’ (women are mainly ignored) undermines the microeconomic foundations of the subject. Not ...2 weeks ago - National finds out
Since coming to power last year, National has viciously cut the public service, sacking nearly 10,000 public servants (to date). Those people weren't just doing nothing, and it was obviously going to have an impact on something other than the government's books. But while National's over-paid, privately-insured, and DPS-guarded Ministers ...2 weeks ago
- Lockout of disability workers before Christmas unacceptable
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting President Rachel Mackintosh is condemning the actions of disability support provider Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau Trust in deciding to respond to legitimate strike action by locking out their workers with just a few weeks before Christmas. “The actions of Te Roopu Taurima are totally ...2 weeks ago
- Friday 6 December
In another blow to the media landscape, Māori TV’s daily news service is set to end after 20 years, following the announcement that they have cut 27 jobs. PSA members at MBIE have voted to initiate industrial action, after rejecting a pay offer because it failed to keep up with ...2 weeks ago
- An experiment and our Christmas offer to subscribe to The Kākā
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāIt’s that time of the year when we offer 50% off for a year to new subscribers for the next fortnight until December 21, which is ‘Gravy Day’1. It’s our version of a Christmas/Black Monday/Cyber Monday/Singles Day/Boxing Day offer. We call it the ‘Gravy Day ...2 weeks ago
- The State of David Seymour’s Shameless Condescension and Unbridled Arrogance
.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work..Setting the stageQuestion: How does one make money, when something stands in the way?Answer: Get rid of that thing. Or at least dilute it.Present Day, Aotearoa New ZealandIn his Beehive media statement, Seymour recently ...2 weeks ago - Weekly Roundup 06-December-2024
It’s another Friday and it has been a big week in Auckland. We hope everyone’s excited to be in the final stretch of the year! Here’s some of the stories that have caught our attention this week. This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely ...2 weeks ago
- The Days Go By
It must be your skin, I'm sinkin' inIt must be for real, 'cause now I can feelAnd I didn't mind, it's not my kindIt's not my time to wonder whySongwriter: Gavin Rossdale.As the year winds up, I’m feeling a bit mentally drained, so today’s newsletter is one of reminiscing. Today, ...2 weeks ago - The Hoon around the week to December 6
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with: on Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay saying New Zealand would not buy emissions credits overseas, effectively admitting we’ll renege on our Paris commitments. (RNZ) ...2 weeks ago
- Paying for National’s roads
The Government has promised 17 Roads of National Significance, but the brutal truth is that it cannot afford them. So Transport Minister Simeon Brown yesterday announced that from now on, tolls and other user charges will be the way New Zealand pays for new roading infrastructure. Tolls are likely ...2 weeks ago
- Confession: Why Shane Reti & Ayesha Verrall’s Performance Helps Me
Video above. These videos are also designed for those not versed in the detailed subject matter so excuse any repeats of Health NZ facts you are aware of from reading Mountain Tui for too long!Recently, I read a Substack article which, on my brief skim, lamented the rise of critiquing ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #49 2024
Open access notables Global emergence of regional heatwave hotspots outpaces climate model simulations, Kornhuber et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: Multiple recent record-shattering weather events raise questions about the adequacy of climate models to effectively predict and prepare for unprecedented climate impacts on human life, infrastructure, and ecosystems. Here, we ...2 weeks ago
- The Bewildering World of Chris Luxon – Three Bad Polls – Three Strikes for National?
.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work..As I wrote on 3 December:“One bad poll for a government can be dismissed as “rogue”. Two? That’s damaging.”Three bad polls? That is when Red Alert lights start flashing; klaxons start to blare; and ...2 weeks ago - Climate Change: More unwelcome advice
He Pou a Rangi / Climate Change Commission has just released its Review of the 2050 emissions target including whether emissions from international shipping and aviation should be included. After noting that there have been significant changes since the target was originally set in 2019 - stronger evidence that we ...2 weeks ago
- Join us at 5pm for The Hoon
2 weeks ago - No sweat
Let's say I want to run a marathon, but I’m not keen on all that running.At the registration desk I say, I want to start at the last kilometre. What's the fee for that?They tell me,We don't offer that option. You have to do the whole race.I reply,Yeah but I ...2 weeks ago - Climate Change: National wants to cheat on Paris II
Back in September, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts shocked us by suggesting that New Zealand could refuse to meet its international commitments under the Paris Agreement. Now Forestry Minister Todd McClay has echoed that position: Minister for Agriculture and Forestry Todd McClay says the Government won't be buying carbon ...2 weeks ago
- Marsden Fund changes will undermine prosperity and social cohesion
The Government’s rewrite of the Marsden Fund’s investment plan and terms of reference demonstrates a complete lack of understanding and risks undermining the breadth of research that is essential for the wellbeing and prosperity of New Zealanders, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting President Rachel Mackintosh. “Humanities and social science ...2 weeks ago
- Thursday 5 December
The Government has announced further changes to the personal grievance regime that will make it even tougher for workers, and changes to the Marsden Fund investment plan to stop funding for humanities and social sciences research. Workers at Kinleith mill are worried that they will lose even more jobs. A ...2 weeks ago
- Can desalination quench agriculture’s thirst?
This article by Lela Nargi originally appeared in Knowable Magazine, a nonprofit publication dedicated to making scientific knowledge accessible to all. Sign up for Knowable Magazine’s newsletter. Ralph Loya was pretty sure he was going to lose the corn. His farm had been scorched by El Paso’s hottest-ever June and ...2 weeks ago
- A housing market with bits tacked on doesn’t need many (if any) pure scientists
The humanities and social sciences panels of The Marsden fund will be disbanded and no longer supported, because “real impact on our economy will come from areas such as physics, chemistry, maths, engineering and biomedical sciences,” said Judith Collins. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMorena. Long stories short in Aotearoa’s ...2 weeks ago
- Govt guts funding for social sciences and humanities
The Government’s decision to axe all Humanities and Social Science research funding through the Marsden Fund is a massive step backwards. ...2 weeks ago - You can’t bank on pine trees in a climate crisis
Today’s Government announcement to limit farm forestry conversions tinkers around the edges, instead of focusing on the real problem and stopping pollution at the source. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Nicola Willis being sneaky with new taxes
Nicola Willis is refusing to rule out putting sneaky new taxes on Kiwi households. ...2 weeks ago - Release: Govt benefit target even further out of reach
Christopher Luxon has once again failed to read the room and claimed success while life gets harder for everyday Kiwis. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt continues to punch down
The Government’s new initiative to get people off the benefit won’t address the core drivers of poverty such as low incomes, lack of access to adequate housing and lack of employment opportunities. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour urges ACC to pull investments in Israel’s illegal settlements
Labour is urging ACC to divest from companies identified by the United Nations as complicit in the building and maintenance of Israel’s illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Further evidence to stop school lunch cuts
A new report provides further proof that David Seymour should not be messing with the free school lunch programme. ...2 weeks ago
- Jamie Arbuckle: Inquiry into Banking Competition
This week was the start of the bank inquiry hearings into banking competition. The inquiry was confirmed in the NZ First/National Coalition agreement. 140 submissions were received on the inquiry, and we will hear from over 60 submitters including all the major banks. ANZ, New Zealand's largest bank, was first ...2 weeks ago - Casey Costello: What Once Was…
Entering politics is a privilege afforded to very few and, as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. Being an MP is a call to service. Whatever your politics you have a duty to show up. Whatever your party's policy, you have made a promise to those who ...2 weeks ago
- Casey Costello: International Day of Older Persons
Throughout New Zealand it is difficult to think of a sports club, charity, church group, festival, foundation, or service organisation that does not owe its existence, effectiveness, or success to the contribution of older New Zealanders. October 1st is International Day of Older Persons so please take a moment to consider ...2 weeks ago
- NZ First Member’s Bill To Disestablish Auckland Transport
Today New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill that will restore democratic control over transport management in Auckland City by disestablishing Auckland Transport (AT) and returning control to Auckland Council. The ‘Local Government (Auckland Council) (Disestablishment of Auckland Transport) Amendment Bill’ intends to restore democratic oversight, control, and accountability ...2 weeks ago
- Tanya Unkovich: It’s time to start the debate on palliative care as a ‘right’
There is one topic that is the great human leveller, and that is of death and dying. One day, we will all have to face it, and I am of the belief that being able to pass away with grace and dignity is a vital, basic, human right. How we ...2 weeks ago
- Mark Patterson: Farmers understand we have their backs
Spring is here which means the start of the A&P show season. Those treasured community days where town meets country. There's no rural-urban divide here, just a chance to meet up with family and old friends and celebrate all things that make rural New Zealand so special. I'm embarking on ...2 weeks ago
- Release: A Labour Government will not join AUKUS
New Zealand will not sign up to the nuclear-powered pillar one, or the pillar two of AUKUS under a Labour Government. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Labour will build Dunedin Hospital
Labour will build Dunedin Hospital as it was committed to prior to election 2023. ...3 weeks ago
- Chris Hipkins: Speech to Labour Party Conference 2024
E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā iwi, e rau rangatira ma Tena koutou tēnā koutou tēnā koutou katoa ...3 weeks ago
- Luxon Folds on ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill
Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, is calling Luxon’s leadership a joke after it was revealed this morning on Q+A that ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill was not a bottom line. "New Zealand officially has a laughing-stock Prime Minister whose leadership folded as he trades away the rights of tangata whenua ...3 weeks ago
- Prime Minister shirks responsibility on global climate commitment
In an interview with Q&A this morning, the Prime Minister refused to say whether he would commit to meeting the Paris Agreement, the international climate agreement which commits all countries to act locally to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: All workers deserve fair treatment
The Government’s latest change to the Employment Relations Act has no justification apart from making it easier to sack employees without having to follow due process. ...3 weeks ago
- Q4 plan sets NZ up for growth and infrastructure
It will soon be easier to get things built in New Zealand due to the actions delivered by the Government as part of our Quarter Four (Q4) Action Plan, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “The modern and reliable infrastructure New Zealand desperately needs is a lot closer thanks to the ...3 days ago - Government getting local government back to basics
The Government has agreed to reforms that refocus local councils on delivering essential services and core infrastructure, spending responsibly, and operating under greater scrutiny, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says.“Homeowners face the fastest rates rise in more than twenty years. Rates are out of control and the Government is taking ...3 days ago
- Cabinet circular paves way for better regulation to benefit everyone
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that changes to the way regulations are made will ensure the process is more efficient, transparent and effective. From 1 January 2025, government agencies making new regulations will follow a more simplified and streamlined process, saving time and energy by focusing only on what’s important. ...3 days ago
- Ministers recognise health volunteers
Seven outstanding individuals and organisations have been recognised in the 2024 Minister of Health Volunteer Awards. The recipients hail from across the country, and range in age from 17 to 90 years old. Their work includes leading exercise groups for people with lung conditions, school students supporting disabled people, and ...3 days ago
- New plan for reducing family and sexual violence
The launch in Auckland today of the second Te Aorerekura Action Plan for the prevention of family violence and sexual violence featured three government ministers, together to symbolise this government’s commitment to reducing harm from violence. The launch was hosted by Karen Chhour, as Minister for the Prevention of Family ...4 days ago
- Speech – Launch of the Second Te Aorerekura Action Plan
Welcome everyone, thank you for joining us today for the launch of the Second Te Aorerekura Action Plan - Breaking the cycle of violence. My name is Karen Chhour – I am the Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence and Minister for Children. This is a big ...4 days ago
- Low-emission hydrogen plan released
The Government has released a Hydrogen Action Plan which sets out key steps to unlock private sector investment in hydrogen energy and support New Zealand’s transition to a low-emissions economy, Energy Minister Simeon Brown and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced today.“New Zealand is fortunate to have abundant renewable energy ...5 days ago
- Trade Minister to visit India
Trade Minister Todd McClay will travel to New Delhi on 15 December to continue strengthening New Zealand’s relationship with India. Mr McClay will meet with his counterpart, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal. He will also meet with senior members of the Indian business community. “India is an important partner ...5 days ago
- Modernising dietary supplement regulations
The first steps in modernising the regulation of exported dietary supplements have been announced today by Associate Health Minister Casey Costello, Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard, and Trade Minister Todd McClay. “We are using the Therapeutic Products Act Repeal Bill to address some long-term issues for New Zealand companies wanting ...6 days ago
- Therapeutic Products Act repeal bill passed
The Therapeutic Products Act Repeal Bill has been passed by Parliament, clearing the way for better regulation for medicines, medical devices, and natural health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “Repealing the Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) was a promise this Government made to the New Zealand public, and ...6 days ago
- Assurance received from the National Library on freedom of expression
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden has spoken to Rachel Esson, the National Librarian responsible for the National Library of New Zealand, about the importance of the Government institution remaining impartial and not attempting to censor academics hosted to talk at the National Library. “It is essential that Government ...6 days ago
- Kaitaia Airport resolution takes flight
Tērā te āniwaniwa e tāwhana mai ana i te rangi i runga i Te Waionepū me ngā pā tawhito ko Tūtūtarakihi ko Wharekākāriki – A rainbow arches in the skies above Te Waionepū and the ancient pā of Tūtūarakihi and Wharekākāriki. A vital future for the country’s northernmost airport has ...6 days ago
- New Zealand and Thailand make progress towards strategic partnership
New Zealand and Thailand have set an ambitious timeline to upgrade their relationship to a ‘Strategic Partnership’, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. Mr Peters met with his Thai counterpart Maris Sangiampongsa in Auckland today. “New Zealand has great ambitions for our partnership with Thailand," Mr Peters says. “There are significant opportunities to do more ...6 days ago
- Government delivers standardised emissions measurement tool
The Government is delivering on our Q4 commitment, restoring certainty and credibility to the agriculture sector by introducing a standardised, science-based method for measuring farm-level greenhouse gas emissions, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, today announced. “Our farmers are some of the most carbon efficient food producers in the world, but they ...6 days ago
- New appointments to the Sport NZ board
Four new board members have been appointed to the board of Sport and Recreation New Zealand (Sport NZ), Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop says. “Megan Campbell, John Fiso (ONZM), Kathryn Irving and Ken Laban will collectively bring strong governance experience in the community, sporting and recreational sectors to the ...6 days ago
- Government sets target to reduce persistent poverty
The Government has set a target to lift 15,000 children out of persistent child poverty by 2035, Child Poverty Reduction Minister Louise Upston has announced. “We are committed to making New Zealand the best place in the world for children and addressing persistent poverty is an important step in realising ...6 days ago
- Next phase of Whangārei Hospital development underway
The next phase of the Whangārei Hospital redevelopment is underway, with Health Minister Dr Shane Reti breaking ground on the new child health centre. Dr Reti says the $35 million unit, Tira Ora, replaces the existing children’s clinic with a modern, fit-for-purpose facility which will provide significantly more capacity and ...6 days ago
- Judicial appointments announced
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of six lay members of the High Court under the Commerce Act 1986. Lay members assist the Court in cases involving appeals from decisions of the Commerce Commission and in other matters under the Commerce Act. They also play a key role in ...6 days ago
- Three Strikes Bill passes third reading
The Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill which passed its third reading today, makes it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending will not be tolerated, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says. “Reinstating the Three Strikes regime will help keep New Zealanders safer while sending a strong message to those ...6 days ago
- Record wild goat hunting competition removes 12,935 goats
A collaborative effort between hunters, landowners, and conservation organisations has successfully removed 12,935 wild goats during the second annual National Competition, Hunting and Fishing Minister Todd McClay announced today. This marks a 22 per cent increase from last year. “This is fantastic result demonstrates the importance and benefit of strong partnerships ...6 days ago
- Government to enable tolling to accelerate investment in roads
The Government has agreed key policy changes to enable tolling of roading infrastructure, helping bring forward critical investment in New Zealand’s transport network, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Tolling is a tool used around the world to accelerate investment in roading infrastructure, and the changes the Government is making will allow ...6 days ago
- Sue Brake appointed to Guardians NZ board
Finance industry veteran Sue Brake has been appointed to the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation Board, while the chair of the board, John Williamson, has been re-appointed, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. “Sue Brake brings more than two decades of experience in investment management, governance and strategic advice and ...6 days ago
- Supporting safe, secure, responsible use of space
New legislation to manage risks posed by ground-based space infrastructure will be introduced next year, Space Minister Judith Collins says. “Ground-based space infrastructure are the systems on Earth that carry out tracking and control of spacecraft, space surveillance, and the transfer of data to and from spacecraft,” Ms Collins says. ...6 days ago
- Mental health targets provide foundation to build on
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says the Government’s five mental health and addiction targets provide a foundation to build on in the first quarter of reporting, but the data highlights there is still plenty of work to do, particularly in key regions. “I am glad to see 80 per cent ...6 days ago
- TIPENE to open in term 1 2025
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that TIPENE is the final charter school to open in term one 2025. “This announcement is another significant step in the Government’s efforts to lift educational achievement in New Zealand,” says Mr Seymour. “Charter schools will make New Zealand’s education system more ...6 days ago
- Invigorating New Zealand’s capital markets
The Government is taking steps to invigorate New Zealand’s capital markets to encourage investment in infrastructure and productive businesses, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Kiwis work incredibly hard but do not see the same level of return for their labour as other advanced nations. The Government is ...6 days ago
- Welcome progress on youth vaping
New Zealand is turning the corner on youth vaping and the Government’s law changes will reinforce that trend, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said today. “The ASH survey of youth vaping and smoking released today shows that smoking rates for year 10 students remain very low – they have turned ...6 days ago
- Consultation opens on fisheries sustainability
Catch limits for rock lobster and Pacific bluefin tuna are being reviewed, with consultation opening today, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Catch limits for spiny red rock lobster in CRA 2 (Hauraki Gulf, Coromandel and Bay of Plenty) CRA 7 (Otago), and Pacific bluefin tuna in TOR 1 ...6 days ago
- Gravy train well and truly over for consultants
New data shows the public service is on track to save more than double the Government’s initial target on contractors and consultants. Minister for the Public Service Nicola Willis says it shows “the consultant gravy train is well and truly over”. “Taxpayers are not a cash cow for consultants and ...6 days ago
- Speech to Employment and Manufacturers Association on Holidays Act
Good morning everyone, and thank you for the kind introduction, Alan. As always, it is a pleasure to be here, and I appreciate the time you’ve all taken to come out during what is undoubtedly the busiest season of the year for some of you. It has certainly felt ...6 days ago
- Minister response to consultation on Holidays Act replacement
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says she has directed her officials to change the proposed direction of Holidays Act reform. “The Government recently conducted targeted consultation on an exposure draft Bill which built on work that had started under the previous Government. The feedback I have seen ...6 days ago
- Stalking legislation takes first step
Legislation that will make stalking illegal with a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison has been introduced and passed through first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Existing harassment laws haven’t kept pace with trends in this dangerous area. Since I announced this Bill, ...7 days ago
- New tools to be added to Traffic Light System
Legislation that will introduce new non-financial benefit sanctions into the welfare Traffic Light System and require people on Jobseeker Support to reapply every six months has passed its first reading in Parliament today. “The Social Security Amendment Bill expands the welfare Traffic Light System that launched in August with new ...7 days ago
- Changes to encourage more rental homes passed into law
The Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill has passed its third reading, delivering on the coalition Government’s commitment to deliver sensible changes to tenancy laws, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The previous Government’s war on landlords ultimately caused worse outcomes for tenants: rents up by $170 per week from 2017 to 2023, ...7 days ago
- Second RMA Amendment Bill introduced to Parliament
The coalition Government’s second RMA Amendment Bill, introduced to Parliament this week, will help drive economic growth and increased productivity by making it easier to get things done in New Zealand,” RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says. “Our second RMA Amendment Bill is a precursor to full replacement of the ...7 days ago
- NZGIF update
Cecilia Tarrant has announced she has resigned as Chair of New Zealand Green Investment Finance, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “I want to acknowledge the work Ms Tarrant has led over the last six years and thank her for her service.” Ms Tarrant will stand down with effect from ...7 days ago
- Speech to the New Zealand China Council
It is a pleasure to be here this afternoon and thank you to John McKinnon and the New Zealand-China Council for the invitation. New Zealand greatly values its long-standing relationship with China. The connections between our two countries are strong, although recovering after being deeply affected by the impacts of ...7 days ago
- Hairdressers and barbers to receive a regulatory clean shave
Minister for Regulation David Seymour has today announced that the third sector review, led by the Ministry for Regulation, will cut red tape for the hairdresser and barber industry. “Hairdressers and barbers provide a valuable service in every community. They make up a billion-dollar industry of more than 5000 mostly ...7 days ago
- Aucklanders save $899 million in water charges with Local Water Done Well
The Government has approved the Watercare Charter to keep Auckland’s water services affordable, saving households about $899 million over four years while ensuring improved service quality and record infrastructure investment to unlock housing growth in Auckland says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown.Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says the Watercare Charter which was ...7 days ago
- Fintech innovation to boost consumer competition
The launch of a bespoke pilot programme for financial technology companies will help boost competition for Kiwi consumers and improve choice in the financial and banking sectors, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The Government is relentlessly focused on improving competition so we can lift productivity and improve outcomes ...7 days ago
- Let’s take the boat out! 5 tips on staying safe on the water if you fancy a drink
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Peden, NHMRC Research Fellow, School of Population Health & co-founder UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, UNSW Sydney View Apart/Shutterstock Australia is a nation of boaters, with one of the world’s highest rates of boat ownership. There are about one million ...22 hours ago - A bitter rivalry is emerging in the Middle East between two old adversaries over the future of Syria
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University The Conversation; Mohammed Badra (EPA), Maxim Shemetov (Reuters Pool/EPA), Stoyan Nenov (Reuters Pool/AP) The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has opened a new front for ...23 hours ago
- Flying this holiday season? Here’s why air travel makes us so cranky – and what to do about it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Senior Lecturer of Urban Risk & Resilience, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock The holidays are coming, airports are packed and emotions are running high. You’ve probably seen it or even been part of it: that tense moment when a passenger snaps ...23 hours ago
- Minister Needs To Listen To The Evidence On Engineered Stone Ban
“We need to follow Australia’s example and implement a total ban of engineered stone, a dangerous product that is killing workers,” said Polaczuk. ...23 hours ago - How to not hug people you don’t want to hug this holiday season
You dread it, but they love it: here’s how to tell your family you’re hoping for a no-contact Christmas before they wrap their unwanted arms around you. There is nothing like Christmas to bring the blow of family obligation hurtling through your otherwise enjoyable life like a wrecking ball. And ...23 hours ago - MPs Should Take A Break & Reject Easter Trading Bill
We reject any liberalisation of Easter trading laws and also Anzac and Christmas days because workers deserve this special annual break to spend time with their families. ...24 hours ago
- Watch: Lake Alice survivors to get $150,000 each in redress
Erica Stanford has unveiled the government's redress plan for those tortured at the psychiatric hospital. ...1 day ago - Peters considers legal action over judge’s ‘verbal attack’
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is considering legal action after a district court judge and a celebrity doctor “verbally attacked” him and other party members at a Christmas function.On Wednesday, The Post reported District Court judge Ema Aitken and intensive care specialist David Galler had apologised after their actions ...1 day ago - A return to balanced budgets is a decade away, mid-year update says
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The federal budget is headed for a deficit of $26.9 billion this financial year – $1.3 billion better than the estimate in May – but in the following three years the budget is forecast to ...1 day ago
- Labor and Albanese end 2024 in worst poll position this term
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll , conducted December 11–15 from a sample of 1,151, gave the Coalition a 48–47 lead including undecided, unchanged ...1 day ago
- How feelings of disconnection and lack of control fuel conspiracy beliefs – new research
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elianne Albath, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Social Psychology, University of Basel Conspiracy theories have always been a part of society, offering explanations – sometimes simple, often elaborate – for complex events. Some have uncovered genuine conspiracies, such as the Watergate scandal. ...1 day ago
- Watch live: Lake Alice survivors to get $150,000 each in redress
Erica Stanford has unveiled the government's redress plan for those tortured at the psychiatric hospital. ...1 day ago
- The Spinoff’s favourite music of 2024
From Eden Park stepping up to rappers stepping each other out, we look back at the best of music this year. Read The Spinoff’s favourite TV shows of 2024. We’re a very small team here at The Spinoff, but we’ve tried our best to up our music coverage this year. ...1 day ago
- Vanuatu quake: Missing MFAT staff found safe, NZ offers search and rescue help
There are 58 New Zealanders registered as being in Vanuatu, though MFAT expects there are more who are not registered. ...1 day ago
- Government consults on engineered stone benchtop ban
Australia banned its use and manufacture in July. ...1 day ago
- Chris Penk rejects bid to change Petone’s name to Pito One
Chris Penk has said no to the change after it received backing from the . ...1 day ago
- How the Fast-track Approvals Bill became law
The contentious Fast-track Approvals Bill is now law - but it hit a few speed bumps on the way. ...1 day ago
- In six hours, everything changed: Watching Korea’s political turmoil from afar
In the aftermath of Yoon Suk-Yeol’s attempted insurrection, South Koreans around the world have been making their voices heard as they defend their homeland’s democratic institutions. Aotearoa is no exception, explains Rebekah Jaung. As we forge on ahead Those who live, follow on – from the song ‘March for Our ...1 day ago
- Kindergarten group fears rule overhaul will lower standards
Most early childhood groups backed changes to the sector's rules but Kindergartens Aotearoa said the review was focused on the needs of businesses rather than children. ...1 day ago
- Vanuatu quake: Death toll rises – 14 dead, hundreds hurt in 7.3 disaster
RNZ News The death toll from Vanuatu’s 7.3 earthquake is expected to rise because concrete buildings have collapsed with people inside in the capital Port Vila. International Federation of Red Cross Pacific head of delegation Katie Greenwood posted on X that the Vanuatu government was reporting 14 confirmed fatalities and ...1 day ago
- What happened to the Queenstown KFC road sign?
The iconic ‘No left turn except access to KFC’ road sign has vanished. Joel MacManus investigates. Queenstown is home to many of the world’s great natural wonders: Lake Wakatipu, The Remarkables and the only known skeleton of the New Zealand Mountain Dolphin. But all the beauty of mother nature pales ...1 day ago
- Calf’s head consommé with truffle quenelles: a history of what the royals ate for Christmas, from...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa J. Hackett, Lecturer, Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, University of New England Rijksmuseum As we prepare our Christmas fare – a hot roast with all the trimmings, a seafood smorgasbord or a beach-side barbecue – it is timely to think ...1 day ago
- Astronomers’ world-first discovery: twin stars trapped in galactic black hole orbit
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Barnes, Lecturer in Physics, Western Sydney University A laser aims at the centre of our galaxy, in the heart of the brightest part of the Milky Way. G. Hüdepohl/ESO At the centre of the Milky Way is a supermassive black hole ...1 day ago
- Most journalism fails Australians by failing in its reportage of Indigenous affairs. 7 changes would...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University Alessia Francischiello via Unsplash Much has been written about the longstanding failings of the Australian media in its reportage of Indigenous affairs. The most recent example is the ...1 day ago
- We studied 20 places around the world and found the most common diseases linked with voluntary assis...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eliana Close, Senior Research Fellow, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology Ground Picture/Shutterstock More and more countries are legalising voluntary assisted dying. This lets a doctor, or sometimes a nurse practitioner, give life-ending medication to an eligible ...1 day ago
- A push to cool Australian cities may inadvertently increase our skin cancer risk, unless we act
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Stanford, Researcher Associate, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University Picture this: you’re working from home and it’s sweltering outside. You venture out for a coffee and move between patches of shade as you go. Good thing you wore your sunglasses, because ...1 day ago
- Some ancient Romans got to retire with a pension at 42, but retirement’s changed a bit over the ce...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Asher, Associate Professor in the UNSW Business School, UNSW Sydney siloto/Shutterstock This article is part of The Conversation’s “Retirement” series where experts examine issues including how much money we need to retire, retiring with debt, the psychological impact of retiring ...1 day ago
- Glam tidings of joy: how Slade made Merry Xmas Everybody a seasonal hit for the ages
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Blair, Teaching Fellow in Music, University of Otago Getty Images Are you hanging up your stocking on your wall? It’s the time that every Santa has a ball! You’ve probably just heard the 1973 Slade classic at the ...1 day ago
- The very long road to fiscal recovery
Treasury’s latest update showed only small glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund for The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...1 day ago
- Opposition accuses Nicola Willis of ‘creative accounting’
The finance minister's new indicator for measuring the budget has led to accusations of creative accounting from opposition parties. ...1 day ago
- Zombies given new life as fast-track passes into law
Ministers behind the bill say allowing certain projects to avoid extra scrutiny was a feature, not a bug, as fast-track is set for royal assent The post Zombies given new life as fast-track passes into law appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Waitangi trust chair urges Christopher Luxon to show up Treaty grounds
The Waitangi National Trust chair hopes Christopher Luxon makes his way to the Treaty grounds for the annual commemorations. ...1 day ago
- Early childhood education regulations ‘excessive and confusing’ – Ministry
Children in early learning are at an unacceptable risk of harm due to gaps in the way the sector is monitored, the regulatory review of early childhood education says. ...1 day ago
- Allegations against TAB’s operator spark money laundering scrutiny
Racing Minister won’t say what’s being investigated: ‘You don’t tell a burglar when the cops are going to turn up’ The post Allegations against TAB’s operator spark money laundering scrutiny appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- How the Fast-track Bill Approvals became law
The contentious Fast-track Approvals Bill is now law - but it hit a few speed bumps on the way. ...1 day ago
- The 2024 Golden Jandals for conspicuous contributions to NZ politics
Charge your glasses and gather around for the latest edition of the world’s most coveted footwear-themed political prizes, with your hosts, Toby Manhire and Ben McKay. Forget boot camps. This is the jandal academy. Affordable, rubbery, and radiating that unmistakable aroma of sea salt and toe sweat, the official ceremony ...1 day ago
- Our outlandish political predictions for 2024, revisited
This time last year, our esteemed team of political pundits made their wildest predictions for the year of our Lord 2024. Did anyone make an accurate call? Let’s find out. Madeleine Chapman: Barbara Edmonds reluctantly takes the position of Labour leader or deputy. Somewhat surprisingly, there has been no movement ...1 day ago
- A double salute to the Syrian people
Analysis: What a difference a month makes in the kaleidoscopic Middle East. The outlook for the region over the past year or more has been very dark to say the least.Reckless zero-sum narratives have hardened and securitised identity politics adding accelerant to devastating conflicts stretching from Gaza to Lebanon and ...1 day ago
- Daily crossword, Wednesday 18 December
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- The long neoliberal con
Opinion: While all the media and popular coverage seems to have been directed towards the Treaty Principles Bill, David Seymour and Act are poised to achieve another substantive victory that has been over 20 years in the making.The Regulatory Standards Bill, first introduced to Parliament in 2006 and reintroduced last ...1 day ago
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