Dunedin is not a happy city at the moment. We are used to being ignored in the nationwide New Zealand media – wrong end of the country and all – but the Government’s recent announcement on the Dunedin Hospital rebuild has got people motivated. How motivated? Well, I couldn’t make ...
A nice bit of news. I can report that I have had a short story success – my 3,600 word gothic horror piece, The One Who Saw Too Much, has been accepted ...
And another pitch shattersAnother little bit gets lostTell me what else really mattersOh, such a costLike pebbles on a beachKicked around, displaced by feetOh, like broken stonesThey're all trying to get homeSong by Paul WellerDoes it feel as though your country has been hijacked? That terrible people have taken the ...
Dame Jacinda Adern would not accept “acceptable death rates” during Covid. But in the UK the Tory government said “Let them die”.Additions belowYesterday, when I saw the news that a Timaru factory with hundreds of jobs on the line was going to close, I couldn't help but think:"I'm so glad ...
1. What did the National party promise Dunedin last election?a. We will build the hospital you needb. We will never give you up, let you down, or Rickroll you c. We will bring back John Keyd. Pandas2. What is the National party promising Dunedin now?a. A sawn-off half-pint watery version of ...
Note: This is obviously a very heavy topic — it took me three days to manage to write it — so please read with care. In saying that, in amongst the awfulness I think this piece also contains some hope, and plenty of humanity. Thanks to those of you who ...
We are extremely sad to say that our esteemed Skeptical Science colleague— and good friend to many of us— John Mason passed away on Friday September 20, 2024. Only last week, we blew a horn of appreciation for John's remarkable gift for telling stories about science. Our expectation was that ...
Stagnation and ContractionIn this column I use the less familiar measure of GDP per capita instead of the GDP measure favoured by the commentariat. I became familiar with it when I began doing international comparisons because of the population differences between countries, while I depended upon the measure while working ...
This is embarrassing: I just had to google who Andrew Jassy is.I come to substack to learn terrible thingsIn my defence, they promoted him during the pandemic and I had other things on my mind. Also watching Amazon injure their workers at a rate of over four times the US ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate news, including research suggesting a doubling of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could trigger 8° of warming ...
Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:A seventh planetary boundary, for ocean acidification will soon be breached, and may have already done so, according to ...
Just a little something for the painHospital food getting you down?Honey now I'm not one to complainBut this hangin' aroundIs wearing me outSong by David Gray.Yesterday, Dr Shane Reti, the Minister of Health, and Chris Bishop, the duty Minister for looking sad, sincere and determined, announced that Dunedin’s promised new ...
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September 27:Treasury’s Chief Economics Adviser Dominick Stephens gave the year’s most important speech yesterday, saying real and per-capita cuts in public spending implied by the Government’s surplus ...
Welcome to the end of the week and the end of the month. Ready to “spring forward” to Daylight Saving Time this weekend? As always, this post is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew. If you’d like to support our work and keep the posts coming, we welcome ...
The National led Coalition government intends to bring back offshore oil and gas mining. Shane Jones made that clear as soon as he got into power last year:“Mining is coming back!” he declared in Parliament in December.And this year: “Drill, Baby, Drill!”It’s his brand of politics.It feels futile but I ...
“While a nationwide vote to confirm, or not, the public’s understanding of our foundational constitutional document would be ‘divisive’, ‘racist’, a ‘blunt instrument’, and therefore completely out of the question, a referendum to extend the life expectancy of elected politicians, which no one not deeply involved with the governing process ...
Out Of The Loop: The great insight of sympathetic Pakeha jurists, like Sir Geoffrey Palmer, was that, suitably empowered, the judiciary and the executive branch of the state could take on the role formerly played by the non-elected governors of mid-nineteenth century New Zealand. Māori resources could be protected, and ...
Dirty Deals Done In The Dark:There will be times when it is to the considerable advantage of both National and Labour to be able to shrug philosophically and pardon themselves for cooperating in the introduction of controversial and divisive policies by explaining to an outraged public that this is simply ...
By Their Deeds Shall Ye Know Them:When the defeated Reform and United parties were persuaded to unite under the rubric of “National” in 1936, the values advanced were unashamedly imperialist and white supremacist. Eighty-eight years later, National is at pains to distance itself (coalition agreements permitting) from the most obvious ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday dismissed a grim warning from the Treasury that the country was headed for a fiscal crisis. Treasury Deputy Secretary Dominick Stephens said that fulfilling the Government’s promise to get the country’s books back to surplus by 2027-28 would require cuts to Government services “unprecedented in ...
When ACT, National, and New Zealand First joined together in a three-way coalition at the end of the last year, it was met with predictions of backstabbing, stonewalling, and inter-party politics. Many seemed convinced this government would get little done with such a diverse agenda. If only that had been ...
Open access notables Refined Estimates of Global Ocean Deep and Abyssal Decadal Warming Trends, Johnson & Purkey, Geophysical Research Letters:Deep and abyssal layer decadal temperature trends from the mid-1980s to the mid-2010s are mapped globally using Deep Argo and historical ship-based Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) instrument data. Abyssal warming trends are widespread, ...
Let’s examine some numbers.This is a public transport number.3% And this is an invitation to make an educated guess: In the morning rush hour in Wellington on Thorndon Quay, what proportion of the vehicles are buses?Yes indeed …the answer is:3% However, what do we find if we look inside those buses? Care ...
Bye, Bye hospital plans.Today Rachel Thomas reported - $3.2 billion is sleighted to come out of “hospital and mental health infrastructure projects”, and it seems the first formal casualty is Dunedin hospital, South Island.ODT reports former Labour Cabinet minister Pete Hodgson saying:“At the end of the day, the question is ...
New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are moving closer together – at record pace. Just a year after agreeing to enter initial talks, Wellington and Abu Dhabi have concluded negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (or CEPA for short). The deal will go down as one of ...
Pull up like a shipwreck in reverseYeah, I do, yeah, I doMaybe it's foreverMaybe it's just shampooDangSong by Caroline PolachekToday, a few things that, depending on your age, might make you go - that’s outrageous, or hmm, maybe WTAF, or just plain old dang.Specifically, I’ll be covering:When Press Secretaries resign, ...
Two weeks ago, the Ministry of Transport proactively released two tranches of documents that show the advice officials provided to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown as he directed the shaping of his draft and final Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport. You can find the documents via the MoT ...
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 26:Days after realising hundreds of thousands of tax-free gains on the sale of one of his rental properties, PM Christopher Luxon responded yesterday to ANZ CEO ...
Oyez oyez, CEO Antonia Watson, CEO of the biggest bank in New Zealand has come out in favour of a capital gains tax! Actually, this is not a daring new idea. Over the past three decades the IMF, the World Bank, the expert Tax Working Group and most mainstream economists ...
Following on from my earlier post … ‘Hamish Rutherford always looks grim these days‘, well, it seems that enough is enough for Hamish Rutherford (and fair enough too). Stuff reports: [Rutherford’s] message said: “It has been an absolute honour to work for Christopher Luxon both in Opposition and for 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). As the world heats, we face the consequences from rising seas, extreme weather, and the spread of disease. But what can ...
Reason to feel positive # 1The next of Life's Little Victories could be just around the cornerSince I got back I have been hearing a wheezing choking rasping sound coming from the Number One Boss element of our gas stove. Wheezy gas is never something you want to hear coming ...
OPINIONThis morning I wrote that the Charter Schools Bill had passed its final reading. Jan Tinetti called it a “sad, sad day for New Zealand education”. And Green Party MP Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan said the move is “not about education, it’s about privatisation”.$153mn for charter schools in what teachers and ...
In your mind you have capacities, you knowTo telepath messages through the vast unknownPlease close your eyes and concentrateWith every thought you thinkUpon the recitation we're about to singCalling occupants of interplanetary craftCalling occupants of interplanetary, most extraordinary craftSongwriters: John Woloschuk / Terry DraperThink of the capabilities of the human ...
This guest post by Darren Davis originally appeared on his excellent blog, Adventures in Transitland, and is republished here by kind permission. A while ago, I wrote about Perth’s public transport journey, outlining how Perth got to where it is now. I recommend reading that piece if you haven’t already, ...
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, September 25:Ad agency climate activist group Comms Declare today launched the New Zealand version of the globally compiled ‘F list,’ which names 14 local agencies “which have ...
Parliament yesterday moved to give its security staff powers of search, seizure and arrest. In effect it is establishing a quasi Parliamentary police force which will have the power to handcuff and detain offenders. But it will be a force with some heavy restrictions on what it can do. Most ...
A few years back, Te Kawa Mataaho / Public Service Commission started releasing OIA statitistics, on the theory that this would allow failure to be identified and managed, and so improve performance. It may have done so initially, but then the iron laws of bureaucracy (and specifically, Goodhart's and Campbell's) ...
This video includes conclusions of the "Just have a Think" channel's creator Dave Borlace. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). From the video‘s description: Arctic Sea ice reaches it's minimum extent each year around the middle of September. This ...
What is real, what is fake? Do we really know any more?Let's say you want to make tonight’s dinner a bit more appealing by trying something new.Why don't I google it? You say.You type: Idea for fresh and exciting meal.Google tells you: Pizza! Here's a topping combo that will wow ...
OPINIONYesterday, after the Polkinghorne case verdict, Philip Polkinghorne told reporters:"Now we can grieve and let Pauline rest in peace. That is the best gift we can possibly give her."And today his defence lawyer Elizabeth Hall said the case showed the justice system was working as intended.Jurors could not land the ...
I decided to finally write my “About Mountain Tui” page and found some of my old posts that I wanted to transfer here. This won’t be distributed by email, but will serve as a record of my writing.Here is one of them:Repealed under urgency No more Fair Pay Agreements, a ...
These things that I've been told can rearrangeMy world, my doubt in time but inside outThis is the working hourWe are paid by those who learn by our mistakesSongwriters: Ian Stanley / Roland Orzabal / Immanuel Franklin EliasSince Covid, life has been tough for many central city businesses. As you ...
Discussion of another harbour crossing has been in the news a lot recently as a result of Mayor Wayne Brown pushing for a bridge from Point Chev to Birkenhead. While I believe his proposal is bad, at least some of his reasoning behind his push for a bridge is correct. ...
Vaccine work mandates, no. Work-in-the-office mandates? Hell yes, Finance Minister Nicola Willis is all for them. Given half the chance, she believes, “some people but not all” will just skive off, otherwise. Sigh. But here’s the thing. Normally, when the media wants to query Cabinet Ministers about events in their ...
Up then down: Australia’s competition watchdog alleges both Woolworths Australia and main competitor Coles Myer put the price of hundreds of products up before dropping them again and advertising ‘everyday low prices’. Photo: Getty ImagesKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi,In this Webworm podcast episode, I bring you a conversation with someone I found endlessly fascinating to talk to — one of my favourite authors, Jason Pargin. He’s perhaps most well known for writing John Dies At The End, or a host of other books that all have amazing titles ...
Would you like to get paid more and have your work get worse, or have your pay decrease in real terms but when you’re saving lives or raising the next generation of workers, you get to keep your head juuuust above the water level during this flood of fiscally unnecessary ...
After firing half the capital’s public servants, Luxon and Willis are now trying to blame the remaining few for sending Wellington’s cafes bankrupt. It couldn’t possibly be the economic downturn that resulted from him pulling all the money out of the system and giving it to the wealthy to bank. ...
Today, Stuff led with a headline claiming that forcing public servants to return to the office was “the number one” fix for Wellington’s ‘icy’ economy.No mention until much later of the 6500+ positions the Government culled or its slashing of government programs and spend.That’s been the key differentiator in Wellington, ...
This week’s “A View from Afar” podcast addresses the issue of multidimensional hybrid warfare using the Israeli pager attacks in Lebanon as a starting point before moving on to discuss the failures of multilateral institutions, the UN in particular, when … Continue reading → ...
Back in 2018 the then-Labour government legislated formal targets to reduce child poverty with the Child Poverty Reduction Act - and took actual steps to achieve them, with a $5.5 billion families package to boost incomes and a school lunches scheme to ensure kids didn't go hungry. While a lot ...
Dark Times: Denied the state’s leadership and resources, New Zealand’s economy has been hollowed out and taken over. More importantly, so has its democracy.WHAT’S WRONG WITH NATIONAL? New Zealand’s “natural party of government” (since its formation in 1936 the National Party has won 17 out of 28 general elections) has ...
The previous Government set a goal of reducing the number of children experiencing “material hardship” from 13.3% down to 6% by mid-2028. But Upston says sticking to that, or even the suggested ‘lower ambition targets’, wasn’t realistic. Photo: Lynn GrievesonKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to ...
I would not be just a nuffin'My head all full of stuffin'My heart all full of painI would dance and be merryLife would be a ding-a-derryIf I only had a brainSongwriters: Harold Arlen / Yip HarburgNot much happens in the world of politics on a Monday. I mentioned that recently ...
This is a guest post by Nikki Goodson, a self-proclaimed urbanist and Independent Marketer for businesses building a better world. Looking for projects to connect on, she found the global movement Swimmable Cities and thought advocacy for urban swimming sounded like a pretty good idea. (The header image of ...
The Government’s overriding principles for resource management reform, released on Friday, are likely to be widely welcomed by some and resisted by others. Minister Chris Bishop and Simon Court promise the two replacement bills will be less complex than Labour’s legislation, which was passed by Parliament last year but would ...
A listing of 33 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Mon, September 16, 2024 thru Sun, September 22, 2024. Story of the week Might be added later. Stories we promoted this week, by publication date: Before September 16Departures ...
These train conversations are passing me byAnd I don't have nothing to sayYou get what you pay forBut I just had no intention of living this wayI need a phone call, I need a plane rideI need a sunburn, I need a raincoatAnd I get no answers, and I don't ...
There is more to tell about my drive to Masterton earlier this year.The first stop was Turangi, to let my cousin Garth know about Mum, or rather to talk to him on the phone because I soon learned he was in the back country, which is where you will often ...
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…. cultural, political, economic, environmental, social costs aplenty to our society, every day. It’s been one of those weeks, again. Barely a day, even a minute it seems, can go by before the public get assaulted with some new attack, figuratively, or literally, on the public good. ...
We are now into the back-half of The Rings of Power, season two. Thus far, I have gushed with praise for how much improved the show has become – at least relative to season one. Never mind my innate sense of charity, I have worried whether my reviews have become ...
I saw no evil when I looked into your eyesI heard no evil while you told me all those liesI spoke no evil when I called out your nameLook at us now, babyWho’s to blame?Lyrics: Hemberger, Hemberger, Mayo, RaseroToday’s newsletter is a bit of a rant; some of you might ...
The further you get into radicalism, the more appealing the concept of a revolution seems. Both the far right and the far left dream of taking up arms and overthrowing what they see as an unsatisfactory system, to an unhealthy and unhelpful extent. Instead of revolution, what happens in the ...
Hi,Today is a pretty heavy, weighty Webworm — so maybe get yourself a cup of tea or coffee before you settle in. It’s about, you know, the end of the world and stuff.Before we get to that, I’d like to say I thoroughly enjoyed the notes you left under my ...
Hi all,Apparently it’s the end of Summer, hope you enjoyed it. 🙂The rather Northern Hemisphere centric folks over at Substack have sent this out, I’m not sure what time period it covers, I guess the last three months. In any case you might like to give it a go yourself ...
Congestion pricing is easier said than done.The first seminar I attended in Britain – around sixty years ago – explained a scheme for road usage pricing which would eliminate traffic congestion and direct roading investment. It was impressive and elegant (as many such seminar propositions are) but proved impractical and ...
Tory Whanau has revealed that she’s struggling so much financially that she may have to part with her beloved mayoralty, that of New Zealand’s capital city, if she’s to fund her ever-diminishing lifestyle. Whanau was elected to lead Wellington in 2022, winning an overwhelming victory against the incumbent mayor: the ...
One of Labour's few achievements last term was to finally move on RMA reform. Following an independent review and a select committee review of an exposure draft, both aimed at ironing out bugs and producing a compromise most people could live with, Labour passed the Natural and Built Environments Act ...
National is planning to breach te Tiriti o Waitangi by amending the Marine and Coastal Area Act to effectively make it impossible for the courts to recognise Māori rights over the foreshore and seabed. But its also been playing dirty in other ways. Earlier in the year it announced changes ...
What I read in Summer 2024Highlights☕ I read the most in the morning💌 I subscribed to 16 new Substacks🎧 I listened to 76 minutes of podcasts📽️ I watched 46 minutes of video❤️ I liked 22 posts💬 I left 8 comments on posts📜 I scrolled 26 meters in Notes🕵️ I discovered ...
The Government is taking tertiary education down a worrying path with new reporting finding that fourteen of the country’s sixteen polytechnics couldn’t survive on their own,” Labour’s tertiary education spokesperson Dr Deborah Russell says. ...
Today the government announced a $30m cut to Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori- a programme that develops te reo Māori among our kaiako. “This announcement is just the latest in an onslaught of attacks on te iwi Māori,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi. ...
The Government has shown its true intentions for the public service and economy – it’s not to get more public servants back to the office, it’s more job losses. ...
The National Government is hiding the gaps in the health workforce from New Zealanders, by not producing a full workforce plan nearly a year into their tenure. ...
Today, the Crown Mineral Amendment Bill was read for the first time, reversing the ban on oil exploration off the coast of Taranaki. It was no accident that this proposed law change was read directly after the Government started to unravel the ability of iwi and hapū Māori to have ...
Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Justice, Tākuta Ferris, has hit out at the Government, demanding the Crown prove its rights to the foreshore, following the Marine and Coastal Area Amendment Bill, passing its first reading. "Māori rights to the foreshore pre-exist the Declaration of Independence, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and ...
The Green Party vows to reinstate the oil and gas ban and revoke permits when it returns to government following the coalition’s introduction of legislation to reopen offshore oil and gas exploration this afternoon. ...
The Government’s introduction of its interventions in the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act threatens to throw relations between Māori and Crown into deeper disharmony. ...
Gun lobbyist Nicole McKee and her conflict of interest has struck again, this time removing safety regulations from shooting clubs and ranges in New Zealand. ...
The Green Party says the Government’s retrograde move to tighten up on Work from Home arrangements is the latest in a series of blows to the Public Service. ...
The National Government is oblivious to the impact cuts to services will have on New Zealanders who are doing the hard yards caring for mentally ill family members. ...
National continues to dismantle environmental protections in the interests of rushing through unsustainable development that will ultimately cost communities. ...
The economy has stagnated and the National Government is having to face the consequences of its atrocious lawmaking, as beneficiary numbers skyrocket past even Treasury’s predictions. ...
Today’s GDP figures combined with the injustice of our tax system will mean more pain for our lowest-income households while those at the top remain relatively unscathed. ...
Te Pāti Māori Member of Parliament for Tāmaki Makaurau is urging a full wraparound of services to intervene quickly with families affected by today's announced closure of the Penrose Mill. Seventy-five people are set to lose their jobs right on the eve of Christmas. "I want to extend my thoughts ...
Sentencing policy announced by Minister Paul Goldsmith today is anything but new, merely window dressing to make up for backwards violent crime statistics under the National Government. ...
Labour Leader Chris Hipkins will travel to the United Kingdom this week to attend the annual UK Labour Party conference in Liverpool and meet with members of the new Labour Government. ...
An imminent decision to increase the total allowable commercial catch (TACC) for snapper would be a direct violation of the first-ever Treaty Settlement and inevitably breach Te Tiriti o Waitangi, says Te Pāti Māori. Te Ohu Kaimoana has sought a High Court declaration to prevent the Minister of Oceans and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has cut grants helping overseas family of victims to attend the next phase of the Coronial Inquiry into the 15 March 2019 Christchurch Masjidain Attack. ...
The Waitangi Tribunal has released an Urgent Report on the Government’s proposed amendments to the Takutai Moana Act 2011. The report calls out Paul Goldsmith’s proposal for what it is: a “gross breach of the Treaty” and an “illegitimate exercise of kāwanatanga”. The Tribunal is recommending the Crown step down ...
The Government must abandon its Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act interventions after the Waitangi Tribunal found it was committing gross breaches of the Treaty. ...
The Government has announced that an initial cost-benefit analysis of establishing a third medical school based at the University of Waikato has been completed and has been found to provide confidence for the project to progress to the next stage. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti says the proposal will ...
The Government’s new speed limit rule has today been signed to reverse Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions and enable Kiwis to get to where they want to go quickly and safely, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Reverse Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions on local streets, arterial roads, and state highways ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts is travelling to Fiji on Monday to attend a Ministerial Meeting (Talanoa) with Pacific Island Countries, Australia, and New Zealand. “Attending the Talanoa will reinforce New Zealand’s commitment to supporting climate resilience in the Pacific and advancing action in the areas of climate change,” Mr ...
The Government is accepting the majority of human rights recommendations received at the fourth Universal Period Review in Geneva, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “We have considered all 259 recommendations from the United Nations. We are supporting 168 and partially supporting 12 of these recommendations. “Recommendations related to women’s rights, ...
The Government is continuing to move at pace on the Northland Expressway, with significant geotechnical investigations now underway for phase one from Warkworth to Te Hana, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “With thousands of motorists and freight travelling through Northland, we’re focused on delivering for this region to grow our economy. ...
The Government and Auckland Business Chamber have entered a memorandum of understanding which will enable mental health and wellbeing resources for business owners to be freely available, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly says. “As a former business owner, I know first-hand the toll running a business can take ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson have announced the Government has appointed Wayne Langford to the Board of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission for a five-year term of office. Mr Langford is the National President of Federated Farmers and is also their spokesperson for ...
Hunting and Fishing Minister Todd McClay today announced one new, and one returning, appointment to the Game Animal Council (GAC). Mr McClay is thrilled to announce first time appointment Glenn MacPherson and welcomes the reappointment of keen pig and deer hunter Eugene Rewi. MacPherson is currently president of the Te ...
Associate Education spokesperson David Seymour says the Government has released a new resource to inform the introduction of Stepped Attendance Response (STAR) systems in every school. “The response to the announcement of the STAR system has been hugely supportive. Educators have been in touch to express their support, which gives ...
Mr. President Nearly four score years ago, nations exhausted from a cataclysmic World War came together in San Francisco to create the United Nations Charter. Forged in the immediate aftermath of that war, then New Zealand Prime Minister Peter Fraser held “the greatest hopes” for the Charter’s success, which he ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced his appointments to the new statutory Charter Schools Authorisation Board. Leading Kiwi educator Justine Mahon has been appointed as Chair of the Board. She is joined by Board members Catherine Isaac, Neil Paviour-Smith, Professor Elizabeth Rata, Rōpata Taylor, Dee-Ann Wolferstan and Doran ...
Improvements to the way shooting clubs and ranges are regulated are on the way with the Arms (Shooting Clubs, Shooting Ranges and Other Matters) Amendment Bill passing its first reading says Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee. “The package of reforms in this Bill will enable simple and effective regulation ...
Students should be in school and learning instead of protesting during school hours, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says in response to the school climate strike planned for Friday 27th September. “If students feel strongly about sending a message, they could have waited until Monday, when the end of term ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says the new peer support service launched in Middlemore’s Emergency Department today is a positive step towards improving mental health outcomes. “Having someone with lived experience available to support someone in mental distress can make a crucial difference. With the right training and clinical supervision, ...
A proposed new electronic reporting system will make it simpler for amateur charter vessels to record and report fish catch information, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. “The new digital reporting, via an app, will replace the paper-based system which is out of date and slow,” Mr Jones says. ...
The Government is looking at integrating the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and the MetService to improve the weather forecasting system for New Zealand, Science, Innovation & Technology Minister Judith Collins says. “We have agreed in-principle to NIWA acquiring the MetService, with the MetService retaining its role ...
The Government is seeking advice on two options for delivering the New Dunedin Hospital project within its existing funding appropriation to ensure the people of Dunedin get the modern, fit-for-purpose medical facilities they need. At the same time, Ministers have warned that much-needed upgrades to other regional hospitals could be ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says that the Government is delivering real solutions to get kids back in the classroom, introducing the Stepped Attendance Response (STAR) system. “Any student who reaches a clearly defined threshold of days absent will trigger an appropriate and proportionate response from their school and the ...
New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates have concluded negotiations on a trade agreement, which will unlock economic opportunities for Kiwi exporters and create stronger supply chains with one of our most important trading partners in the Gulf region. This agreement was concluded in just over 4 months following the launch ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says data released today shows increased school attendance in Term 2 of 2024 with 53.2 per cent of students regularly attending, an increase of 6.1 percentage points compared to the same term last year. Regular attendance across primary students increased by 7 percentage points, to ...
The coalition Government is supercharging schools to lift maths achievement by delivering new resources and more support for teachers and students for Term 1 next year. “$30 million will fund resources including workbooks, teacher guidance and lesson plans for the 2025 school year. Resources will be available in English and ...
Sentencing reforms that will ensure criminals face tougher consequences and victims are prioritised have passed first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Despite a 33 per cent increase in violent crime, there has been a concerning trend where the courts have imposed fewer and shorter prison sentences. ...
The Corrections Amendment Bill has passed its third reading in Parliament today, making a number of changes to improve safety and rehabilitation in prisons. Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says it’s important the law is reflective of the increasingly complex prison environment. “Corrections manages some of New Zealand’s most dangerous people, ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government is delivering better flexibility for same-sex parents in New Zealand by making changes to the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Regulations. “Parents notifying the birth of their child will soon be able to choose whether they are named as a ...
Thank you very much for the generous welcome Reverend Reihana. Thank you to Alcohol Healthwatch and your organising committee, including representatives from: FASD-CAN Aotearoa; Te Iho Tātai-ā-Rongo (the Māori FASD Coalition); Hauora Māori Services and Health Promotion Directorates, Health New Zealand; Oranga Tamariki; and the Centre for Addiction Research, University ...
United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Trade Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi will visit New Zealand this week, Trade Minister Todd McClay has today announced. “I’m delighted to welcome my colleague and friend, Minister Al Zeyoudi to New Zealand. The UAE is one of our closest partners and ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has announced a $4.85 million package of initiatives aimed at understanding the prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), promoting better education and supporting women to stay alcohol free during pregnancy. “People with FASD can experience lifelong physical, behavioural, learning, and mental health problems. Those ...
Legislation that will provide certainty around how Customary Marine Title is granted for New Zealand’s coastlines has passed its first reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Customary Marine Title gives the holder valuable rights, including the ability to refuse some resource consents in the area, such ...
The Electricity Authority’s report into the collapse of a Northland transmission tower on 20 June 2024 that left 88,000 people without power has been released, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“The report highlights that several key failures led to the transmission tower collapsing and that the economic impact for Northland was ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the passing of the Education and Training Amendment Bill shows the Government is making significant progress to lift education outcomes. “Establishing charter schools, lifting attendance, and streamlining early learning regulations are all essential to raising achievement. This legislation will set in motion the system ...
The rollout of onboard cameras on commercial fishing vessels will continue and discard rules will be amended under fisheries reforms proposed by Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones. Mr Jones is proposing practical changes that will reduce red tape, provide a boost to commercial fishers, and ensure a thriving and ...
Legislation reinstating offshore petroleum exploration has been introduced by the Coalition Government, a key step in addressing the significant energy security challenges felt by Kiwis across the country this winter. The Crown Minerals Amendment Bill reverses the ban on new oil and gas exploration beyond onshore Taranaki, signals the Government’s ...
Motorists and freight will now drive through a new roundabout at the SH1/SH29 intersection at Piarere, marking a major milestone for one of the Government’s Roads of Regional Significance that will improve safety and reliability for motorists and freight using this strategic corridor, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Government is ...
The Parliament Bill has passed its first reading this afternoon, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “Today Parliament has taken an important step towards modernising the legislation that supports its operations. “The Parliament Bill will consolidate and modernise the four Acts comprising Parliament’s statutory framework: the Clerk of the ...
The Government is introducing a new aggravating factor for offences against public transport workers as part of its plan to restore law and order, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced. “In recent months, there has been a worrying increase in abuse and attacks on public ...
Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey welcomes the significant increase in Health NZ-funded psychiatry registrar places and the increase of Health NZ-funded clinical psychology internships, as today’s plan supports this Government’s commitment to double clinical psychology intern numbers between 2023 and 2027. Today, Health NZ published its Mental Health and ...
Thank you for the introduction and the invitation to speak to you here today. I would like to start by saying a big thank you to all the caregivers in the room, and those not able to be here today, for all that you do for our children and young ...
Thank you for the introduction and the invitation to speak to you here today. I would like to start by saying a big thank you to all the caregivers in the room, and those not able to be here today, for all that you do for our children and young ...
“Today at the Caring Families Aotearoa National Caregiver Conference I got to say a big thank you to all the caregivers in the room for all that they do for the children and young people of New Zealand. “Without caregivers providing safe, stable homes for children, Oranga Tamariki would not be ...
Improving the way shooting clubs and ranges are regulated will be the outcome of a Bill introduced today Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee says. “Cabinet has agreed to a package of reforms to amend Part 6 of the Arms Act 1983 which will enable simple and effective regulation ...
'We're just getting started,' Dunedin's mayor says after a massive crowd estimated at 35,000 people turned up to protest possible cuts to hospital redevelopment. ...
The swish of air as the seal sticks fast.The multi-coloured, stackable storage in a fabulous new product – plastic!Gadgets made very much for specific purposes – the celery keeper, the lettuce drainer, the orange bowl that mum always used as a container beside the bed of a sick child.That last ...
Years ago, when her son was a baby, Virginia converted her lounge into a showroom, adding a shop counter in the back corner, and brightly lit display windows on the street front. David slept in his quilted carry cot next to the radiator while she painted the walls watermelon pink. ...
Joy Cowley reveals her enthralling life story, from a difficult childhood, to getting drunk with Roald Dahl, to encountering an Arctic polar bear. Content warning: contains reference to attempted suicide.On a dreary Ōtepoti day in June, octogenarian New Zealand children’s book author Joy Cowley takes my cheeks in her ...
A shallow dive into the deeply competitive world of pinball in Aotearoa. This is not a story of overnight success. It is the result of months of dedication and honing my craft, which led me to the lofty heights of becoming the 193rd best pinballer in New Zealand and, in ...
The actor and writer looks back on a life filled with terrifying children’s TV, deliciously unforgettable ads and a newfound love for Formula One. As a child, Michelle Langstone was so enamoured with television that she used to memorise the entire schedule. “Mum would go, ‘what’s on tonight?’ and I’d ...
After too much cheese, Gabi reflects on the places journalists go for stories.Two weeks ago, an invite landed in my inbox. Pizza Hut was turning 50, and they wanted me, a not-food-writer with a sensitive stomach, at the buffet celebrations. Presumptuously, I looked up from my screen and asked ...
Tara Ward watches the new homegrown version of a beloved UK property series. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. In TVNZ’s new series AA Insurance Location Location Location New Zealand, two familiar faces step up as our own Kirstie and Phil: Jayne ...
We love to hate them, but what if road cones are actually a sign we’re getting things right? In this week’s episode of When the Facts Change, Bernard Hickey chats with Peter Nunns, acting general manager of the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission Te Waihanga, about how our infrastructure challenges run ...
The Titanic of the Pacific, sunk by a Nazi sea mine in the Hauraki Gulf and containing hidden gold, continues to capture our imaginations, even as an ecological disaster looms. Three forty-five am on June 19th, 1940. Forty kilometres southeast of Whangārei. The ship’s bridge rang to the sound of ...
The Renegade Fighters set our souls on fire with their perfect weekend playlist. Twenty years on from their last album release, Christchurch rock band Zed has a new body of work: Future Memory. Reuniting just before Covid, the band “hunkered” down when the live music scene slowed down, and ended ...
DAVID SEYMOURWe strongly think that public servants should no longer WFH and must work in an office.CHRISTOPHER LUXONWe direct that public servants should no longer WFH and must work in an office.THE COMANCHEROSMemo to all staff: Please send your encrypted messages with a detailed list of what methamphetamine deals you’re ...
I have never met retired Detective Sergeant David Henwood.It is likely he doesn’t know who I am.But I believe he is one of the most courageous cops ever to wear the uniform.During a distinguished 37-year career, Henwood played a central role in catching some of New Zealand’s worst offenders. His ...
It’s a brief moment that will remain forever etched in Briony Akle’s memory; the moment Dame Noeline Taurua grabbed her arm before they faced off in the grand final of Australia’s premier netball league.It was 2019, and the arch-rival coaches – Akle “still a rookie” with the NSW Swifts, and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Is the government seriously interested in changing arrangements on negative gearing? After days of questions to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who would know? They’ve engaged in obfuscation at every turn. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sebastian Maslow, Associate professor, University of Tokyo In a vote to replace Fumio Kishia as head of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), party members have elected Shigeru Ishiba as their new leader. Given the LDP’s majority in parliament, the party leader ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Pryke, Honorary Research Associate, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Opera Australia, Sydney Chamber Opera, Carriageworks Gilgamesh, a new opera from Opera Australia, Sydney Chamber Orchestra and Carriageworks, gives a visceral retelling of a story from a forgotten age, exploring ideas of ...
Analysis - The crackdown on working from home, the still-awaited ferries solution is testing coalition cohesion - and tax policy is back in the news. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mandy Freund, Lecturer, Climate Science Geography, The University of Melbourne Meteorologists are again predicting a possible La Niña this summer, which means Australia may face wetter and cooler conditions than normal. It would be the fourth La Niña in Australia in ...
Local government is in crisis and instead of the adults prevailing, Mayor Hazlehurst is inviting kids with, at best, year 10 business studies, to cast votes on governance matters of an organisation with total assets of nearly three billion. ...
"Punitive approaches in education are well known to fail," said Leanne Otene, President of the New Zealand Principals' Federation (NZPF), "and we would never condone such an approach." ...
The government wants to build a new hospital in Dunedin, but at $3 billion, it says the current plans are unaffordable. As it turns out, affordability is in the eye of the beholder. Chris Bishop and Shane Reti looked sombre as they told reporters gathered on Castle St that the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Beirman, Adjunct Fellow Management & Tourism, University of Technology Sydney Australia has a long history of domestic airlines collapsing, often affecting thousands of travellers, yet the industry provides little or no recompense. Even the federal government’s recently released aviation discussion paper ...
Over 1,000 people with disabilities live in aged residential care facilities. The funding freeze announced recently by the Minister poses challenges for those people and the providers who care for them. ...
A group of Māori academics and health workers are asking the government to rescind its recent directive for public services to be based on need, not race ...
The loss of $30 million to fund Māori Teachers training and $10.3 million in time-locked funding, provided by the previous government, will have serious consequences for the future of Māori broadcasting and education. ...
A project wants more people to get ‘bittern’ by the matuku hūrepo bug. This is an excerpt from our environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Wendy Ambury calls him Te-rangi, the matuku hūrepo Australasian bittern who lives near her. She will go down to the reeds where he booms. “He ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Intermezzo by Sally Rooney (Faber & Faber, $37) Zero surprises here in this week (month? year?) ...
A new poem by Ruben Mita. A Snake Called France My sister had a snake called France and a horse called Birthday and a one-handed haircut. France moved like the midday shadows of fish over seagrass. When my sister took her out to taste the air, she shone like a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Oscar, Senior Lecturer, Visual Communication, School of Design, University of Technology Sydney Madman Entertainment In The Substance, the career of former actor Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) is diminished to daytime aerobics instructor on a television network. On her 50th birthday, ...
When women’s work is devalued and underpaid, women live in poverty, and so do their children. The ripples of childhood poverty last whole lives. There is no justification for perpetuating inequality by failing to act to raise women’s pay. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Meade, Senior Research Fellow in Economics and Social Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, and Adjunct Associate Professor, Centre for Applied Energy Economics and Policy Research, Griffith University In New Zealand, capital gains tax debates spring up like zombies. Each time they ...
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