Posts Tagged ‘jordan williams’
Vote for Change’s heart of darkness
Written By: - Date published: 12:06 pm, July 4th, 2011 - 52 comments
Peter Shirtcliffe’s Anti-MMP Vote For Change group has just 16 members and one of them has turned out to be a neo-Nazi. Is it a case of being so short of mates they’ll accept anyone who turns up, or does this give us a truer picture of who really wants to get rid of MMP? The latter, I think.
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- The Odd Couple.
Strange Political Bedfellows: Matthew Hooton’s support for Winston Peters’ New Zealand Futures Fund reflects the Radical Right’s newfound reluctance to bet everything on the efficacy of market forces.AS IF HE WASN’T IN ENOUGH TROUBLE, Matthew Hooton has now come out for Winston Peters’ New Zealand Futures Fund (NZFF). Not only ...1 week ago - Your Friends Should Be Close By
Hi,I’ll never forget the time the guy next to me on the plane got really angry because the Wi-Fi wasn’t working. Here we were, 40,000 feet in the air, and he couldn’t get Facebook. He was huffing, he was puffing. He was insufferable.I’m constantly amazed you can get the internet ...1 week ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #43
A listing of 30 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, October 20, 2024 thru Sat, October 26, 2024. Story of the week As an experiment, we asked Google's Gemini for help categorizing the articles we shared during the week. ...1 week ago - Labour Weekend
Stand up all victims of oppressionFor the tyrants fear your mightDon't cling so hard to your possessionsFor you have nothing if you have no rightsLet racist ignorance be endedFor respect makes the empires fallFreedom is merely privilege extendedUnless enjoyed by one and allSongwriters: Eugene Edme Pottier / Petrus Christianus De ...1 week ago - Fact brief – Do volcanoes emit more CO2 than humans?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Do volcanoes emit ...1 week ago
- People of Courage & Decency. And Everyone In Between.
Today, news broke that Jeff Bezos, the American billionaire with a net worth of $206 B (NZ $344B), personally vetoed Washington Post’s Editorial Team from endorsing Kamala Harris.That stops the decades-old tradition of the Wapo for endorsing Presidential candidates. And editors have resigned - that includes Editor at large Robert ...1 week ago - Let’s Talk About… Anything.
Can't we talk about anything else but love?Love that launched a thousand shipsPlease! Let's talk about anything else but loveLove that causes war and famineCan't we speak about real estate?Love of wifeWatergate?Love of children!Seasonal fluctuations in the prime interest rate?Love of chocolate, you must love chocolate, everybody loves chocolate, say ...1 week ago - Can you hear me now?
1 week ago - Why Nations Fail
This year’s Nobel awards in economics raise critical issues about the future of the world.I was not alone with high hopes when the Soviet Union collapsed. It has been good to see various nations leave the yoke of the Soviet Empire and move towards liberal democracies with thriving economies although ...2 weeks ago - All very instructive
1. Who played the sax solo on Gerry Rafferty’s Baker Street?a. Kenny Gb. Lisa Simpsonc. Bill Clintond. Raphael Ravenscroft2. What did Nicola Willis, addressing a large gathering of senior public servants this week, ask them to do?a. Come up with fresh ideas and innovative audacious out of the box thinking b. ...2 weeks ago - More Sabotage
The Waitangi Tribunal has been one of the most effective critics of the National government and its racist, anti-Māori agenda. So naturally, they're sabotaging it with a crony appointment: Former ACT Party leader Richard Prebble has been appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal. Prebble, a Commander of the British Empire, ...2 weeks ago - Ghost of a (Mad) Dog
How can that dog be barkin' in the backyard?We ran over him years agoHow can that dog be runnin' by the backfence?We ran over him years agoGhost of a dogBarkin' in the backyardSongwriters: Edie Brickell, Kenny Withrow.I have to say this one caught me by surprise. I had to check ...2 weeks ago - David Seymour’s School Lunch Provider Has Questionable Record – Including Listeria, Hors...
Yesterday, I looked into Seymour’s school lunch provider and found out it was Compass Group - a group that has had a long list of food quality issues and settled out of court for corruption and bribery of officials.Never mind the food looked like slop - heavy, process laden food ...2 weeks ago - After years of cover ups and hacks, the truth on gas is out
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:Gas is worse for the climate than coal, over any timeframe that is relevant for a ‘bridging strategy’. The ...2 weeks ago - Brown orders motorway building to start before business case done
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, October 25: Scoop of the day: Oliver Lewis reported for BusinessDesk-$$$ this morning that Transport Minister Simeon Brown ordered construction to start on the four-lane Hawkes Bay ...2 weeks ago - The Hoon around the week to October 25
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 another extreme climate event in the United States; on the escalating conflict between Israel, Iran ...2 weeks ago
- Weekly Roundup 25-October-2024
Happy Friday, even more so as we’re head to a long weekend, so welcome to another round-up of interesting stories about what’s happening in Auckland and other cities. Feel free to add your links in the comments! This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely ...2 weeks ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #43 2024
Open access notables The rate of global sea level rise doubled during the past three decades, Hamlington et al., Communications Earth & Environment: The rise in globally averaged sea level—or global mean sea level—is one of the most unambiguous indicators of climate change. Over the past three decades, satellites have ...2 weeks ago
- Does New Zealand need Vegas-style transit security on our busses?
There’s a reason why people are supposed to stay on the Strip when they go to Las Vegas, and it’s not just proximity to the best attractions. This city of fluorescent lights and gambling halls extends in all directions across the Nevada landscape, for as far as the eye can ...2 weeks ago - No Enemies To The Left – Or The Right.
Wrong Turn: Labour and National can only reduce the toxic influence of their electoral competitors by rejecting their extremism.“NO ENEMIES TO THE LEFT” has always been Labour’s rule-of-thumb. What, after all, does a moderate, left-of-centre party gain by allowing its electoral rivals to become repositories for every radical (i.e. congenitally dissatisfied) ...2 weeks ago
- All the tools we need
Off I went yesterday, me and my little ear robots, to a workshop.Did I hear every word? Reader, I most surely did. Did I have to ask anyone to repeat themselves? I did not, not one single time.Ironically, the subject of the workshop was one that prompts many to cover ...2 weeks ago - Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live at 5pm
2 weeks ago - An Unending Nightmare.
Hate Will Find A Way: Historians divide into those who see Zionism as the only sane answer to the Jews’ historic vulnerability; and those who regard the Zionist “entity” as a purely colonial construct, founded in racism and shrouded in mythology. The moralists of both camps, meanwhile, demonstrate a capacity for ...2 weeks ago
- A Fast-Track Backwards.
Dubious Destination: What New Zealanders face in the National-Act-NZ First Coalition Government is an attempt to return the country to the policy settings of half-a-century ago. What Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop’s fast-track legislation is designed to rehabilitate and revivify is the “national development” mindset of the 1970s and 80s.IT IS RARE ...2 weeks ago
- Waiting By The River.
Looking Sideways: To the Peoples Republic of China, and its friends around the world, the United States must remind them of the flailing and failing Chinese Empire of 1900.WATCHING THE SCREEN in Oamaru’s Majestic picture theatre, I struggled to make sense of Fifty-Five Days At Peking. Yes, it was exciting, ...2 weeks ago
- National’s fast-track fucks our future
A few years ago, we looked to be on-track to a decarbonised future, with an international consortium led by BlueFloat Energy announcing plans for huge offshore windfarms off Taranaki and Waikato. But National's corrupt fast-track law just fucked all that: Spanish offshore wind developer BlueFloat Energy is cancelling plans ...2 weeks ago
- NZCTU alarmed at further cuts to WorkSafe
WorkSafe’s announcement that it is planning even further restructuring and cuts just months after losing 15% of its staff has alarmed the NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi. “Our health and safety regulator is a critical component of our health and safety system, and we know it already has an undercooked capacity ...2 weeks ago - Member’s morning
Today the House is in an extended sitting, devoted to Member's Business as a catch-up for time stolen by the government in urgency. First up was the second reading of the Restoring Citizenship Removed By Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 Bill, soon to be known as the Citizenship (Western Samoa) ...2 weeks ago
- Thursday 24 October 2024
The CTU’s Fight Back Together hui received widespread coverage across national and local media, with consistent framing about the Government’s attacks on workers’ rights. In other union news, St John ambulance staff have accepted a pay offer following a Government back down on increased funding for the service. In other ...2 weeks ago
- Maranga Ake – Fight Back Together
My newsletter took a bit longer than I thought yesterday. I sent it at 11 am, and the protest was starting in the city at midday. Bollocks, I can still make it, I thought. I kissed the dog goodbye, gave Mrs Rockel a pat on the head and headed out ...2 weeks ago - Health NZ eyed charging for ED visits
2 weeks ago - What if Instagram girlies planned Auckland?
Go to Instagram. Search posts tagged with Auckland. You’ll be flooded with: photos of the Skytower photos taken from the top of Mt Eden photos of the Skytower taken from the top of Mt Eden. So it shouldn’t be surprising that the residents of Tāmaki Makaurau deeply value ...2 weeks ago
- 10,000 across the country push back against government actions(PHOTOS)
2 weeks ago - South Island population boom suggests it’s time for a larger Parliament
The South Island’s population is booming and is growing faster than the North and that suggests it may be time to increase the size of Parliament.. Yesterday’s announcement by Statistics NZ about the number and size of electorate seats for the next election confirms that. The announcement calculates seat size ...2 weeks ago - Gordon Campbell on dissing Wellington, and Porridge Radio
National has never forgiven Wellington – or its public servants – for voting for Labour and the Greens. (Red-blooded Kiwis work in the private sector.) No surprise then to find a right wing central government being willing to kick the Capital when it’s down. (See “Wellington is dying and we ...2 weeks ago - Why widening highways doesn’t reduce traffic congestion
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Wesseler California prides itself on its climate leadership. And the state’s work on transportation – its largest source of emissions – is no exception; its electric vehicle policies have been adopted by other states across the country. Sacramento lawmakers have also taken ambitious ...2 weeks ago
- Mild! she replies
Do you find it frustrating — exasperating even — when in conversation someone asks you to repeat yourself, and then says: sorry can you say that again?And then: really sorry, again? And then: once more?Do you find it frustrating — exasperating even — when it keeps happening all the way ...2 weeks ago - Workers demonstrate strength of union power
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is celebrating a strong turnout of workers across the country who stood together in opposition to the Government’s anti-worker agenda, with more than 10,000 working people attending hui from Whangārei to Invercargill. “Today workers from a wide range of sectors and industries came together and demonstrated ...2 weeks ago
- Your Key Political Summary – PLUS: Luxon Defends Andrew Bayly in Parliament
1/ Proposed gun firearms law change will endanger publicA director of the Firearms Safety Authority says separating the Firearms Safety Authority from police - as the government is proposing - will be "horrible" and raise the risk to the public Note: ACT Party Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee is a ...2 weeks ago - The cooker government
We know that the current National government is basically a government of and for antivaxxers and cookers, the people who rioted at Parliament and burned the grounds. But so far they've generally avoided explicitly identifying themselves as such. Until today, when Workplace Relations Minister dropped (or rather refused to wear) ...2 weeks ago
- Guilty
Take back those tears and turn your head around′Cause there's every reason to smile from ear to ear - YeahAll those tricks and devices you used to turn onThey make you guilty - Guilty through neglectLyrics: Dave Dobbyn.A few things happened yesterday. Darleen Tana finally became an ex-MP, and Andrew ...2 weeks ago - Notice: Protest Locations Today
2 weeks ago - Woman of the Hour
2023, directed by Anna Kendrick Woman of the Hour is… such a weird movie. It’s based on the real life story of serial killer Rodney Alcala, but it’s not a documentary – it’s described as a crime thriller. It’s been criticised by one of his surviving victims as taking liberties ...2 weeks ago - Climate Risk
This is a re-post from And Then There's Physics I realise that I haven’t written anything for a while and am unlikely to become particularly prolific again anytime soon. However, there’s something I’ve been thinking about and thought that I would write a post. It relates to something Alex Trembath has ...2 weeks ago
- Is the Isthmus becoming a retirement village?
We’re continuing to look at the recently released census data. A few weeks ago I looked at how travel to work and education had changed and John looked at how our cities have grown over the last 130 years. Today I wanted to look some of that growth in a ...2 weeks ago
- Fake Seizure Guy
Hi,When you make a documentary about Competitive Endurance Tickling, people tend to contact you about their strange encounters — which is how, eight months ago, I came upon Fake Seizure Guy.“So we’re standing there and I just notice this very thin, sort of gaunt looking younger gentleman who was clearly ...2 weeks ago - Government stops water cleanup plans
Hostilities have resumed in one of politics’ longest-running battles. The question of how clean fresh waterways should be has occupied hours of political time as farmers and environmentalists have battled over the issue since back in the Key Government. Yesterday, the debate resumed in Parliament after the Government proposed a ...2 weeks ago
- Brighter days
Something exciting happened to me yesterday. Life-changing even. A few of you already know what it is, but I don't want to say too much too soon. I want to be sure it's as good as it appears to be on first impression. Perhaps tomorrow, then, perhaps later in the week. ...2 weeks ago - Stomping on democracy
That's the only way to describe National's actions in appointing a crown observer to the Wellington City Council. Wellington didn't vote for National. They elected a council which supports public transport, housing intensification, and making Wellington a nicer place for people to live (rather than landlords and house hoarders to ...2 weeks ago
- A violation of law, justice, and decency
This morning, in a desperate effort to distract attention from the suppurating sore of contempt that is Andrew Bayly, National announced that it would be bringing back its "three strikes" regime. The policy never worked and had no significant quantifiable benefits; but National doesn't care, despite a commitment in both ...2 weeks ago
- What’s driving the exodus of workers to Australia
2 weeks ago - Safer, Smarter, Sooner: about these concrete tim tams…
This is a cross-post from Bike Auckland, shared here with kind permission. It assesses progress on Auckland Transport’s November 2021 promise to install 70 km of quick, robust protection across 60 painted bike routes around Tāmaki Makaurau over a three-year time span. According to that original plan, right now ...2 weeks ago
- Money’s Just Cash
Money makes open case, closeMoney bend law, make war, make ghostsMoney gives a poor man hopeMoney saves lives, takes lives, money bothMoney is, money isn't, money's just thatMoney's just a concept people attractTax up the poor man, feed up the fatMoney's just, money's just, money's just cashSong: Ren GillIt’s money, ...2 weeks ago - Luxon boasts a unique insight
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon confirmed yesterday that he is looking for big cuts in next year’s Budget. In part, that quest is driven by the Health NZ Budget blow-out plus what he claims is his own unique insight coming from outside the political process. To accommodate the cuts Finance Minister ...2 weeks ago
- Welcome to the world of personal air conditioning
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler. This is part two of his series on air conditioning. Part one can be found here. Let’s look at Houston’s summertime temperatures: average summertime temperatures at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston Wow, Houston has warmed a lot in the ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on the Three Strikes cycle of failure
We all know the “tough on crime” approach is only a stop gap measure at best, and that a justice model based on incarceration doesn’t work. Our prisons are already overcrowded and under-staffed. More often than not, they function as training centres for young offenders, and as sites for gang ...2 weeks ago
- Luxon Shows The World Andrew Bayly Lied
In today’s press conference, Christopher Luxon re-affirmed his government’s commitment to bringing back the live animal export ban: claiming that National will do it to a “gold standard”.Heard of that term before?Well lobbyists spent $1m to help with the National-ACT-NZF reversal of Labour’s ban and the marketing term “gold standard” ...2 weeks ago
- Going West
Yesterday in the quiet of Sunday morning we went out West. Here you will find native rainforest, here you will find Kauri — and dieback, here you will find trails, beautiful trails, here you will find others out walking, here on the dusty road you will find a stream of ...2 weeks ago - The Enemy Within – Maire Leadbeater & Nicky Hager
Like so many others involved in social justice movements, Maire Leadbeater was subjected to state surveillance during a long life of activism. With the help of archival material, released SIS files, and other formerly secret material, she has been able to examine the depth of stateintrusion into the lives of ...2 weeks ago - Monday 21 October 2024
In union news, the Postal Workers Union is worried a scam that has conned New Zealanders out of millions of dollars is circulating for a fourth time, while FIRST are working with Woolworths to redeploy staff following the announced closure of a store in Tauranga. Latest SEEK data shows that ...2 weeks ago
- DTIs set to restrain housing-debt-led economic rebound
Many thanks to subscribers for your patience and support while I’ve been off work. My mum died in Melbourne last Sunday, and her funeral was held there on Friday. I appreciated being able to spend time with my mum before she died, and with my family and Lynn over the ...2 weeks ago - Time for a Transfer of Power in Entrust
What if I told you that if you pay for electricity in Auckland’s Isthmus, South Auckland, East Auckland, or Waiheke Island, you have a say in how a $3.76b company is run? What if I told you that one group has been in control of this resource on your behalf ...2 weeks ago
- 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #42
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, October 13, 2024 thru Sat, October 19, 2024. Story of the week Here's another week of stories describing how our species has become a force of nature by creating ...2 weeks ago
- Electrifying
I went on the radio this week to talk economic gloom. My starting point was this very good piece by Geoff Bertram in The Conversation exploring the question: Does the government know what it is doing? Answer: very possibly not. Their austerity measures, which they’ve touted as getting the car ...2 weeks ago - Empire of the Ants
Windows, releasing 7 November 2024 After those first few super chill games I’ve had bad luck getting Next Fest demos to run on my Steam Deck (no shade – none of them claimed they would and they’re not even finished games yet) but of the couple that have I really ...2 weeks ago
- Why should Andrew Bayly get a pass?
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedCome in with the Big L sign plastered on your voice.Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMake fun of the worker doing his pace.Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedWho am I?Text ...2 weeks ago - Take This Bottle, Loser.
Cuz I've done wrongAnd I'm a little afraidAnd I ain't too strongAnd this ain't easy to say:Take this bottleTake this bottleAnd just walk away - the both of youAnd let me feel the pain - I've done to youSongwriters: Michael Allen Patton / Bill Gould / Michael Andrew BordinIn case ...2 weeks ago - The hospital that still should have been, set on fire.
2 weeks ago - Still giving it a go
2 weeks ago - The Major Conspiracy Theories of This Election Cycle
Hi,It seems like a very, very long time ago now — but Webworm basically started as a newsletter about conspiracy theories (tending to debunk rather than spread, don’t worry). It’s almost alarming how much I wrote about them, a look through the archive the weirdest trip down memory lane.Today, with ...2 weeks ago - Healthcare is Not in Crisis; Financing it Is.
Healthcare sector management needs to break away from its obsession with financial information and focus on funding for access. Health New Zealand recently ‘proactively released’ 454 pages about its financial performance to July 2024. Here is a letter it did not release. Hon Dr Shane Reti, Minister of Health. Dear ...3 weeks ago - What National thinks of us
A "what the fuck" moment for National: Andrew Bayly went round calling a worker a "loser" on an official visit: The worker explained their interaction with Bayly, and said once the pair were introduced, Bayly asked them why they were still at work. “Take a bottle of wine and ...3 weeks ago
- Give New Zealand a go!
1. Who was the first woman to serve as Governor-General of New Zealand?a. Mother of the Nation Judy Bailey b. Vivacious and astute Cath Tizardc. Calm and perceptive Sylvia Cartwright d. Sovereign Citizen Liz “Unloaded” Gunn2. The formation of the National Party in 1936 was a merger of the United and Reform ...3 weeks ago - Government must support workers following Smithfield closure
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is calling on the Government to show leadership following the announced closure of the Smithfield meat works, and the continued loss of regional manufacturing jobs, by putting in place policies to support workers with retraining and income insurance. “The loss of 600 jobs ...3 weeks ago
- Aotearoa’s Big Lie
OPINIONWhen I first wrote about David Seymour’s ties to the Atlas Network this year, I came across a fellow called Trotter who argued that - although Atlas Network wasn’t a conspiracy - as David Farrar, David Seymour, and Chris Bishop all claimed - it really wasn’t worth the left’s time ...3 weeks ago
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- Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track becomes New Zealand’s 11th Great Walk
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka joined tangata whenua from Ngāi Tahu and local community members today to celebrate the opening of New Zealand’s eleventh Great Walk – the Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track. “The 60km upgraded track provides the opportunity to do one of New Zealand’s world-class multi-day walks, and will bring ...2 weeks ago - New Chief Criminal Cases Review Commissioner
The Honourable Denis Clifford has been appointed Chief Commissioner of the Criminal Cases Review Commission, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. Hon Clifford brings a wealth of expertise and experience that will prove invaluable to the Commission. “He has served as a judge at both the Court of Appeal and High ...2 weeks ago
- Changes to improve building fire safety
The Government is progressing changes to better protect Kiwis and their property from fires, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Following the tragic Loafer’s Lodge fire in 2023, 37 boardings houses across the country were assessed and I am pleased to say that all fire safety recommendations from the ...2 weeks ago
- Germany and New Zealand partner to support agriculture and tackle global emissions
New Zealand and Germany have announced the official start of a partnership aimed at supporting the agriculture sector and tackle global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “The partnership, called the Alliance for the Climate – Dialogue on Climate and Agriculture between New Zealand and Germany (Agri-DENZ project), ...2 weeks ago
- New members appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal
Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka today confirmed the appointment of two new members to the Waitangi Tribunal, as well as the reappointment of Kevin Prime. The members appointed and reappointed are: Hon Richard Prebble (CBE). Mr Prebble is a former Cabinet Minister where he held a broad range of portfolios. ...2 weeks ago
- New appointments to the Local Government Commission
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has today announced the reappointment of the current Chair and the appointment of a temporary member to the Local Government Commission.Current Chair Brendan Duffy ONZM has been reappointed as Chair for a one-year term ending 23 October 2025, while Gwen Bull CNZM will be joining ...2 weeks ago
- New Electoral Commission Chair appointed
Today the House agreed to Justice Simon Moore KC being appointed chair of the Electoral Commission, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Justice Moore brings with him a high level of legal acumen and decision-making ability, strategic planning skills and unquestionable personal integrity and independence. “He retired from the High Court ...2 weeks ago
- Education Minister attending conference in Australia
The Education Minister is travelling to Australia today to attend the 23rd edition of public policy conference, Consilium. “New Zealand and Australia share common challenges and aspirations for education. New South Wales has recently introduced a new curriculum that is explicit, sequenced and knowledge based while Victoria is requiring structured ...2 weeks ago
- Launching VisAble to enable safer lives
The launch of new community advocacy group VisAble signals an important development in community advocacy to achieve more focus on the needs and rights of disabled people in the family violence and sexual violence system. Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour, and Disabilities Issues Minister, ...2 weeks ago
- $100m NZ-Brazil trade boost through 13 key partnerships
Minister for Trade Todd McClay, today announced the signing of 13 Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between New Zealand and Brazilian companies as part of the New Zealand Trade Mission to São Paulo this week. “These partnerships mark a significant step in strengthening the trade relationship between the two nations and are ...2 weeks ago
- 30,000 households get FamilyBoost payments
Almost 30,000 households have now received their first payments under the FamilyBoost childcare payment scheme and thousands more will receive them soon, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “In total, $11.5 million has been paid out to 29,805 households after only three weeks of claims being open,” Nicola Willis says. “High ...2 weeks ago
- 1,452 children into better homes from emergency housing
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. Almost 1,500 tamariki that were growing up in emergency housing motels have been supported into better homes under the government’s Priority One mahi, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “The total number of ...2 weeks ago
- Suspension of new SNAs passes its third reading
The three-year suspension of identification of new significant natural areas (SNAs) has passed its third reading. “We’ve made this change via the Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Act because we’ve heard concerns from some stakeholders that the approach to identifying new SNAs was too broad, capturing areas with ...2 weeks ago
- Government funds food for additional 10,000 children in ECE
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that KidsCan Charitable Trust will be delivering the new Early Childhood Education (ECE) Food Programme, starting in February 2025. “I would like to acknowledge KidsCan for their amazing work supporting children’s learning since 2005. In 2019 they launched a national early childhood ...2 weeks ago
- Attorney-General to deliver law lecture in Sydney
Attorney-General Judith Collins is travelling to Sydney to speak at Western Sydney University on the constitutional and rule of law challenges in the current uncertain global environment. “It is timely to take the opportunity to discuss constitutional and rule of law challenges,” Ms Collins says. “We find ourselves in increasingly ...2 weeks ago
- Speeding up flood protection works in Māngere
An Order in Council to speed up flood mitigation works for hundreds of at-risk properties in Mangere, Auckland, has been approved, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery Mark Mitchell say. “The Auckland Anniversary weekend floods and Cyclone Gabrielle in early 2023 had a devastating impact ...2 weeks ago
- Gisborne leads New Zealand in national drill
ShakeOut, our national earthquake drill and tsunami hīkoi, is happening today with over 665,000 people around New Zealand taking part in the drill,” says Mark Mitchell, Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery. “ShakeOut is a great opportunity for all of us to put our preparedness to the test. “Gisborne is ...2 weeks ago
- Speech to Institute of Public Administration New Zealand
Good morning, kia ora koutou. Thank you, Liz, for your introduction, and to you all for the opportunity to speak to you today. It’s a pleasure to be here. And it’s a particular pleasure to continue a tradition that was started by one of my predecessors Sir Bill English. I’m ...2 weeks ago
- Bill to improve charity lotteries passes third reading
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries run by charities such as Pet Refuge and the Heart Foundation can now operate and advertise online permanently. “Temporary legislation that allowed lotteries for non-commercial to operate online was due to expire at the end of October, which would have forced ...2 weeks ago
- Bill to improve charity lotteries passes third reading
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries run by charities such as Pet Refuge and the Heart Foundation can now operate and advertise online permanently. “Temporary legislation that allowed lotteries for non-commercial to operate online was due to expire at the end of October, which would have forced ...2 weeks ago
- Mental Health Bill passes first reading
A bill that will repeal the current Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 has passed first reading in Parliament today, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “As New Zealand’s first Mental Health Minister I am very pleased to introduce this Bill to the House. This Bill will modernise ...2 weeks ago
- Mental Health Bill passes first reading
A bill that will repeal the current Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 has passed first reading in Parliament today, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “As New Zealand’s first Mental Health Minister I am very pleased to introduce this Bill to the House. This Bill will modernise ...2 weeks ago
- Minister clears up incident information
Minister for Children Karen Chhour wants to clarify the facts following Chloe Swarbrick’s questions in Parliament this afternoon about the incident at Korowai Manaaki this week. “Claims that young people there didn’t have access to food, are false,” Children’s Minister Karen Chhour says. “Claims that young people there didn’t have ...2 weeks ago
- White paper on increasing access to medicines accepted
Associate Health Minister David Seymour is pleased to accept the Valuing Life Medicines Access Summit White Paper delivered by Patient Voice Aotearoa (PVA). PVA gives patients a unified voice to help inform better health policy and improve access to healthcare, while fiercely advocating for their rights. “We welcome the White ...2 weeks ago
- Coalition Government’s reforms give workers the best chance to succeed and prosper
Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden responds to NZCTU’s protest across the country and says this Government is delivering for all workers, including the over 85 percent of New Zealand’s labour force who are not union members. “This coalition Government is focused on delivering for all hardworking ...2 weeks ago
- NZ joins UK initiative for AI safety
The Government is joining the UK’s Bletchley Declaration on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety, Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, and for Digitising Government Judith Collins says. “AI used responsibly can be a game changer for New Zealand, supporting productivity, innovation, and economic development,” Ms Collins says “The UK’s Bletchley Declaration ...2 weeks ago
- Government to overhaul anti-money laundering regime
The Government will introduce a single supervisor and a new funding model in a major overhaul of New Zealand’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) system, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says. “Cabinet has approved an AML/CFT reform work programme which will change the supervisor structure that monitors ...2 weeks ago
- First RMA Amendment Bill passes third reading
The coalition Government’s Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill has passed its third reading in Parliament, delivering on the Government’s commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to councils and consent applicants, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds ...2 weeks ago
- Government reduces Forestry ETS annual charge by 50 per cent
The Government has today started consultation on a 50 per cent reduction to the annual charge for forest owners participating in the Forestry Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Registry, Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Following an independent review released last week we are proposing to lower the per-hectare annual charge to ...2 weeks ago
- Open work rights return for partners of high skilled migrants
The Government is ensuring New Zealand attracts and retains the workers and skills it needs by returning open work rights to partners of high-skilled migrants. “We are committed to growing the economy and our immigration system is critical to that. From 2 December, open work rights will be available to ...2 weeks ago
- Funding boost for Hato Hone St John
Associate Minister of Health Casey Costello and Minister for ACC Matt Doocey have announced today that the Government has invested over $21 million in additional funding into Hato Hone St John. “Hato Hone St John provides an essential service by ensuring people receive timely treatment in an emergency. This is ...2 weeks ago
- Police deliver clear message to gangs
Today, Police dealt a significant blow to the Mongrel Mob Barbarians in Opotiki with the execution of over thirty search warrants across the North Island, and sent a clear message that the misery and violence that they cause will not be tolerated, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. “I want to ...2 weeks ago
- Rooftop youth will face consequences
“The young offenders involved in the rooftop incident at an Oranga Tamariki youth justice residence in Auckland need to know there will be consequences for their actions, Children’s Minister Karen Chhour says. “Last night, 13 young people gained access to the roof of the Korowai Manaaki residence at about 6.30pm. ...2 weeks ago
- Government to appoint Crown Observer to Wellington City Council
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has today announced his intention to appoint a Crown Observer to Wellington City Council, following news that the Council will now be required to rewrite its 2024-34 Long Term Plan. “I have been concerned about the Council’s ability to manage their Long Term Plan amendment ...2 weeks ago
- Government provides clarity to farmers and councils on freshwater plans
The Government will move to add an amendment to the Resource Management Act Amendment Bill, currently before Parliament, which will restrict councils’ ability to notify freshwater plans before the gazettal of the replacement National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay and Environment ...2 weeks ago
- Smarter healthy school lunches programme serves up $130m in savings
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the government has worked with businesses to transform the school lunch programme, delivering for children and saving for taxpayers. “We have embraced commercial expertise, used government buying power, and generated supply chain efficiencies to realise over $130m of annual cost ...2 weeks ago
- Govt confirms details of abuse in care national apology
The Government has confirmed further details about the national apology to survivors of abuse in care. “On November 12 Parliament will apologise on behalf of the nation for the failures of the State across many governments. Following a mihi whakatau, proceedings will begin mid-morning with survivor voices and apologies from ...2 weeks ago
- Improvements to protect children in schools
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] is taking action to better protect children and young people from harmful child offenders working in schools. “The Department has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the New Zealand Teaching Council to improve information sharing ...2 weeks ago
- Government to toughen Three Strikes Bill
The Government is listening to New Zealanders and Cabinet has agreed to recommend modifications to the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says. “This Government is committed to restoring law and order. The Bill to reinstate the Three Strikes law makes it clear that ...2 weeks ago
- Breaking ground on the first new Road of National Significance
Work has kicked off on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS) as the Government continues to move at pace to deliver infrastructure that enables Kiwis and freight to get to where they want to go quickly and safely, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Government is keeping its ...2 weeks ago
- Jonathan Cook: Israel kills the journalists. Western media kills the truth of genocide in Gaza
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – Western publics are being subjected to a campaign of psychological warfare, where genocide is classed as ‘self-defence’ and opposition to it ‘terrorism’. Jonathan Cook reports as the world marked the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists at ...18 hours ago - New Zealand Loyal Political Party Is Under New Management
The AGM will allow its members, for the very first time, to democratically elect a Board to take the New Zealand Loyal Political Party through to the 2026 General Election. ...18 hours ago - 31% of companies are not paying tax in Australia. How do they do it?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kerrie Sadiq, Professor of Taxation, QUT Business School, and ARC Future Fellow, Queensland University of Technology Seb Zurcher/Unsplash Large companies paid the Australian government a record A$100 billion in tax in the last year, a 17% increase on the previous year. ...19 hours ago
- Authentically embracing tikanga Māori can help New Zealand in the growing Asian markets
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hafsa Ahmed, Senior lecturer, Department of Global Value Chains and Trade, Lincoln University, New Zealand The Asian markets have long been seen as a linchpin for New Zealand’s economic success. And the key to future growth could be the cultural similarities between ...20 hours ago
- Apart from Chris Martin’s fall, here are 10 other examples of onstage accidents. Can we keep perfo...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Senior Lecturer of Urban Analytics & Resilience, UNSW Sydney In recent months, Australian concertgoers have witnessed plenty of unexpected onstage drama. The latest example came from Coldplay’s sold-out Sunday show in Melbourne. Lead singer Chris Martin took a sudden ...20 hours ago
- Australia is axing a $7bn military satellite project, leaving defence comms potentially vulnerable
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tuffley, Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethics & CyberSecurity, Griffith University In a significant blow to Australia’s defence capabilities, the federal government is cancelling what would have been the nation’s largest-ever space project: a A$7 billion military satellite communications system. The ...20 hours ago
- Dams have taken half the water from Australia’s second biggest river – and climate change will m...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jan Kreibich, PhD Candidate, Centre for Ecosystem Science & Water Research Laboratory, UNSW Sydney Annette Ruzicka The largest wetland on Australia’s second longest river, the Murrumbidgee in the southern Murray-Darling Basin, is drying up. This is bad news for the plants, ...20 hours ago
- Watch live: Christopher Luxon faces questions after Cabinet meeting
The Prime Minister announced a targeted maths acceleration programme to give more students confidence in mathematics. ...21 hours ago - OIA Documents Reveal Minister Is Considering Changing Long-term Child Poverty Reduction Targets (CPA...
CPAG Chairperson Sally Ward also encourages the New Zealand public to call on all politicians in parliament to hold each other to account on this issue of national significance. ...21 hours ago
- Govt announces $2m funding for trial of catch-up maths lessons
It will also spend $30m on resources and workbooks for every primary and intermediate school. ...21 hours ago
- Will it be Kamala Harris or Donald Trump? Here’s what each needs to win the US election
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruce Wolpe, Non-resident Senior Fellow, United States Study Centre, University of Sydney On election eve in the United States, the presidential race is deadlocked. The polls are exceptionally close across the country and in all the swing states – Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin ...21 hours ago
- Woman of the Hour: Anna Kendrick’s unflinching directorial debut reframes true crime for a post-#M...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Cantrell, Senior Lecturer — Writing, Editing, Publishing, University of Southern Queensland At first glance, Netflix’s Woman of the Hour is yet another true crime fictionalisation that plays to our preoccupation with American serial killers of decades past. Directed by ...21 hours ago
- Equity, Not Just Fairness, Required For Survivors Of Abuse In State Care
Cooper Legal’s Principal Partner, Sonja Cooper says that while the Government might say that paying Lake Alice survivors’ legal fees is the fair thing to do, the State is still not treating all survivors equitably. ...21 hours ago
- US presidential election remains a toss-up, and a guide to US election day in Australia
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 The United States presidential election will be held Tuesday, with results coming in from Wednesday morning AEDT. I have a guide to ...22 hours ago
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research proposes to cut 51 jobs
Cost cutting necessary to fit within a new 'funding envelope,' the Institute of Environmental Science and Research says. ...22 hours ago
- Photo essay: MMT fans turn Penrose red ahead of Tonga’s thrilling win
On Saturday afternoon the roads heading to Go Media Stadium in Penrose were lined in red. Jin Fellet was there, to document Mate Ma’a Tonga (MMT) fans on their way to witness a historic win. Both Kiwis and MMT fans weren’t disappointed, with the game providing a rollercoaster of emotions ...22 hours ago - An Indigenous person is 4 times more likely to die from diabetes. We need to better understand how e...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ray Kelly, PhD candidate, School of Medicine, The University of Melbourne Attila Csaszar/Getty It’s estimated almost 1.9 million Australians have diabetes, and numbers are growing. Between 2013 and 2023, the total number of people known to be living with diabetes across ...23 hours ago
- How the US election may affect Pacific Island nations
By Eleisha Foon, RNZ Pacific senior journalist As the US election unfolds, American territories such as the Northern Marianas, American Samoa, and Guam, along with the broader Pacific region, will be watching the developments. As the question hangs in the balance of whether the White House remains blue with Kamala ...23 hours ago
- CAPHRA Warns Against Rushed Vaping Legislation In New Zealand
"We urge New Zealand MPs to pause and reconsider," Loucas added. "Rushing this bill through Parliament before proper scrutiny risks undermining years of progress in reducing smoking rates." ...23 hours ago
- REVEALED: Ministry For The Environment Blows More Than $2 Million On Internal ‘Events’
“With the money they decided to fork out on events, they could have instead planted more than 2000 hectares of trees. At least that would have been an attempt to do their actual job of helping the environment rather than playing around in workshops, ...24 hours ago
- New to streaming: What to watch on Netflix NZ, Neon and more this week
We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+. If you like homegrown murder mysteries: A Remarkable Place to Die (TVNZ+, November 3) In the new local murder mystery miniseries a Remarkable Place to Die, shrewd detective ...24 hours ago
- Capital gains tax: A timeline of politicians ruling it in and out
For decades, the question over one tax change has been kicked down the road, over and over. ...24 hours ago
- CID & Members’ Call For Action Against UNRWA Ban In Israel And Occupied Palestinian Territorie...
We urge you to stand against the decision of the Israeli Knesset to ban UNWRA given that decision will mean an increase in the deaths of Palestinians already in the grip of extreme suffering. ...24 hours ago
- Government tightens payout criteria for on-sold quake homes
The On-sold Support Package was set up in 2019 to help homeowners who had bought a home repaired after the Canterbury earthquakes, where those repairs were found to be inadequate. ...1 day ago
- Genetic Engineering Reforms Risk Making NZ An Outlier
Of particular concern is the fact that no economic assessment of the potential impacts of these regulatory changes has been conducted, and that it appears that no intention exists on the part of government to conduct such an assessment, says Brendan Hoare, ...1 day ago
- Parent trapped: A collaborative guide to travelling with your parents
Three adults, seven days: here’s how we survived our latest family holiday. Much has been written on the art of travelling solo. For obvious reasons, far less is said about holidaying with your parents as a single person in your 30s. We can all aspire to eat, pray and love ...1 day ago
- How you’re already paying tax on KiwiSaver
Christopher Luxon has claimed a capital gains tax would hit KiwiSaver investors - but they already pay tax. Here's how. ...1 day ago
- Police Withdraw Charges After Arrest For Engaging In Debate, A Huge Victory For Free Speech
Burns was arrested, taken to Police cells, and charged under section 1(4)(b) of the Summary Offences Act for 'offensive language'. ...1 day ago
- Parliament Blocks Submissions Calling For Transparency On Parliament’s Expenses
“Blocking Kiwis from contacting their MPs to demand transparency is nothing short of arrogant self entitlement” says Jordan Williams, a spokesman for the Taxpayers’ Union. ...1 day ago
- NZ, Australia can improve vaccine access by cooperating on future pandemics – experts
New Zealand and Australia could share the costs of vaccines, masks, tests and quarantine facilities, health experts say. ...1 day ago
- Weapons tech export rules set for tightening
The government is looking to tighten controls over exporting weapons or advanced technologies that could be misused in war. ...1 day ago
- ‘Anxiety in the air’: Checking in with New Zealanders in the United States
With the most important election in a lifetime looming, The Spinoff asks a bunch of New Zealanders dotted around the US – some with names readers might know, some not – for a sense of what it’s like where they are. Campbell Smith (music promoter) LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Where do ...1 day ago
- NZ Staunchest Western Supporter Of Israel – Silence On Israel’s Attacks On The United Nations
The New Zealand government blames Hamas for all the killing and destruction committed by Israel, though it also finds space to condemn Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iran. ...1 day ago
- Mike King’s charity I Am Hope accused of greenwashing over climate anxiety booklet
The pamphlet, handed out to schoolchildren, presents a trucking firm and a coal-burning electricity company as climate heroes. ...1 day ago
- Why do organisations still struggle to protect our data? We asked 50 professionals on the privacy fr...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Andrew, Professor, Head of the Discipline of Accounting, Governance and Regulation, University of Sydney Business School, University of Sydney PabloLagarto/Shutterstock More of our personal data is now collected and stored online than ever before in history. The rise of data ...1 day ago
- Nelson’s original sin
The High Court’s ruling in the Nelson Tenths case is a huge victory for Whakatū iwi – and also for my Pākehā ancestors, who were sold a horrible lie. For more on the Nelson Tenths case, read Liam Rātana’s explainer: What is the Nelson Tenths case and why is it ...1 day ago
- What is the Nelson Tenths case and why is it important?
The High Court has backed up a previous judgment ruling the Crown breached its duties under an agreement with the whānau and hapū of the Nelson region. Exactly how much land and money the iwi is entitled to is yet to be decided. For more on the Nelson Tenths case, ...1 day ago
- How are racehorses really treated in the ‘sport of kings’?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cathrynne Henshall, Post-doctoral Fellow, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University It’s the time of year when shiny horses and colourful clothing fill our screens – the Spring Racing Carnival, which includes high profile races like The Everest, Melbourne ...1 day ago
- In the US, political division can take a significant toll on people’s health. Australia should pay...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lesley Russell, Adjunct Associate Professor, Menzies Centre for Health Policy and Economics, University of Sydney MSPhotographic/Shutterstock Stark health disparities exist across the United States. Life expectancy is lower than in other wealthy countries – and declining. The richest American men live ...1 day ago
- Exploring the extraordinary potential (and avoiding the pitfalls) of your local Buy Nothing group
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Madeline Taylor, Lecturer, School of Design, Queensland University of Technology Spaskov/Shutterstock You might have heard about your local Buy Nothing Project group on Facebook. If not, you probably know someone who’s a member. We estimate at least one million Australians are ...1 day ago
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