Posts Tagged ‘katrina shanks’
Clearing the decks
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, December 1st, 2016 - 127 comments
National is readying itself for the next election by getting rid of some MPs. And Nick Leggett has finally disclosed his true political colours.
Like nats leaving a sinking ship …
Written By: - Date published: 8:49 am, November 8th, 2013 - 48 comments
So far seven National MPs have announced they will not stand in next year’s general election and more announcements are rumoured to be in the pipeline. Is the writing on the wall for this Government and will it become the first two term National Government in history?
Editing away idiocy
Written By: - Date published: 2:36 pm, April 28th, 2011 - 18 comments
An interesting post from Political Dumpground looks at how MPs are allowed to edit the Hansard record of what they say. Putting the transcript of what Katrina Shanks actually said during the recent debate on the Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill beside the Hansard shows how MPs can amend the record to hide their stupidity.
- CRL costs money but also provides huge benefits
The City Rail Link has been in the headlines a bit recently so I thought I’d look at some of them. First up, yesterday the NZ Herald ran this piece about the ongoing costs of the CRL. Auckland ratepayers will be saddled with an estimated bill of $220 million each ...1 hour ago - And I don't want the world to see us.
Is this the most shambolic government in the history of New Zealand? Given that parliament hasn’t even opened they’ve managed quite a list of achievements to date.The Smokefree debacle trading lives for tax cuts, the Trumpian claims of bribery in the Media, an International award for indifference, and today the ...3 hours ago - Cooking the books
Finance Minister Nicola Willis late yesterday stopped only slightly short of accusing her predecessor Grant Robertson of cooking the books. She complained that the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU), due to be made public on December 20, would show “fiscal cliffs” that would amount to “billions of ...4 hours ago - Most people don’t realize how much progress we’ve made on climate change
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The year was 2015. ‘Uptown Funk’ with Bruno Mars was at the top of the music charts. Jurassic World was the most popular new movie in theaters. And decades of futility in international climate negotiations was about to come to an end in ...13 hours ago - Of Parliamentary Oaths and Clive Boonham
As a heads-up, I am not one of those people who stay awake at night thinking about weird Culture War nonsense. At least so far as the current Maori/Constitutional arrangements go. In fact, I actually consider it the least important issue facing the day to day lives of New ...14 hours ago - Bearing True Allegiance?
17 hours ago - You cannot be serious
Some days it feels like the only thing to say is: Seriously? No, really. Seriously?OneSomeone has used their health department access to share data about vaccinations and patients, and inform the world that New Zealanders have been dying in their hundreds of thousands from the evil vaccine. This of course is pure ...17 hours ago - A promise kept: govt pulls the plug on Lake Onslow scheme – but this saving of $16bn is denounced...
Buzz from the Beehive After $21.8 million was spent on investigations, the plug has been pulled on the Lake Onslow pumped-hydro electricity scheme, The scheme – that technically could have solved New Zealand’s looming energy shortage, according to its champions – was a key part of the defeated Labour government’s ...17 hours ago - CHRIS TROTTER: The Maori Party and Oath of AllegianceIf those elected to the Māori Seats refuse to take them, then what possible reason could the country have for retaining them? Chris Trotter writes – Christmas is fast approaching, which, as it does every year, means gearing up for an abstruse general knowledge question. “Who was ...19 hours ago
- BRIAN EASTON: Forward to 2017
The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies. Brian Easton writes – The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. ...21 hours ago - Climate Change: Fossils
When the new government promised to allow new offshore oil and gas exploration, they were warned that there would be international criticism and reputational damage. Naturally, they arrogantly denied any possibility that that would happen. And then they finally turned up at COP, to criticism from Palau, and a "fossil ...21 hours ago - GEOFFREY MILLER: NZ’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and UkraineGeoffrey Miller writes – New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he ...22 hours ago
- Gordon Campbell on the government’s smokefree laws debacleThe most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around – incompetently, as it turns out – for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable ...23 hours ago
- Top 10 links at 10 am for Monday, December 4
23 hours ago - Be Honest.
Let’s begin today by thinking about job interviews.During my career in Software Development I must have interviewed hundreds of people, hired at least a hundred, but few stick in the memory.I remember one guy who was so laid back he was practically horizontal, leaning back in his chair until his ...24 hours ago - Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he left off. Peters sought to align ...1 day ago - Auckland rail tunnel the world’s most expensive
1 day ago - First big test comingThe first big test of the new Government’s approach to Treaty matters is likely to be seen in the return of the Resource Management Act. RMA Minister Chris Bishop has confirmed that he intends to introduce legislation to repeal Labour’s recently passed Natural and Built Environments Act and its ...1 day ago
- The Song of Saqua: Volume III
Time to revisit something I haven’t covered in a while: the D&D campaign, with Saqua the aquatic half-vampire. Last seen in July: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/07/27/the-song-of-saqua-volume-ii/ The delay is understandable, once one realises that the interim saw our DM come down with a life-threatening medical situation. They have since survived to make ...1 day ago - Chris Bishop: Smokin’
Yes. Correct. It was an election result. And now we are the elected government. ...2 days ago - 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 26, 2023 thru Dec 2, 2023. Story of the Week CO2 readings from Mauna Loa show failure to combat climate change Daily atmospheric carbon dioxide data from Hawaiian volcano more ...2 days ago
- Affirmative Action.
Affirmative Action was a key theme at this election, although I don’t recall anyone using those particular words during the campaign.They’re positive words, and the way the topic was talked about was anything but. It certainly wasn’t a campaign of saying that Affirmative Action was a good thing, but that, ...2 days ago - 100 days of something
It was at the end of the Foxton straights, at the end of 1978, at 100km/h, that someone tried to grab me from behind on my Yamaha.They seemed to be yanking my backpack. My first thought was outrage. My second was: but how? Where have they come from? And my ...2 days ago - Look who’s stepped up to champion WinstonThere’s no news to be gleaned from the government’s official website today – it contains nothing more than the message about the site being under maintenance. The time this maintenance job is taking and the costs being incurred have us musing on the government’s commitment to an assault on inflation. ...3 days ago
- What's The Story?
Don’t you sometimes wish they’d just tell the truth? No matter how abhorrent or ugly, just straight up tell us the truth?C’mon guys, what you’re doing is bad enough anyway, pretending you’re not is only adding insult to injury.Instead of all this bollocks about the Smokefree changes being to do ...3 days ago - The longest of weeks
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Friday Under New Management Week in review, quiz style1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. ...3 days ago - Suggested sessions of EGU24 to submit abstracts toLike earlier this year, members from our team will be involved with next year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU). The conference will take place on premise in Vienna as well as online from April 14 to 19, 2024. The session catalog has been available since November 1 ...4 days ago
- Under New Management
1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. Under New Management 2. Which of these best describes the 100 days of action announced this week by the new government?a. Petulantb. Simplistic and wrongheaded c. ...4 days ago - While we wait patiently, our new Minister of Education is up and going with a 100-day action planSorry to say, the government’s official website is still out of action. When Point of Order paid its daily visit, the message was the same as it has been for the past week: Site under maintenance Beehive.govt.nz is currently under maintenance. We will be back shortly. Thank you for your ...4 days ago
- DAVID FARRAR: Hysterical bullshitRadio NZ reports: Te Pāti Māori’s co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has accused the new government of “deliberate .. systemic genocide” over its policies to roll back the smokefree policy and the Māori Health Authority. The left love hysterical language. If you oppose racial quotas in laws, you are a racist. And now if you sack ...4 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #48 2023Open access notables From this week's government/NGO section, longitudinal data is gold and Leisorowitz, Maibachi et al. continue to mine ore from the US public with Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Fall 2023: Drawing on a representative sample of the U.S. adult population, the authors describe how registered ...4 days ago
- ELE LUDEMANN: It wasn’t just $55 millionEle Ludemann writes – Winston Peters reckons media outlets were bribed by the $55 million Public Interest Journalism Fund. He is not the first to make such an accusation. Last year, the Platform outlined conditions media signed up to in return for funds from the PJIF: . . . ...4 days ago
- Weekly Roundup 1-December-2023Wow, it’s December already, and it’s a Friday. So here are few things that caught our attention recently. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt covered the new government’s coalition agreements and what they mean for transport. On Tuesday Matt looked at AT’s plans for fare increases ...4 days ago
- Shane MacGowan Is Gone.
Late 1996, The Dogs Bollix, Tamaki Makaurau.I’m at the front of the bar yelling my order to the bartender, jostling with other thirsty punters on a Friday night, keen to piss their wages up against a wall letting loose. The black stuff, long luscious pints of creamy goodness. Back down ...4 days ago - The Hoon around the week to Dec 1Nicola Willis, Chris Bishop and other National, ACT and NZ First MPs applaud the signing of the coalition agreements, which included the reversal of anti-smoking measures while accelerating tax cuts for landlords. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote ...4 days ago
- 2023 More Reading: November (+ Writing Update)
Completed reads for November: A Modern Utopia, by H.G. Wells The Vampire (poem), by Heinrich August Ossenfelder The Corpus Hermeticum The Corpus Hermeticum is Mead’s translation. Now, this is indeed a very quiet month for reading. But there is a reason for that… You see, ...4 days ago - Forward to 2017
The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies.The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. They also describe the processes of the ...5 days ago - Questions a nine year old might ask the new Prime Minister
First QuestionYou’re going to crack down on people ram-raiding dairies, because you say hard-working dairy owners shouldn’t have to worry about getting ram-raided.But once the chemist shops have pseudoephedrine in them again, they're going to get ram-raided all the time. Do chemists not work as hard as dairy owners?Second QuestionYou ...5 days ago - Questions a nine year old might ask the new Prime MinisterFirst QuestionYou’re going to crack down on people ram-raiding dairies, because you say hard-working dairy owners shouldn’t have to worry about getting ram-raided.But once the chemist shops have pseudoephedrine in them again, they're going to get ram-raided all the time. Do chemists not work as hard as dairy owners?Second QuestionYou ...5 days ago
- FinallyHenry Kissinger is finally dead. Good fucking riddance. While Americans loved him, he was a war criminal, responsible for most of the atrocities of the final quarter of the twentieth century. Cambodia. Bangladesh. Chile. East Timor. All Kissinger. Because of these crimes, Americans revere him as a "statesman" (which says ...5 days ago
- Government in a hurry – Luxon lists 49 priorities in 100-day plan while Peters pledges to strength...Buzz from the Beehive Yes, ministers in the new government are delivering speeches and releasing press statements. But the message on the government’s official website was the same as it has been for the past several days, when Point of Order went looking for news from the Beehive that had ...5 days ago
- DAVID FARRAR: Luxon is absolutely rightDavid Farrar writes – 1 News reports: Christopher Luxon says he was told by some Kiwis on the campaign trail they “didn’t know” the difference between Waka Kotahi, Te Pūkenga and Te Whatu Ora. Speaking to Breakfast, the incoming prime minister said having English first on government agencies will “make sure” ...5 days ago
- Top 10 at 10 am for Thursday, Nov 30
There are fears that mooted changes to building consent liability could end up driving the building industry into an uninsured hole. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Thursday, November 30, including:The new Government’s ...5 days ago - Gordon Campbell on how climate change threatens cricket‘s futureWell that didn’t last long, did it? Mere days after taking on what he called the “awesome responsibility” of being Prime Minister, M Christopher Luxon has started blaming everyone else, and complaining that he has inherited “economic vandalism on an unprecedented scale” – which is how most of us are ...5 days ago
- We need to talk about Tory.
The first I knew of the news about Tory Whanau was when a tweet came up in my feed.The sort of tweet that makes you question humanity, or at least why you bother with Twitter. Which is increasingly a cesspit of vile inhabitants who lurk spreading negativity, hate, and every ...5 days ago - Dangling Transport SolutionsCable Cars, Gondolas, Ropeways and Aerial Trams are all names for essentially the same technology and the world’s biggest maker of them are here to sell them as an public transport solution. Stuff reports: Austrian cable car company Doppelmayr has launched its case for adding aerial cable cars to New ...5 days ago
- November AMA
Hi,It’s been awhile since I’ve done an Ask-Me-Anything on here, so today’s the day. Ask anything you like in the comments section, and I’ll be checking in today and tomorrow to answer.Leave a commentNext week I’ll be giving away a bunch of these Mister Organ blu-rays for readers in New ...5 days ago - National’s early moves adding to cost of living pressureThe cost of living grind continues, and the economic and inflation honeymoon is over before it began. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: PM Christopher Luxon unveiled his 100 day plan yesterday with an avowed focus of reducing cost-of-living pressures, but his Government’s initial moves and promises are actually elevating ...5 days ago
- Backwards to the futurePrime Minister Christopher Luxon has confirmed that it will be back to the future on planning legislation. This will be just one of a number of moves which will see the new government go backwards as it repeals and cost-cuts its way into power. They will completely repeal one ...5 days ago
- New initiatives in science and technology could point the way ahead for Luxon government
As the new government settles into the Beehive, expectations are high that it can sort out some of the economic issues confronting New Zealand. It may take time for some new ministers to get to grips with the range of their portfolio work and responsibilities before they can launch the changes that ...6 days ago - Treaty pledge to secure funding is contentious – but is Peters being pursued by a lynch mob after ...TV3 political editor Jenna Lynch was among the corps of political reporters who bridled, when Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters told them what he thinks of them (which is not much). She was unabashed about letting her audience know she had bridled. More usefully, she drew attention to something which ...6 days ago
- How long does this last?
I have a clear memory of every election since 1969 in this plucky little nation of ours. I swear I cannot recall a single one where the question being asked repeatedly in the first week of the new government was: how long do you reckon they’ll last? And that includes all ...6 days ago - National’s giveaway politicsWe already know that national plans to boost smoking rates to collect more tobacco tax so they can give huge tax-cuts to mega-landlords. But this morning that policy got even more obscene - because it turns out that the tax cut is retrospective: Residential landlords will be able to ...6 days ago
- CHRIS TROTTER: Who’s driving the right-wing bus?Who’s At The Wheel? The electorate’s message, as aggregated in the polling booths on 14 October, turned out to be a conservative political agenda stronger than anything New Zealand has seen in five decades. In 1975, Bill Rowling was run over by just one bus, with Rob Muldoon at the wheel. In 2023, ...6 days ago
- GRAHAM ADAMS: Media knives flashing for Luxon’s government
The fear and loathing among legacy journalists is astonishing Graham Adams writes – No one is going to die wondering how some of the nation’s most influential journalists personally view the new National-led government. It has become abundantly clear within a few days of the coalition agreements ...6 days ago - Top 10 news links for Wednesday, Nov 29
TL;DR: Here’s my pick of top 10 news links elsewhere for Wednesday November 29, including:The early return of interest deductibility for landlords could see rebates paid on previous taxes and the cost increase to $3 billion from National’s initial estimate of $2.1 billion, CTU Economist Craig Renney estimated here last ...6 days ago - Smokefree Fallout and a High Profile Resignation.
The day after being sworn in the new cabinet met yesterday, to enjoy their honeymoon phase. You remember, that period after a new government takes power where the country, and the media, are optimistic about them, because they haven’t had a chance to stuff anything about yet.Sadly the nuptials complete ...6 days ago - As Cabinet revs up, building plans go on holdWellington Council hoardings proclaim its preparations for population growth, but around the country councils are putting things on hold in the absence of clear funding pathways for infrastructure, and despite exploding migrant numbers. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Cabinet meets in earnest today to consider the new Government’s 100-day ...6 days ago
- National takes over infrastructureThough New Zealand First may have had ambitions to run the infrastructure portfolios, National would seem to have ended up firmly in control of them. POLITIK has obtained a private memo to members of Infrastructure NZ yesterday, which shows that the peak organisation for infrastructure sees National MPs Chris ...6 days ago
- At a glance – Evidence for global warmingOn February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...7 days ago
- Who’s Driving The Right-Wing Bus?7 days ago
- Sanity break
Cheers to reader Deane for this quote from Breakfast TV today:Chloe Swarbrick to Brook van Velden re the coalition agreement: “... an unhinged grab-bag of hot takes from your drunk uncle at Christmas”Cheers also to actual Prime Minister of a country Christopher Luxon for dorking up his swearing-in vows.But that's enough ...7 days ago - Sanity breakCheers to reader Deane for this quote from Breakfast TV today:Chloe Swarbrick to Brook van Velden re the coalition agreement: “... an unhinged grab-bag of hot takes from your drunk uncle at Christmas”Cheers also to actual Prime Minister of a country Christopher Luxon for dorking up his swearing-in vows.But that's enough ...7 days ago
- National’s murderous smoking policyOne of the big underlying problems in our political system is the prevalence of short-term thinking, most usually seen in the periodic massive infrastructure failures at a local government level caused by them skimping on maintenance to Keep Rates Low. But the new government has given us a new example, ...7 days ago
- NZ has a chance to rise again as our new government gets spending under controlNew Zealand has a chance to rise again. Under the previous government, the number of New Zealanders below the poverty line was increasing year by year. The Luxon-led government must reverse that trend – and set about stabilising the pillars of the economy. After the mismanagement of the outgoing government created huge ...7 days ago
- KARL DU FRESNE: Media and the new governmentTwo articles by Karl du Fresne bring media coverage of the new government into considerations. He writes – Tuesday, November 28, 2023 The left-wing media needed a line of attack, and they found one The left-wing media pack wasted no time identifying the new government’s weakest point. Seething over ...7 days ago
- PHILIP CRUMP: Team of rivals – a CEO approach to government leadershipThe work begins Philip Crump wrote this article ahead of the new government being sworn in yesterday – Later today the new National-led coalition government will be sworn in, and the hard work begins. At the core of government will be three men – each a leader ...7 days ago
- Black Friday
As everyone who watches television or is on the mailing list for any of our major stores will confirm, “Black Friday” has become the longest running commercial extravaganza and celebration in our history. Although its origins are obscure (presumably dreamt up by American salesmen a few years ago), it has ...7 days ago - In Defense of the Media.
Yesterday the Ministers in the next government were sworn in by our Governor General. A day of tradition and ceremony, of decorum and respect. Usually.But yesterday Winston Peters, the incoming Deputy Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister, of our nation used it, as he did with the signing of the coalition ...7 days ago - Top 10 news links at 10 am for Tuesday, Nov 28
7 days ago - PT use up but fare increases comingYesterday Auckland Transport were celebrating, as the most recent Sunday was the busiest Sunday they’ve ever had.
That’s a great outcome and I’m sure the ... 1 week ago - The very opposite of social investmentNicola Willis (in blue) at the signing of the coalition agreement, before being sworn in as both Finance Minister and Social Investment Minister. National’s plan to unwind anti-smoking measures will benefit her in the first role, but how does it stack up from a social investment viewpoint? Photo: Lynn Grieveson ...1 week ago
- Giving TuesdayFor the first time "in history" we decided to jump on the "Giving Tuesday" bandwagon in order to make you aware of the options you have to contribute to our work! Projects supported by Skeptical Science Inc. Skeptical Science Skeptical Science is an all-volunteer organization but ...1 week ago
- Let's open the books with Nicotine Willis
Let’s say it’s 1984,and there's a dreary little nation at the bottom of the Pacific whose name rhymes with New Zealand,and they've just had an election.Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, will you look at the state of these books we’ve opened,cries the incoming government, will you look at all this mountain ...1 week ago - Climate Change: Stopping oilNational is promising to bring back offshore oil and gas drilling. Naturally, the Greens have organised a petition campaign to try and stop them. You should sign it - every little bit helps, and as the struggle over mining conservation land showed, even National can be deterred if enough people ...1 week ago
- Now, more than ever, we must whakamana Te Tiriti o Waitangi
The Green Party is urging the Government to recognise its commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi so our tamariki and mokopuna can grow up in an Aotearoa where their language is celebrated, their health is prioritised, and their whenua is protected. ...3 mins ago - Release: Labour team ready to take on the coalition of chaos
Labour’s strong line-up for the 54th Parliament brings experience and energy to the job of Opposition. ...5 days ago - The future of Aotearoa is at stakeThe next 100 days will be a fight for our future. ...6 days ago
- Māori will die to fund tax cutsBy scrapping Aotearoa’s world-leading smokefree laws, this government is sacrificing Māori lives to fund tax cuts for the wealthy. Not only is this plan revolting, but it doesn’t add up. Treasury has estimated that the reversal of smokefree laws to pay for tax cuts will cost our health system $5.25bn, ...6 days ago
- Release: National’s fiscal plans dealt another blowFigures showing National needs to find another $900 million for landlords highlights the mess this coalition Government is in less than a week into the job. ...6 days ago
- Green Party unveils portfolio spokespeople for the 54th ParliamentThe Green Party is pleased to announce the allocation of portfolios across its largest caucus ever. ...6 days ago
- The Time is Now for Oceans ProtectionCommunity organisations, mana whenua and the Greens have written to the incoming Minister of Oceans and Fisheries to call for the progression without delay of the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill. ...1 week ago
- Greenpeace nitrates research proves need for strong freshwater regulationThe Green Party is welcoming the release of an interactive map which enables people to monitor nitrate levels in their drinking water. ...1 week ago
- Release: Chris Hipkins congratulates Christopher Luxon"On behalf of the Labour Party I would like to congratulate Christopher Luxon on his appointment as Prime Minister,” Labour Party Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...1 week ago
- Greens launch petition to save oil and gas banThe Green Party has launched a petition to save the ban on oil and gas exploration. ...1 week ago
- Luxon’s Government will whitewash AotearoaNZ First has gotten their wish to ‘take our country back’ to the 1800s with a policy program that will white-wash Aotearoa and erase tangata whenua rights. By disestablishing the Māori Health Authority this Government has condemned Māori to die seven years earlier than Pākehā. By removing Treaty obligations from ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party a strong opposition to divisive governmentThe Green Party will keep up the fight for an Aotearoa that works for everyone. ...2 weeks ago
- Te Pāti Māori call for Foreign Affairs CEO to be sackedTe Pāti Māori have called for the resignation of the Ministry of Foreign and Trade chief executive Chris Seed following his decision to erase te reo Māori from government communications. While the country still waits for a new government to be formed, Mr Seed took it upon himself to undermine ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour Party calls for immediate ceasefireThe New Zealand Labour Party is urgently calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and Israel to put a halt to the appalling attacks and violence, so that a journey to a lasting peace can begin, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand welcomes European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement
A significant milestone in ratifying the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached last night, with 524 of the 705 member European Parliament voting in favour to approve the agreement. “I’m delighted to hear of the successful vote to approve the NZ-EU FTA in the European Parliament overnight. This is ...2 weeks ago - Further humanitarian support for Gaza, the West Bank and IsraelThe Government is contributing a further $5 million to support the response to urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel, bringing New Zealand’s total contribution to the humanitarian response so far to $10 million. “New Zealand is deeply saddened by the loss of civilian life and the ...2 weeks ago
- National Māori Action Day – Te Pāti Māori protests in pictures
Protest marches and convoys are being held around the country in response to Te Pāti Maori's call for action against the new government's policies on co-governance and the Treaty. ...57 mins ago - Was going to space a good idea?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alice Gorman, Associate Professor in Archaeology and Space Studies, Flinders University NASA In 1963, six years after the first satellite was launched, editors from the Encyclopaedia Britannica posed a question to five eminent thinkers of the day: “Has man’s conquest ...1 hour ago - Cruel summer ahead – why is Australia so unprepared?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Harris Rimmer, Professor and Director of the Policy Innovation Hub, Griffith Business School, Griffith University Shutterstock 2023 has shattered climate records, accompanied by extreme weather that has left a trail of devastation and despair, according to the World Meteorological ...1 hour ago
- Will Japanese encephalitis return this summer? What about other diseases mosquitoes spread?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cameron Webb, Clinical Associate Professor and Principal Hospital Scientist, University of Sydney Shutterstock The last two summers have been swarming with mosquitoes thanks to near constant rain and flooding brought on by La Niña. With the return of El ...1 hour ago
- COP28: with a ‘loss and damage’ fund in place, protecting climate refugees is more urgent than e...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dalila Gharbaoui, Postdoctoral research fellow , University of Canterbury It has taken decades, but the complex and increasingly urgent issue of “climate mobility” has gradually become central to international climate negotiations. At the COP28 summit currently taking place in Dubai, there are ...1 hour ago
- Why do private schools get more holidays than public schools?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Kidson, Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership, Australian Catholic University It’s that time of year when it seems the more school fees parents pay, the less time their children spend in school. For example, within a few kilometres of each other ...1 hour ago
- ‘A deeply thoughtful and sensuous show’: a rarely experienced intimacy with Louise BourgeoisSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Léa Vuong, Senior Lecturer in French Studies, University of Sydney Installation of Louise Bourgeois Maman at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, November 2023, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Felicity Jenkins As you make your way ...1 hour ago
- Live: Protesters converge on parliament for ‘National Māori Action Day’
Ahead of the opening of parliament, protesters have taken to the streets across the North Island. Follow our live coverage. ...1 hour ago - Te Pāti Māori will swear allegiance to Te Tiriti (and then the King)Te Pāti Māori MPs will give two oaths in parliament today as the business of politics resumes following October’s election. The party, which has picked up six seats in the incoming parliament, has raised objections to the requirement of having to swear allegiance to the Crown. A spokesperson told the ...1 hour ago
- Live: Te Pāti Māori protests – Day of action focuses on new government's Māori policie...More than 600 people have gathered as Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi told the crowd it should march on Parliament. ...1 hour ago
- Protest action kicks off as 54th parliament set to openA call to protest today from Te Pāti Māori aligns with the opening of the 54th term of parliament, where MPs are required to swear an oath of allegiance to King Charles III, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The ...2 hours ago
- Protest action a stand against government insults to Māori – Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie...Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer is defending protest action just days into a new government taking office. ...2 hours ago
- Demonised cold meds back on chemist shop shelves
In 2009 the then-Prime Minister John Key declared war on methamphetamine with a plan to ban over the counter sales of cold and flu drugs containing pseudoephedrine. Those were the days when ram raids and armed hold-ups were aimed at chemist shops, the perpetrators looking for the main ingredient ...3 hours ago - New Parliament to meet, elect SpeakerThe first meeting of the new Parliament will finally take place this morning, 52 days since the election. ...4 hours ago
- New Parliament to meet, elect SpeakerThe first meeting of the new Parliament will finally take place this morning, 52 days since the election. ...4 hours ago
- The 10 oddest details in the coalition agreementsFrom old scores to blank canvas, a survey of the most puzzling parts in the NZ First and Act deals with National. Across 28 pages, the two documents born out of several weeks of inter-party negotiations chart the path ahead for the first term of the three-way coalition made up ...4 hours ago
- The silence of miscarriageIn the first instalment of a two-part series on miscarriage, Zahra Shahtahmasebi speaks to two women about carrying on after tragedy. Michele Trott is a “live life to the fullest” kind of person, a lover of the outdoors and martial arts. She’s active and energetic, but after her third miscarriage ...4 hours ago
- The key issues to keep an eye on at Cop28Know you should be across what’s going on at the global climate conference but daunted by the prospect of a two-week talk-fest? Laura Gemmell, who’s on the ground in Dubai, has picked out five areas it’s worth keeping tabs on. The 28th Conference of the Parties (Cop28) is under way ...4 hours ago
- Wayne Brown tells teenage Super City to grow upAuckland Mayor's long-term plan could see a raft of changes – including service cuts and halt to new capital spending The post Wayne Brown tells teenage Super City to grow up appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 hours ago
- Repealing child protection legislation will fail Māori all over againOpinion: Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 was introduced in 2019 by Labour in response to the infamous Hawkes Bay uplift earlier that year, that laid bare what child protection looked like for an unknowing Aotearoa New Zealand public. Iwi and child advocates have expressed strong concern ...4 hours ago
- Grant Robertson is to blame for the end of the Productivity CommissionProductivity Commission reports were deeply technical, impartial, and they mattered. So what went wrong? The post Grant Robertson is to blame for the end of the Productivity Commission appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 5 DecemberLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 5 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 hours ago
- Labour broke ‘spirit of the law’ to disguise state of govt books – WillisUnfunded policies and commercially sensitive fiscal risks that weren’t included in the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update total billions of dollars over the next four years, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said on Monday. Within a day of being sworn in, Willis warned that the state of the Government’s books ...4 hours ago
- A reckoning on Rabbit IslandI don’t mean to defame the guy because I liked him. He was imperfect, for certain. Some people found him awful and I’m not here to be his apologist either. I could use a pseudonym like Nill Boble, but context would reveal who I mean: Bill. He ran the ...4 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Tuesday 5 DecemberThe post Daily crossword, Tuesday 5 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 hours ago
- Down and out at COP28 – phasing the future of fossil fuelsSultan Al-Jaber, the Emirati president of the COP28 climate negotiations, attempted yesterday to allay fears he didn’t believe some of the key science of climate change. These were triggered by a recording of comments he made in a recent testy comments to Mary Robinson, a former President of ...4 hours ago
- Reserve Bank says Govt’s change to remit means unemployment will riseWith fears the most vulnerable workers will be worst hit by tide of redundancies, one employer talks about delivering the bad news The post Reserve Bank says Govt’s change to remit means unemployment will rise appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 hours ago
- COP28: New Zealand supports tripling global renewable energy, Climate Minister saysClimate Change Minister Simon Watts says he will provide an update on New Zealand's stance on a global renewables pledge when he lands in Dubai at the end of the week. ...12 hours ago
- We’re in an El Niño – so why has Australia been so wet?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew King, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock After three La Niña summers many of us would have been expecting much hotter and drier conditions this spring and summer after the arrival of El Niño. Instead, ...14 hours ago
- Nicola Willis, Grant Robertson clash over shorter-term 'fiscal cliffs'Nicola Willis has accused the previous government of finding "workarounds" to hide funding shortfalls. Grant Robertson says it shows she hasn't even read the Budget. ...14 hours ago
- Could you move from your biological body to a computer? An expert explains ‘mind uploading’Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clas Weber, Senior lecturer, The University of Western Australia Shutterstock Imagine brain scanning technology improves greatly in the coming decades, to the point that we can observe how each individual neuron talks to other neurons. Then, imagine we can record ...15 hours ago
- Government Knowingly Making Life Harder For People
Leaked government documents confirm this government will consciously do serious harm to the lives of working people and their whānau. “Our lowest paid people deserve a pay increase, not a government that is deliberately deciding to put the ...15 hours ago - COP28: health is finally on the agenda – but there’s more to do as we face continued climate ext...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Bowen, Professor – Environment, Climate and Global Health at Melbourne Climate Futures and Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, The University of Melbourne Pakistan experienced severe floods in 2022. Asianet-Pakistan/Shutterstock As global leaders gather in Dubai for ...16 hours ago
- Two charts in Australia’s 2023 climate statement show we are way off track for net zero by 2050Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Adwo, Shutterstock Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has announced Australia is “within striking distance” of the government’s 2030 emissions reduction target. The good news was in the 2023 ...16 hours ago
- At the End of the Land: an avalanche of images that invites us to sit alone in time and space togeth...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Mercer, Associate Professor of Theatre Arts, Curtin University Aaron Claringbold/PICA At the End of the Land, a world premiere production by Western Australian interdisciplinary theatre makers Too Close to the Sun, is an experiential encounter with the liminal space ...16 hours ago
- PM Luxon intending to attend Waitangi commemorationsThe new prime minister says he intends to visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds for next year’s annual commemorations. Christopher Luxon said no decisions have been firmly made yet, but he believed it was “important” to attend. “I think the reality for me is we’re going to be a government delivering ...17 hours ago
- Mini-budget due December 20, Willis says financial challenges ‘larger’ than expectedThe government’s “mini-budget” will be released on December 20, coinciding with the release of Treasury’s half year economic update. Finance minister Nicola Willis, joining the prime minister at this afternoon’s post-cabinet press conference, said this budget will outline a number of “specific steps” the government will be taking to a ...17 hours ago
- Watch: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon holds post-Cabinet media briefingPrime Minister Christopher Luxon is holding a post-Cabinet briefing. ...17 hours ago
- Watch: Government's 100-day plan starts with 'laser focus' on cost of living, Luxon s...The government is starting its 100-day plan with a laser focus on bringing down the cost of living and inflation, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. ...17 hours ago
- Stay or go? Most older Australians want to retire where they are, but renters don’t always get a c...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Phelps, Research Fellow, School of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Curtin University Shutterstock As Australia’s population gets older, more people are confronted with a choice: retire where they are or seek new horizons elsewhere. Choosing to grow old in your ...18 hours ago
- Watch live: PM Luxon fronts post-cabinet press conferenceAs we settle into the swing of the new government, we’re not going to be live-blogging every single post-cabinet press conference. But we will still be keeping an eye on them and bringing you the top lines. Christopher Luxon will speak to media at 4pm today, ahead of the formal ...18 hours ago
- Ted Manson Foundation Expands Family Violence Prevention ProgramSouth Auckland is the epicenter of family and sexual violence in New Zealand with police attending to a family and sexual violence incidence every 4 minutes. The Ted Manson Foundation has been funding a successful family violence prevention program ...18 hours ago
- It’s official: After the Party is the best TV drama we’ve ever made TVNZ aired the finale of the much-lauded six-part drama last night. Here’s what The Spinoff’s two Madeleines thought. EXTREME SPOILER WARNING. DON’T SAY WE DIDN’T WARN YOU. Madeleine Chapman And so, the only show that I considered appointment viewing this year has come to an end. After the Party started ...18 hours ago
- Teachers union concerned by decision to scrap gender guidelinesThe secondary schools teachers union will be asking the new education minister for a please explain over the government’s plan to ditch relationship and sexuality education guidelines from the curriculum. As part of the coalition deal between National and New Zealand First, the governing will be axing the guidelines introduced ...18 hours ago
- The last day of The Project NZ felt like the end of something else, tooWhat else do we lose when shows like The Project are taken off the air? Paddy Gower is wearing a blazer and enthusiastically practising a live cross scheduled to happen in 30 minutes. “I don’t know why we’re rehearsing,” he yells, to no one in particular. His boss’s boss, Glen ...18 hours ago
- Te Pāti Māori plans day of protest as parliament returnsParliament resumes this week, marking the first opportunity for the new government to set out its priorities and be challenged on them by the new opposition. In anticipation of this, Te Pāti Māori has called for supporters to unite tomorrow morning for a day of protest. According to Stuff, the ...19 hours ago
- New to streaming: What to watch on Netflix NZ, Neon and more this weekWhat are you going to be watching this week? We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+. The biggies Shooter (on TVNZ+ from December 8) This series, based on the 2007 film of the same name, ...19 hours ago
- What to expect when you're expecting a ParliamentNew Zealand has a government, but no sitting parliament. That changes this week, when the 54th Parliament finally gets underway. ...20 hours ago
- Te Pāti Māori calls for nationwide protest against government's co-governance policiesTe Pāti Māori is calling on the community to join in taking a stand against what they say is an "assault on tangata whenua" by the newly-formed government. ...20 hours ago
- RACDS Urges Reconsideration On Smokefree4 December 2023 – The Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (RACDS) expresses deep concern regarding the recent decision by New Zealand's newly elected government to repeal the Smokefree Amendments Act. This unexpected reversal raises serious implications ...20 hours ago
- The amazing NGV Triennial 2023 makes us question our world and forces us to see it differentlySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sasha Grishin, Adjunct Professor of Art History, Australian National University Installation view of SMACK’s Speculum 2019 on display at Matadero Madrid © SMACK Courtesy the artist and Onkaos What the previous two National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) Triennials have taught us ...20 hours ago
- Scrapping NZ battery project 'short-sighted' – Otago energy expertThe government confirmed on Sunday it was scrapping the Lake Onslow scheme in Otago. ...20 hours ago
- Closed Leigh Sawmill Cafe wants to reopen, but ‘no date set yet’A popular Auckland cafe that has mysteriously closed its doors is hoping to reopen, but there’s no timeframe in place yet. The Spinoff reported last week that both Cotto, the K Road pasta bar, and the Leigh Sawmill Cafe north of the city had suddenly stopped taking customers and started ...21 hours ago
- Geoffrey Miller’s Analysis – New Zealand’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and UkraineAnalysis by Geoffrey Miller – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz) New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. Geoffrey Miller. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking ...21 hours ago
- How To Deliver Real Value To The Health System...21 hours ago
- For domestic violence victim-survivors, a data or privacy breach can be extraordinarily dangerousSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Fitzpatrick, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, UNSW Sydney A suite of recent cybersecurity data breaches highlight an urgent need to overhaul how companies and government agencies handle our data. But these incidents pose particular risks to victim-survivors of domestic ...21 hours ago
- Would you pay $18k to see Coldplay?Scalpers are already out in force for next year’s Coldplay tour, which will see the band play a record-breaking three nights at Eden Park. Writing for his Boiler Room Substack, Chris Schulz has taken a look at some of the priciest tickets being advertised on websites like Viagogo. One person ...21 hours ago
- Government Must Not Be Held Hostage By Film Sector LobbyistsResponding to reports that film sector lobbyists are crying out for even more corporate welfare, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy said: “Time and time again successive Governments have been warned about falling into the trap of becoming ...21 hours ago
- Food reckons from a (self-anointed) enlightened touristFreshly back from an Asian jaunt, Charlotte Muru-Lanning shares some dining experiences she’d love to see adopted in Aotearoa. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. I’ve been absent from newsletter writing duties for the last two weeks while on a much-anticipated holiday in Japan and ...21 hours ago
- Protracted Complaint Into Workplace Practices Dating Back Almost 40 Years Ago Serves No Public Inter...Media statement issued on behalf of Dr Alan Reay. IPENZ Disciplinary Hearing 4-6 December, 2023 ...21 hours ago
- Nicola Willis warns of fiscal ‘snakes and snails’ – her first mini-budget will be a test of NZ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato New finance minister Nicola Willis has claimed she was blindsided by the state of the government’s books. Days after stepping into the role, she said: The outgoing government has left us with ...22 hours ago
- A home among the gum trees: will the Great Koala National Park actually save koalas?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Cadman, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow with the Law Futures Centre and the Institute for Ethics, Governance and Law, Griffith University Shutterstock It’s a visionary idea: a national park for koalas. Conceived over a decade ago, the idea gained prominence ...22 hours ago
- Taxpayers Win By Scrapping White Elephant Lake Onslow Hydro Scheme, But The Government Can Always Do...Responding to reports that the Government has issued a stop-work notice on the $16 billion Lake Onslow Hydro-Electricity Scheme, Taxpayers' Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, says: “This project was always a white elephant that would never ...22 hours ago
- Ex-health worker pleads not guilty to illegally accessing databasesA former health worker has pleaded not guilty after appearing in court today on a charge of dishonestly accessing Te Whatu Ora databases. As The Post reported, Barry Young (also sometimes identified as “Winston Smith”), who had appeared in videos with conspiracy theorist and former broadcaster Liz Gunn, could face ...22 hours ago
- PSNZ Urges Government To Uphold Smokefree Legislation For The Health Of Children And Youth In Aotear...Te Kāhui Mātai Arotamariki o Aotearoa | Paediatric Society of New Zealand, voices its concern over the government's recent proposition to repeal critical aspects of the country's smoke-free legislation. This proposed repeal undermines New Zealand's ...22 hours ago
- No Plan For Ending Disability Support Sector Pay Equity Stalemate In Government’s 100-day PlanDisabled people and providers who support them are deeply concerned, with no end in sight to stalled Pay Equity talks or recognition in the new Government’s 100-day plan, said New Zealand Disability Support Network CEO Peter Reynolds. The Pay Equity ...22 hours ago
- Travel Lifts International Services Trade...22 hours ago
- Reserve Bank Community Cash Trials To Start Next YearRural New Zealand communities lacking commercial bank over-the-counter or ATM cash services will be invited to take part in trials starting next year of new ways to help individuals and retailers withdraw and deposit cash. The Reserve Bank of New ...22 hours ago
- Travel Lifts International Services TradeTravel was New Zealand’s largest services export and import for the September 2023 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. Travel imports were $1.96 billion, and exports were $2.48 billion in the September 2023 quarter, up from ...23 hours ago
- The Māori pathway being carved in Aotearoa’s academic institutesAmong the traditionally western halls of academia, a network of Indigenous scholars is giving Māori students the opportunity to decolonise their academic journeys. Academia is often perceived as a Western institution. This is mostly due to its historical evolution in Europe, colonial influences, the dominance of English in publishing, and ...23 hours ago
- The government’s extreme environmental policies will take us back decadesAs the devastating impacts of climate change hit ever closer to home, the coalition agreements appear years, if not decades, out of touch with public sentiment and the direction the rest of the world is moving in. In terms of environmental policy, the coalition agreements announced last week are objectively ...23 hours ago
- With A New Parliament, It's Time To #ChangeTheOathNew Zealand Republic, Kia Mana Motuhake a Aotearoa, calls for a new oath that reflects modern Aotearoa New Zealand. “Requiring our elected representatives to swear allegiance to King Charles III is nonsense. They owe no allegiance to Charles, they owe their ...23 hours ago
- New Zealand Wins Fossil Of The Day At COP28 For Oil Exploration PlansThe New Zealand Government has suffered the ignominy of ‘winning’ the first Fossil of the Day award at the Dubai COP28 climate conference for its plan to overturn the ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration. "This is no joke," says ...23 hours ago
- ‘An embarrassment’: NZ picks up ‘award’ for offshore oil ‘U-turn’New Zealand has picked up the less-than-coveted “fossil of the day” title at this year’s COP28 climate summit. The “award” is given each day at the conference to a country deemed to be “doing the most to achieve the least” or “doing their best to be the worst” in terms ...24 hours ago
- One simple trick to get more people riding bikes? Reduce the number being stolenBike theft tends to go up in summer time. What are bike advocates and the police doing about it? It was a dark and windy night in Sandringham when Jessica Rose rescued the goat. Biking home from a work event, she saw cars careening across the road and heard the ...1 day ago
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