Written By:
Zetetic -
Date published:
12:32 pm, June 2nd, 2009 - 16 comments
You’ve done your job as a spin doctor when journalists start repeating your spin sub-consciously. The credit downgrade ‘issue’ is a great example. There was never any threat of a downgrade, as long as the tax cuts were dropped. The journalists all acted like there was a huge threat. They parroted the government’s line that […]
When the NZDF was asked to release US information on Operation Burnham which would have revealed how the villagers died, they refused, claiming that the US objected. So, Nicky Hager and Deborah Manning requested it in the US, under that ...
Statistics New Zealand has released a new report on New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions, with a sectoral breakdown shown how much is caused by different sectors of the economy. The data is crystal clear: half our emissions are caused by ...
Another day, another IPCA report finding police misbehaviour, this time in relation to police beating a suspect in Huntly in 2017. But despite a finding that officers used excessive force, the police as usual refused to prosecute their own. But ...
The State Services Commission has released its report into Treasury Secretary Gabriel Makhlouf's handling of treasury's budget security failure. And it is not good:Outgoing Treasury secretary Gabriel Makhlouf was "clumsy", unreasonable and fell "well short" of expectations in his handling ...
David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill passed its second reading in Parliament last night, 70 - 50. Which means now the real struggle for consensus over amendments begins. Pretty much everyone who voted for it agrees it needs changes ...
Compare And Contrast: One of the reasons so many powerful forces combined to oust the Third Labour Government was its obvious determination to move beyond progressive rhetoric and embrace progressive action. When assessing the behaviour of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern ...
International research shows that there is a socioeconomic status (or class) gradient, in which those with low SES experience higher morbidity from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, ulcers, rheumatoid disorders, a number of cancers, psychiatric diseases, dementia and so on.read more ...
In the 1980's, the revolutionary government "reformed" the public service, splitting it up into competing agencies. This was supposed to produce better focus and greater accountability: agencies would focus on their area of expertise and argue their corner, and chief ...
49 publications for this week. The last paper in this week's list features Skeptical Science volunteer and highly cited researcher Stephan Lewandowsky along with Skeptical Science founder John Cook as first and second authors respectively, working with regular collaborator Gilles Gignac. ...
The basic principle of democracy is "one person, one vote". Everyone's voice counts equally. But our local government system obeys a different system of "one house, one vote" - effectively giving extra votes to the rich. While there are restrictions ...
Today is a Member's Day, and its crunch day for David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill. But its only third on the Order Paper, and has to wait a bit. First up is the third reading of Kieran McAnulty's ...
PICTURED: Judith Collins and her chief benefactor (inset) When Simon Bridges resolved to wrestle the infrastructure portfolio from perennial rival Judith Collins this week, he had to utilize a mechanism not usually exercised in the halls of Parliament. Removing a ...
PICTURED: Folau’s updated list of hell-bound sinners. Following a difficult week for Israel Folau, under fire and alleged financial pressure due to his public condemnation of homosexuals, the former rugby union star has revised the list that landed him in ...
The Stuff story on the renewable energy target quotes National climate change spokesperson Todd Muller as opposing cuts to electricity sector emissions:National's climate change spokesman Todd Muller said the report exposed the "economic lunacy" of being fixated on greenhouse emissions ...
Few tears will be shed in the regions at the departure of Christopher Luxon as CEO of Air New Zealand. Under his watch, the supposedly “national” airline lost sight of its national responsibilities and abandoned regional centres such as Whakatane ...
Turning Their Backs On Fear: The students of 38 years ago didn’t run to the nearest authority figure tearful and distraught: they padded-up, put on crash helmets, and went out onto the streets; risking pro-tour fists and police batons to ...
by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh Colombia has now made it into the modern world, but not that of a strong and diversified economy, of democratic rights, nor the rule of law. No, that is not the modern world that Colombia has ...
Local body elections are happening in October. With councils around the country declaring or debating climate emergencies, climate change is likely to play a big role, and the surge in younger candidates should provide some welcome and necessary representation against ...
Grant Illingworth QC is concerned that if David Seymour’s End of Life Choice Bill is enacted, we somehow would be breaching the social contract on which our entire system of law rests.read more ...
This article is about what can happen if a drug substitution programme is suddenly cancelled. In 1978, the Dunedin Hospital Board followed a New Zealand-wide trend and began an opiate substitution programme for local addicts using the synthetic narcotic, methadone. The ...
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Jun 16 through Sat, June 22, 2019 Editor's Pick A Degree of Concern: Why Global Temperatures MatterCredit: NASA-JPL/CaltechPart ...
Impaired Vision: Judging from the invaluable testimony obtained from two Taliban commanders by Jon Stephenson, video evidence may exist of a US gunship firing at fleeing insurgents, as well as the Tirgiran villagers fleeing with them. Such a sequence would ...
EXC: The Conservative Muslim chief has been expelled from the Tory Muslim group. Mohammed Amin tells me he has been expelled following an intervention by CCHQ because he criticised the 'moral integrity' of Boris Johnson: https://t.co/5pkY2JR1C2— Shehab ...
One of the central demands of the Extinction Rebellion campaign has been for climate change to be taken out of the hand of corrupt establishment politicians and put in the hands of the people via a citizen's assembly. Now, it ...
Maire Leadbeater is a longtime anti-imperialist activist based in Auckland. In recent years she has been particularly active in solidarity work with the cause of freedom in West Papua, which has been under vicious Indonesian occupation since the early 1960s. ...
For the past four years, Saudi Arabia has been indiscriminately bombing Yemen, attcking hospitals and other civilian targets and committing war crimes. They're doing it in part with British weapons, exported by British arms dealers with the approval of the ...
Power Grab: With the benefit of hindsight, it is possible to argue that the economic, administrative, social and cultural institutions mandated by New Zealand’s much-praised bicultural project were simultaneously a means of releasing political pressure and mechanisms for securing the ...
Last month, Catalans elected three exiled and jailed pro-independence politicians to the European Parliament. Unfortunately, Spain no longer seems to respect the results of democratic elections, and the Spanish Electoral Commission today declared their seats vacant. The reason? None of ...
Yesterday the government announced some minor tweaks to the electoral system, including more locations for advance voting, and allowing people to enrol on election day. The changes were recommended by the Electoral Commission in its post-mortem on the 2017 election, ...
James Robb looks at the systemic issues surrounding the state taking children from their families. A shocking documentary video released last week by Newsroom reporter Melanie Reid, shows the attempts by social workers employed by Oranga Tamariki, the New Zealand state’s child welfare agency, ...
The inquiry into whether the SAS acted illegally during a nighttime raid on a suspected insurgent’s hideout in Afghanistan in 2010 (code named Operation Burnham), which resulted in six civilian deaths and serious wounds to 15 others, is slowly coming ...
The core claims of Jon Stephenson and Nicky Hager's Hit & Run are that the New Zealand SAS raided two villages in Afghanistan in search of "insurgents" who weren't there, and in the process killed six civilians including a three-year-old ...
The Original White Supremacists: The current misuse of the term “white supremacy” is highly dangerous politically. By singling out this particular form of racism and misapplying it to famous figures from the past, as well as to people living in ...
One of the major issues which face a democratic nation is the challenge of keeping its bureaucracy accountable and responsive to the public. Over the years a variety of arrangements have developed with this objective.read more ...
Statistics New Zealand is planning to track everyone through their cellphones "for statistical purposes":Stats NZ is partnering with cellphone companies to launch a new way of tracking people's movements every hour. The population density programme will launch next month and ...
Reaching Out For The Zeitgeist: Act Leader, David Seymour, and his neoliberal colleagues, have (perhaps unconsciously) grasped the multiple political implications of declaring ACT to be the “freedom party”. What they clearly have not grasped, however, is the fundamental incompatibility ...
Another major oil company has given up exploring in New Zealand: Chevron and Norwegian oil giant Equinor have opted to abandon their joint exploration efforts off the east coast of the North Island. The two firms have applied to surrender ...
When Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern hired a lobbyist to set up her government in 2017, she assured us that everything was above board and any conflicts of interest would be managed. She lied:The lobbyist who served as the prime minister’s ...
NZ has dethroned GDP as a measure of success, but will Ardern’s government be transformational? When you’re in politics, words are a high-stakes game. Voters and journalists hold you to them and there is a risk in using ...
A note of appreciation and a changing of the guardFor the past over eight years Skeptical Science staff volunteer Ari Jokimäki has produced a weekly list of links to recent academic publications concerning the fundamental science of climate change, global ...
The article below first appeared in the April 7, 1978 issue of the fortnightly left-wing workers’ paper Socialist Action. The article is referred to in Maire Leadbeater’s new book on NZ and West Papua – we’ll be reviewing the book ...
If humanity is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avoid making the Earth uninhabitable, we need to stop burning fossil fuels. Transport is a key emitter, so this means we need to stop using fossil fuelled vehicles. A number of ...
The government's Operation Burnham whitewash has become a farce, with the SAS's victims refusing to participate any further:Afghani villagers are turning their backs on a Government inquiry into allegations six civilians were killed and a further 15 injured in a ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The world’s oceans are deeply affected by climate change – and vice versa. But until recent years, ocean advocates throughout California had long tackled issues like over-fishing ...
There’s so much one could say about Key’s assessment of Hisco right now… Suffice to say it was definitely the following: A) Perfectly reflective of the ...
New Zealand's spy agencies are supposedly subject to the rigorous oversight of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, an independent watchdog appointed to keep an eye on them and ensure they don't break the law again. But that watchdog depends ...
. . This morning, a little after 4am, Sharlene lost her brave fight against cancer. Rest in peace, Sharlene. You were always one of my brightest stars… . . Advertisements ...
Just Following Orders: None of the awfulness associated with Family Court "Uplift" orders exposed by Melanie Reid and Newsroom would be possible without the active assistance and institutional protection afforded to Oranga Tamariki by the nation’s DHBs. These latter, through ...
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Jun 9 through Sat, June 15, 2019 Editor's Pick Costa Rica Doubled Its Forest Cover In Just 30 Years! Costa ...
Conflicting Messages: With so few publicly available opinion polls being conducted in this country, we really do need to know how one reputable polling agency can put National on 46 percent, while the other puts it on 37 percent. Nine ...
The End Of Civilisation: Despairing of the major powers ever agreeing to take the steps necessary to slow global warming, The Daily Blog Editor, Martyn Bradbury, has drawn up what amounts to a survivalist agenda for New Zealand. Quite rightly, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeffrey Kiehl Life makes us wake up to needed changes. A visit to the doctor’s office and accompanied tests indicate you have been diagnosed as pre-diabetic. Your doctor indicates two pathways to ...
New Zealand needs to decarbonise its electricity supply, while also increasing it to cope with the extra demand from electric vehicles. Wind energy is an obvious solution for this: we have an excellent wind resource, and its cheaper than fossil ...
by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh The coca issue has gained a new lease of life in Duque’s Colombia, although to be truthful it never really lost its importance to the state. Trump’s scolding of Duque for not doing enough to halt ...
Director-General of OPCW Fernando Arias Gonzales admits Douma engineers report was legit and he was part of the FFM – but attempts to justify suppression of the report. France 24 reports that the head of the Organisation for the ...
When teachers demanded more time and more money to do their jobs, Education Minister Chris Hipkins was adamant: there was no more money and they should expect disappointment. No, after a joint strike and facing five weeks of rolling stoppages, ...
Ecuador's Constitutional Court has legalised same-sex marriage:Ecuador's highest court has approved same-sex marriage in a landmark ruling in the traditionally Catholic country. The vote at the nine-member Constitutional Court came as they ruled on the lawsuits by two same-sex couples ...
Arundhati Roy is speaking at the Auckland Writers Festival on July 17. In this interview in The Guardian Roy discusses her writing and political activism. Gary Younge: One of the things I’m intrigued by at this moment is the way ...
This is a re-post from Carbon Brief by Daisy Dunne The record-breaking 2018 summer heatwave in Japan in which more than 1,000 people died “could not have happened without human-induced global warming”, a study finds. And the extreme heat felt in ...
I've had a bit to say of late about YouTube, its algorithms and the escalating allure of certain facile "creators" to young men. I worry about this stuff. But I think it's also important to acknowledge that the alt-lite and ...
OMV's application for resource consent for drilling offshore exploration wells has highlighted a major flaw in our environmental legislation. Climate change, caused by greenhouse gas emissions, is our most pressing environmental threat. But the EPA, which is deciding the application, ...
Inland Revenue is to gain greater oversight of land transfer information to ensure those buying and selling properties are complying with tax rules on property speculation. Cabinet has agreed to implement recommendation 99 of the Tax Working Group’s (TWG) final ...
The Government is taking action to expand and strengthen the protection for Māui and Hector’s dolphins with an updated plan to deal with threats to these native marine mammals. Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and Minister of Fisheries Stuart Nash ...
Commercial fishing vessels at greatest risk of encountering the rare Māui dolphin will be required to operate with on-board cameras from 1 November, as the next step to strengthen our fisheries management system. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Fisheries Minister ...
A new record for the number of Police officers deployed to the regions in a single year has been created with the graduation today of Recruit Wing 326. Police Minister Stuart Nash says the graduation of 78 new constables means ...
"Mr Ombler’s investigation was conducted thoroughly and fairly. I have read the report carefully and encourage others to do so. I apologise that Budget information was not kept secure. The inquiry that I asked the SSC Commissioner to undertake will ...
Queenstown-Lakes District Council’s ‘climate emergency’ declaration is the country’s most absurd yet, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “This is absurd hypocrisy from ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is disappointed to see the Government appoint yet another working group, this time in charge of housing. New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says, “Kiwibuild was always a flawed policy. Taking it ...
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) has today received the Gold Membership Inclusiveness/Representativeness Award given annually by the International Council of Nurses (ICN). ...
Animal rights organization SAFE says the Government has failed to take its animal welfare responsibilities seriously during the Cabinet reshuffle, which has left the position of Minister responsible for animal welfare vacant. ...
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Attack on Christchurch Mosques will invite members of the public, community groups and organisations to make submissions from the 1st of July. ...
The NZ Meat Workers Union welcomes the passing of the Employment Relations (Triangular Employment) Bill last night in Parliament. “This change acknowledges that employment is increasingly outside standard employment relationships and need more protection” ...
Treasury Secretary Gabriel Makhlouf failed to take appropriate personal responsibility for the website security breach that allowed the National Party to access secret budget documents ahead of the May 30 budget delivery, State Services Commissioner ...
Today’s Post-Budget announcement extending last year’s interim funding boost to Community Law services is the second step in honouring the Coalition Government Agreement to increase funding to Community Law. ...
Responding to the release of the State Services Commission’s findings into Treasury Secretary Gabriel Makhlouf, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: ...
State Services Commissioner Peter Hughes has today announced the findings of an investigation into questions raised concerning the Chief Executive and Secretary to the Treasury, Gabriel Makhlouf, and his actions and public statements about the causes of access ...
The New Zealand Maori Council has welcomed a restructure of the public service with the Executive Director, Matthew Tukaki, calling this the first step towards greater engagement with Maori, Iwi and Hapu: ...
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is celebrating its ‘Jubilee Year’ this year, representing 50 years since national bodies were established for justice, peace and development, including the provision of Catholic volunteers overseas. ...
Leaky family homes that have been fixed, made weathertight and reclad in non-monolithic cladding have the same market value as unaffected dwellings, according to research just published. ...
“This evening Kiwis are one step closer and only one step away from welcoming the death penalty sending David Seymour’s End of Life Choice Bill through to select committee stage, with it passing its second reading by a vote of ...
A sustainable, clean, green future for Aotearoa New Zealand is achievable, say two University of Canterbury (UC) students who helped organise this weekend’s Climate Challenge Conference in Christchurch, a youth-for-youth initiative that aims to educate, ...
Euthanasia-Free NZ is encouraged that the second reading on the End of Life Choice Bill passed by a significantly smaller margin than the First Reading did in 2017. ...
In a recent column I was very critical of the performance to date of the current Speaker of the House of Representatives whom I suggested was acting in a far more partisan manner than many recent Speakers, and behaving more ...
A Dunedin man has been sentenced in the Dunedin District Court on 26 June 2019 to ten months home detention for possession of child sex abuse and exploitation images. ...
On the 22nd of June, UNANZ National Conference presented attendees with the privilege of being able to listen to and learn from a collection of experts in their specialised fields in regard to climate change, disarmament and non-aggression. During the ...
With the second reading of the “End of Life Choice Bill” today, the public are left wondering if all the effort to make a submission to the Select Committee was worth it. Of the 38,000 submissions, 91.8 per cent are ...
The Auditor-General’s report Using different processes to protect marine environments was presented to the House of Representatives today. New Zealand’s marine environment covers over 4 million square kilometres of ocean and is home to more than 15,000 ...
1/ Donald Trump has announced that he is running for re-election in 2020 and has started campaigning (in reality that is all he's ever been doing while supposedly "governing" as President). In light of that, put the dates November 8-14, ...
Auckland — 26 June 2019 — Lawyers who specialise in issues affecting older New Zealanders are concerned that the proposed End of Life Choice Bill will add a new dimension of threat to the already prevalent problem of elder abuse. ...
One in three New Zealand households rent their homes and are less likely to be satisfied with their housing compared to home owners, Stats NZ said today. ...
The importance of geospatial intelligence in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) work has been underlined at a course at Devonport Naval Base in Auckland. ...
The New Zealand Air Line Pilots’ Association (NZALPA) is offering its support and resources to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Transport Minister Phil Twyford as the regulatory body comes under increasing criticism. ...
In a first of its kind, the Department of Internal Affairs has granted Hamilton-based Grassroots Trust [Grassroots] a three-year Class 4 Gambling licence. Grassroots demonstrated best practice through their strong policies and practice and commitment to harm minimisation. ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority and Executive Director of the New Zealand Maori Council, Matthew Tukaki, has this morning written to Maori members of Parliament to consider, for the time being, voting against the third reading of the ...
THE key difference between the BERL rail study reports and the botched ‘2014 MBIE/NZTA rail reports’ on the Napier-Gisborne rail line is that BERL considered environmental and social responsibilities, and community wellbeing while MBIE/NZTA did not. ...
Stats NZ has today released its latest findings to Wellbeing of New Zealanders, Well-being Statistics: 2018 . The facts are clear; working Kiwis need to be paid more to make ends meet. ...
Restaurant Brands Ltd (RBL), is asking staff to authorise the deduction of so-called overpayments from the annual leave money they owe their current and former staff. ...
Primary teachers have voted to ratify a proposed settlement that will give them pay parity with their secondary colleagues, but disappointed primary principals have rejected a settlement that was unchanged from a previously rejected offer. ...
“New Zealand voted for MPs to enhance their lives, not extinguish it. This sends a message that we’re giving up on our own.” said Hannah Tamaki, Leader of Coalition New Zealand. ...
The number of deaths caused by drugged drivers – 71 last year and 88 the year before - means there must be better testing to get these people off our roads, says Road Transport Forum (RTF) chief executive Nick Leggett. ...
The Socialist Equality Group (New Zealand) will hold a rally in Wellington, as part of the global campaign of the International Committee of the Fourth International and the World Socialist Web Site to demand freedom for Julian Assange. The WikiLeaks ...
Sign up now to receive Deloitte’s State of the State 2019 series, written in partnership with Victoria University of Wellington Wellington, 26 June 2019 – Launched today, the Deloitte State of the State New Zealand 2019 series, written in partnership ...
Whanau First new parent advocacy group is calling on the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse and the Children’s Commissioner Andrew Becroft and the Children’s Commission for urgent and immediate intervention into a current situation of abuse ...
A call for a Māori inquiry into child protection agency Oranga Tamariki has been heeded by the North Island’s Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency. A national hui on 13th July 2019 at Ngā Whare Waatea Marae, Māngere will launch the Māori-led ...
Phil Twyford has avoided an official demotion in the Cabinet reshuffle, but the breakup of the housing portfolio reveals the desperate state of the KiwiBuild programme he oversaw, writes Toby ManhireIn 2014, as John Key set the stage for his ...
Jacinda Ardern has announced the reshuffle of her Cabinet, following months of speculation about who will be demoted or promoted after some pretty public failures. The change comes ahead of a Parliamentary three-week recess, and months after two ...
Two Sketches is a webseries featuring Spinoff cartoonist Toby Morris chatting and drawing with a selection of New Zealand illustrators, artists, comic artists, cartoonists, sketchers and doodlers. In episode 3, Toby sits down with activist illustrator Sam Orchard.The Spinoff’s chill-out, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Selgelid, Director, Centre for Human Bioethics; Director, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Bioethics, Monash University Medical experiments involving intentionally infecting people with bacteria, viruses, and parasites are surprisingly common. And ...
By RNZ The New Zealand Herald’s new premium paywall could turn readers to digital competitor Stuff, according to Auckland University of Technology communications lecturer Dr Merja Myllylahti. The Herald started charging for some of its content at the end of ...
The incoming R&D tax credits scheme makes government research and development incentives available to a much wider range of Kiwi businesses. But there are caveats to be aware of, reports Jihee Junn. You don’t need to know a whole lot about ...
Improved sentiment among sheep and beef farmers and horticulturists has seen a lift in rural confidence, according to Rabobank's latest quarterly survey. ...
Every few years, as the Māori economy grows, someone floats the idea of an iwi-owned financial institution. The list of pros and cons is long, writes business advisor and Treaty commentator Joshua Hitchcock.It has been a challenging period for the ...
A few years ago, deep into middle age, Britta Stabenow found solace in the world of gaming. Now she’s part of a passionate community: those who love, and collect, video games.I’ll always be a video game collector, that will never ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Trigg, Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor of English Literature, University of Melbourne If we think of the bluestone in Melbourne, we may first think of the famous cobbled laneways intersecting the urban ...
Canon Rugby in Focus: Born-and-bred Aucklander Jim Kayes tries to determine when and why he began to have feelings for a rugby side other than his blue and whites. ...
Welcome to the Cheat Sheet, a clickable, shareable, bite-sized FAQ on the news of the moment. Today, we’re taking a look at why so many companies are having to pay out extra holiday pay.A long list of companies are being ...
The young Indian man assaulted on the streets of Sandringham earlier this month migrated to New Zealand in the belief is was a peaceful, tolerant place. Our history suggests otherwise, writes Scott Hamilton.Content warning: contains racist language and descriptions of ...
On the latest episode of The Good Citizen podcast, Jacqueline Paul talks to Jeremy Hansen about the housing crisis, inequality and the damage racist stereotyping is doing to Auckland. Landscape architect, housing advocate and aspiring local body politician, Jacqueline Paul (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti ...
The Feijoa Club is a new Kiwi children’s comedy that launched on Hei Hei this week. Tara Ward checked it out, and reckons it’s one of the best home-grown shows to hit our screens in a long time. Gather ye ...
Air conditioning company Airtech has developed a safety app and is making a video in lieu of punishment after two of its workers became seriously ill from carbon monoxide poisoning.Brian Stokes reckons paying for health and safety advice is a ...
Greg Newbold reviews an account of the story of Shane Martin, a young Māori from Huntly who made good in Australia – but was deported back home because of his links with a motorcycle gang. ...
By Marguerite Afra Sapiie in Jakarta Indonesia’s National Police are facing increased pressure as investigations by human rights organisations have found alleged use of torture by Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers during the recent postelection protests that escalated into riots ...
Outgoing Treasury secretary Gabriel Makhlouf was "clumsy", unreasonable and fell "well short" of expectations in his handling of the Budget data breach, a government report has found. ...
Sam Brooks reviews Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, an exercise in mining nostalgia for diminishing returns.If you were a 90s kid and had a console, you were either a Mario Kart kid or a Crash Team Racing kid. These were the definitive party games ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s contentEuthanasia Laura Walters (Newsroom): Uphill battle continues for euthanasia ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim van Gelder, Enterprise Research Fellow, University of Melbourne Amid the news last week that the perpetrators responsible for shooting down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) will be put to trial next ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Walker, Adjunct Professor, School of Communications, La Trobe University The word “consequential” is a popular fallback for commentators seeking to invest a particular event with the significance it might warrant. On ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Apil Gurung, Lecturer, University of the Sunshine Coast Staff shortages and a lack of training have once again emerged as key issues underpinning the nation’s aged care crisis, as the aged care ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Neil Sipe, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, The University of Queensland In case you missed it, 2018 was designated the Year of the Kerb by Sabrina Sussman, Zipcar’s public partnerships manager. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Camilla Nelson, Associate Professor in Media, University of Notre Dame Australia Review: See What You Made Me Do: Power, Control and Domestic Abuse by Jess Hill. (Black Inc). You will not sleep ...
US ambassador to New Zealand Scott Brown was criticised for not getting a lot done during his 11 years in the Massachusetts House and Senate, US media report. ...
Power Play - Today's government reshuffle isn't shaping up to be a bloodletting, writes Jane Patterson, with coalition agreements and the lack of strong contenders constraining more radical action. ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Challenges ahead for End of Life Choice bill, councillors question if Invercargill mayor is still up to it, and principals vow to fight on.The End of Life Choice bill has ...
A group of some of the biggest names in Māoridom will launch a fourth, Māori-led inquiry into the children's ministry, Oranga Tamariki, prompted by revelations about its policies on 'uplifting' babies. ...
Appointing a second non-New Zealander in succession to arguably our top public sector job reveals other deep problems in the NZ public service, writes Dr Simon Chapple. ...
The tale of the judge that went sailing with a QC that had just appeared before him, and the way it was handled, is almost enough to make you feel sorry for Jordan Williams, writes legal academic Marcelo Rodriguez Ferrere. There ...
David Seymour’s End of Life Choice Bill passed its second reading in parliament last night by 70 votes to 50. Among a number of heartfelt speeches from all sides of the house on the conscience issue was this, from Willie ...
ACT Party leader David Seymour's member bill that would give terminally ill people the right to choose assisted dying has passed its latest hurdle in Parliament. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Colleen Murrell, Associate Professor, Journalism, Swinburne University of Technology In a rare show of unity, the heads of Australia’s biggest news organisations – the ABC, Nine and News Corp – have called ...
Clauses in insurance company life and trauma policies bar people with HIV and Aids from cover, or refuse to pay out if HIV is acquired through sexual contact or drug use. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dowse, Director, Defence Research and Engagement, Edith Cowan University The New York Times reported earlier this month that the United States was increasing its cyber attacks on Russia’s power grid. The ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Turney, Professor of Earth Science and Climate Change, ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, UNSW Late on Monday night, the City of Sydney became the first state capital ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Debra Adelaide, Associate Professor, Creative Practices Group, University of Technology Sydney Why do we tell stories, and how are they crafted? In this series, we unpick the work of the writer on ...
When the NZDF was asked to release US information on Operation Burnham which would have revealed how the villagers died, they refused, claiming that the US objected. So, Nicky Hager and Deborah Manning requested it in the US, under that ...4 mins ago
Statistics New Zealand has released a new report on New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions, with a sectoral breakdown shown how much is caused by different sectors of the economy. The data is crystal clear: half our emissions are caused by ...3 hours ago
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International research shows that there is a socioeconomic status (or class) gradient, in which those with low SES experience higher morbidity from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, ulcers, rheumatoid disorders, a number of cancers, psychiatric diseases, dementia and so on.read more ...22 hours ago
49 publications for this week. The last paper in this week's list features Skeptical Science volunteer and highly cited researcher Stephan Lewandowsky along with Skeptical Science founder John Cook as first and second authors respectively, working with regular collaborator Gilles Gignac. ...1 day ago
PICTURED: Judith Collins and her chief benefactor (inset) When Simon Bridges resolved to wrestle the infrastructure portfolio from perennial rival Judith Collins this week, he had to utilize a mechanism not usually exercised in the halls of Parliament. Removing a ...2 days ago
PICTURED: Folau’s updated list of hell-bound sinners. Following a difficult week for Israel Folau, under fire and alleged financial pressure due to his public condemnation of homosexuals, the former rugby union star has revised the list that landed him in ...2 days ago
Few tears will be shed in the regions at the departure of Christopher Luxon as CEO of Air New Zealand. Under his watch, the supposedly “national” airline lost sight of its national responsibilities and abandoned regional centres such as Whakatane ...2 days ago
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by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh Colombia has now made it into the modern world, but not that of a strong and diversified economy, of democratic rights, nor the rule of law. No, that is not the modern world that Colombia has ...3 days ago
This article is about what can happen if a drug substitution programme is suddenly cancelled. In 1978, the Dunedin Hospital Board followed a New Zealand-wide trend and began an opiate substitution programme for local addicts using the synthetic narcotic, methadone. The ...4 days ago
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Jun 16 through Sat, June 22, 2019 Editor's Pick A Degree of Concern: Why Global Temperatures Matter Credit: NASA-JPL/Caltech Part ...5 days ago
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And now this:
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James Robb looks at the systemic issues surrounding the state taking children from their families. A shocking documentary video released last week by Newsroom reporter Melanie Reid, shows the attempts by social workers employed by Oranga Tamariki, the New Zealand state’s child welfare agency, ...7 days ago
The inquiry into whether the SAS acted illegally during a nighttime raid on a suspected insurgent’s hideout in Afghanistan in 2010 (code named Operation Burnham), which resulted in six civilian deaths and serious wounds to 15 others, is slowly coming ...1 week ago
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Another major oil company has given up exploring in New Zealand: Chevron and Norwegian oil giant Equinor have opted to abandon their joint exploration efforts off the east coast of the North Island. The two firms have applied to surrender ...1 week ago
NZ has dethroned GDP as a measure of success, but will Ardern’s government be transformational? When you’re in politics, words are a high-stakes game. Voters and journalists hold you to them and there is a risk in using ...1 week ago
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The world’s oceans are deeply affected by climate change – and vice versa. But until recent years, ocean advocates throughout California had long tackled issues like over-fishing ...1 week ago
There’s so much one could say about Key’s assessment of Hisco right now…
Suffice to say it was definitely the following: A) Perfectly reflective of the ... 1 week ago
. . This morning, a little after 4am, Sharlene lost her brave fight against cancer. Rest in peace, Sharlene. You were always one of my brightest stars… . . Advertisements ...2 weeks ago
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A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Jun 9 through Sat, June 15, 2019 Editor's Pick Costa Rica Doubled Its Forest Cover In Just 30 Years! Costa ...2 weeks ago
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Director-General of OPCW Fernando Arias Gonzales admits Douma engineers report was legit and he was part of the FFM – but attempts to justify suppression of the report. France 24 reports that the head of the Organisation for the ...2 weeks ago
This is a re-post from Carbon Brief by Daisy Dunne The record-breaking 2018 summer heatwave in Japan in which more than 1,000 people died “could not have happened without human-induced global warming”, a study finds. And the extreme heat felt in ...2 weeks ago
Inland Revenue is to gain greater oversight of land transfer information to ensure those buying and selling properties are complying with tax rules on property speculation. Cabinet has agreed to implement recommendation 99 of the Tax Working Group’s (TWG) final ...1 week ago
"Mr Ombler’s investigation was conducted thoroughly and fairly. I have read the report carefully and encourage others to do so. I apologise that Budget information was not kept secure. The inquiry that I asked the SSC Commissioner to undertake will ...22 mins ago
Phil Twyford has avoided an official demotion in the Cabinet reshuffle, but the breakup of the housing portfolio reveals the desperate state of the KiwiBuild programme he oversaw, writes Toby ManhireIn 2014, as John Key set the stage for his ...22 mins ago
Jacinda Ardern has announced the reshuffle of her Cabinet, following months of speculation about who will be demoted or promoted after some pretty public failures. The change comes ahead of a Parliamentary three-week recess, and months after two ...1 hour ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Selgelid, Director, Centre for Human Bioethics; Director, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Bioethics, Monash University Medical experiments involving intentionally infecting people with bacteria, viruses, and parasites are surprisingly common. And ...1 hour ago
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is revealing her first substantive Cabinet reshuffle. Watch LIVE. ...2 hours ago
By RNZ The New Zealand Herald’s new premium paywall could turn readers to digital competitor Stuff, according to Auckland University of Technology communications lecturer Dr Merja Myllylahti. The Herald started charging for some of its content at the end of ...2 hours ago
The incoming R&D tax credits scheme makes government research and development incentives available to a much wider range of Kiwi businesses. But there are caveats to be aware of, reports Jihee Junn. You don’t need to know a whole lot about ...2 hours ago
Improved sentiment among sheep and beef farmers and horticulturists has seen a lift in rural confidence, according to Rabobank's latest quarterly survey. ...2 hours ago
The government is headed for a bigger than expected budget surplus this year, on the back of a strong tax take and flat spending. ...2 hours ago
A few years ago, deep into middle age, Britta Stabenow found solace in the world of gaming. Now she’s part of a passionate community: those who love, and collect, video games.I’ll always be a video game collector, that will never ...3 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Trigg, Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor of English Literature, University of Melbourne If we think of the bluestone in Melbourne, we may first think of the famous cobbled laneways intersecting the urban ...3 hours ago
Canon Rugby in Focus: Born-and-bred Aucklander Jim Kayes tries to determine when and why he began to have feelings for a rugby side other than his blue and whites. ...4 hours ago
The young Indian man assaulted on the streets of Sandringham earlier this month migrated to New Zealand in the belief is was a peaceful, tolerant place. Our history suggests otherwise, writes Scott Hamilton.Content warning: contains racist language and descriptions of ...4 hours ago
The Feijoa Club is a new Kiwi children’s comedy that launched on Hei Hei this week. Tara Ward checked it out, and reckons it’s one of the best home-grown shows to hit our screens in a long time. Gather ye ...5 hours ago
Air conditioning company Airtech has developed a safety app and is making a video in lieu of punishment after two of its workers became seriously ill from carbon monoxide poisoning.Brian Stokes reckons paying for health and safety advice is a ...6 hours ago
Greg Newbold reviews an account of the story of Shane Martin, a young Māori from Huntly who made good in Australia – but was deported back home because of his links with a motorcycle gang. ...6 hours ago
By Marguerite Afra Sapiie in Jakarta Indonesia’s National Police are facing increased pressure as investigations by human rights organisations have found alleged use of torture by Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers during the recent postelection protests that escalated into riots ...7 hours ago
The Treasury Secretary is cleared of political bias over "Hackgate" - but inquiry finds fault with his failure to accept responsibility. ...7 hours ago
Sam Brooks reviews Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, an exercise in mining nostalgia for diminishing returns.If you were a 90s kid and had a console, you were either a Mario Kart kid or a Crash Team Racing kid. These were the definitive party games ...7 hours ago
The Hawke's Bay Regional Council has authorised the partial privatisation of Napier Port. ...8 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim van Gelder, Enterprise Research Fellow, University of Melbourne Amid the news last week that the perpetrators responsible for shooting down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) will be put to trial next ...8 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Walker, Adjunct Professor, School of Communications, La Trobe University The word “consequential” is a popular fallback for commentators seeking to invest a particular event with the significance it might warrant. On ...9 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Apil Gurung, Lecturer, University of the Sunshine Coast Staff shortages and a lack of training have once again emerged as key issues underpinning the nation’s aged care crisis, as the aged care ...9 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Neil Sipe, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, The University of Queensland In case you missed it, 2018 was designated the Year of the Kerb by Sabrina Sussman, Zipcar’s public partnerships manager. ...9 hours ago
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Challenges ahead for End of Life Choice bill, councillors question if Invercargill mayor is still up to it, and principals vow to fight on.The End of Life Choice bill has ...10 hours ago
A group of some of the biggest names in Māoridom will launch a fourth, Māori-led inquiry into the children's ministry, Oranga Tamariki, prompted by revelations about its policies on 'uplifting' babies. ...10 hours ago
What it’s really like dealing with Oranga Tamariki. This account by a Pakeha professional shows its actions affect families across the spectrum. ...12 hours ago
Appointing a second non-New Zealander in succession to arguably our top public sector job reveals other deep problems in the NZ public service, writes Dr Simon Chapple. ...12 hours ago
The Government is moving ahead with major state sector reforms - will it succeed where others have failed? ...14 hours ago
David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill has passed its second reading - but the battle is far from over. ...17 hours ago
Clauses in insurance company life and trauma policies bar people with HIV and Aids from cover, or refuse to pay out if HIV is acquired through sexual contact or drug use. ...21 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Debra Adelaide, Associate Professor, Creative Practices Group, University of Technology Sydney Why do we tell stories, and how are they crafted? In this series, we unpick the work of the writer on ...23 hours ago
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