Posts Tagged ‘MAGA’
The Adventures of CosmoGuy: US Ambassador to New Zealand (and Samoa!)
Written By: - Date published: 1:35 pm, December 29th, 2017 - 3 comments
The alleged ‘thoughts’ of Scott Brown, the highly intelligent and very cool ambassador of the Partisan States of America to NooZiland. In an exposition of typical blinding intelligence, he tries to explain to his beloved Orange Lord what he is doing here (and in Samoa!).
- New Research for week #25, 2019
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. ...6 hours ago - Simon Bridges only able to separate Collins from infrastructure portfolio with human sacrifice to Ba...
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 ...11 hours ago - Shunned and isolated, depressed Israel Folau revises list of sins to remove “drunks”
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 ...12 hours ago - Which emissions does National want to cut?
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 ...20 hours ago - The renewables targetBack in April, the Independent Climate Change Commission leaked that it thought the government's 100% renewable energy target would be prohibitively expensive. Now they're leaking it again, suggesting that fully renewable electricity would actually cause emissions to increase:The committee, headed ...20 hours ago
- Luxon’s Hubris
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 ...21 hours ago - Confronting Racism In 1981 – And 2019
24 hours ago - The Trump EPA strategy to undo Clean Power PlanThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on June 19 published its “Affordable Clean Energy” (ACE) rule to replace the Obama EPA’s Clean Power Plan (CPP). The replacement plan is essentially the Trump administration’s attempt ...1 day ago
- Colombia: state violence never went away
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 ...2 days ago - Australia’s criminal governmentAustralian Ministers are guilty of crimes against humanity over their treatment of refugees, says a top Australian lawyer:The top politicians in this country are guilty of major criminal offences, but they are unlikely ever to be tried for them, says ...2 days ago
- Local elections, regional councils, and climate changeLocal 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 ...2 days ago
- Democracy wins in TurkeyThree months ago, Turkey's increasingly authoritarian government suffered a shock loss in local elections, losing the mayoralty of Istanbul to an opposition candidate. So the Turkish government made them vote again so they'd get it "right". But it didn't work ...2 days ago
- Let’s keep things in proportion, shall we?
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 ...3 days ago - Speaker: Drug History: What happened when Dunedin cancelled methadone
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 ...3 days ago - 2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #25
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 ...3 days ago - Operation Burnham Inquiry Can Now Blame Civilian Deaths On “The Fog of War”.
4 days ago - Islamaphobia in the Conservative Party
And now this: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 ...
4 days ago - A bad couple of days for the Conservative PartyIn - what, 48 hours? - a Tory MP assaults a female demonstrator, a Tory MP verbally abuses a female colleague via twitter, a Tory MP is recalled for corruption, and a Tory MP (and likely future PM) has the ...4 days ago
- Climate Change: A citizen’s assembly in the UKOne 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 ...5 days ago
- The freedom struggle in West Papua: interview with solidarity activist/author Maire LeadbeaterMaire 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. ...5 days ago
- UnlawfulFor 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 ...5 days ago
- Biculturalism Is A Lie.
5 days ago - Democracy with Spanish characteristics againLast 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 ...5 days ago
- For election-day enrolmentYesterday 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, ...5 days ago
- Child welfare in the age of capitalist decay – a glimpse of New Zealand’s stolen generation
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, ...6 days ago - A fraught inquiry.
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 ...6 days ago - The Ombudsman on Horowhenua District CouncilThe Ombudsman has tabled a report in parliament on the Horowhenua District Council's compliance with the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act. While it finds no wrongdoing, its not exactly good. The money quote:In relation to official information requests, ...6 days ago
- Climate Change: Wellington joins the crowdWellington has joined the growing list of local authorities declaring a climate and ecological emergency. And to back it up, they've adopted a zero-carbon plan as well, pushing them towards greater investment in public transport and cycleways, building energy efficiency ...6 days ago
- This changes nothingThe 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 ...6 days ago
- What Is A White Supremacist?
6 days ago - How to Reduce Accountability: Downgrade the Chief Archivist!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 ...6 days ago
- StatsNZ to engage in mass-surveillanceStatistics 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 ...7 days ago
- ReACTionary Politics.
7 days ago - Good riddance
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 ...7 days ago - An invitation to corruptionWhen 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 ...7 days ago
- Budget 2019: How do we know transformation when we see it?
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 - New Research for Week #24, 2019A 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 ...1 week ago
- Speaking tour on West Papua...1 week ago
- From the vaults: The independence struggle in West Papua New Guinea (1978)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 ...1 week ago
- Imagine a world of speech without rules …This morning I had a chat to RNZ’s Morning Report about the ACT Party’s “plan to protect freedom of expression”.read more ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Ireland will ban fossil fuelled carsIf 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 ...1 week ago
- The whitewash becomes a farceThe 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 ...1 week ago
- Ocean advocates are increasingly concerned about climate change
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 - The “Smiling Assassin” rides again: Key defends Hisco and more of ANZ’s “oversights”
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 - Climate Change: Advice it was right to ignoreA story on Scoop from NZ Energy and Environment Business Week about how the government had "ignored advice" when setting its methane target caught my eye last night. The story is based on a week-old press release from National climate ...1 week ago
- “Oversight”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 ...1 week ago
- My Universe just lost one of its brightest stars…
. . 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 ...1 week ago - Ripped Away From Their Parents
1 week ago - 2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #24
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 ...1 week ago - Opinion Polling In 2019: More Art Than Science?
1 week ago - Climate Change Survivalism Is Not The Answer
1 week ago - Planetary health and ’12 years’ to actThis 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 ...2 weeks ago
- Why hasn’t New Zealand been building more wind farms?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 ...2 weeks ago
- Colombia: Coca, cocaine and negotiating with the stateby 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 ...2 weeks ago
- Chemical watchdog confirms suppressed report but justifies the suppression
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 - Strikes workWhen 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, ...2 weeks ago
- Equality comes to EcuadorEcuador'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 ...2 weeks ago
- Arundhati Roy: ‘I don’t want to become an interpreter of the east to the west’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 ...2 weeks ago
- Japan’s deadly 2018 heatwave ‘could not have happened without climate change’
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 - Access: Jim’s TruthI'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 ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: National commits to failureNational released a policy document on the primary sector today, in which they commit to ensuring farmers do not have to do anything to reduce emissions: On climate change, National recommends farmers remain outside the ETS, while critics such as ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: Time to fix the RMAOMV'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, ...2 weeks ago
- Farmers are still poisoning CanterburyIn 2018, ECan decided to "solve" the problem of farmers poisoning the water with nitrates by raising nitrate limits so they could make the problem disappear. Of course, this didn't fix anything. Instead, its still getting worse:In Canterbury, polluting nitrates ...2 weeks ago
- Googling OIA requesters violates the Privacy ActI saw an interesting article from FOIMan - a UK-based fredom of information site - on the subject of agencies googling requesters. This is apparently a common practice, but their short advice is "don't": its not just creepy and intimidating, ...2 weeks ago
- From the vaults: Vanua’aku Pati declares provisional government – struggle for independence grow...The article below is part of our ‘From the Vaults’ series and first appeared in the fortnightly left-wing NZ paper, Socialist Action, February 10, 1978. We hope to be expanding our Pacific coverage in future. The Republic of Vanuatu came ...2 weeks ago
- Shirley Smith: In Her Own RightThere are a number of ways of reading Sarah Gaitanos’s biography Shirley Smith: An Examined Life. In my view – I knew Shirley a little – she would want to you to read it as her struggle to be recognised, ...2 weeks ago
- Dear friends: please stop hating on Clarke GayfordMultiple motivations are behind my various attempts to reduce involvement in online life. The preciousness of time is a big one. The pointlessness of digital feuds is another. The inevitable temptation to meanness is a third.read more ...2 weeks ago
- Britain’s criminal spiesLast month, we learned that MI5 had "compliance issues" around its data storage, and is retaining information for longer than necessary in violation of the law. But it turns out that its worse than that: they've been obtaining spy warrants ...2 weeks ago
- Botswana decriminalises homosexualityBotswana's High Court has ruled that colonial laws outlawing homosexuality are unconstitutional:High court judges in Botswana have ruled that laws criminalising same-sex relations are unconstitutional and should be struck down, in a major victory for gay rights campaigners in Africa. ...2 weeks ago
- Jacinda Ardern and the working poorby Don Franks In his June 8th piece “Jacinda Ardern looks unbeatable” journalist Martin van Beynen appeared unbeatable himself – at fawning praise. This week I was reading about John F Kennedy, the American president assassinated in 1963, and saw ...2 weeks ago
- Climate change: sea level rise could displace millions of people within two generations
Jonathan Bamber, Professor of Physical Geography, University of Bristol and Michael Oppenheimer, Professor of Geosciences and International Affairs, Princeton University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Antarctica is further from ...2 weeks ago - Justice denied is not justice at allI am fortunate enough to be a citizen of three countries – New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Ireland – which gives me the right to live in all three places. So, let’s imagine I am a very bad person. ...2 weeks ago
- Another industry no-one wants to be a part ofWe see regular stories from farmers and orchards complaining that no-one wants to work long hours in terrible conditions for poor pay in their shitty industry. And now, its fishers. But in the process, they neatly explain why:"It's a hard ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: A climate emergency in AucklandNew Zealand's largest city has just declared a climate emergency. And its not just a symbolic move:While the declaration is largely symbolic, it signals the start of a more urgent and focussed approach by councillors to curbing greenhouse gas emissions. ...2 weeks ago
- FinallyNew Zealand troops are coming home from Iraq next year. Good. Their mission there was never moral, and seems to have involved directly assisting the Iraqi army in a murderous war, as well as assisting the US with mass biometric ...2 weeks ago
- Compliance strengthened for property speculation
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 - Plan to expand protection for Maui and Hector’s dolphinsThe 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 ...1 week ago
- Cameras on vessels to ensure sustainable fisheriesCommercial 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 ...3 weeks ago
- Greatest number of new Police in a single yearA 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 ...3 weeks ago
- Call for Māori Inquiry into Oranga Tamariki
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 ...13 mins ago - ANZ Shenanigans Reinforce Need For Inquiry Into BanksThe Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa (CAFCA) joins the growing chorus of those calling for an inquiry into the banks, particularly the Gang of Four big Australian-owned banks that completely dominate the sector (and do very nicely out ...16 hours ago
- Significant delays in developing the Medical Cannabis schemePublic consultation on Medicinal Cannabis is not due until mid-to-late July, after multiple delays in the scheduling. Early OIA requests showed the initial date was planned for the 22nd April, putting the scheme 3 months behind, with 6 months to ...18 hours ago
- Judgment: Craig v Williams application for recallA The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 11 April 2019 ( Craig v Williams [2019] NZSC 38, [2019] 1 NZLR 457) is dismissed. ...18 hours ago
- Better social work for Māori: a personal Matariki reflectionToday is the beginning of a period known as Matariki, heralded by the sighting of seven stars in the Matariki cluster, which can usually be spotted during atapō (before dawn), north of the constellation Tautoro. ...19 hours ago
- Funding To Include Community Housing In Systems ApproachThe power of Community Housing Aotearoa as a catalyst to drastically increase the supply of adequate, affordable housing for families living in poverty has been recognised by the Peter McKenzie Project of the J R McKenzie Trust. ...19 hours ago
- Man fined $10,000 after failing to care for his ponyA Palmerston North man has been sentenced after neglecting to provide appropriate and timely health interventions for his pony, which resulted in the pony suffering from chronic, active inflammation laminitis. ...19 hours ago
- Vickers Releases Video Ahead Of End of Life Choice VoteToday, the widower of Lecretia Seales, Matt Vickers, released a video in support of the End of Life Choice Bill, which is almost certainly up for debate and potentially a vote tomorrow. The Bill is due for its second reading. ...20 hours ago
- Police use of force following pursuit in AucklandThe Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that, following a pursuit in Auckland, a man was dealt with inappropriately and unprofessionally by a Police officer during his arrest. ...20 hours ago
- Minister should resign over e-scooter deathYesterday's e-scooter death was the result of corrupt and reckless mismanagement by the government and the minister of transport should resign, says the car review website dogandlemon.com . ...21 hours ago
- Appointment of Secretary to the TreasuryState Services Commissioner Peter Hughes has today announced Dr Caralee McLiesh, PSM, to the position of Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Executive, the Treasury. ...21 hours ago
- Parliament does well to separate smoking from vaping“Good on the Government for banning smoking in vehicles when there are children inside. We wholeheartedly support this move and we’re pleased Parliament’s dealing with this issue separately to vaping,” says Jonathan Devery, director of Alt New ...22 hours ago
- Draft Construction Waste Specification ReleasedA reduction in construction waste going to landfill is a step closer, following the release of a draft specification recognising good environmental practice in waste management and minimisation. The specification has been developed by the New Zealand ...22 hours ago
- Fair Pay Agreements Better for Workers And Good EmployersThe PSA is calling on the Government to pave the way for Fair Pay Agreements, as new research shows they will both reduce inequality and provide a better balanced economy. ...23 hours ago
- NZEI Te Riu Roa welcomes report on fair pay agreementsNZEI Te Riu Roa has welcomed a BERL-authored report released by the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions this morning, which finds that New Zealand’s abandonment of sector bargaining in the 1990s is linked to a decline in wages. ...23 hours ago
- Fair Pay Agreements will make working life betterThe Council of Trade Unions has today released an independent report conducted by economic research company BERL into the validity of sector bargaining. And the findings are clear - there is no economic reason not to implement sector bargaining but ...23 hours ago
- Whanau First calls for resignation of Chair of InquiryNew parent advocacy group Whanau First is calling for the resignation of the Chair of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions Sir Anand Satyanand and its Executive Director ...23 hours ago
- Transport workers support Fair Pay AgreementsTransport workers say they are optimistic about the potential for Fair Pay Agreements to improve New Zealanders’ working lives. ...24 hours ago
- Taxpayers will be banks’ deposit insurance scheme backstopThe bank deposit insurance scheme just announced by government is no more then a licence for banks to create even more money out of thin air than they already do and be less responsible about who they lend it to, ...24 hours ago
- Muslim Community: We ask the PM and MPs to oppose euthanasiaAssalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahumatullahi Wa Barakatuh. May the Peace and the Blessing of God be Upon you FIANZ, the voice of New Zealand’s Muslim community since 1979, is opposed to euthanasia and the End of Life Choice Bill. We give ...24 hours ago
- NZ can improve well-being through better policymaking – OECDNew Zealand’s economy has stabilised, with solid growth supporting well-being through jobs and incomes. Ongoing implementation of the government’s new well-being approach to policymaking will offer further opportunities to create a more sustainable and ...24 hours ago
- Canada euthanasia concerns confirmed in UN reportDisability Commissioner Paula Tesoriero outlayed her concerns about the End of Life Choice Bill to John Campbell on TVNZ’s Breakfast yesterday morning . "I'm concerned that the safeguards are woefully inadequate,” she said. “I'm deeply ...24 hours ago
- Foreign Minister Winston Peters interviewed by Jack TameForeign Minister Winston Peters says it’s still a moot point as to whether Iran was responsible for planting mines on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. “The more intelligence we see, the more we'll be able to make ...24 hours ago
- Bank Tellers relieved that sales targets are gone for goodMembers of FIRST Union who work in the banking sector felt vindicated by the FMA and Reserve Bank of New Zealand announcement that all banks had committed to remove sales incentives from frontline staff and their managers. ...24 hours ago
- Higher number of insulation compliant rentalsOfficials believe a third of all rental homes won't be insulated in time for the deadline next week. However preliminary results from a NZ Property Investors’ Federation (NZPIF) survey show that the real number of properties which are unlikely to ...24 hours ago
- Reserve Bank chair welcomes next steps in modernisationThe Reserve Bank has welcomed the release of in-principle decisions relating the Review of the Reserve Bank Act and is encouraging submissions in the consultation process. The Ministers’ in-principle decisions and second set of consultation papers ...2 days ago
- Landmark win for Mitre 10 workersIn a landmark case, members of FIRST Union who work at Mitre 10 Mega in Dunedin and Mitre 10 Mosgiel have achieved their first collective agreement which affords a living wage. ...2 days ago
- Crime pays for senior male executivesSenior male executives who commit corporate economic crimes are less likely to be dismissed or legally punished than middle management and junior staff according to new research. ...2 days ago
- Volunteering for Recent MigrantsVolunteering New Zealand has launched Te Rautaki mō Whanaungatanga – A National Strategy to Support Volunteering for Recent Migrants . ...2 days ago
- Making workplaces free from violence and harassmentAn historic international agreement by unions, employers and governments was forged last week in Geneva at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) with a new international Convention passed to eliminate violence and harassment at work. The passing of this ...2 days ago
- NZ roads are not coping with heavier trucksWhat a joke to see the truckers in the news, upset at the state of our roads, so they are taking pictures to give to Government to fix the roads. ...2 days ago
- Time nearly up on Makhlouf investigationState Services Minister Chris Hipkins must confirm that the State Services Commissioner is on track to announce the results of his investigation into Gabriel Makhlouf by this Thursday, 27 June, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. Taxpayers' Union ...2 days ago
- Child and youth participation in government policyBarnardos is today welcoming the release of the report ‘Are We Listening? – Children’s Participation Rights in Government Policy’ from the Children’s Convention Monitoring Group. The report focusses on children and young people’s right to participate ...2 days ago
- Trust in public sector at all time highThe latest Kiwis Count Survey has shown that trust in the public sector continues to rise and is now at an all-time high, says State Services Commissioner Peter Hughes. ...2 days ago
- Gender inclusive questions introducedThe gender diversity of New Zealanders will be better reflected in future statistics with new information collected in household surveys, Stats NZ said today. ...2 days ago
- Activists set up waiting rooms outside Kiwibank branchesToday climate action groups in Dunedin and Wellington will set up waiting rooms outside Kiwibank branches, to demonstrate that the climate can’t keep waiting for Kiwibank to release a fossil free policy that rules out investments or lending to ...2 days ago
- Conference Builds NZ’s Next Big China OpportunityMaking New Zealand a major point of connection between China and South America will take a step forward tomorrow at a trilateral conference in Auckland. ...2 days ago
- Children’s views important, but are we listening?A report released today, from the Children’s Convention Monitoring Group*, is a sharp reminder that what children and young people say makes a difference, and that it’s time we paid more attention to their views, says Children’s Commissioner ...2 days ago
- Family Justice System ReviewLast week, the final report of the Independent Panel reviewing the 2014 Family Justice System changes was released. ...2 days ago
- Children and young people have the right to play a roleAction for Children and Youth Aotearoa, the country’s alliance for groups and organisations supporting children’s rights, says that a new report published today on child participation shows some important progress has been achieved since 2016, but more must be done ...2 days ago
- Are you going to walk the talk James Shaw, Greens?Green politicians are betraying disabled people by pretending their upcoming block vote for the End of Life Choice Bill complies with their disability policy. ...3 days ago
- Multiple Failings of PHARMC require a Royal CommissionThe New Zealand Maori Council has asked the Prime Minister to establish a Royal Commission to investigate PHARMAC and successive Governments failure to provide adequate funding. Executive Director of the Council, Matthew Tukaki, has also said that an urgent investigation ...4 days ago
- Phil Goff welcomes false advertising finding by ASAPhil Goff has welcomed the Advertising Standards Authority upholding a complaint, against John Tamihere’s political ads, as misleading. ...4 days ago
- Gun Buyback? Police State.The government’s firearm buy back scheme is not just bullying and unfair, it uses the New Zealand police to force its draconian law on law abiding New Zealanders, who are already feeling cheated and manipulated by this process. ...4 days ago
- The Nation: Canadian euthanasia practitioner Stefanie GreenThe euthanasia debate is progressing, with the End of Life Choice Bill expected to have its second reading in Parliament on Wednesday. A similar bill was passed in Canada in 2016 - and it's estimated about 8000 people have had ...4 days ago
- The Nation: Euthanasia advocate Dave MullanSimon Shepherd: On the other side of the debate is Dave Mullan, a former Methodist preacher who has been living with prostate cancer for 18 years. Medication to stop the spread is no longer working. So he wants the right ...4 days ago
- The Nation: Anti-euthanasia advocate Vicki WalshAnti-euthanasia advocates are planning to go to Parliament this week for the second reading of the End of Life Choice Bill. One will be Vicki Walsh, who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer almost eight years ago and has so ...4 days ago
- The Nation: Washington Post’s Senior Political CorrespondentOn Newshub Nation: Simon Shepherd interviews The Washington Post's Senior Political Correspondent Jenna Johnson ...4 days ago
- UNANZ National Conference 2019 and Speech AwardsAs a part of the UNANZ National Conference 2019, our national office has partnered up with regional offices, especially those from Tauranga, Whanganui, Canterbury, Northern, Waikato and Wellington to bring to the public the Secondary School Speech ...5 days ago
- Family JusticeOn Monday of this week, the final report of the Independent Panel reviewing the 2014 Family Justice System changes was released. ...5 days ago
- Bill banning smoking in cars ‘awful’ and needs work – National
A bill that would prohibit ban smoking in cars with children inside needs a major tune up, the National Party says. ...14 mins ago - People living in rural areas may be at lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Astell-Burt, Professor of Population Health and Environmental Data Science, NHMRC Boosting Dementia Research Leadership Fellow, University of Wollongong People who live in regional or remote areas may be at lower risk ...16 mins ago - Most Australian teachers feel unprepared to teach students with special needs
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Jarvis, Senior Lecturer in Education, Flinders University Less than half (38%) of Australian teachers feel prepared to teach students with special needs when they finish their formal training. This is despite ...16 mins ago - Australia’s social housing policy needs stronger leadership and an investment overhaul
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Lawson, Honorary Associate Professor, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University Australia will need another 730,000 social housing dwellings in 20 years if it is to tackle homelessness and housing stress among ...16 mins ago - How English-speaking countries upended the trade-off between babies and jobs without even trying
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Dinale, PhD Candidate, University of Sydney The traditional understanding of women’s economic empowerment is that, as participation in paid employment increases, fertility decreases. This was certainly true in industrialised nations up ...17 mins ago - National reshuffle: Bridges knew of Adams’ plans months agoNational Party leader Simon Bridges says Amy Adams told him months ago about her decision to leave. ...55 mins ago
- End of Life Choice bill vote in Parliament todayThe bill that would give the terminally ill the right to choose to die faces a make-or-break vote in Parliament today. ...1 hour ago
- Watch live: Simon Bridges on National’s reshuffleVideo: National leader Simon Bridges has reshuffled his caucus after senior MP Amy Adams relinquished her portfolios. He talks to Morning Report about the new line-up. ...1 hour ago
- The Bulletin: Swings and roundabouts in National reshuffle
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Some win, some lose from National reshuffle, End of Life choice bill facing crucial vote tonight, and Luxon-ad supporter lobbies against predatory lending controls.In any reshuffle, for someone to move ...2 hours ago - Private Kiwis missing out on community
As a result of giving ourselves too much private space, New Zealanders are missing out on the benefit of communal public space, writes Dr Rebecca Kiddle. ...3 hours ago - A tale of two murder extraditions
Hong Kong protesters and the Court of Appeal in NZ have something in common, writes Ling Yee Wong. They both don't trust the Chinese justice system. ...3 hours ago - 1000 words: David White and *those* Colin Craig photos
1000 Words is a Spinoff series talking to the photographers behind our most iconic political images. In this instalment, Don Rowe speaks to David White, the photographer who shot Colin Craig. Following a failed attempt at the Auckland mayoralty in 2010, ...4 hours ago - On infertility, we’re drowning in research. Time to decide what matters most
A new list of prioritised research for infertility topics shines a light on the areas where a real difference can be made. For too long people confronting infertility have been overlooked in those decisions, writes Cindy Farquhar, fertility expert and ...4 hours ago - Australians’ feelings sour towards China: Lowy poll
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The attitudes of Australians towards China have soured dramatically in the past year, according to the Lowy Institute’s annual poll released on Wednesday. Only 32% ...7 hours ago - Morrison warns of widespread pain if US-China trade tensions are not containedSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison will warn of the danger of any further escalation in US-China tensions and declare Australia won’t let its relations with China be dominated ...7 hours ago
- Stopping the race to the bottom on wages may see us all win
Research backs a move towards organised sector bargaining, saying NZ has 'nothing to fear'. ...7 hours ago - Bill banning smoking in cars with children passes first readingA bill that would prohibit smoking in cars with children inside has passed its first reading in Parliament. ...9 hours ago
- Tahiti’s Flosse ordered to repay millions in ‘phantom jobs’ case
By RNZ Pacific French Polynesia’s former president, Gaston Flosse, and 12 others have been ordered to jointly repay millions of francs they misspent on so-called phantom jobs. In 2013, the group was found to have funded a vast network ...11 hours ago - To protect us all, babies travelling overseas may need the measles shot at 6 months instead of 12
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicholas Wood, Associate Professor, Discipline of Childhood and Adolescent Health, University of Sydney This year, we’ve seen a resurgence of measles around the globe. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recorded more than ...12 hours ago - Robertson signals even more wellbeing budgeting
Future budgets will see the existing spending, as well as new spending, subjected to a wellbeing analysis, Robertson says at OECD report launch. ...14 hours ago - Why Christians disagree over the Israel Folau sagaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Geoff Thompson, Coordinator of Studies: Systematic Theology, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity For many Christians, Israel Folau has become the talisman in the fight for religious freedom. This week, some Australian ...14 hours ago
- 5 things to know about the traditional Christian doctrine of hell
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip Almond, Emeritus Professor in the History of Religious Thought, The University of Queensland Martyn Iles, managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby, dodged the question this week when asked by Lisa ...15 hours ago - Report urges more MPs and new select committees
Parliament is too small, and committees too poorly resourced, to properly hold the Government to account, review says. ...15 hours ago - Guy Ngan, an artist ignored but not forgotten
Art history tells us a lot about the present moment through its interpretation of the past. In historicising the work of bygone artists, it reveals changing attitudes and contemporary concerns, writes Emma Ng.This year Wellington is host to three exhibitions ...16 hours ago - ‘She knits her books of her bones and her blood.’ An appreciation of Marian Keyes
Marian Keyes is a stone-cold legend: terrifically funny and emotionally intelligent, and never afraid of the dark. She deserves all the prizes. In lieu of that, here’s a heartfelt piece by Scarlett Cayford, who grew up steeped in Keyes’ stories ...16 hours ago - Chinese shiitake mushrooms labelled as NZ grown
Consumers are being warned that some exotic mushrooms being sold in supermarkets and high-end restaurants as 'New Zealand grown' are being actually imported from China, a local grower says. ...17 hours ago - National Party’s Simon Bridges announces caucus reshufflePaul Goldsmith has been announced as Amy Adams' replacement for the Finance and infrastructure spokesperson role amid National's caucus reshuffle. ...17 hours ago
- Curious Kids: why can’t we do whatever we want?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jade Sheen, Associate Professor, School of Psychology, Deakin University Curious Kids is a series for children. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au You ...17 hours ago - KiwiBuild ‘reset’ details likely to be revealed in July – TwyfordThe much-anticipated KiwiBuild reset will probably be unveiled in early July, Housing Minister Phil Twyford says. ...18 hours ago
- Rogue National Party adman lobbies against predatory lending controls
In the same week as Steve Brooks placed an unorthodox election ad for National his fringe lending business has called for looser restrictions on its activities.The businessman behind a bizarre unauthorised ad for the National Party runs a payday lending ...18 hours ago - USP journo students head to Solomons for environmental reporting project
By Rosalie Nongebatu in Suva Three journalism students from The University of the South Pacific in Suva have been selected to participate in a week-long environmental reporting project in the Solomon Islands. After a stringent selection process, students Rosalie ...19 hours ago - Cabinet reshuffle on Thursday won’t surprise – PM Jacinda ArdernWith the Prime Minister's first Cabinet reshuffle to be announced this week, the fate of Housing and Transport Minister Phil Twyford has caused the most speculation. ...19 hours ago
- A tribute to the pie shop that saved my terrible soul
Muzza’s Pies is a beloved Mt Albert institution, responsible for curing a million hangovers. Alex Casey pays tribute to the shop that got her through her teenage years.We were all perched on the bench outside Muzza’s Pies, a motley group ...19 hours ago - Can you be liable for defamation for what other people write on your Facebook page? Australian court...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Douglas, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Western Australia When you go online and write something nasty about a person, or even a small business, you risk being sued for defamation. ...19 hours ago
- Dr Caralee McLiesh appointed as new Treasury Secretary
The beleaguered Gabriel Makhlouf will be replaced by Australian economist and bureaucrat Dr Caralee McLiesh. ...19 hours ago - Iconic Tongan publisher Kalafi Moala eyes new digital media challenge
Tongan journalist, publisher and broadcaster Kalafi Moala talks to Pacific Media Watch project’s Sri Krishnamurthi. Video: Sri Krishnamurthi/Blessen Tom By Sri Krishnamurthi After 30 years as chief editor and publisher of Tonga’s flagship Taimi ‘o Tonga newspaper, the iconic ...20 hours ago - Amy Adams is quitting. Does Bridges dare replace her with his top performer?In a surprise announcement, the shadow finance minister Amy Adams will leave parliament in 2020, and has stepped down from her frontbench roles with immediate effect. Alex Braae asks what happens now It could have all been so different for Amy ...20 hours ago
- Arthur Grimes: Bipartisan approach will get best of wellbeing
Arthur Grimes looks at how putting the former government and current Government's approaches together would achieve significant improvements in areas in dire need of improvement. ...20 hours ago - National MP for Wairarapa, Alastair Scott, standing down at election 2020Alastair Scott, National's MP for Wairarapa, has announced he will not contest the 2020 election. ...20 hours ago
- The uncomfortable history of religion in New Zealand cartooning
A new book about the depiction of religion in New Zealand editorial cartoons reveals some disturbing truths.Last week the NZ Cartoon Archive at Wellington’s Alexander Turnbull Library published Mike Grimshaw’s Bishops, Boozers, Brethren & Burkas, which looks at religion in ...20 hours ago - Amy Adams to leave Parliament
Senior National MP Amy Adams will retire from politics in 2020, leaving the safe Selwyn seat up for grabs. ...20 hours ago - New emergency agency coming this year
Civil Defence is on the way out, and the National Emergency Management Agency is on the way in. ...20 hours ago - Senior National MP Amy Adams to retire from politicsNational MP Amy Adams has announced she will retire from politics at the 2020 election. ...21 hours ago
- Dr Caralee McLiesh appointed new head of TreasuryThe State Services Commissioner has announced the new secretary and chief executive of the Treasury. ...21 hours ago
- Kaupapa on the Couch: the incredible Māori showbands
Dance down memory lane with us to a time when the Māori showbands ruled supreme. After World War II, Māori concert parties became a huge attraction in Aotearoa, like the kapa haka groups we know and love today. Action songs and ...21 hours ago - Cheat sheet: How the UberEats busy area fee affects your lazin’ and grazin’Welcome to the Cheat Sheet, a clickable, shareable, bite-sized FAQ about the news of the moment. Today, we look at the UberEats busy area fee that has just launched in Auckland.The what?You know how you often pay more for a ...21 hours ago
- Milk production up 2.4 percent
Milk production for the New Zealand dairy season just ended was up by more than 2.4 percent on the season prior. ...22 hours ago - How to invest ethically in KiwiSaver and why you absolutely should
Over 2.8 million New Zealanders are signed up for Kiwisaver, but not many are aware of where that money is going. Weaponry, fossil fuels and gambling services are all being invested in from some of the most popular funds, and ...22 hours ago - Govt’s bank deposit protection doesn’t go far enough – National
The government's proposals to make the banking system safer for customers might not be enough for New Zealanders struggling to save for their retirement, the opposition says. ...23 hours ago - PM defends Twyford ahead of reshuffle
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has defended Housing Minister Phil Twyford over KiwiBuild, saying one individual shouldn't be blamed for difficulties in an ambitious policy. ...23 hours ago
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