Posts Tagged ‘market failure’
Power pricing not just a rip-off, it’s immoral
Written By: - Date published: 3:23 pm, March 22nd, 2019 - 43 comments
Submissions for the final report on the Electricity Price Review closed today at noon. My recent experience with Genesis Energy reveals pricing by power company majors not only rips customers off, but is immoral. The initial report of the EPR is unlikely to address this issue.
- The Adventures of Annalax: Volume XXIV
Session Fifty-Two. Good to have my character back. To cut a long story short, everyone save Annalax and Elknel started in prison, chained up by the Hags. The helpful Nightmare (the one who did a deal with Zhan) turned up, tricked a guard, and obtained the prison key. ...2 hours ago - Nash undermines our nuclear free New Zealand
When New Zealand first became nuclear free in 1984, under Labour Prime Minister David Lange, it ushered in a time where almost anything seemed achievable. Not only was our young country finally taking a stand against nuclear proliferation, which has caused untold misery around the world, we were also forging a ...6 hours ago - Debt is A Part of A Modern Economy. It Still Is, Even If We Call it ‘Colonial’
Architectural designer, Jade Kake, claims that ‘debt is a colonial construct – the implications of which continue to be felt in the colonies’. Kake is quite correct that debt, as we know the notion today, did not occur in traditional Maori society, but she does not tease out why. It ...8 hours ago - The economics of cleaning up Glenbrook
A couple of weeks ago I did a post on the economics of killing Huntly, essentially about how the government's internal carbon price of $150 / ton made a strong economic case for them to fund windfarms to put all coal and gas-fired power plants out of business. At the ...8 hours ago - Graham Adams: Winston Peters is back… and so is He Puapua
The NZ First leader claims Ardern’s government hid the radical report on Māori co-governance from him. Graham Adams reckons he will extract a heavy price for the betrayal. With the help of a largely dismissive media, concerns raised in April by David Seymour and then by Judith Collins over ...10 hours ago - The government’s hate speech proposalsToday the government released its proposals to criminalise hate speech. There's a full discussion document here, but the key change is to replace the current clause in the Human Rights Act with a wider one: The law would change so that a person who intentionally incites, stirs up, maintains or ...10 hours ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Benjamin Netanyahu’s exit may be a chance for New Zealand to reset its relationsh...International analyst Geoffrey Miller explains why Benjamin Netanyahu’s ousting from power and the formation of a new coalition government in Jerusalem may be a chance for New Zealand to make a fresh start in its relationship with Israel This month’s formation of a new coalition government in Israel may be ...11 hours ago
- No confidence without transparencyOn Tuesday, RNZ published a major story about the police killing of Shargin Stephens, which suggested that the police had engaged in a sustained campaign of their harassment against their victim, then lied to the IPCA about it, as well as manipulating evidence of the killing. The allegations are serious ...13 hours ago
- They Say We Want A Revolution – But Do We?
18 hours ago - Congratulations to the real Team of New Zealand and farewell to the fakers
The management gurus say ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast’. And what we saw over early breakfasts this morning was New Zealand’s Black Caps showing the world the best of team culture, admirable character and a group that not just carries the silver fern as representatives of this country, but does ...1 day ago - Legal Beagle: Submission on the counter-terrorism legislation bill (updated)
I have amended my submission (thank you to linger for the typo spotting). It still isn't as full as I'd like (I don't really address the new terrorist training offences), but hopefully my submission on the Counter-Terrorism Lgislation Bill will still be useful. Hopefully others (perhaps the Free Speech Union?) ...1 day ago - Legal Beagle: First draft of a submission on the counter-terrorism legislation billWork has been busy, so my attempt to prepare a submission on the Counter-Terrorism Lgislation Bill has been delayed, and not allowed me the time working on it I would like. Hopefully others (perhaps the Free Speech Union?) will have had the time to address the general principles around control ...1 day ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Winston’s anti-woke path back to powerCould a backlash to “woke politics” be the basis for the revival and return of New Zealand First? The Winston Peters-led party held its first post-defeat conference in the weekend, in which the main theme was NZ First’s very clear focus on culture wars issues as a way to rebuild ...1 day ago
- Urgently upgrading NZ’s Covid-19 response
Amanda Kvalsvig, Nick Wilson, and Michael Baker Aotearoa NZ’s effective Covid-19 elimination strategy is now threatened by the global emergence of new variants with increasingly high transmissibility. We outline the upgrades that are now urgently needed to keep New Zealanders safe, particularly in the light of the current outbreak risk ...1 day ago - Climate Change: Killing coal locallyIf we are to avoid dangerous levels of climate change and making huge chunks of the Earth uninhabitable, we need to end fossil fuel use as quickly as possible. The International Energy Agency has recommended an immediate end to fossil fuel development. An obvious way to do this is by ...1 day ago
- Todd Muller gets crushedWhat a complete catastrophe for the National Party. Not only did the public learn on Wednesday about Harete Hipango’s alleged dishonesty, the source of that information is none other than National MP and once Party leader, Todd Muller.Talk about a bad case of friendly fire gone wrong.Their current leader Judith ...2 days ago
- We need to fix the ETS againThe Emissions Trading Scheme is one of the government's key tools for driving reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. By putting a price on carbon, businesses face an incentive to reduce emissions, either by cleaning up or shutting down. Or at least, that's the theory. In practice, exemptions, subsidies, persistent low ...2 days ago
- Hard News: Testing the fairiesA new paper by ESR scientists, published in the Australian Journal of Chemistry, has confirmed what close observers of the local cannabis community already knew, or at least suspected: the cannabinoid contents of local "green fairy" products vary widely, ratios in many products are not as claimed – and most ...2 days ago
- Skating On Thin Ice: Labour’s Support Is Not As Solid As It Looks.Deceptively Solid Support: What Labour would like us to believe is that they are skating on a solid sheet of ideological ice, more that capable of carrying the weight of their cultural revolution. In reality, the ice now bearing their electoral weight is wafer thin. Sadly, Labour’s leaders remain utterly ...2 days ago
- So it begins: The Climate Change Commission’s advice to government and what happened nextWhat’s that? You wanted action, not just words, on climate change? And you wanted it now, not next year or the year after? How about something big, really big, maybe also diving right into the heart of an emotional, touchstone issue – say, the private car? Welcome to the ...2 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #25, 2021
127 Articles Observations of climate change, effects Anthropogenic and climatic contributions to observed carbon system trends in the Northeast Pacific Franco et al Global Biogeochemical Cycles DOI: 10.1029/2020gb006829 Emergence of seasonal delay of tropical rainfall during 1979–2019 Song et al Nature Climate Change DOI: 10.1038/s41558-021-01066-x Dwindling ...2 days ago - End parliamentary secrecyThe Herald last night revealed that a National MP appears to be a thief: A National Party MP faced allegations of inappropriate spending of taxpayer money – allegations the MP is refusing to front on and which Parliamentary Service refuses to discuss under the cone of silence that protects ...2 days ago
- Harete Hipango should resignWell that was short lived. Less than two week’s into the job and National's new MP, Harete Hipango, has been accused of misusing taxpayer money.According to a National Party staff member the anti-abortionist used her Parliamentary expense account to purchase numerous furnishings for her own house, which is a gross ...2 days ago
- PardonedFour years ago, the Spanish government jailed nine Catalan leaders for the "crime" of advocating peacefully for independence. Now, it has pardoned them: Spain’s prime minister has called for a new “era of dialogue and understanding” as his Socialist-led government pardoned nine Catalan independence leaders for their roles in ...2 days ago
- Time to outlaw ecocideWe live in a time of historic ecological crisis, with the Earth on the verge of dangerous levels of anthropogenic climate change, threatening the ecology, food supplies, world peace, and the habitability of some of the most densely-populated parts of the planet. And while this is going on, some people ...2 days ago
- Carmel Sepuloni must fix ACCYou may have noticed that the Accident Compensation Corporation, or ACC for short, has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently. Not only has newish research shown that the claims process discriminates against woman, Māori and Pasifika people, ACC apparently also penalises Kiwis depending on how and ...2 days ago
- A slight relaxation of secrecyThe government has introduced a new Crown Minerals (Decommissioning and Other Matters) Amendment Bill. The bill is one of the products of the 2019-20 consultation on the Crown Minerals Act, and mostly addresses the problem of forcing oil companies to clean up their own mess, but it makes a number ...3 days ago
- COVID-19: The rise and rise of DeltaFrom media headlines it feels like hearing the boy cry “fire” in the theatre. There’s a new variant about. Or perhaps he is really a crier, calling out a new season of the show, a new plot twist with a craftier villain? The main feature in town is now the ...3 days ago
- Laurel Hubbard is a trailblazer
Laurel Hubbard has qualified to represent New Zealand at the next Olympics (whenever or wherever those happen) in women’s weightlifting. Virtually no one would have paid any attention to this – weightlifting not being one of the three sports (cricket, netball, league) New Zealanders actually care about – if it ...3 days ago - An attack on parliamentary privilegeToday the Speaker referred the High Court judgement in Staples v Freeman to the Privileges Committee. Its not surprising. The court in its decision finds that a speech by Winston Peters in Parliament was defamatory. That seems to violate s11 of the Parliamentary Privilege Act 2014, which prohibits the courts ...3 days ago
- The problem of police dishonestyRNZ has a major story this morning about the police killing of Shargin Stephens in Rotorua in 2016. The "Independent" Police Conduct Authority of course cleared police of any wrong-doing, and found police actions "reasonable" and the killing justified. The police are now using that finding to prevent a coronial ...3 days ago
- Penk wants to be Prime Minister4 days ago
- Against the militarization of spaceRocketLab is a cool company. Its right there in the title: "rocket". As someone who loves space exploration and the knowledge it brings, I love the fact that they're launching from New Zealand, and I love the fact that they're planning to send probes to the Moon and Venus (and ...4 days ago
- NZ’s clean car discount is a turn in the right direction, but how much will it drive consumer dem...Basil Sharp, University of Auckland New Zealand faces two enormous challenges if it is to meet its international climate change commitments under the Paris Agreement: biogenic methane emissions from agriculture, and carbon emissions from industry and transport. For now, there seems little prospect of significantly reducing agricultural emissions, short ...4 days ago
- More needs to be done about the slumlordsIt always amazes me to see the illogical arguments made by real estate industry insiders when they’re complaining about any type of housing sector regulation. They simply don't seem to care if their arguments make any sense or whether their unbound greed is worsening an already terrible housing crisis that ...4 days ago
- Who Else Is There? Why the Right Needs Winston Peters.4 days ago
- No Questions Please – We’re Revolutionaries!The Kids Were All Right: By stripping away all moral and practical grounds for unified struggle, Critical Race Theory can only strengthen the elites’ grip on contemporary society. The abdication of School Strike For Climate Auckland offers a textbook example of this phenomenon. The moral force of the nation’s secondary students ...4 days ago
- Making climate impact science more accessible to the public: ISIpedia launchThis is a re-post from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research based on their press release about the new Inter-Sectoral Impacts Encyclopedia - ISIpedia for short. Decision-makers on all levels are provided with a new tool to tackle the climate challenge. Data and explanations on global warming impacts – ...4 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – The case for and against the “They Are Us” filmThe last week has been full of debate over plans to make a film about the 2019 terrorist attacks on two Christchurch mosques. The vast majority of media coverage has focused on opposition to the film. These criticisms need to be taken seriously. But a strong case can be made ...4 days ago
- Perilous Treasures: Published
It’s the Winter Solstice here, which means (Northern Hemisphere) e-zine Eternal Haunted Summer has released its Summer Solstice edition for 2021:https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/summer-solstice-2021/ My story, Perilous Treasures, is out, as part of it:https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/summer-solstice-2021/perilous-treasures/ As previously mentioned, this was a fictional attempt to portray the very vexed medieval issue of writing ...4 days ago - Incompatible regimesThe Official Information Act is our core transparency legislation. But its only covers central government. Local authorities are covered by the parallel Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, which duplicates most of the OIA's provisions, and adds in some stuff about local authority meetings as well. Since the ...4 days ago
- Boris BerlusconiRemember Silvio Berlusconi? Whenever the Italian courts seemed to be catching up to his corrupt behaviour as Prime Minister, he would just change the law to get himself off the hook. Well, now there's a new contender for the "self-serving abuse of power" title: Boris Johnson: Boris Johnson is ...4 days ago
- Climate explained: could biofuels replace all fossil fuels in New Zealand?Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz Could biofuels replace all fossil fuels in ...4 days ago
- Josh Van Veen: NZ First UnbowedThe improbability of NZ First returning to power cannot be overstated. Between 2017 and 2020, support for the party collapsed from 7.2% to 2.6%. With barely a third of its 2020 vote, and no electorate seat, NZ First appears to be a spent force. But the party faithful were ...5 days ago
- Health co-benefits need to be adequately considered in the Climate Change Commission’s final advic...Tim Chambers, Simon Hales, Jude Ball, Michael Baker, Cristina Cleghorn, Nick Wilson (*Author details) The Climate Change Commission’s final advice to the Government has been tabled in Parliament. This final report further acknowledged the potential health co-benefits of climate action presented in the Commission’s draft advice. However, the Commission has ...5 days ago
- Winston's last throw of the diceYou’ve got to wonder if Winston Peters will ever retire. I mean what keeps the old rogue going? Perhaps Peters has been reinvigorated by the Government’s decision to follow through on various policy NZ First had previously put the kibosh on...or maybe he thinks there's still a chance of becoming ...5 days ago
- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #25Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, June 14, 2021 through Sat, June 19, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: Earth is now trapping an ‘unprecedented’ amount of heat, NASA says, Fake news: a simple nudge isn’t ...5 days ago
- Goldilocks and the three futuresGoldilocks, the house breaker, always had a choice of three, one of which always appeared to be just right. Temporally, there’s three types of futures too. Short-term, medium-term, and long-term. Those are all relative, depending on what you are looking at. Some technologies, for example, change very quickly, so “long-term” ...5 days ago
- Baby talk 3: the eggs, the lube, the triggeringSo we took a bit of an unscheduled posting hiatus there; but more on that later. Today we’re talking eggs, lube, and triggers. Just as the self-injection routine started to get good and routine, and I wasn’t having a total emotional break on a daily basis, came the sharp reminder ...6 days ago
- ‘There is no debate’ is simply a denial of reality
Hat tip to Mike Treen from Unite Union for this article by Lindsey Graham published in Counterfire. It raises important debates that are happening in many parts of the world, including New ZealandGood morning. I want to raise some issues here about the whole debate on trans rights in Britain. ...6 days ago - Leaked cabinet papers won’t help ACTIt was somewhat amusing to see the Act Party completely misread the room this week when they leaked a Labour Party document concerning our oceans and fisheries. It outlined the Government's intention to discuss several marine policies at cabinet, the most controversial being the installation of 300 cameras on commercial ...6 days ago
- Writing the Rights: No Right Turn is Wrong
New Zealand’s extreme form of parliamentary sovereignty is something of an international oddity these days. Under the New Zealand system, an Act passed by Parliament (and hence signed by the Governor-General) is automatically law. And in the absence of a written constitution, Parliament can Do Anything. Literally. Our checks ...1 week ago - Unemployment Insurance
Providing for the redundantly unemployed is admirable but difficult and expensive to implement.The 2021 Budget announced that the government was, at the urging of Business NZ and the Council of Trade Unions, committed to the development of a Social Unemployment Insurance scheme. It is likely to have two main components. ...1 week ago - Losing The “Struggle-Session” Over Climate Change.Blaming And Shaming: A "property owner" is humiliated before the masses during Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution. Critical Race Theory may substitute "White Privilege" for "Class Privilege", but the inescapability of the offending group's responsibility for "oppression" is exactly the same. The self-abasement of School Strike For Climate Auckland for its ...1 week ago
- Cleaning up the fishing industryThe government is finally cleaning up the fishing industry, with cameras on boats and an end to high-grading, with an easier penalties regime to enforce it. Good. Because as we've seen over the years, the fishing industry is pervasively criminal, routinely violating the law on discarding fish and reporting bycatch. ...1 week ago
- PM’s critics should stick to the factsThere’s been a lot of grumbling lately amongst the right wing and certain mainstream media pundits who are looking to either score cheap political points or attract readers by attacking the Prime Minister.Of course some of the criticism is justified. After all no Government is perfect and there are always ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Auckland fails IILast year, the Auckland Council passed a climate change plan, setting goals of halving emissions by 2030, and net-zero by 2050. So you'd expect their new transport plan to be consistent with that goal, right? Wrong: The 10-year transport plan for Auckland has emerged from consultation with small changes, ...1 week ago
- Anti-fluoridation group tells porkies about NZ fluoridation review
FFNZ spreads misinformation about the NZ fluoridation review – yet again New Zealand opponents of community water fluoridation (CWF) are at it again. Their only response to the recently upgraded fluoridation review is to call it “propaganda” and to completely misrepresent it. But it’s interesting to look at their misrepresentation ...1 week ago - Landmark decision in the sex and gender debateOn June 10, after two years of legal battles, Maya Forstater won a landmark legal ruling that looks set to change the direction of the sex and gender debates in the Britain, and provide legal protection for gender-critical people against discrimination and harassment. This ruling will be important in New Zealand. ...1 week ago
- CSLDF and the Government Accountability Project Launch New Scientific Integrity Reporting ProjectThis is a guest post by the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund. Today, the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund and Government Accountability Project launched the Scientific Integrity Reporting Project: a confidential, anonymous way for scientists and others in science-adjacent roles to detail their experiences involving past and ongoing threats to scientific norms and scientific integrity. We ...1 week ago
- Australia needs a Bill of Rights ActAustralia is one of the few western democracies not to have legal protection for fundamental human rights. The closest they come is recognising an implied right to freedom of political communication (but not other forms of freedom of expression) from the "representative government" clauses of their constitution. But some of ...1 week ago
- FalloutLast week I revealed how the Police had lied to the public over their "emissions-free fleet" strategy. Stuff's Henry Cooke has done the obvious followup of asking the Minister what she thinks about it, and it seems she is not happy: Police Minister Poto Williams says she is disappointed ...1 week ago
- Can we be born into the wrong body?by Don Franks Are some of us born into the wrong body? The possibility is sometimes offered as a clinching argument that some people need to, and are able to, change their sex. With one proviso, the answer has to be, yes, such a thing is possible. The only requirement ...1 week ago
- Moa’s Ark or flypaper of the Pacific – New Zealand’s place in the biology of the PacificIt was the year 2002 and I was sitting in the shiny new office of our Biogeography Professor for my oral Diploma exam. It was going well, when I was asked to name an example of a Gondwanan distribution pattern, or in other words a species or group of species ...1 week ago
- Auckland is the world’s ‘most liveable city’? Many Māori might disagreeElla Henry, Auckland University of Technology While I am always happy to celebrate any accolades my country and city might garner on the international stage, seeing Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau awarded the top ranking in a recent “most liveable cities” survey left me somewhat flummoxed. In particular, I would argue that ...1 week ago
- Patrick Gower – Hero of the week1 week ago
- Juliet Moses – Arsehole of the Week1 week ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #24, 2021A hot budget problem This week's standout article for highlighting is Satellite and Ocean Data Reveal Marked Increase in Earth's Heating Rate (open access). From the two very different perspectives of above the atmosphere and below it, a team of authors led by Norman Loeb (head of NASA's CERES program) and including Gregory Johnson (head ...1 week ago
- Let it dieThe fishing industry is complaining in the Herald about their "labour shortage" and lamenting the fact that Young People These Days for some reason don't want to work for six weeks at a time doing hard, dangerous work on a boat in the middle of nowhere, and never seeing their ...1 week ago
- More bigotry in HungaryLast year Hungary ended legal recognition of trans people and banned gay people from adopting children. Now, they've followed that up with a Russian-style "propaganda law", banning "promotion" of homosexuality in schools or on TV: Hungary’s parliament has passed a law banning gay people from featuring in school educational ...1 week ago
- Institutionally corruptOver thirty years ago private investigator Daniel Morgan was murdered in London. The UK police repeatedly fucked up the investigation so obviously and blatantly that the government was forced to call a public inquiry. Now, after years of obstruction, it has finally reported back, finding the police to be "institutionally ...1 week ago
- With seas rising, stalled research budgets must also riseThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gary Yohe and Eric Rignot From 1900 to 2000, the ocean along the U.S. East Coast rose at twice the annual rate of the pace in the previous 19 centuries, according to a recent study from Rutgers University. From Miami to New York to ...1 week ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Worst could be yet to come for New Zealanders’ perceptions of ChinaNew Zealanders’ hostility towards China is growing rapidly – but the worst may be still ahead. International analyst Geoffrey Miller examines the latest survey results on how this country feels about China. The latest “Perceptions of Asia” survey from the Asia New Zealand Foundation, released today, shows a sharp rise ...1 week ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Cash for access to politicians continuesShould anyone have trust in politicians, given the manner in which they solicit money from the wealthy? Probably not, since virtually every party in Parliament in recent times has been found to be involved in flaunting the law or accepting dodgy donations from the rich. News reports of questionable donations ...1 week ago
- Proceed to your nearest (virtual) exit: gaming technology is teaching us how people respond to emer...Ruggiero Lovreglio, Massey University Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) aren’t just for gaming anymore, they’re also proving to be useful tools for disaster safety research. In fact, they could save lives. Around the world, natural and human-made disasters such as earthquakes, bushfires and terrorist attacks threaten substantial ...1 week ago
- Greens urge Wellington Council to support a Spatial Plan that best addresses the climate and housing...
The Green Party is urging Wellington City Council to pass an ambitious Spatial Plan that sets Wellington up for action on the housing crisis, allowing for more new homes close to the city centre. ...3 days ago - Housing solutions, accelerated
New Zealand’s housing crisis has been decades in the making. And we know that one of the key barriers to the construction of more homes is a lack of basic infrastructure. Our $3.8 billion Housing Acceleration Fund – designed to speed up the pace and scale of house building – ...4 days ago - Small steps for Hauraki Gulf protection, much more action neededThe Green Party welcomes the Government’s proposals for increased marine protection in the Hauraki Gulf, released today, but says much more needs to be done. ...4 days ago
- Greens announce Members Bill to stop military launches at Rocket Lab protestThe Green Party’s Security and Intelligence spokesperson, and Te Mātāwaka member Teanau Tuiono MP launched his Member’s Bill at the ‘STOP militarisation’ protest today outside RocketLabs Headquarters in Tāmaki Makaurau. This Bill will amend the Outer Space and High altitude Activities Act and prohibit the launching of military hardware into ...4 days ago
- Green Party supports call to end youth detention in police cellsThe Green Party strongly supports the call by the Children’s Commissioner to repeal the law allowing youth to be held in police cells. ...5 days ago
- Working in partnership with our primary sectorA few great days at Fieldays are done and dusted! We had a huge team of Labour MPs at Mystery Creek this year – and we were there because partnering with farmers, growers, and our rural communities matters to us. ...1 week ago
- Chlöe Swarbrick puts Bill aimed at minimising alcohol harm in Members’ ballotGreen Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick has put the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Harm Minimisation) Amendment Bill into the Members’ ballot. ...1 week ago
- Investing in our rural communitiesFarmers and growers have been the economic backbone for New Zealand throughout COVID-19, and our primary sector will be at the heart of our recovery. This week, as Fieldays gets underway, we’ve outlined the next steps in our work with farmers to secure our recovery. ...1 week ago
- Green MPs back calls for work to stop immediately in Pūtiki Bay following unnecessary police presen...Green MPs Dr Elizabeth Kerekere and Chlöe Swarbrick strongly support the calls by Ngāti Paoa for Auckland Council to immediately step in to stop works happening in Pūtiki Bay/Kennedy Point today. ...1 week ago
- Acting boldly to address the housing crisis so we all thriveTēnā koe Minister Woods, ...1 week ago
- Addressing period poverty in schoolsToday, we’re taking the next step in our work to support children and young people in poverty, starting to roll out free period products in more than 1,600 schools and kura across New Zealand. ...2 weeks ago
- Dawn Raids apology welcomed, needs to be backed up with amnestyThe Green Party’s Te Mātāwaka Māori and Pasifika Caucus welcomes an announcement today by the Prime Minister to apologise for the Dawn Raids. ...2 weeks ago
- Making cleaner cars accessible to more KiwisToday, we’re taking action in line with the advice of the Climate Change Commission to reduce our carbon footprint, so future generations have a fair go. Our Clean Car package, announced this morning, delivers on our promise to cut transport emissions. It will make it easier to make the switch ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party set to deliver open letter to Immigration Minister with 17k signaturesThe Green Party will deliver its open letter asking the Minister for Immigration to fix the broken immigration system next week. ...2 weeks ago
- Dr Elizabeth Kerekere receives her COVID-19 vaccinationToday, Green Party MP Dr Elizabeth Kerekere received her COVID-19 vaccination from Tamaiti Whāngai COVID-19 vaccination centre, which had its official opening yesterday. ...2 weeks ago
- Our action on climate changeIn 2019, we established the Climate Change Commission to provide independent advice on climate change action and to hold this Government and future Governments to account. Today, the Commission's final advice was released. It sets out the total amount of global warming pollution Aotearoa must cut by 2035 to be ...2 weeks ago
- Our action on climate changeIn 2019, we established the Climate Change Commission to provide independent advice on climate change action and to hold this Government and future Governments to account. Today, the Commission's final advice was released. It sets out the total amount of global warming pollution Aotearoa must cut by 2035 to be ...2 weeks ago
- It’s time to get behind our nursesThe Green Party supports the 30,000 nurses striking today for better pay and safer working conditions. ...2 weeks ago
- Celebrating our oceansAotearoa New Zealand is surrounded by Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, the Pacific Ocean. The ocean is central to our identities and to our ecosystems. The Big Blue both isolates us from other countries and connects us to our Pacific neighbours. We have the seventh largest maritime area in the world, ranging from ...2 weeks ago
- APEC finance ministers and business leaders discuss COVID-19 recovery
Finance ministers and business leaders from across the APEC region have connected to discuss the ongoing response to COVID-19. The Informal Ministerial Meeting with Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Advisory Council (ABAC) business leaders was hosted by the New Zealand Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, who is Chair ...8 hours ago - District Court Judge appointedAttorney-General David Parker has announced the appointment of David Clark of Auckland as a District Court Judge. Following a period of two years as law clerk and solicitor with Hesketh Henry, David Clark joined the firm of Wilson Wright and Co (now Wilson McKay) in 1989 and has been a solicitor, associate ...10 hours ago
- Social cohesion programme to address incitement of hatred and discriminationThe Government is launching a significant programme of work to strengthen social cohesion in New Zealand and create a safer, more inclusive society. The work is part of the wider response to recommendations from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain (mosques), and builds on ...15 hours ago
- Pause on Quarantine Free Travel from New South Wales extendedThe pause on Quarantine Free Travel from New South Wales to New Zealand will continue for a further 12 days, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. There are now 36 recent community cases of COVID-19 in New South Wales – including four not yet linked to the existing outbreak that ...1 day ago
- Speech to the ASEAN-New Zealand Business CouncilASEAN-New Zealand Business Council, Auckland Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Guests, Kia ora koutou katoa Thank you Kenneth for your kind introduction, and for the opportunity to speak this evening. Business councils make an important contribution to fostering trade and connections, and in providing practical advice to governments. I want to ...1 day ago
- Address to the INZBC 7th International Summit 2021Day 2, India New Zealand Business Council 7th International Summit, Auckland (speech delivered virtually) Tēnā koutou katoa, Namaste, Sat sri akal, Assalamualaikum Good morning and good evening to you all, Thank you for this opportunity to be with you virtually today. The India New Zealand Business Council has put together ...1 day ago
- Government commits $4 million additional support for flood-affected Canterbury farmersPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern today announced the Government is injecting a further $4 million into relief funding to support flood-affected Canterbury farmers who are recovering from the damage of a historic one in 200 year flood. An additional $100,000 will also be provided to the Mayoral Relief Fund to support ...1 day ago
- Appointment of Queen’s CounselAttorney-General David Parker today announced the appointments of 10 Queen’s Counsel. The newly appointed Silks are: Auckland – Lynda Kearns, Stephen McCarthy, Ronald Mansfield, Alan (Fletcher) Pilditch, Davey Salmon, Laura O’Gorman Wellington – Greg Arthur, Michael Colson, Victoria Heine Christchurch – Kerryn Beaton “The criteria for appointment recognise that ...1 day ago
- Prime Minister congratulates victorious Black CapsPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has congratulated Kane Williamson and the Black Caps for their victory over India in the final of the inaugural Cricket World Test Championship. “The Black Caps have made New Zealand proud. This was a masterful performance from a team at the top of their game and ...2 days ago
- Further action to tackle cervical cancerParliament has taken another step to help reduce the number of women who develop cervical cancer, with the Health (National Cervical Screening Programme) Amendment Bill passing its third reading. “I am very pleased by the robust consideration this Bill has received. It will ensure technology allows healthcare providers to directly ...2 days ago
- $500 million seized from gangs and criminalsA significant Government milestone has been reached with $500 million in cash and assets seized from gangs and criminals by Police over the past four years, Police Minister Poto Williams announced today. “During our last term in office, this target was set for 2021 with Police as part of our ...2 days ago
- Congratulations to the Black Caps – World ChampionsMinister of Sport and Recreation Grant Robertson has congratulated the Black Caps as the deserved winners of the inaugural World Test Cricket Championship. “The Black Caps have pulled off a remarkable and deserved win in the World Test Championship final against India. The final is the culmination of two years ...2 days ago
- Alert Level 2 in Wellington, Wairarapa and Kāpiti CoastAlert Level 2 measures are now in place for Wellington, Wairarapa and Kāpiti Coast to the north of Ōtaki, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. These measures are precautionary, following the potential exposure of New Zealanders to a COVID-19 case from Sydney. The person visited a range of locations in ...2 days ago
- Speech to the India New Zealand Business Council Summit5pm, Wednesday 23 June 2021 [CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY] Tuia te Rangi e tū nei Tuia te Papa e takoto nei Tuia te here tangata Ka rongo te pō, ka rongo te Ao Tihei Mauri Ora Introduction Namaskar, tēnā koe and good evening. Thank you for your kind invitation to ...2 days ago
- Financial support for caregivers widenedChildren’s Minister Kelvin Davis has welcomed changes that will make it easier for caregivers looking after children outside of the state care system to access much-needed financial assistance. The Social Security (Financial Assistance for Caregivers) Amendment Bill will also allow these caregivers to access further benefits previously unavailable to them. ...2 days ago
- Agencies to have powers to secure maritime domainA Bill introduced to Parliament today aims to prevent serious criminal offending at sea, including transnational offending and organised crime, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced. “Aotearoa New Zealand will be better placed to keep our maritime environment secure against threats like drugs trafficking, wildlife trafficking and human trafficking with the ...2 days ago
- Critical support for New Zealand’s budding researchersFellowships to attract and retain talented researchers in the early stages of their career, have been awarded to 30 New Zealanders, Associate Research, Science and Innovation Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “I am pleased to congratulate these researchers, who will be receiving funding through the MBIE Science Whitinga Fellowship. ...3 days ago
- Bill to stop taxpayers having to fund oil field decommissionsThe Government is preventing taxpayers picking up the bill for the decommissioning of oil fields, says Energy and Resource Minister Dr Megan Woods. “After the Crown had to take responsibility for decommissioning the Tui oil field, it became clear to me that the current requirements around decommissioning are inadequate and ...3 days ago
- Quarantine Free Travel from New South Wales to New Zealand to pauseNew Zealand’s Quarantine Free Travel from New South Wales to New Zealand will be paused while the source of infection of new cases announced in Sydney is investigated, says COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins. There are 10 new community cases of COVID-19 today in New South Wales, taking the Australian ...3 days ago
- Milestone reached for Iwi Affiliation Population CountsIwi affiliation data released today provides updated population counts for all iwi and addresses gaps in Māori data originating from the 2018 Census, says Associate Minister of Statistics Meka Whaitiri. “The release of the 2018 Iwi Affiliation Estimated Counts is a really important step, and I acknowledge the hard work ...3 days ago
- Ngāti Rangitihi Claims Settlement Bill passes first readingTreaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little welcomed Ngāti Rangitihi to Parliament today to witness the first reading of The Ngāti Rangitihi Claims Settlement Bill. “I know it took a lot of hard work, time and patience by all parties involved to reach this significant milestone. I am honoured to ...3 days ago
- Speech to the Sustainable Healthcare and Climate Health Conference AotearoaMihi Tēnā tātou katoa Kei ngā pou o te whare hauora ki Aotearoa, kei te mihi. Tēnā koutou i tā koutou pōwhiri mai i ahau. E mihi ana ki ngā taura tangata e hono ana i a tātou katoa, ko te kaupapa o te rā tērā. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ...3 days ago
- Infrastructure Acceleration Fund opening for businessCriteria to access at least $1 billion of the $3.8 billion Housing Acceleration Fund (HAF), announced in March, is now available, and an invitation for expressions of interest will be released on 30 June, Housing Minister Megan Woods has announced. “This is a key milestone in our plan to accelerate ...4 days ago
- Bringing back the health of Hauraki GulfNew marine protection areas and restrictions on fishing are among a raft of changes being put in place to protect the Hauraki Gulf for future generations. The new strategy, Revitalising the Gulf – Government action on the Sea Change Plan, released today, draws on input from mana whenua, local communities, ...4 days ago
- Speech to AI Forum – Autonomous Weapons SystemsAI Forum New Zealand, Auckland Good evening and thank you so much for joining me this evening. I’d like to start with a thank you to the AI Forum Executive for getting this event off the ground and for all their work and support to date. The prospect of autonomous ...4 days ago
- New Zealand boosts support to Fiji for COVID-19 impactAotearoa New Zealand is providing additional support to Fiji to mitigate the effects of the current COVID-19 outbreak on vulnerable households, Foreign Minister Hon Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “Recognising the increasingly challenging situation in Fiji, Aotearoa will provide an additional package of assistance to support the Government of Fiji and ...4 days ago
- Round 2 of successful energy education fund now open$1.65 million available in Support for Energy Education in Communities funding round two Insights from SEEC to inform future energy hardship programmes Community organisations that can deliver energy education to households in need are being invited to apply for the second funding round of the Support for Energy Education in ...4 days ago
- New Ngarimu scholarships to target vocational trainingAssociate Education Minister Kelvin Davis today announced three new scholarships for students in vocational education and training (VET) are to be added to the suite of prestigious Ngarimu scholarships. “VET learners have less access to study support than university students and this is a way to tautoko their learning dreams ...4 days ago
- Recognising the volunteers who support our health systemNominations have opened today for the 2021 Minister of Health Volunteer Awards, as part of National Volunteer Week. “We know that New Zealanders donate at least 159 million hours of volunteer labour every year,” Minister of Health Andrew Little said in launching this year’s awards in Wellington. “These people play ...5 days ago
- Drug Free Sport supported to deal with new doping challengesDrug Free Sport New Zealand will receive a funding boost to respond to some of the emerging doping challenges across international sport. The additional $4.3 million over three years comes from the Sport Recovery Fund announced last year. It will help DFSNZ improve athletes’ understanding of the risks of doping, ...5 days ago
- Government support for South Auckland community hit by tornadoThe Government is contributing $100,000 to a Mayoral Relief Fund to support Auckland communities impacted by the Papatoetoe tornado, Acting Minister for Emergency Management Kris Faafoi says. “My heart goes out to the family and friends who have lost a loved one, and to those who have been injured. I ...5 days ago
- Celebrating World Refugee DayWorld Refugee Day today is an opportunity to celebrate the proud record New Zealanders have supporting and protecting refugees and acknowledge the contribution these new New Zealanders make to our country, the Minister of Immigration Kris Faafoi said. “World Refugee Day is also a chance to think about the journey ...6 days ago
- Face to face meeting delivers significant progress on NZ-UK FTANew Zealand and the UK have committed to accelerating their free trade agreement negotiations with the aim of reaching an agreement in principle this August, Trade Minister Damien O’Connor announced. “We’ve held constructive and productive discussions towards the conclusion of a high-quality and comprehensive FTA that will support sustainable and inclusive trade, and ...7 days ago
- Government taking action to protect albatrossNew population figures for the critically endangered Antipodean albatross showing a 5 percent decline per year highlights the importance of reducing all threats to these very special birds, Acting Minister of Conservation Dr Ayesha Verrall says. The latest population modelling, carried out by Dragonfly Data Science, shows the Antipodean albatross ...1 week ago
- Adoption laws under reviewNew Zealand’s 66-year-old adoption laws are being reviewed, with public engagement beginning today. Justice Minister Kris Faafoi said the Government is seeking views on options for change to our adoption laws and system. “The Adoption Act has remained largely the same since 1955. We need our adoption laws to reflect ...1 week ago
- Wider roll-out of cameras on boats to support sustainability and protect marine lifeUp to 300 inshore commercial fishing vessels will be fitted with on-board cameras by 2024 as part of the Government’s commitment to protect the natural marine environment for future generations. Minister for Oceans and Fisheries David Parker today announced the funding is now in place for the wider roll out ...1 week ago
- Plan for vaccine rollout for general population announcedNew Zealanders over 60 will be offered a vaccination from July 28 and those over 55 from August 11, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. The rollout of the vaccine to the general population will be done in age groups as is the approach commonly used overseas, with those over ...1 week ago
- New Zealand introduces Belarus travel bansNew Zealand has imposed travel bans on selected individuals associated with the Lukashenko regime, following ongoing concerns about election fraud and human rights abuses after the 2020 Belarus elections, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta has announced. The ban covers more than fifty individuals, including the President and key members of ...1 week ago
- NZ economy grows driven by households, construction and business investmentThe Government’s efforts to secure the recovery have been reflected in the robust rebound of GDP figures released today which show the economy remains resilient despite the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Grant Robertson said. GDP increased 1.6 percent in the first three months of 2021. The Treasury had ...1 week ago
- Milestone 250th tower continues to improve rural connectivityThe Government has welcomed the completion of the 250th 4G mobile tower, as part of its push for better rural connectivity. Waikato’s Wiltsdown, which is roughly 80 kilometres south of Hamilton, is home to the new tower, deployed by the Rural Connectivity Group to enable improved service to 70 homes ...1 week ago
- Why did the Miami apartment building collapse? And are others in danger?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trivess Moore, Senior Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University Lynne Sladky/AP Just before 2am US Eastern Daylight Time on June 24, the Champlain Towers South Tower in Surfside, South Florida, partially collapsed. The 12-storey building with ...5 hours ago - Hate speech laws: ACT, National say proposals a divisive overreach
Opposition parties are condemning the government's plans to make hate speech a criminal offence and to introduce harsher penalties. ...6 hours ago - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's trip to Australia postponedNew Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's planned trade mission to Australia has been postponed due to the evolving Covid situation in New South Wales, her office has confirmed. ...7 hours ago
- A mining camp won’t cut it: Australia’s quarantine system needs a smarter designSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mathew Aitchison, Professor of Architecture and CEO of Building 4.0 CRC, Monash University Screen Shot at am The announcement that the Victorian and federal governments will build a 1,000-bed COVID quarantine hub at Mickleham in Melbourne’s north marks a welcome end, ...8 hours ago
- VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on the return of Barnaby JoyceSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Paddy Nixon discuss the week in politics. This week Michelle and Paddy discuss the parliamentary sitting week, which commenced with ...8 hours ago
- 2021: A spatial odyssey with the Wellington City Council
The crucial, controversial plan to determine how Wellington will build and house its future was up for debate yesterday. The Spinoff’s political editor Justin Giovannetti stayed the distance.The sun was spilling through broad windows into the Wellington City Council boardroom on one of those rare winter days in the capital. ...8 hours ago - Australia once rejected ‘feeble-minded’ immigrants. While the language has changed, discriminati...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jan Gothard, Adjunct Associate Professor, Murdoch University Artist: Marcus Fernihough, Author provided “Idiots”, “imbeciles”, the “feeble-minded”, anyone with a “loathsome disease”: all were refused entry into Australia under early migration acts. Today, the language has changed, but the thrust of ...9 hours ago
- The dangers of putting media on the government’s payroll
Accusations by Stuff journalist Andrea Vance that the Prime Minister leads an unusually secretive government don’t tell the whole story about its desire to control information, says Graham Adams. He has taken a closer look at the guidelines for the new $55 million journalism fund in an article ...9 hours ago - Vaping Under Fire Nicely Suits Big Tobacco
Media attacks on vaping suit those who’ve got most to gain – foreign-owned Big Tobacco companies,” says Jonathan Devery – co-owner of the largest Kiwi-owned vape companies, Alt New Zealand and VAPO. Mr Devery’s comments follow an avalanche ...9 hours ago - The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending June 25The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (Faber & Faber, $37)In a recent interview with The Washington ...10 hours ago
- O’Connor (like the Black Caps) will deserve a victory parade if he can secure a trade deal with th...
The government has been beating the drum on the prospects for a free trade deal with the United Kingdom, which it claims is part of the wider work it is undertaking to support New Zealand’s economic recovery from Covid-19. Following Trade Minister Damien O’Connor’s sessions with UK Trade Secretary Truss ...10 hours ago - More older New Zealanders are starting businesses — and they’re motivated by more than just mone...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Judith Davey, Senior Associate, Institute for Governance and Policy Studies , Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington www.shutterstock.com You’re never too old to become your own boss, it seems. All over the world there has been an increase ...10 hours ago
- Hate Speech Laws Will Not Make New Zealand A Safer And More Tolerant SocietyThe Free Speech Union is reacting with concern to the Government's plan to make speech criminal and says the proposals will go no way towards making New Zealand a safer and more tolerant society. The law would change so that a person who intentionally ...10 hours ago
- Hate speech law proposals aim to create a safe and inclusive society – but discrimination is unlik...
The government has declared its intention to make hate speech a Crimes Act offence and to increase the penalties for inciting hatred or discrimination. It has announced a public consultation on proposed changes to the Human Rights Act 1993 “… to strengthen protections against speech that incites hatred and discrimination; ...10 hours ago - Cyber Cold War? The US and Russia talk tough, but only diplomacy will ease the threatSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ahmed Ibrahim, Lecturer (Computing and Security), Edith Cowan University Patrick Semansky/AP Over the past few years, tensions have been rising between Russia and the United States — not in conventional military terms, but in cyberspace. The issue came to a ...11 hours ago
- National's two-year ticking time bomb
On Tuesday morning the Government was under pressure over its dismal attention to a growing mental health crisis. By 10pm the National Party was having its own crisis, booting one of its former leaders out of caucus. There are many questions remaining as to why the National Party caucus threatened ...11 hours ago - Can the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines affect my genetic code?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Archa Fox, Associate Professor and ARC Future Fellow, The University of Western Australia guteksk7/shutterstock.com The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are set to become the mainstay of Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout as the year progresses, according to the latest government projections ...11 hours ago
- New research shows how Indigenous LGBTIQ+ people don’t feel fully accepted by either communitySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Braden Hill, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Edith Cowan University A new Western Australian study, one of the first of its kind, reveals the complex experiences of those living at the intersection of being both Indigenous and part of the LGBTIQ+ community. Two reports ...11 hours ago
- Fiji government must give ‘critical’ covid-19 crisis timeline, says lawyerBy Felix Chaudhary in Suva The Fiji government and other health experts must give the country a covid-19 crisis timeline, says prominent lawyer Richard Naidu. He said they must provide some indication of how bad the pandemic would get and when they believed things would improve. Naidu said this was ...12 hours ago
- Scale of repair work on tornado-hit properties sign of impressive community spirit – PMThe amount of repair work already underway shows the strong community spirit in tornado-hit Papatoetoe, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says. ...12 hours ago
- The Friday Poem: Stroke, by Mary MacphersonA new poem from Wellington poet and photographer Mary Macpherson.Strokesometimes / I read the magnet on the fridge / with the screaming door / skid over the emergency instructions / reaching for sugar / in sticky Perspex / sometimes see the worry clock – really a stethoscope? / it’s lunchtime ...12 hours ago
- PM Jacinda Ardern visits tornado-hit PapatoetoePrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has walked along the streets in Papatoetoe that suffered the worst impact from the tornado that hit the suburb last Saturday morning. ...12 hours ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Winston’s anti-woke path back to powerAnalysis by Bryce Edwards. Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Could a backlash to “woke politics” be the basis for the revival and return of New Zealand First? The Winston Peters-led party held its first post-defeat conference in the weekend, in which the main theme was NZ First’s very clear focus ...13 hours ago
- Attacks On Vaping, Politically TimedAlarmist media stories on vaping are politically timed to inflict the most damage on a practice that’s saving thousands of New Zealanders’ lives, claims a leading Tobacco Harm Reduction advocate. Her comments follow a frontpage nationwide newspaper ...13 hours ago
- Watch live: Jacinda Ardern visits tornado-hit PapatoetoePrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has walked along the streets in Papatoetoe that suffered the worst impact from the tornado that hit the suburb last Saturday morning. ...13 hours ago
- My stars of Matariki are wāhine MāoriWriter Sarah Sparks on feeling inspired by nine stars of Matariki – namely the wāhine Māori that feature on the cover of a new issue of Woman magazine.I would like to imagine that the Matariki cover of Woman magazine, out this week, has set a precedent for the industry. When ...14 hours ago
- We’re hiring: The Spinoff seeks commercial managerThe Spinoff is seeking an experienced commercial manager to join its fast-growing team. The Spinoff is recruiting a commercial manager, who will work closely with The Spinoff editorial and podcast teams to assess commercial partnership opportunities, and with our sister content studio Daylight Creative to bring them to life.Partnerships are integral ...14 hours ago
- Bernard Hickey: A pyrrhic and partial victory in WellingtonLast night Wellington City Council voted for a spatial plan that will allow some intensification of housing, but the problems run much deeper, writes Bernard Hickey. This story was originally published in Bernard Hickey’s email newsletter The Kākā and is republished with permission.The apparent partial defeat of nimby councillors in Wellington’s spatial ...14 hours ago
- Waikeria Riot Inmate Compensation: Slap In The Face For Victims Of CrimeThe announcement that prisoners are now going to ‘receive compensation for a crime that’s been committed’ is a slap in the face for the many thousands of victims of crime who struggle to get a cent of reparation from those very offenders who sit ...15 hours ago
- Covid masks encouraged in all public places, but not mandatory – PMPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern says people in Wellington should wear masks whenever possible, after a Sydney man with Covid-19 visited numerous locations in the capital. ...15 hours ago
- UCG’s Small Business Suppliers To Get Business Services BoostTelecommunications services corporate UCG (Universal Communications Group) is providing a huge boost to its New Zealand Delivery Partner subcontractors by signing them all up as full members of the EMA (Employers and Manufacturers Association NZ) to enable ...15 hours ago
- Back up the dawn raids apology with repeal of racist laws, say Pacific leadersFollowing the government’s decision to make a formal apology for the dawn raids of the 1970s, academics, activists and community leaders have called for it to be followed up with further action. “Dad was an overstayer,” says Alf Filipaina. The Auckland councillor and former cop says his father could have been deported ...15 hours ago
- Hate speech: Govt plans new law, tougher penaltiesHate speech will become a criminal offence and anyone convicted could face harsher punishment, under proposed legislative changes. ...15 hours ago
- _Homo_ who? A new mystery human species has been discovered in IsraelSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Langley, Senior Research Fellow, Griffith University Yossi Zaidner An international group of archaeologists have discovered a missing piece in the story of human evolution. Excavations at the Israeli site of Nesher Ramla have recovered a skull that may represent ...16 hours ago
- We found traces of humanity’s age-old arms race with coronaviruses written in our DNASource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yassine Souilmi, Visiting Investigator, Australian National University NIAID-RML, CC BY-SA A coronavirus may have swept across East Asia more than 20,000 years ago, leaving traces in the DNA of people in modern China, Japan and Vietnam. Our research, published in ...16 hours ago
- We found more than 54,000 viruses in people’s poo — and 92% were previously unknown to scienceSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip Hugenholtz, Professor of Microbiology, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland Shutterstock Research published today in Nature Microbiology has identified 54,118 species of virus living in the human gut — 92% of which were previously unknown. ...16 hours ago
- The sentencing of George Floyd’s killer has lessons for policing in Australia and New Zealand tooSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Mehigan, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Canterbury www.shutterstock.com The imminent sentencing of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the 2020 murder of George Floyd will be closely watched around the world. While the crime happened in the ...16 hours ago
- Australia’s media industry shed 5,000 journalists to survive – what does this mean for those who...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Ricketson, Professor of Communication, Deakin University Lukas Coch/AAP In the 2000s, the internet shredded the media’s business model. The media’s influence fragmented and many employees paid the price. Between 2012 and 2016, thousands of Australian journalists lost their ...16 hours ago
- Novavax is absent from Australia’s 2021 vaccination schedule. But it could be a useful booster lat...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cassandra Berry, Professor of Viral Immunology, Murdoch University Novavax recently released excellent results from phase 3 clinical trials, finding its COVID-19 vaccine demonstrated 90.4% efficacy overall after two doses given three weeks apart. The results, from close to 30,000 people in the ...16 hours ago
- US scheme used by Australian farmers reveals the dangers of trading soil carbon to tackle climate ch...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aaron Simmons, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, University of New England Shutterstock Soil carbon is in the spotlight in Australia. A key plank in the Morrison government’s technology-led emissions reduction policy, it involves changing farming techniques so soils store more carbon ...16 hours ago
- Podcasting overcomes hurdles facing unis to immerse students in the world of workers’ experiencesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mim Fox, Senior Lecturer in Social Work, University of Wollongong Shutterstock Podcasting is helping to revolutionise tertiary education. Universities have found themselves caught between shrinking budgets and an official insistence that they make graduates job-ready. Academics have had to be ...16 hours ago
- COVID has disrupted our big cities, and regional planning has to catch up fastSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Byrne, Professor of Human Geography and Planning, University of Tasmania Blaine O’Neill/Flickr, CC BY-NC Since the 1950s, the world has experienced a sixfold increase in the number of people living in cities. City dwellers now outnumber rural residents globally ...16 hours ago
- Vital Signs: how to halve serious injuries and deaths from teenage driving accidentsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW Shutterstock Teenage drivers are a risky bunch. They are inexperienced and don’t always drive carefully, sometimes with tragic consequences. Various studies indicate 15-30% of teens have an accident in their first year of driving. ...16 hours ago
- Covid-19 forced govt to cut back defence spending – Peeni HenareThe $20 billion spend-up on defence is the latest Covid-19 casualty, with a range of options to scale it down now before the finance minister. ...16 hours ago
- Local VC becomes first in NZ to adopt global diversity pledgeWith much of the investing world still the domain of white males, a New Zealand VC fund has adopted a contractual pledge to bring more Māori and Pasifika into the sector.A New Zealand venture capital fund has become the first of its kind to adopt a BLM-inspired diversity pledge. Hamilton ...16 hours ago
- Live updates, June 25: No new Covid-19 cases, but further location of interest identifiedWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for June 25, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nzWe’re doing our utmost to keep you updated on all the Covid-19 coverage. We can’t do it without the generous support of our members. If you want ...16 hours ago
- Defence spend to reflect Labour values – Peeni HenareThe $20 billion spend-up on defence is the latest Covid-19 casualty, with a range of options to scale it down now before the finance minister. ...17 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Australia’s outbreak and the bubbleGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Australia’s outbreak and the bubble, Wellington council makes changes at punishing spatial plan meeting, and Treasury making noises about big philosophical change on government spending.Over the course of this week, the Covid situation in Australia has started to look increasingly ...17 hours ago
- Women miss out on retirement cash by being risk-averse, report finds
A report on the gender divide finds women are collectively missing out on $750 million at retirement. The report by ASB Bank indicates women have better everyday financial wellbeing than men, as they spend less and save more, despite an average 9 percent gender pay gap. Despite saving more, women have ...17 hours ago - An Insult To Everyday KiwisFirst they gave us only 9 days to make submissions to the Select Committee on changes to the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Bill. In spite of this, 2,434 New Zealanders and Groups had made a submission. The vast majority of these ...18 hours ago
- This week's best-selling books
This week's biggest-selling New Zealand books, as recorded by the Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list and described by Steve Braunias FICTION 1 Bug Week by Airini Beautrais (Victoria University Press, $30) Number one for the sixth consecutive week - a miracle for a collection of short stories. 2 Loop ...18 hours ago - March Of Migrants – Postponed To 10 JulyThe March of Migrants II – Postponed The Covid pandemic has seen the migrants, onshore and offshore, play a significant role as frontline workers, essential workers, and generally being caring members of the team of five million. Therefore, we fully ...18 hours ago
- Rod Oram: Next, sort fishing and the oceans
The Government has massive reforms underway on resource management and three waters - but its next environmental priority should be a new fisheries and oceans policy, writes Rod Oram ...18 hours ago - Long-awaited iwi data released after census failure
After more than two years of waiting, iwi finally have access to current data on their people. However, doubts remain over the next count in 2023. Official data on iwi affiliation is now available, after the botched 2018 census left Māori and iwi organisations empty-handed. The new information, released by ...19 hours ago - Newsroom's daily sudoku, Friday 25 June
...19 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 25 June
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...19 hours ago - Vaccines and our irrational natures
In our search for herd immunity, Nicholas Agar looks at factors making people reluctant to accept safe and effective vaccines, arguing we should focus on modes of delivery less likely to provoke anxieties At the outset of the pandemic, there were fears that finding a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 might turn out to ...19 hours ago - Changing South: Ōamaru: Moving forward by looking back
Ōamaru turned its historic Victorian-era buildings into a major tourist attraction but more recently it has added a retro/futuristic twist by embracing steampunk. Could it now be the steampunk capital of the world? Out of adversity comes ... goggles, airships, watches and waistcoats, brocade and boots. Every June, visitors head down to ...19 hours ago - The day of the vaccine
On Wednesday morning, at the same time as news filtered out of a positive Covid-19 case going on a tiki tour of Wellington, an operation was being executed with military precision at a retirement village in the Auckland suburb of Remuera From 5.30am, a steady trickle of vaccinators, pharmacists and ...19 hours ago - Every pudding in the Edmonds cookbook, cooked and rankedCatherine Woulfe stocks up on white sugar and Granny Smiths and kills pudding for her family forever.“The Edmonds Cookery Book needs no introduction,” says the 1998 edition of the Edmonds Cookery Book, in the introduction.What it does need is a ranking. So turn straight to the Puddings section, where you’ll ...19 hours ago
- Bernard Hickey: How hope for a generation was lostKids born after 2008 into rentals were already hamstrung. Now their hopes for secure, healthy homes for their own whānau and futures are gone. Bernard Hickey explains how the housing market bolted and destroyed the dreams for our youngest people. And why there’s no real prospect our leaders can (or ...19 hours ago
- Lead, arsenic in soil at up to 400 Defence houses
An urgent briefing to the defence minister revealed that up to 20 percent of the military's housing estate could have soil contaminated with lead and other harmful materials. ...19 hours ago - Climate plan just shifts industry overseas while Government grandstands
Minister for Climate Change James Shaw says the Climate Change Commission’s “blueprint” for a net-zero carbon economy pathway is the only game in town. But a net-zero target that ignores imported carbon is conceptually dishonest. And unless ...19 hours ago - Travel bubble worth the disruptions – tourism firms
Tourism companies say bubble has been the "light at the end of the tunnel" ...19 hours ago - Teen swimmer's feel for the water takes her to Tokyo
There's something special about New Zealand's youngest Olympian in Tokyo, teenager Erika Fairweather - both in the water and out. Erika Fairweather has an astute feel for the water; a gift not all swimmers have. “You can’t coach ‘feel’,” says Gary Francis, Swimming New Zealand’s Olympic team manager. He describes the 17-year-old ...19 hours ago - Grattan on Friday: Blowin’ in the wind with BarnabySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison is fond of telling his troops they’re in a boat. On Thursday he said Barnaby Joyce was “a wind in the sails”. Perhaps better described as a gale hitting the craft, ...23 hours ago
- Fiji may be facing heavy covid disaster within month, warns health officialBy Michael Field of The Pacific Newsroom Fiji could face around 600 covid-19 deaths within about eight weeks, and 50,000 active cases, unless decisive government-led action is taken quickly on controlling the epidemic. Diplomatic sources have told Pacific Newsroom that increasing alarm in Australia and New Zealand has prompted their ...1 day ago
- AJF, RSF and other media freedom watchdogs condemn China’s ‘suffocation’ of free pressPacific Media Watch newsdesk Apple Daily has announced its imminent closure in a dark day for Hong Kong’s press freedom and democracy, sparking condemnation by global media freedom watchdogs. The Australian-based Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom, Reporters Without Borders in Paris and the Committee to Protect Journalists were among the watchdogs ...1 day ago
- Cardiac arrests in young people — what causes them and can they be prevented or treated? A heart e...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Orchard, Postdoctoral Fellow, Centenary Institute; and Adjunct Senior Lecturer, University of Sydney Wolfgang Rattay/AP/AAP On June 12, 16,000 spectators at Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium and millions of viewers around the world watched in shock as Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen’s heart ...1 day ago
- Politicians criticising women for ‘outsourcing’ parenting need a reality check. Here it isSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Associate Professor in Sociology and Co-Director of The Policy Lab, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock During a heated exchange in a Coalition party room meeting about childcare subsidies, a male MP stated working women are “outsourcing parenting”. The ...1 day ago
- 'A mark of shame for the profession': Former Russell McVeagh partner guilty of misconduct
A former Russell McVeagh partner has been found guilty of misconduct over accusations of groping summer clerks, in a ruling the legal profession’s disciplinary tribunal says sends a clear message there is “no place for objectification of women or indeed any person” within the law. James Gardner-Hopkins, who can for ...1 day ago - Cramming cities full of electric vehicles means we’re still depending on cars — and that’s a h...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kurt Iveson, Associate Professor of Urban Geography and Research Lead, Sydney Policy Lab, University of Sydney Shutterstock This week, the NSW government announced almost A$500 million towards boosting the uptake of electric vehicles. In its new electric vehicle strategy, the ...1 day ago
- If I could go anywhere: the ‘cathedral’ at Blythburgh that rises from the marshesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Miles Pattenden, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry/Gender and Women’s History Research Centre, Australian Catholic University Shutterstock In this series we pay tribute to the art we wish could visit — and hope to see once travel ...1 day ago
- UNESCO has always been mired in politics and squabbling, but this shouldn’t detract from its workSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Hill, Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts, University of Wollongong Australia’s Great Barrier Reef made the international headlines this week. It was not good news for the reef, described by David Attenborough as “one of the greatest and ...1 day ago
- Business is Boring: How to sell a fast-growing companyScroll Media founder Jane Ormsby joins Simon Pound to talk innovation in the online ad industry and share some tips for selling a business.Follow Business is Boring on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast provider.The internet turned media publishing and advertising upside down, and continues to shake it around. ...1 day ago
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