Posts Tagged ‘nonsense’
Finkelstein on Dame Hodge
Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, August 18th, 2018 - 58 comments
“…if any – if any – of the rules that are now being implemented in the Labour Party have any meaning whatsoever… the first person who should be booted out of the Labour Party is Dame Hodge.” – Finkelstein.
Trans Tasman make fools of themselves with MP “rankings”
Written By: - Date published: 12:11 pm, November 30th, 2015 - 11 comments
There’s a rubbish publication called “Trans Tasman” which gets some attention once a year when it publishes “rankings” of MPs. These rankings are pretty much always blue-tinted nonsense. But this year Trans Tasman have really made fools of themselves…
- Let’s Keep New Zealand A Boofhead-Free-Zone.
Class Act: Watching Jacinda Ardern’s performance on Stephen Colbert’s Late Show, it was striking just how extraordinarily good she can be when the wind is in her sails. While there’s no disputing that her confidence took a pummeling during the inevitable transition from lockdown to living with the Coronavirus, and ...6 hours ago - 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #21
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, May 22, 2022 through Sat, May 28, 2022. The following articles sparked above average interest during the week (bolded articles are from SkS authors): Australia’s rightwing government weaponised climate change – now it has ...10 hours ago - EGU2022 – A personal diary from a science enthusiast perspectiveAfter two years of Corona-induced online meetings in 2020 and 2021, this year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) started on Monday May 23 both on premise in Vienna and online as a hybrid conference. I spent the whole week in Vienna, picking and chosing sessions I was interested in. This blog post ...2 days ago
- Where is the Economy Going?
Budget 2022: What does Treasury think is happening to the economy whose evolution underpins the budget policies?Much policy discussion reminds one of the story of the New Zealand navy ship arriving in a US port who are invited to a game of football by the locals. The day before, the ...2 days ago - Bryce Edwards: : Was the Government’s climate plan watered down by lobbying?
Was last week’s major climate change announcement a case of vested interests getting their way? The sweet deal that agriculture and dairying got from the Green Party Minister for Climate Change certainly struck many as extraordinary. Writing today in the Herald, lobbyist and commentator Matthew Hooton reflects on the Government’s ...2 days ago - Gordon Campbell on the panic in the Pacific over China
For years, it has been no secret that China wants closer security and trade ties with the small nations of the Pacific region. All part of Beijing’s self-image as a global superpower. To that end this week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi embarked on an unprecedented 10-day tour of the ...2 days ago - Is OIA handling under-resourced?
One of the most common excuses for OIA failures is under-resourcing. Government agencies sometimes claim that don't have the staff or the time to properly obey the law. Which might have worked as an excuse briefly when the OIA was new, but its been the law now for 40 years, ...2 days ago - Diagnosing Our Malady.“The people, united, will never be defeated!” That is as true today as it was in 1793 when the French revolutionary government pioneered the Levée en masse – the mobilisation of the whole nation to resist the invader. And it still works.FROM WHENCE ARISES our malady? This bewilderment at the present. This ...2 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #21 2022Good news for methane, bad news for us A cloudless sky on a sunny day looks featureless and inactive to our eyes. In reality, invisible to us a perfect frenzy of chemistry is happening in the daytime sky. For people interested in tracking the life history of a given compound ...3 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Major shakeup of electoral rules could be comingGet ready for a big debate on how to improve democracy in New Zealand. On Tuesday, Justice Minister Kris Faafoi announced the review panel that will oversee a once-in-a-generation overhaul of electoral rules, including how political parties are funded. The announcement contained details of some significant changes to elections and ...3 days ago
- New study offers a glimmer of hope for climate solutions successThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The vast majority of climate modeling studies treat human behavior as an external, unpredictable factor. They have projected how the climate would change in a variety of possible greenhouse gas emissions pathways, but have not evaluated the likelihood of those pathways. That approach ...3 days ago
- Climate Change: Cut methane nowWhen the government passed the Zero Carbon Act in 2019, it established a "split gas" target, with separate budgets for carbon dioxide and methane. The logic here was that farmers were a powerful lobby group the government didn't want to annoy methane was a short-lived gas, so we should focus ...4 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the criminalising of rap musicFor black youth in America, there can be only three ways out of the ghetto: athletics, music or drug dealing. And for every individual who succeeds in making it out, dozens more attach themselves to their celebrity crews in order to bask in the reflected glory, and partake of the ...4 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Grant Robertson’s “sweet moderation”Grant Robertson is a big fan of British socialist folk-punk singer Billy Bragg. The finance minister even wrote an opinion column last year that started and ended with lyrics from Bragg’s iconic song “Between the Wars”, with its key line “Sweet moderation; Heart of this nation”. Robertson titled his column, ...4 days ago
- Marama Fox on the Māori presence at the recent parliamentary protests
A Free Speech Union conversation Free Speech Union spokesperson Dane Giraud speaks to former Māori Party co-leader Marama Fox about the Māori presence at the recent parliamentary protests. Marama (who would be briefly trespassed by Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard) spent a number of days on the ground and ...5 days ago - Does the group think?
Nina Power discusses the collective political subject – what does it mean? She poses questions such as does a crowd think? Does a mob think or does it just act? What does it mean when we bring a group together to discuss something? Discussing the concept of the autonomous individual ...5 days ago - What about those Russian neo-Nazis?
Some defenders of Ukrainian neo-Nazis claim Nashi is a Russian neo-Nazi group or at least links the Kremlin to a neo-Nazi subculture. Image credit: Wikipedia Moving on in my critique of the article mentioned in the first post of this series (see Confusion about ...5 days ago- Neo-Nazis in Ukraine – stages of denial
6 days ago- The Impact of the Jackson Movies on Tolkien Fandom: The Silmarillion Writers Guild
Dawn Felagund over at The Silmarillion Writers Guild has been putting together an interesting look at the ways in which Tolkien fandom changed as a result of the Peter Jackson movies. In addition to the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey, she has been getting direct feedback from fans who were around ...6 days ago- The Australian election
Australia went to the polls on Saturday, and while the preferences are still being counted, clearly voted for a change of government. Unfortunately, this being Australia, this meant swapping one coal-loving, refugee-hating racist for another. Which is perhaps why Labor's primary vote share decreased this election, with voters instead turning ...6 days ago- Gordon Campbell on the lessons from Australia’s election
Australia’s new PM Anthony Albanese faces an obvious dilemma, barely before he gets his feet under the desk. Australia is the world’s leading exporter of coal. Will the new Labor government prioritise the jobs for Queensland/NSW workers in its mining-dependent communities – or will Labor start to get serious about ...6 days ago- Out! Morrison Is Bowled.
From Public Housing To The Lodge: Anthony Albanese wins the Australian Federal Election, bringing the career of Scott Morrison and his boofhead Coalition government to an end. The defeat of the boofheads was the victory Australia had to have.CRIKEY! Those Aussies are pissed-off. To appreciate just how pissed-off they are ...6 days ago- Geoffrey Miller: Albanese’s Australian election victory and Biden’s trip to Asia set the scene f...
Jacinda Ardern’s trip to the United States this week has been months in the making. A stop in Washington DC is already locked in, but the Prime Minister’s recent positive test for Covid-19 has delayed the official announcement of a meeting with President Joe Biden. Reports now suggest Ardern is ...6 days ago- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #20
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, May 15, 2022 through Sat, May 21, 2022. The following articles sparked above average interest during the week (bolded articles are from SkS authors): Bad news for the 2022 hurricane season: The Loop Current, ...7 days ago- Confusion about neo-Nazis in Ukraine-Russia war
This post is a response to a request from Peter Baillie. I don’t know him from Adam and I suspect he was attempting sarcasm but I offered to give him a response. I would welcome any comments or discussion he could add – but that is up to him. ...1 week ago- Of Budgets and Borrowing: A Reply to Chris Trotter
In the wake of an otherwise unremarkable New Zealand Budget, I was not expecting to supply much in the way of political commentary. Why would I? The most notable aspect was Grant Robertson throwing a one-off $350 at anyone who earns less than $70,000 a year and who doesn’t ...1 week ago- Ukraine, Solomon Islands, and Palestine: what are we are missing? (5/rima)
Finland, Sweden, Novorossiya, and Incorrect AnalysesSince Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Putin has made much of NATO's supposed expansion to the east. As I wrote on 1 April:Much has been made of Putin's apparent anger that Ukraine was on the verge of joining NATO.However, this has been over-stated by both Western ...1 week ago- An Exercise In Basic Accountancy.
1 week ago- Blah Blah Blah – Is That All There Is?
Speaking Truth To Power: Greta Thunberg argues that the fine sounding phrases of well-meaning politicians changes nothing. The promises made, the targets set – and then re-set – are all too familiar to the younger generations she has encouraged to pay attention. They have heard it all before. Accordingly, she ...1 week ago- Breaking Through Twitter's Spiral of Silence with the #ClimateDaily Pledge
The Spiral of Silence Problem As climate communicator John Cook cleverly illustrates below, a big obstacle to raising awareness about climate change is the "spiral of silence," a reluctance to talk about it. There are many reasons for this reluctance we can speculate about. Perhaps people don't want to be ...1 week ago- Improving Taxing Income
The informed discussion on the next steps in tax policy is about improving the income tax base, not about taxing wealth directly.David Parker, the Minister for Inland Revenue, gave a clear indication that his talk on tax was to be ‘pointy-headed’ by choosing a university venue for his presentation. As ...1 week ago- A WTF moment in Samoa
In a democracy, laws are made by elected politicians. But apparently not in Samoa, where a highly controversial law was changed unilaterally by an HRPP cabal after it had been passed and signed: A parliamentary inquiry into anomalies discovered in constitutional amendments linked to the operations of the Land ...1 week ago- Not very proactive II
A couple of weeks ago, Newsroom reported that the government was failing to meet its proactive release obligations, with Ministers releasing less than a quarter of cabinet papers and in many cases failing to keep records. But Chris Hipkins was already on the case, and in a recent cabinet paper ...1 week ago- Media v. Government?
Why are the New Zealand media so hostile to the government – not just this government, but any government? The media I have in mind are not NZME-owned outlets like the Herald or Newstalk ZB, whose bias is overtly political and directed at getting rid of the current Labour government. ...1 week ago- The urgent need for a Covid-19 Action Plan for Schools in Aotearoa New Zealand
Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Prof Michael Baker, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Lucy Telfar Barnard, Dr Andrew Dickson, Dr Julie Bennett, Carmen Timu-Parata, Prof Nick Wilson Kvalsvig A, Baker M, Summers J, Telfar Barnard L, Dickson A, Bennett J, Timu-Parata C, Wilson N. The urgent need for a Covid-19 Action Plan for ...1 week ago- Media Link: ” A View from Afar” podcast on post-conflict regional security architecture.
In this week’s “A View from Afar” podcast Selwyn Manning and I speculate on how the Ruso-Ukrainian War will shape future regional security dynamics. We start with NATO and work our way East to the Northern Pacific. It is not comprehensive but we outline some potential ramifications with regard to ...1 week ago- Gordon Campbell on Budget 2022
At base, the political biffo back and forth on the merits of Budget 2022 comes down to only one thing. Who is the better manager of the economy and better steward of social wellbeing – National or Labour? In its own quiet way, the Treasury has buried a fascinating answer ...1 week ago- Hot air to fill Labour’s sails
by Don Franks Poverty in New Zealand today has new ugly features. Adequate housing is beyond the reach of thousands. More and more people full time workers must beg food parcels from charities. Having no attainable prospects, young people lash out and steal. A response to poverty from The Daily ...1 week ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #20 2022
Drought: the past is no longer prologue Drought management in the United States (and elsewhere) is highly informed by events of the past, employing records extending 60 years or longer in order to plan for and cope with newly emerging meterorological water deficits. Water resource managers and agricultural concerns use ...1 week ago- A wasted opportunity
The government announced its budget today, with Finance Minister Grant Robertson giving the usual long speech about how much money they're spending. The big stuff was climate change and health, with the former being pre-announced, and most of the latter being writing off DHB's entirely fictional "debt" to the the ...1 week ago- Bryce Edwards: A Conservative Budget for volatile times
Finance Minister Grant Robertson has delivered a Budget that will many asking “Is that all there is?” There is a myriad of initiatives and there is increased spending, but strangely it doesn’t really add up to much at all for those hoping for a more traditional Labour-style Budget. The headline ...1 week ago- Cook Islands PM approves of corruption
Last year, Cook Islands Deputy Prime Minister Robert Tapaitau stood down as a minister after being charged with conspiracy to defraud after an investigation into corruption in Infrastructure Cook Islands and the National Environment Service. He hasn't been tried yet, but this week he has been reinstated: The seven-month ...1 week ago- Drawn
A ballot for three member's bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Repeal of Good Friday and Easter Sunday as Restricted Trading Days (Shop Trading and Sale of Alcohol) Amendment Bill (Chris Baillie) Electoral (Strengthening Democracy) Amendment Bill (Golriz Ghahraman) Increased Penalties for ...1 week ago- Budget Morning.
No Jesus Here.She rises, unrested, and stepsOnto the narrow balconyTo find the day. To greetThe Sunday God she sings to.But this morning His face is clouded.Grey and wet as a corpseWashed by tears.Behind her, in the tangled bedding,the children bicker and whine.Worrying the cheap furnitureLike hungry puppies.They clutch at her ...1 week ago- EGU22 – Cranky Uncle is going to Vienna!
After two years of Corona-induced online meetings in 2020 and 2021, this year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) will take place as a hybrid conference in both Vienna and online from May 23 to 27. To take hybrid and necessary hygiene restrictions into account, there (unfortunately) will be no ...2 weeks ago- Matariki – Te whetū tapu o te taū
“Māori star lore was, and still remains, a blending together of both astronomy and astrology, and while there is undoubtedly robust science within the Māori study of the night sky, the spiritual component has always been of equal importance” writes Professor Rangi Matamua in his book Matariki – Te whetū tapu ...2 weeks ago- Gordon Campbell on the Australian election toss-up
The foibles of the Aussie electoral system are pretty well-known. The Lucky Country doesn’t have proportional representation. Voting for everyone over 18 is compulsory, but within a preferential system. This means that in the relatively few key seats that decide the final result, it can be the voters’ second, third ...2 weeks ago- Member’s Day: Finally, some first readings
Today is a Member's Day, and finally we are getting some first readings. First, though, the House has to complete the third reading of Tangi Utikere's Local Government (Pecuniary Interests Register) Amendment Bill. After that, it will finish the first reading debate on Tāmati Coffey's Improving Arrangements for Surrogacy Bill. ...2 weeks ago- The kids are not OK
Julia Steinberger is an ecological economist at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. She first posted this piece at Medium.com, and it was reposted on Yale Climate Connections with her permission. Today I went to give a climate talk at my old high school in Geneva – and was given a ...2 weeks ago- Government funding of interpreters in Primary Care is needed to ensure quality care
A/Prof Ben Gray* Gray B. Government funding of interpreters in Primary Care is needed to ensure quality care. Public Health Expert Blog.17 May 2022. The pandemic has highlighted many problems in the NZ health system. This blog will address the question of availability of interpreters for people with limited English ...2 weeks ago- Media ramming crime down our throats?
Remember all the endless whinge stories during the last two years, from whining business lobbyists to opportunistic Opposition politicians to tourist town mayors hysterical that our closed borders were hurting tourist profitability? Remember all the demands for "certainty"? To open up before most New Zealanders were vaccinated? To close down ...2 weeks ago- To Be in Arda Or Not To Be in Arda: Surveying Suicide in Tolkien
I have suggested previously that sometimes Tolkien’s writer-instincts get the better of him. Sometimes he departs from his own cherished metaphysics, in favour of the demands of story – and I dare say, that is a good thing. Laws and Customs of the Eldar might be an interesting insight ...2 weeks ago- Climate Change: “Corporate welfare”
One of the key planks of yesterday's Emissions Reduction Plan is a $650 million fund to help decarbonise industry by subsidising replacement of dirty technologies with clean ones. But National leader Chris Luxon derides this as "corporate welfare". Which probably sounds great to the business ideologues in the Koru club. ...2 weeks ago- Describing The Katipo.
2 weeks ago- The Truth Prevails.
“The truth prevails, but it’s a chore.” – Jan Masaryk: The intensification of ideological pressures is bearable for only so-long before ordinary men and women reassert the virtues of tolerance and common sense.ON 10 MARCH 1948, Jan Masaryk, the Foreign Minister of Czechoslovakia, was found dead below his bathroom window. ...2 weeks ago- Gordon Campbell on the Emissions Reduction Plan non-event
Clearly, the attempt to take the politics out of climate change has itself been a political decision, and one meant to remove much of the heat from the global warming issue before next year’s election. What we got from yesterday’s $2.9 billion Emissions Reduction Plan was a largely aspirational multi-party ...2 weeks ago- The woke misrepresentation of Māori culture
Michelle Uriarau (Mana Wāhine Kōrero) talks to Dane Giraud of the Free Speech Union LISTEN HERE Michelle Uriarau is a founding member of Mana Wāhine Kōrero – an advocacy group of and for Māori women who took strong positions against the ‘Self ID’ and ‘Conversion Practises Bills’. One of the ...2 weeks ago- Climate Change: Craven, status quo policy
The government released its Emissions Reduction Plan today. The plan is required under the Zero Carbon Act and must specify how exactly the government plans to meet its carbon budget (which was announced last week). Which means they need to find another 11.5 million tons of reductions by 2025 - ...2 weeks ago- Where’s the Self-Respect?
If we needed any confirmation, we have it in spades in today’s edition of the Herald; our supposedly leading daily newspaper is determined to do what it can to decide the outcome of the next election – to act, that is, not as a newspaper but as the mouthpiece for ...2 weeks ago- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #19
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, May 8, 2022 through Sat, May 14, 2022. The following articles sparked above average interest during the week (bolded articles are from SkS authors): The secret world beneath our feet is mind-blowing – and ...2 weeks ago- Who's a snowflake now?
Sean Plunkett, founding editor of the new media outlet, The Platform, was interviewed on RNZ's highly regarded flagship programme "Mediawatch".Mr Plunkett has made much about "cancel culture" and "de-platforming". On his website promoting The Platform, he outlines his mission statement thusly:The Platform is for everyone; we’re not into cancelling or ...2 weeks ago- History Lessons.
“That’s a C- for History, Kelvin!” While it is certainly understandable that Māori-Crown Relations Minister Kelvin Davis was not anxious to castigate every Pakeha member of the House of Representatives for the crimes committed against his people by their ancestors; crimes from which his Labour colleagues continue to draw enormous benefits; the ...2 weeks ago- Bryce Edwards: What happened to the big “immigration reset”?
The Government promised a major reform of New Zealand’s immigration system, but when it was announced this week, many asked “is that it?” Over the last two years Covid has turned the immigration tap off, and the Government argued this produced the perfect opportunity to reassess decades of “unbalanced immigration”. ...2 weeks ago- New Rules for Government Budget Management
While the new fiscal rules may not be contentious, what they mean for macroeconomic management is not explained.In a pre-budget speech on 3 May 2022, the Minister of Finance, Grant Robertson, made some policy announcements which will frame both this budget and future ones. (The Treasury advice underpinning them is ...2 weeks ago- Our unrepresentative parliament
Under MMP, Parliament was meant to look like New Zealand. And, in a lot of ways, it does now, with better representation for Māori, tangata moana, women, and the rainbow community replacing the old dictatorship of dead white males. But there's one area where "our" parliament remains completely unrepresentative: housing: ...2 weeks ago- Stats NZ’s contempt for privacy, transparency, democracy, and parliament
The Governance and Administration Committee reported back on the Data and Statistics Bill on Monday. The bill ought to have been boring, but Stats NZ's move to a "collect it all" posture indistinguishable from that of the NSA, combined with enhanced secrecy, caused significant concerns from the Privacy Commissioner, Ombudsman, ...2 weeks ago- Struggling Upwards For America’s Soul.
Justice Denied: At the heart of the “Pro-Life” cause was something much darker than conservative religious dogma, or even the oppressive designs of “The Patriarchy”. The enduring motivation – which dares not declare itself openly – is the paranoid conviction of male white supremacists that if “their” women are given ...2 weeks ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #19 2022
In case of emergency break glass— but glass can cut Fire extinguishers, safety belts, first aid kits, insurance policies, geoengineering: we never enjoy using them. But given our demonstrated, deep empirical record of proclivity for creating hazards and risk we'd obviously be foolish not to include emergency responses in our inventory. ...2 weeks ago- Climate Change: Betting on disaster
Last year, the International Energy Agency warned us that the world needed to cease all new fossil fuel development immediately if we wanted to reach net-zero by 2050. It was a call repeated this year by the UN Secretary General, who called new fossil fuel investment "moral and economic madness". ...2 weeks ago- Media Link: “A View from Afar” podcast returns.
After a brief hiatus, the “A View from Afar” podcast is back on air with Selwyn Manning leading the Q&A with me. This week is a grab bag of topics: Russian V-Day celebrations, Asian and European elections, and the impact of the PRC-Solomon Islands on the regional strategic balance. Plus ...2 weeks ago- No freedom of speech in Vanuatu
Last year, Vanuatu passed a "cyber-libel" law. And predictably, its first targets are those trying to hold the government to account: A police crackdown in Vanuatu that has seen people arrested for allegedly posting comments on social media speculating politicians were responsible for the country’s current Covid outbreak has ...2 weeks ago- Bryce Edwards: How long until National wants Simon Bridges back?
Could it be a case of not appreciating what you’ve got until it’s gone? The National Party lost Simon Bridges last week, which has reinforced the notion that the party still has some serious deficits of talent and diversity. The major factor in Bridges’ decision to leave was his failed ...2 weeks ago- Getting On With Co-Governance – Without Debate.
Who’s Missing From This Picture? The re-birth of the co-governance concept cannot be attributed to the institutions of Pakeha rule, at least, not in the sense that the massive constitutional revisions it entails have been presented to and endorsed by the House of Representatives, and then ratified by the citizens of New ...2 weeks ago- Gordon Campbell on Rabuka’s possible return in Fiji
Fiji signed onto China’s Belt and Road initiative in 2018, along with a separate agreement on economic co-operation and aid. Yet it took the recent security deal between China and the Solomon Islands to get the belated attention of the US and its helpmates in Canberra and Wellington, and the ...2 weeks ago- Why a tool for reversing Trump era rules is seldom used
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Lexi Smith and Bud Ward “CRA” It’s one of those acronyms even many-a-veteran environmental policy geek may not recognize. Amidst the scores and scores of acronyms in the field – CERCLA, IPCC, SARA, LUST, NPDES, NDCs, FIFRA, NEPA and scores more – ...2 weeks ago - Neo-Nazis in Ukraine – stages of denial
- Labour hits the road with Budget 2022
There’s lots in this year’s Budget, from a cost of living package designed to ease pressure on New Zealanders in the face of global inflation, to a record investment in health for more nurses and more lifesaving medicines. Labour MPs have been all over the country this week to share ...1 day ago - Stewardship land recommendations fall short of protecting nature
The proposed reclassification of stewardship land on the West Coast doesn’t go far enough to protect nature and the area’s spectacular landscapes, plants and wildlife, the Green Party says. ...2 days ago - Protecting Kiwi businesses against ram raidsWe’ve worked hard to make sure our communities are safer places for everyone to live. Since taking office in 2017, we’ve delivered New Zealand’s largest Police force ever, taken action on gang violence, and extended successful rehabilitation programmes to break the cycle of offending. We have seen a significant reduction ...3 days ago
- Inquiry into COVID-19 economic response necessaryThe Green Party is again calling on the Government to review the economic response to COVID-19, as the Reserve Bank of New Zealand puts up the Official Cash Rate today to 2 percent. ...4 days ago
- Green Party urges Labour to support electoral reform member’s bill despite reviewThe Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand is welcoming the Government’s latest step toward electoral reform, which begins to fulfil an important part of the Co-operation Agreement between the two parties. ...5 days ago
- Schools need COVID-19 plan for winterThe Green Party is calling for a Government COVID-19 Action Plan for schools, following expert advice about a possible winter COVID-19 peak. ...5 days ago
- Green Party urges Labour to provide support to those who need it mostThe Green Party is calling on Labour to expand the temporary cost of living payment to those most in need. ...1 week ago
- Budget 2020: James Shaw Budget SpeechCHECK AGAINST DELIVERY Mr Speaker, It has taken four-and-a-half years to even start to turn the legacy of inaction and neglect from the last time they were in Government together. And we have a long journey in front of us! ...1 week ago
- Greens MP Dr Elizabeth Kerekere says wins for health not enough for Māori or RainbowToday Greens Te Mātāwaka Chair and Health Spokesperson, Dr Elizabeth Kerekere, said “The Greens have long campaigned for an independent Māori Health Authority and pathways for Takatāpui and Rainbow healthcare. “We welcome the substantial funding going into the new health system, Pae Ora, particularly for the Māori Health Authority, Iwi-Partnership ...1 week ago
- Budget 2022: Greens call for urgency with nature-first climate investmentsBudget 2022 shows progress on conservation commitments in the Green Party’s cooperation agreement Green Party achievements in the last Government continue to drive investment in nature protection Urgent action needed on nature-based solutions to climate change Future budget decisions must reflect the role nature plays in helping reduce emissions ...1 week ago
- Budget 2022: Greens celebrate landmark investment in climate actionLandmark week for climate action concludes with climate budget Largest ever investment in climate action one of many Green Party wins throughout Budget 2022 Budget 2022 delivers progress on every part of the cooperation agreement with Labour Budget 2022 is a climate budget that caps a landmark week ...1 week ago
- Budget 2022: Govt must build on half price fare extension and make public transport freeGreen Party welcomes extension to half price fares Permanent half price fares for Community Services Card holders includes many students, which helps implement a Green Party policy Work to reduce public transport fares for Community Services Card holders started by Greens in the last Government Budget 2022 should be ...1 week ago
- Budget 2022: Greens welcome winter energy support and funding for community energyNew cost of living payment closely aligned to Green Party policy to expand the Winter Energy Payment Extension and improvement of Warmer Kiwi Homes builds on Green Party progress in Government Community energy fund welcomed The Green Party welcomes the investment in Budget 2022 to expand Warmer Kiwi ...1 week ago
- Budget 2022: Greens welcome support to address youth homelessnessBudget 2022 support to reduce homelessness delivers on the Green Party’s cooperation agreement Bespoke support for rangatahi with higher, more complex needs The Green Party welcomes the additional investment in Budget 2022 for kaupapa Māori support services, homelessness outreach services, the expansion of transitional housing, and a new ...1 week ago
- Green Party PR – Budget 2022: Greens call for greater ambition to address inequality crisisGreen Party reaffirms call for liveable incomes and wealth tax Calls on Government to cancel debt owed to MSD for hardship assistance such as benefit advances, and for over-payments The Green Party welcomes the support for people on low incomes Budget 2022 but says more must be done ...1 week ago
- Extra support with the cost of livingAt the heart of this year’s Budget is our cost of living package, designed to ease the pressure on New Zealanders in the face of global inflation. ...1 week ago
- 13 highlights of Budget 2022Our Government has just released this year’s Budget, which sets out the next steps in our plan to build a high wage, low carbon economy that gives economic security in good times and in bad. It’s full of initiatives that speed up our economic recovery and ease cost pressures for ...1 week ago
- Strengthening Democracy Bill pulled from biscuit tinA stronger democracy is on the horizon, as Golriz Ghahraman’s Electoral (Strengthening Democracy) Amendment Bill was pulled from the biscuit tin today. ...1 week ago
- What to expect in Budget 2022Tomorrow, the Government will release this year’s Budget, setting out the next steps in our plan to build a high wage, low carbon economy that gives economic security in good times and in bad. While the full details will be kept under wraps until Thursday afternoon, we’ve announced a few ...2 weeks ago
- Next steps in our plan to address climate changeAs a Government, we made it clear to New Zealanders that we’d take meaningful action on climate change, and that’s exactly what we’ve done. Earlier today, we released our next steps with our Emissions Reduction Plan – which will meet the Climate Commission’s independent science-based emissions reduction targets, and new ...2 weeks ago
- Landmark climate plan secures path to net zeroEmissions Reduction Plan prepares New Zealand for the future, ensuring country is on track to meet first emissions budget, securing jobs, and unlocking new investment ...2 weeks ago
- Supercharging decarbonisation & transforming the energy system...2 weeks ago
- Pasifika communities must be part of immigration rebalanceThe Greens are calling for the Government to reconsider the immigration reset so that it better reflects our relationship with our Pacific neighbours. ...2 weeks ago
- More support for Alcohol Harm Minimisation BillHamilton City Council and Whanganui District Council have both joined a growing list of Local Authorities to pass a motion in support of Green Party Drug Reform Spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick’s Members’ bill to minimise alcohol harm. ...2 weeks ago
- The next steps in our plan to speed up New Zealand’s economic growthToday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a major package of reforms to address the immediate skill shortages in New Zealand and speed up our economic growth. These include an early reopening to the world, a major milestone for international education, and a simplification of immigration settings to ensure New Zealand ...3 weeks ago
- Immigration reset entrenches discrimination towards low-waged migrantsProposed immigration changes by the Government fail to guarantee pathways to residency to workers in the types of jobs deemed essential throughout the pandemic, by prioritising high income earners - instead of focusing on the wellbeing of workers and enabling migrants to put down roots. ...3 weeks ago
- Green Party supports nurses’ ERA decisionThe Green Party supports nurses’ continued push for pay equity and calls on the Government to deliver the back pay they had expected. ...3 weeks ago
- Budget 2022 Speech: Investing to eliminate violence in our homes and communitiesEhara taku toa i te toa takatahi, engari taku toa he toa takimano – my strength is not mine alone but the strength of many (working together to ensure safe, caring respectful responses). We are striving for change. We want all people in Aotearoa New Zealand thriving; their wellbeing enhanced ...3 weeks ago
- It’s the year of Samoa in the Pacific
Samoan language week will be even more important this year as Samoa celebrates 60 years of independence, Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio said. “This is the year of Samoa in the Pacific and we begin this week in Aotearoa with the celebration of ‘Le Vaiaso o le Gagana ...10 hours ago - NZ and California sign international climate partnershipNew Zealand and California have signed a cooperation deal on climate change, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced in San Francisco today. The Memorandum of Cooperation, signed during a meeting with California Governor Gavin Newsom, will facilitate the sharing of information, experiences and research in reducing emissions as well as working ...1 day ago
- Boost for Māori Landowners: Te Ringa Hāpai Whenua FundInvesting in whenua Māori will help whānau, hapū and iwi create income opportunities and drive economic security in Aotearoa, Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson said. The Government is investing $10 million to boost Māori landowners to realise their aspirations for their whenua. “This investment in whenua Māori delivers on ...2 days ago
- Public feedback sought on proposed land classifications for the West CoastAn independent assessment of stewardship land on the West Coast has delivered recommendations for revised land classifications, Minister of Conservation Kiri Allan says. Stewardship land is the term given for land that was allocated to DOC when it was formed in 1987, but had yet to be given a specific ...2 days ago
- New funding for protecting and enabling mātauranga MāoriInvesting in protecting mātauranga Māori and tāonga will unlock significant economic and cultural benefits for Aotearoa, Associate Minister for Māori Development Nanaia Mahuta announced today. Te Pae Tawhiti programme which supports research and innovation in the Maori economy is getting a further $27.6 million investment over the next four years. ...2 days ago
- Budget 2022 invests $30 million into Māori provider developmentMāori primary and community care providers will be supported to lift their capability, capacity, and service sustainability through a $30 million investment from Budget 2022, Associate Minister of Health Peeni Henare announced today while visiting Mahitahi Hauora in Whangārei. “Māori providers play a critical role in our response to COVID-19, ...2 days ago
- Second COVID-19 vaccine booster for the most vulnerableSecond COVID-19 booster recommended for the most vulnerable 6 months after first booster Several hundred thousand people will be eligible Legislative change to enable rollout from mid-June People who are at high-risk of getting very sick from a COVID-19 infection will soon be eligible to receive a second booster, ...2 days ago
- Harvard Commencement Speech – Democracy, disinformation and kindnessE oku manukura, nga pou haemata o te ngahere. e Piko o Te Mahuri, tera te tipu o te rakau. E tipu, e rea, ka puta, ka ora. Tena koutou katoa. President Bacow, Provost Garber, Governing Boards and deans, And most importantly, graduates. In Te Reo Māori, the ...3 days ago
- Government investment delivers a safer connection through South AucklandThe Franklin community have a safer journey to work, school and into Auckland with the construction of Glenbrook Roundabout on State Highway 22. Minister of Transport, Michael Wood, attended an event today that marked the completion of the last major milestone of the project. The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s ...3 days ago
- Further support for eating disorder servicesPeople battling with eating disorders can expect more support being available with additional funding allocated. In addition to the $15.5 million spent each year, $3.9 million in extra funding over four years has been secured as part of Budget 2022. “This will help increase the capacity of eating disorder services ...3 days ago
- New workforce frameworks support improved responses to family violenceNew workforce frameworks launched today will make an important difference to people impacted by family violence by strengthening responses and ensuring services support people’s safety, and long-term healing and wellbeing. “People have long been asking for workforces capable of providing safe, consistent, and effective responses to family violence, in ways ...3 days ago
- Govt helps protect shops from ram raidsThe Government is providing further support to help Police protect small businesses affected by a spike in ram raids, Minister of Police Poto Williams says. $6 million from the Proceeds of Crime Fund will be invested in a crime prevention programme to be managed by Police which will include solutions ...3 days ago
- New Matariki resources available for schools and kuraAssociate Minister of Education (Māori) Kelvin Davis has today announced 51 education resources that will help bring Mātauranga Māori to life. “Matariki is our first uniquely te ao Māori public holiday and is a time for us to remember the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future. Matariki ...3 days ago
- Government investing in warm, dry classrooms and new schools and kuraBudget 2022 has taken capital investment in school property under this Government to $3.6 billion since 2018, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “A further $777m in capital investment means new schools and kura, more classrooms, and includes $219m in capital funding that will go directly to schools over the ...3 days ago
- Budget 2022 funding to lower the starting age for bowel screening for Māori and Pacific peoples60,000 more people to receive screening each year. Over $36 million across four years to shift the starting age for bowel screening from 60 years old to 50 years old for Māori and Pacific people. Associate Ministers of Health Peeni Henare and Aupito William Sio say Budget 2022 will ...3 days ago
- Budget 2022 delivers new investment in our Māori and Pacific health workforceBudget 2022 will deliver 1900 new health workers and will support 2700 more students into training programmes through a $76 million investment to continue to grow the health workforce for our Māori and Pacific communities, Associate Ministers of Health Peeni Henare and Aupito William Sio announced today. “This Budget specifically ...3 days ago
- Startup Advisors Council appointedThe Government has appointed a Startup Advisors’ Council to help identify and address the opportunities and challenges facing high growth start-up businesses, Research, Science, and Innovation Minister Megan Woods, and Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash have announced. “Startups are major contributors to the knowledge and innovation that we ...3 days ago
- Government targets innovation-led growth to turbo-charge business potentialHundreds of New Zealand companies are set to benefit from the launch of two new grants aimed at fuelling firms that want to innovate, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods says. “This $250 million investment over the next four years is a sign of my commitment to some of ...3 days ago
- Budget 2022 bolsters legal aid, ensures continued access to justiceNew Zealand’s legal aid scheme will be significantly strengthened with further investment from Budget 2022, Minister of Justice Kris Faafoi announced today. “Budget 2022 will help around 93,000 more people be eligible for legal aid from January 2023, fulfilling our election promise to make improvements to our court system so ...3 days ago
- Positioning the Māori media sector for the futureInvesting in the Māori media sector over the next two years will support the industry while it transitions to a new public media environment, Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson announced today. “By capturing and sharing local stories and innovative Māori content with New Zealand audiences, across a range of ...3 days ago
- Rollout of cameras on fishing vessels to beginThe Government has today confirmed key details of the nationwide rollout of cameras on commercial fishing vessels. Up to 300 inshore fishing vessels will be fitted with the technology by the end of 2024, providing independent, accurate information about fishing activity and better evidence for decision-making,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...4 days ago
- Speech for TRENZ Hui 2022: “Ready to Welcome”It is my pleasure to be here at TRENZ 2022. This is an event that continues to facilitate connection, collaboration and engagement between our businesses and key overseas markets. The conversations that happen here will play a crucial role in shaping New Zealand’s tourism recovery. That’s why TRENZ remains such ...4 days ago
- Boosting the Māori economy through Progressive ProcurementMāori businesses will play a vital role to help lift whānau Māori aspirations and dreams for a better life, while reinforcing New Zealand’s economic security. A successful Progressive Procurement initiative to diversify government spend on goods and services and increase Māori business engagement with government procurement is getting a further ...4 days ago
- Continuing to improve Māori employment outcomes through CadetshipsThe continued Budget 22 investment into the Cadetship programmes will ensure Māori thrive in the labour market, Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson announced today. The Government will invest $25 million into the Cadetships programme, delivered by Te Puni Kōkiri. As the whole world struggles with rising inflation, the Government’s ...4 days ago
- NZ committed to enduring partnership with Solomon IslandsForeign Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Minister of Defence Peeni Henare today announced the extension of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) deployment to Solomon Islands, as part of the Pacific-led Solomon Islands International Assistance Force (SIAF). “Aotearoa New Zealand and Solomon Islands have an enduring and long-standing partnership,” Nanaia Mahuta said. ...4 days ago
- NZ commits to enduring partnership with Solomon IslandsForeign Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Minister of Defence Peeni Henare today announced the extension of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) deployment to Solomon Islands, as part of the Pacific-led Solomon Islands International Assistance Force (SIAF). “Aotearoa New Zealand and Solomon Islands have an enduring and long-standing partnership,” Nanaia Mahuta said. ...4 days ago
- New Zealand Country Statement to the Seventy-fifth World Health Assembly, GenevaDirector-General, esteemed fellow Ministers, and colleagues, tēnā koutou katoa. Greetings to all. Aotearoa New Zealand is alarmed at the catastrophic and complex health crisis evolving in Ukraine. We reiterate our call for an immediate end to Russian hostilities against Ukraine. Chair, this 75th Session of the World Health Assembly comes at ...4 days ago
- Passport fees to increase from 25 MayAs part of a regular review by the Department of Internal Affairs, the fees for New Zealand passports will increase slightly due to the decrease in demand caused by COVID-19. Internal Affairs Minister Jan Tinetti says that the Government has made every effort to keep the increase to a minimum ...4 days ago
- Additional government support for Buller District flood recoveryThe Government is providing additional support to the Buller District Council to assist the recovery from the February 2022 floods, Minister for Emergency Management Kiri Allan announced today. “The Buller District has experienced two significant floods in short succession, resulting in significant impacts for the community and for Council to ...4 days ago
- Government investment boosts coastal shipping in AotearoaNew Zealand is a step closer to a more resilient, competitive, and sustainable coastal shipping sector following the selection of preferred suppliers for new and enhanced coastal shipping services, Transport Minister Michael Wood has announced today. “Coastal shipping is a small but important part of the New Zealand freight system, ...5 days ago
- Speech on RM Reform to the Thomson Reuters Environmental Law and Policy Conference: 24 May 2022Tēnā koutou katoa It’s a pleasure to speak to you today on how we are tracking with the resource management reforms. It is timely, given that in last week’s Budget the Government announced significant funding to ensure an efficient transition to the future resource management system. There is broad consensus ...5 days ago
- Vision for Māori success in tertiary education takes another stepEducation Minister Chris Hipkins and Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis have welcomed the release of a paper from independent advisory group, Taumata Aronui, outlining the group’s vision for Māori success in the tertiary education system. “Manu Kōkiri – Māori Success and Tertiary Education: Towards a Comprehensive Vision – is the ...5 days ago
- Whānau Resilience focuses on wāhine and rangatahiThe best way to have economic security in New Zealand is by investing in wāhine and our rangatahi says Minister for Māori Development. Budget 2022, is allocating $28.5 million over the next two years to strengthen whānau resilience through developing leadership within key cohorts of whānau leaders, wāhine and rangatahi ...5 days ago
- Increase in funding secures future for Whānau OraWhānau Ora Commissioning Agencies will receive $166.5 million over four years to help whānau maintain and build their resilience as Aotearoa moves forward from COVID-19, Minister for Whānau Ora Peeni Henare announced today. “Whānau Ora Commissioning Agencies and partners will remain a key feature of the Government’s support for whānau ...5 days ago
- Govt invests in sustainable food producerThe development of sustainable, plant-based foods and meat alternatives is getting new government backing, with investment from a dedicated regional economic development fund. “The investment in Sustainable Foods Ltd is part of a wider government strategy to develop a low-emissions, highly-skilled economy that responds to global demands,” said Stuart Nash. ...5 days ago
- New Zealand to stay at Orange for nowWith New Zealand expecting to see Omicron cases rise during the winter, the Orange setting remains appropriate for managing this stage of the outbreak, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “While daily cases numbers have flattened nationally, they are again beginning to increase in the Northern region and hospitalisation ...5 days ago
- Independent panel appointed to review electoral lawJustice Minister Kris Faafoi today announced appointments to the independent panel that will lead a review of New Zealand’s electoral law. “This panel, appointed by an independent panel of experts, aim to make election rules clearer and fairer, to build more trust in the system and better support people to ...5 days ago
- Board appointed for Auckland’s most transformational projectHonourable Dame Fran Wilde will lead the board overseeing the design and construction of Auckland’s largest, most transformational project of a generation – Auckland Light Rail, which will connect hundreds of thousands of people across the city, Minister of Transport Michael Wood announced today. “Auckland Light Rail is New Zealand’s ...5 days ago
- Government continues record Māori Education investmentBoost to Māori Medium property that will improve and redevelop kura, purchase land and build new facilities Scholarships and mentoring to grow and expand the Māori teaching workforce Funding to continue to grow the Māori language The Government’s commitment to the growth and development of te reo Māori has ...5 days ago
- PM attends Indo-Pacific Economic Framework talks ahead of US travelOn the eve of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s trade mission to the United States, New Zealand has joined with partner governments from across the Indo-Pacific region to begin the next phase of discussions towards an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). The Framework, initially proposed by US President Biden in ...6 days ago
- The Roadmap To Save Queen St (And The CBD)
The CBD despite the sheer incompetence of the Auckland Council and the idiotic flailings of Auckland Transport is still alive and on life support. As sated in my previous press release. 26/5/22 , discussing the removal of the roadblocks to people attempting ...24 hours ago - A Manukau Port, The Sensible And Obvious SolutionTed Johnston, Auckland mayoral candidate for New Conservative states: ”As Mayor I will try to push for the Auckland Port to be moved to the Manukau Harbour.” The Manukau harbour is looking increasing attractive for the future port site. It is ...24 hours ago
- 'Still a long way to go' in fight against online radicalisation – PM Jacinda Ardern ...
'Sophisticated' attempts to share Buffalo school shooting material shows there is still work to do to prevent online radicalisation, the PM has said after speaking to tech giants in the US today. ...1 day ago - Mainstream media may be checking claims about the Mahuta family – or maybe they hope MPs will rais...
The latest post by my friend and former colleague, Karl du Fresne, draws attention to the paucity of mainstream media coverage of questions raised about an array of posts filled by members of the Mahuta family and payments made to companies with which family members are associated. The Platform – ...1 day ago - New Zealand signs partnership with California on climate changeNew Zealand has formed a partnership deal to work together with California on climate change. ...1 day ago
- Focus on Politics: US trip proves Ardern's pulling powerPodcast - The prime minister's trip to the US took a more sombre tone than expected, but as Craig McCulloch finds, it has been achieving its aims and shows off Ardern's diplomatic power. ...1 day ago
- Three waters Part II: What you need to knowExplainer - The government is forging ahead with revised water system reform despite criticisms. So what's changed? RNZ is here to clear it all up. ...1 day ago
- Amplifying narratives about the ‘China threat’ in the Pacific may help Beijing achieve its broad...
ANALYSIS: By Joanne Wallis, University of Adelaide and Maima Koro, University of Adelaide Yet more proposed Chinese “security agreements” in the Pacific Islands have been leaked. The drafts have been described by critics as revealing “the ambitious scope of Beijing’s strategic intent in the Pacific” and its “coherent desire ...2 days ago - 3 ways the Albanese government can turn Australia into a renewable energy superpower – without lea...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Madeline Taylor, Senior Lecturer, Macquarie University Shutterstock Australians will bear yet another blow to our cost of living in July when electricity prices will surge up to 18.3%, which amounts to over A$250 per year in some cases. This ...2 days ago
- The ‘Biloela family’ are going home – but what will Labor do with thousands of other asylum se...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mary Anne Kenny, Associate Professor, School of Law, Murdoch University The long-running case of the “Biloela family” has ended after the new Labor government confirmed they would be allowed to return home to Queensland. Interim home affairs minister Jim Chalmers said on ...2 days ago
- There are systems ‘guarding’ your data in cyberspace – but who is guarding the guards?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanne Hall, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics and Cybersecurity, RMIT University Shutterstock We use internet-connected devices to access our bank accounts, keep our transport systems moving, communicate with our colleagues, listen to music, undertake commercially sensitive tasks – and order pizza. ...2 days ago
- Week in politics: Government under pressure at home as Ardern tours the USAnalysis - The PM visits the US, Australia's change of government raises questions about its effect on trans-Tasman relations and China moves to extend its influence in the South Pacific. ...2 days ago
- Keith Rankin Essay – Narrow Vision: Subsidised Cars and Street ImmunityEssay by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin. Problems make the world go round. Many of us – maybe the majority of workers, and certainly the majority of well-paid workers – earn our living addressing problems. A problem-free world would represent a major crisis for modern social-capitalism. (Yet standard economic theory continues ...2 days ago
- Govt Offering $10m To Māori While Trading Away $7bnThe Government’s announcement of a $10 million fund to help support economic development for Māori landowners is a paltry and insulting attempt to compensate for a massive confiscation of land value and economic opportunity, according to leading independent ...2 days ago
- Buzz from the Beehive – the PM goes batting for democracy while her Maori ministers announce more ...Oh, look. More goodies from the government. Today we learn of a $10 million boost for landowners, a $27.6 million investment over the next four years in research and innovation and a $30 million investment for primary and community health care providers. Budget 2020 is the budget that just keeps ...2 days ago
- I have mild COVID – should I take the antiviral Paxlovid?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Morgan, Professor of general practice, Bond University Shutterstock The COVID medication Paxlovid has been available in Australia on the Pharmaceuticals Benefits Scheme (PBS) since the start of May, with eligible patients directed to talk to their GP for a ...2 days ago
- Transport Minister Wood rebukes Waka Kotahi over zeroes' sumTransport Minister Michael Wood has had to contact the Transport Agency a second time over costly road safety props, after a further three were found to have been on back order. ...2 days ago
- Forest & Bird Welcomes Critical Step Forward In New Zealand ConservationForest & Bird is welcoming recommendations out today on reclassification of stewardship land to create many new conservation parks, reserves, and national park land on the West Coast of the South Island. Nearly one third of conservation ...2 days ago
- VIDEO: Victors and feather dusters as election changes the guardSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and Emma Larouche, from the University of Canberra’s Media and Communications team, look at the first week of an Albanese government. They discuss Prime Minister Albanese’s trip ...2 days ago
- On your back? Side? Face-down? Mice show how we sleep may trigger or protect our brain from diseases...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Wright, Associate Professor of Medical Imaging, Monash University Unsplash/Lux Graves, CC BY Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is the most common form of motor neuron disease. People with ALS progressively lose the ability to ...2 days ago
- Agribuisiness Cooking The Books On He Waka Eke Noa27 May: The agriculture industry is due to report back to the government on its He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) climate proposal on Monday - but Greenpeace is warning the industry might try to keep ‘cooking the books’ and the Government should hold ...2 days ago
- Released Letter Was The Red Light For LGWMToday’s ‘secret’ letter release disappointingly confirms what was long suspected - that Ministers meddled with the original Let’s Get Wellington Moving plans, which were recommended by Officials and backed by Wellingtonians. "This letter has ...2 days ago
- Small step for Nature, giant leap across the gender gap: leading journal will make sex and gender re...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Burrowes, Senior Researcher, University of Auckland Shutterstock Like in many aspects of life, there remains an undercurrent of sex bias against women in the STEM fields. And this bias has a negative impact on not only women, but men ...2 days ago
- Censorship on campus – academic freedom bill is voted down by MPs who fear exposure to some ideas ...Labour MP Jo Luxton – in a Parliamentary speech about academic freedom in this country – referred to the recent shooting in the United States by a young person who had been “radicalised and emboldened” by the mosque attacks in Christchurch a few years ago. These were actions based on ...2 days ago
- Changing the Australian Constitution is not easy. But we need to stop thinking it’s impossibleSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Twomey, Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Sydney Supporters of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament have celebrated the commitment of the new Albanese government to put the issue to a referendum. But is government support enough? It’s a start, but ...2 days ago
- Amplifying narratives about the ‘China threat’ in the Pacific may help China achieve its broader...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanne Wallis, Professor of International Security, University of Adelaide Xinhua via AP Yet more proposed Chinese “security agreements” in the Pacific Islands have been leaked. The drafts have been described by critics as revealing “the ambitious scope of Beijing’s strategic ...2 days ago
- China documents threaten Pacific sovereignty, warns FSM presidentRNZ Pacific The President of the Federated States of Micronesia says he has serious concerns about the details of two leaked Chinese government documents to be tabled at a meeting next week. President David Panuelo warns the sovereignty of the Pacific Island countries is at stake, and that the outcome ...2 days ago
- ‘Democracy can be fragile’: Ardern uses Harvard speech to call out tech companiesRNZ News New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has delivered the highly regarded Harvard Commencement address, calling out social media as a threat to modern day democracy. She was also awarded an honorary doctorate from the university. The Commencement is steeped in history with Ardern’s predecessors including Winston Churchill, JFK, ...2 days ago
- Law Commission Recommends New Surrogacy LawSurrogacy law is out of date and requires reform, concludes Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission in its report, Te Kōpū Whāngai: He Arotake | Review of Surrogacy , presented to Parliament today. The report acknowledges a pressing need to change ...2 days ago
- AI could help us spot viruses like monkeypox before they cross over – and help conserve natureSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ann Borda, Associate Professor, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock When a new coronavirus emerged from nature in 2019, it changed the world. But COVID-19 won’t be the last disease to jump across from the shrinking wild. Just ...2 days ago
- Planning a holiday? What’s the COVID situation in Bali, Fiji, NZ and the UK?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Esterman, Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of South Australia Shutterstock Many of us are considering a long-delayed overseas trip. However, despite what our politicians are telling us, the pandemic is not over yet, and there is always the ...2 days ago
- Nanaia Mahuta Must Address Accusations Of Nepotism“Accusations of nepotism being levelled at a cabinet minister must be addressed,” says Rt Hon Winston Peters Leader of New Zealand First. “Questions have been raised about Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta having close family members appointed ...2 days ago
- McCallum Bros Appeal To Environment Court For Pakiri Sand Extraction Resource ConsentMcCallum Bros Ltd. has lodged an appeal to the Environment Court today following Auckland Council’s decision to decline the company’s resource consent application for offshore sand extraction at Pakiri. Callum McCallum, Managing Director of McCallum ...2 days ago
- Covid-19: Fourth vaccine dose announced for vulnerable groupsGovernment announces roll-out of fourth Covid-19 vaccine for vulnerable groups who will be eligible from July. It's estimated several hundred thousand people will be eligible including the elderly, aged care ...2 days ago
- Defend media freedom in Pacific, says USP’s journalism headBy Sue Ahearn of The Pacific Newsroom in Canberra Pacific journalists must be allowed to do their jobs, says the head of journalism at the University of the South Pacific, Dr Shailendra Singh. Pacific journalists have raised concerns about access and secrecy surrounding the tour of the Pacific by China’s ...2 days ago
- Clarity Still Needed On Three Waters ReformTauranga City Council Commissioners this week reviewed recent updates relating to the Government’s Three Waters Reform proposal and agree that several issues remain unresolved, particularly around the clarity of information. Tauranga City Council ...2 days ago
- Confirmed White House Visit Big Boost For NZ-US RelationsConfirmation that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will meet President Joe Biden next week on Tuesday is a big boost for NZ-US relations and Kiwi exporters, says NZUS Council Executive Director Jordan Small. White House visits are rare events. This ...2 days ago
- Maori Authority Takes Aim At The Supermarket Oligarchs Backs The GovernmentThe Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has said that the Governments bill to address the issue of major grocery retailers lodging and obtaining restrictive covenants on land and by exclusivity covenants in leases of ...2 days ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Major shakeup of electoral rules could be comingAnalysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political Roundup: Major shakeup of electoral rules could be coming Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Get ready for a big debate on how to improve democracy in New Zealand. On Tuesday, Justice Minister Kris Faafoi announced the review panel that will oversee a once-in-a-generation overhaul of ...2 days ago
- Wild animals are evolving faster than anybody thoughtSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothée Bonnet, Researcher in evolutionary biology (DECRA fellow), Australian National University Shutterstock How fast is evolution? In adaptive evolution, natural selection causes genetic changes in traits that favour the survival and reproduction of individual organisms. Although Charles Darwin thought the ...2 days ago
- Can you use rapid antigen tests in children under 2 years old?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thea van de Mortel, Professor, Nursing and Deputy Head (Learning & Teaching), School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University Shutterstock As we head into winter, you may have a sniffly child under two years old at home. Is it just ...2 days ago
- Laggard to leader? Labor could repair Australia’s tattered reputation on climate change, if it get...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Pickering, Assistant Professor, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra For much of the past three decades, Australia has been viewed internationally as a laggard on climate change – and with good reason. Australia was the last ...2 days ago
- Dumbed-down curriculum means primary students will learn less about the world and nothing about clim...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alaric Maude, Associate Professor of Geography, Flinders University Shutterstock Revisions to the Australian primary school curriculum for geography mean children will learn much less about the world and its diversity than they do at present. They will learn nothing about ...2 days ago
- Expect more power price hikes – a 1970s-style energy shock is on the cardsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruce Mountain, Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria University Shutterstock Yesterday the Australian Energy Regulator increased the “default market offers” that apply to electricity retailers in New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland by 8% to 18%, depending on type of ...2 days ago
- Military history is repeating for Russia under Putin’s regime of thievesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Ward, Fellow in Historical Studies, The University of Melbourne In explaining the reasons for Russia’s unexpected military weakness in Ukraine, few have expressed it better than The Economist. The magazine noted “the incurable inadequacy of despotic power” and “the cheating, bribery ...2 days ago
- Heartstopper depicts queer joy – here’s why that can bring about complicated feelings for those ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liam Casey, Clinical psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Netflix One of the most popular shows on Netflix right now is Heartstopper, which follows UK schoolboys Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) as their friendship grows into something more. ...2 days ago
- PM Jacinda Ardern calls out tech giants in prestigious Harvard University speechJacinda Ardern has called social media a threat to modern day democracy, during her latest speech in Boston. ...2 days ago
- PM Jacinda Ardern confirms she'll meet US President Joe Biden at the White House next weekJacinda Ardern says they'll be pushing for the US to join the CPTPP, as well as discussing trade and the war in Ukraine. ...2 days ago
- Jewish Grps In 10 Countries Join Germans & NZers To Protest The Suppression Of Palestinians’ R...Jewish groups in Germany and New Zealand protested alongside Palestinians when mayors of Berlin and Wellington banned pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Justice for Palestine staged a guerilla projection in defiance of the Wellington ban. Photo ...2 days ago
- Watch live: PM Jacinda Ardern speaks to media on day 3 of US tripJacinda Ardern is addressing the media at Harvard University following her meetings with US senators and representatives. ...2 days ago
- Government accused of neglecting Pacific partnerships as China's influence growsThe government is being criticised for letting its relationships with Pacific islands drift, as China tries to boost its influence in the region. ...3 days ago
- Kiribati ‘forced’ to allow China visit on Pacific mission, says journalistRNZ Pacific A Pacific journalist believes the Kiribati government has been coerced by Beijing to accommodate China’s foreign minister’s visit. Kiribati authorities have confirmed that Wang Yi would briefly stopover to meet President Taneti Maamau as part of his Pacific-wide tour. Journalist Rimon Rimon said the government had been “very ...3 days ago
- West Papuan students fight on for rights to education in AotearoaBy George Heagney of Stuff in Palmerston North Students from West Papua desperate to stay in New Zealand after having their scholarships cut are pinning their hopes on finding an employer to sponsor new working visas. About 40 students from the Indonesian province of Papua have been studying at different ...3 days ago
- Solomons media condemns ‘secrecy’ controls over China delegationRNZ Pacific The Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI) has urged its members to boycott a media conference for a visiting Chinese delegation in protest over “ridiculous” restrictions. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi leads the high-level delegation which arrives in Solomon Islands today. Wang is expected to sign a host ...3 days ago
- FijiFirst not fit to run country over ‘dry taps – no lights’, says RabukaBy Felix Chaudhary in Suva People’s Alliance party leader Sitiveni Rabuka says the FijiFirst government is not fit to run the country because it cannot efficiently provide two basic necessities — electricity and water. In a statement issued yesterday, he said the continuing crises of dry taps and regular power ...3 days ago
- PNG elections: Peoples’ National Congress party endorses 90 plus candidatesBy Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific journalist Papua New Guinea’s Peoples’ National Congress is shaping up as the party to watch as the country’s general election approaches. Nominations are set to finish later today with campaigning then in earnest through to early July when voting starts. The Peoples’ National Congress (PNC) ...3 days ago
- Grattan on Friday: Stellar first week for Anthony Albanese but tough months aheadSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Anthony Albanese had expected the election might be a week earlier than it was, because last Saturday would bump up against Tuesday’s Quad meeting in Tokyo. But Scott Morrison wanted maximum time to try ...3 days ago
- Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Covid19 Country Update: Week ending 22 May 2022Analysis by Keith Rankin. Chart by Keith Rankin. Chart by Keith Rankin. Many of the reported counts of Covid19 cases and deaths now better reflect reporting variations rather than actual health data. These charts indicate the new stories that are increasingly falling under the international media radar. I show both ...3 days ago
- Will the latest shooting of US children finally lead to gun reform? Sadly, that’s unlikelySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon O’Connor, Associate Professor in American Politics at the United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney Mass shootings in the United States are all too common and, sadly, unsurprising to much of the world. But when the victims of such violence are ...3 days ago
- To walk the talk on climate, Labor must come clean about the future for coal and gasSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeremy Moss, Professor of Political Philosophy, UNSW Sydney Mark Baker/AP Australia’s climate election has been won. Now comes the harder part. It’s now entirely possible we could see a government committed to domestic climate action, speeding up the exit of ...3 days ago
- Firearms debate weighs on Jacinda Ardern's Capitol meetingsThe Texas shooting and gun control debates have largely overshadowed Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's visits to Senators at the United States Capitol. ...3 days ago
- We keep hearing about a First Nations Voice to parliament, but what would it actually look like in p...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Kildea, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney Prime Minister Anthony Albanese began his election night victory speech by declaring: “I commit to the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full.” This commitment, delivered on the eve of the ...3 days ago
- From glasses to mobility scooters, ‘assistive technology’ isn’t always high-tech. A WHO roadma...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Natasha Layton, Senior Research Fellow: Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living Research Centre, Monash University Shutterstock This month, the first ever World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF Global Report on Assistive Technology was released. The WHO estimates one in three ...3 days ago
- Buzz from the Beehive: Budget announcements are still flowing but criminals will pay for Poto’s n...Ministers continue to beat the drum for the goodies dispensed in the Budget, a week after Finance Minister Grant Robertson delivered his Budget speech and the Government published a raft of documents and press statements to tell the nation who got how much. Some of the ministerial post-Budget announcements relate ...3 days ago
- New guidelines on understanding, responding to family violencePrevention of Family Violence Minister Marama Davidson says they give specialist family and sexual violence organisations and general workforces the tools to respond appropriately ...3 days ago
- Monetary Policy Needs Fiscal FriendsIn today’s Finance and Expenditure Select Committee briefing, the Reserve Bank Governor was questioned by MPs about Government spending and said, “We believe it is putting upward pressure on aggregate demand and hence inflation” in the near-term. ...3 days ago
- Parnell Business Association Welcomes Funding For Ram Raid PreventionThe Parnell Business Association welcomes the announcement from Police Minister Poto Williams that the Government is investing in crime prevention for our small retailers, including the installation of bollards and other structures to protect ...3 days ago
- Office Of Auditor-General’s Response WelcomedMasterton Mayor Lyn Patterson has welcomed the response by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) to complaints relating to Council decisions around the Civic Facility. In a response released today, the OAG said it had received complaints about whether ...3 days ago
- Budget Not Enough To Make A Difference To Poverty...3 days ago
- Fragments of a dying comet might put on a spectacular show next week – or pass by without a traceSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland The 1833 Leonid Meteor storm, as seen over Niagara Falls. Edmund Weiß (1888) As Earth orbits the Sun, it ploughs through dust and debris left behind by comets and asteroids. That debris gives birth ...3 days ago
- Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Clark, Deputy Engagement Editor, The Conversation Right from the outset, it is clear Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s agenda is very different to his predecessor Scott Morrison’s – from emphasising his commitment to fighting climate change to foreign leaders in ...3 days ago
- COVID-19 in babies – here’s what to expectSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shidan Tosif, Honorary Clinical Associate Professor, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Parents are understandably worried about what would happen if their infant caught COVID-19. Babies may be considered vulnerable due to immature immune systems, and are also not eligible for ...3 days ago
- Porirua City Council Set To Become Living Wage CouncilThe Living Wage Movement Aotearoa New Zealand congratulates Porirua City Council on their decision to become an accredited Living Wage Employer. After 10 years of campaigning, community leaders in Porirua are excited that workers employed by contractors ...3 days ago
- Masterton Civic Facility ProjectConcerns were raised with us about aspects of Masterton District Council’s decision to fund a new civic facility. The civic facility is a significant project for the Council and the community, and there has been public interest in the options considered. ...3 days ago
- Union Challenges Oranga Tamariki Manager To Front Up Or ResignThe claim that there has been only one person harmed at Te Puni Wai this year by a young person is either a deliberate lie or a demonstration of the total disconnection with the actual reality of the situation on the frontline, NUPE Secretary Janice ...3 days ago
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