Posts Tagged ‘penny bright’
Double down – protect parliament – ban Bridges for a month
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 pm, December 5th, 2018 - 104 comments
Simon Bridges appears to have deliberately maligned the position of the speaker of the house of representatives, and did it before he had any cause to do so. While he may think that it is in the public interest to do so, he isn’t special. He should expect what every other social activist knows will happen. You suffer the consequences..
RIP Penny Bright
Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, October 5th, 2018 - 33 comments
Veteran Auckland political activist Penny Bright has died.
The Mt Albert By election
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, February 25th, 2017 - 80 comments
It is election day today in Mt Albert for the successor to David Shearer.
Comments are open.
- That time Louise Mensch claimed I’m a Russian spy
(This being by far the craziest thing that has happened to me all year. Possibly all decade. As originally reported at Overland.) It started quite innocently, as these social media collisions always do. A friend and I were discussing on ...36 mins ago - Our Regional Public Transport Plan Submission
Today is the final day for submissions on the draft Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP). You can read our first post on it here. Below is our submission on the RPTP (although there may be some tweaks today before we ...3 hours ago - The Unprepared
For those interested in the totality of New Zealand politics the most extraordinary story of the year may be the finding that our public service was, broadly, unprepared for the change of government.read more ...15 hours ago - Australia finally acts on corruption
After years of dismissing federal corruption as a "fringe issue" and complaining about state-level corruption investigations "persecuting" people, the Australian government is finally going to establish a federal anti-corruption agency:Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a new anti-corruption commission, having ...19 hours ago - Speaker: We shouldn’t have to look back on those moments and think: I was lucky
“It’s not a gender issue.”If you’ve read any online comments since Grace Millane’s horrific murder, you’ve no doubt seen that one.“And don’t meet Tinder dates alone.”“But it’s not a gender issue.”Only, it is.It’s tragic and it’s horrifying and every person ...21 hours ago - Downtown Parking price changes
Parking all day in Auckland Transport’s huge Downtown carpark is about to get a lot more expensive with news they’re raising prices from January 21. From January 21 the capped price for parking at the Auckland Transport-owned car park will ...22 hours ago - The GCSB appear to be breaking the law againWhen Parliament passed the Intelligence and Security Act 2017, one of the aims was ostensibly to give Ministers greater clarity over the spying activities they were being asked to authorise, so they could properly judge the necessity and proportionality of ...22 hours ago
- Hard News: Just quietly, this is a big dealIt's in the nature of politics that this morning's announcement about changes to drug laws is headed 'Crackdown on synthetic drug dealers'. The billing is not inaccurate: it's no secret that that the government has been seeking to the two ...24 hours ago
- Climate Change: Ignoring the cow in the roomEarlier in the year the government ran a consultation on improvements to the Emissions Trading Scheme, aimed at making it actually work. Yesterday, they announced their decisions. Most importantly, the total number of units available to the ETS will be ...24 hours ago
- Small is e-Beautiful
The electric revolution on our city streets, already underway, looks much more like a scooter than a Tesla. Why? Physics. And geometry: Size really matters for both energy consumption and spatial efficiency. And both drive affordability and therefore the speed ...1 day ago - On the passing of internet time.
Some years ago, New Zealand poet and scholar Michele Leggott was able to date a series of poems by Robin Hyde after noticing that one of the pages of the manuscript bore faint traces of another piece of writing. It ...2 days ago - A win for democracyFor the past few elections, local authorities have been obsessed with online voting as a way to cut costs. They were planning a trial at next year's local body elections. But now its been cancelled:The proposed trial of online voting ...2 days ago
- WINZ undermines KiwiSaverThe idea of KiwiSaver was to encourage new Zealanders to save for their retirement. But WINZ is undermining the scheme by demanding that people use their retirement savings rather than giving them benefits:The number of people looking to dip into ...2 days ago
- Member’s DayToday is the last Member's Day of the year, but it looks like it will be taken up with local business. First off, the government is ramming through its Muldoonist Tasman District Council (Waimea Water Augmentation Scheme) Bill, designed to ...2 days ago
- Normalising The Unthinkable.
2 days ago - Climate Change: Forfeiting the profits of fraudSince 2008, the New Zealand government has pursued a climate change policy based on fraud, using dodgy or outright fraudulent Russian and Ukranian "credits" to "offset" our ever increasing domestic emissions. And we've banked the "surplus" from that fraud, and ...2 days ago
- A Polish Joke – At The Planet’s Expense.
2 days ago - Dances With Elephants.
2 days ago - South Island Kaka thank DOC for its Efforts
See the stoat creating havoc in the Kaka’s nest in this video. Then look at the impact on nesting numbers after the aerial 1080 drop was completed – 30 times more nests! This is what the battle to save and ...2 days ago - Speaker: Cannabis: make it legal but don’t let anyone make money from itI don’t want big business marketing marijuana to my kids. This is what will happen in Canada with the recent purchase of a market-leading marijuana business by a major tobacco company. In Aotearoa, right now, we have a chance to do something different.I’m ...2 days ago
- Dec-18 AT Board Meeting
Yesterday Auckland Transport held their last board meeting for the year and it was an important one with some key decisions being made. The big one, was that the board have approved for consultation their draft speed bylaw. This is ...2 days ago - Hard News: Public Address Word of the Year 2018The years keep getting weirder, but one thing doesn't change: the Public Address Word of the Year is annually chosen by the people of the internet as the strange light fades into Christmas. Will this year's people's choice be a ...2 days ago
- At last – A fundamental shift in social policy
The child wellbeing strategy represents the most significant shift in social policy in over four decades because of its focus on children as a population group and its emphasis on addressing structural issues in promoting economic and social wellbeing. This ...2 days ago - Like health care, climate policy could tip elections
In the November 2018 midterm elections, Democrats won the U.S. House of Representatives popular vote by a margin of about 8.6 percent and gained 40 seats in that chamber. For perspective, President Obama won his convincing 2008 and 2012 elections by 7.2 ...3 days ago - Colombia: the real and bloody legacy of Belisario Betancur
by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh Belisario Betancur, the ex-president of Colombia (1982-1986) died in his bed on the 7th of December, 2018. He corpse hadn’t even time to go cold before he received and avalanche of eulogies from politician, ns and ...3 days ago - Colombia: the real and bloody legacy of Belisario Betancurby Gearóid Ó Loingsigh Belisario Betancur, the ex-president of Colombia (1982-1986) died in his bed on the 7th of December, 2018. He corpse hadn’t even time to go cold before he received and avalanche of eulogies from politician, ns and ...3 days ago
- If this is “terrorism”, we should all be terroristsYesterday, December 10, was human rights day. And the UK celebrated it by convicting 15 human rights protesters of "terrorism":In a prosecution that has been condemned by human rights groups, Alistair Tamlit and Benjamin Smoke and the other members of ...3 days ago
- Great streets for Grey Lynn: a beauty of a reboot!
This is a cross post from our friends over at Bike Auckland. Feedback is now open on the revamped designs for Grey Lynn, which include not only neighbourhood bikeways, but great stuff for pedestrians, more trees, and quality landscaping. Here’s Auckland ...3 days ago - Legal Beagle: Name suppression appealsI recently published a tweet thread, which I thought I might copy and past here, for anyone interested.=============I have long thought that the 20 working days allowed to appeal a refusal to make a suppression order is too long, when ...3 days ago
- AccountabilityOver the past months we've learned of a crisis in NZTA's oversight of vehicle warrants of fitness, with garages allowed to issue thousands of dodgy warrants to unsafe vehicles and the work of truck inspectors not checked. People have died ...3 days ago
- A convenient failureHow many children in state care have mental health issues or have attempted suicide? Conveniently, CYFS doesn't know:A psychiatrist says it's a "failing of the system" that Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry for Children, does not know how many children in ...3 days ago
- Protest worksFor the past month France has been brought to a standstill, as members of the yellow vest movement have protested against inequality, the cost of living, and president Emmanuel Macron. And today, a week after serious riots in Paris, Macron ...3 days ago
- AT’s Consultation Crunch
Consultation is an important part of the process for public agencies but getting it right is easier said than done. Sometimes the issues with consultation stem from what is included, sometimes from how the results are interpreted – only those ...3 days ago - Australia – Moving to Renewable Energy
Solar and Wind Australia’s six States and two Territories have always had primary responsibility for implementing policies on the transition away from fossil fuels to renewables as an energy source. As a result, there has been a significant increase in the ...3 days ago - Public Television
Around the turn of the century, I had the privilege and pleasure of serving on the board of Television New Zealand for a period of about ten years. I enjoyed the experience enormously and welcomed the chance to make my ...4 days ago - Public TelevisionAround the turn of the century, I had the privilege and pleasure of serving on the board of Television New Zealand for a period of about ten years. I enjoyed the experience enormously and welcomed the chance to make my ...4 days ago
- Climate Change: Punching above our weightNew Zealanders are usually proud when New Zealand ranks highly at something when measured per capita. But one measurement of that nature which we shouldn't be proud of: we're one of the worst countries in the world for per-capita greenhouse ...4 days ago
- Hard News: Music: A Teutonic TonicOne of the many challenges posed by Christmas is Christmas music. Christmas carols are all very well, but spending the day actually listening to carols? That way lies madness, or at least an unseasonable degree of suffering. In our house, ...4 days ago
- The First CRL Breakthrough
4 days ago - Climate Change: Fingers in their earsBack in October the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that we have to limit global warming to less than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial temperatures, and that we had only 12 years left to do so. The stark description of ...4 days ago
- The British establishment’s propaganda problemFrom 1948 to 1978, the UK Foreign Office ran a secret domestic propaganda operation, the Information Research Department, which targeted UK trade unions and left politics under the guide of "countering communism". Forty years after that operation was shut down, ...4 days ago
- Hard News: A complicated pathway to wellnessHe Ara Oranga: Report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction was published last week and while it offers a substantial list of recommendations for the way such services should be conceived and delivered, I found what it ...4 days ago
- A victory for transparencyThis morning the government announced that it will be proactively releasing ministerial diaries from January next year:Government ministers are trying to shake the image of shady politicians holding secret meetings by opening up their diaries. The State Services Minister will ...4 days ago
- Letters of Low Expectations – tomorrow’s work at Auckland Council
It seems that almost every day we learn more about the urgent need for radical action to avert catastrophic climate change. Not only are the disastrous consequences becoming clearer, but after years of relatively stable emissions, they are actually increasing ...4 days ago - What we do
With the horrible, tragic case of Grace Millane in the news, we’ve been talking a lot about what women do – and what we shouldn’t have to – to be safe in our country. So I wrote on Twitter: My ...4 days ago - 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #49
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sunday, Dec 2 through Saturday, Dec. 8 Editor's Pick Can 2018’s extreme weather persuade skeptics that the climate is changing? A ...5 days ago - Raining On The White Tribe’s Parade
6 days ago - RIP Pete Shelley
...7 days ago - New research, November 26 – December 2, 2018A selection of new climate related research articles is shown below. Climate change mitigation Emission scenario analysis for China under the global 1.5 °C target Climate change communication Attribution matters: Revisiting the link between extreme weather experience and climate change ...7 days ago
- General Motors layoffs and how capitalism works todayThe increasingly parasitical nature of capitalism today is reflected today in a number of ways. One is the artificial nature of share ‘values’ and how workers’ jobs, pay and conitions are affected by this. Below is a piece dealing ...7 days ago
- General Motors layoffs and how capitalism works todayThe increasingly parasitical nature of capitalism today is reflected today in a number of ways. One is the artificial nature of share ‘values’ and how workers’ jobs, pay and conitions are affected by this. Below is a piece dealing ...7 days ago
- News from the COP24 Climate Change conference in PolandNZ slammed by Climate Action TrackerCANA’s Cindy Baxter, reporting from the COP24 conference, says that Climate Action Tracker has rated NZ’s current policies to be “highly insufficient” and our 2030 target “insufficient”, and we are also being criticised for ...7 days ago
- Same old same oldA couple of years ago, in response to a report showing pervasive criminality within the fishing industry, the Ministry of Primary Industries finally started talking about doing something about it, via remotely-monitored cameras on fishing boats. After much foot-dragging that ...7 days ago
- A Tom Scott cartoon on Saudi Arabia…
A Tom Scott cartoon… . . The only thing is… It’s not commenting on the murder of Washington Post journalist, Jamal Kashoggi… It’s post September 11, and was drawn 2001/02. Some things never seem to change. . Published on The ...1 week ago - AT not ambitious enough with electric buses
If Auckland Transport’s Low Emission Bus Roadmap is adopted by its board next week, all new buses in Auckland from 2025 onward and all buses by 2040 will need to have zero emissions. They also are targeting to have the City ...1 week ago - Twitter: reinstate Meghan Murphy
Sign the change.org petition to re-instate Meghan Murphy Meghan Murphy Meghan Murphy is one of Canada’s pre-eminent feminist journalists and the editor and publisher of “Feminist Current”. Feminist Current’s reach is international. For a decade Murphy has dedicated ...1 week ago - Twitter: reinstate Meghan MurphySign the change.org petition to re-instate Meghan Murphy Meghan Murphy Meghan Murphy is one of Canada’s pre-eminent feminist journalists and the editor and publisher of “Feminist Current”. Feminist Current’s reach is international. For a decade Murphy has dedicated ...1 week ago
- Australia: racism beats “national security”Today the Australian house of representatives is debating the government's super-important encryption backdoor legislation, which would require services like Signal to put a government backdoor in their software. Meanwhile, the Senate is debating an amendment which would require the government ...1 week ago
- PassedLast night Parliament passed the Employment Relations Amendment Act. The Act is disappointing, in that it only eliminates 90 day trials for large employers and restricts union access to workplaces. At the best, it returns the law to where it ...1 week ago
- Protecting the umpireWednesday’s flare-up in Parliament, which saw the Speaker ordering both National’s leader and Leader of the House out of the chamber while most of their party colleagues (read more ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: A threat to our securityIf we don't stop it, climate change threatens to cause famine, migration, war, and death. and now NZDF has recognised the obvious: that all of this is a threat to New Zealand's security:Climate change has been identified as one of ...1 week ago
- A history of the light rail project
There have been some slightly strange conspiracy theories floating around recently about how the City Centre to Mangere light rail project came into existence. I looked at the history recently but thought it would be worthwhile taking a more detailed ...1 week ago - Trump’s disbelief won’t stop dangerous climate change“I don’t believe it,” said Donald Trump when asked about the fourth national climate assessment, authored by 13 government agencies and hundreds of the US’s top climate scientists. His administration had tried to hide the report, publishing it on Black Friday ...1 week ago
- Media statement: Child poverty bill doesn’t address cause: InequalityFor immediate release Monday 3rd Dec 2018 CHILD POVERTY BILL DOESN’T ADDRESS CAUSE: INEQUALITY As Parliament prepares to pass the Child Poverty Reduction Bill this coming week, the income equality group Closing the Gap again urges MPs to tackle the ...1 week ago
- Tacitly encouraging local conspiracy theories.
I do not mean to bang on about the Anne Marie Brady case but since it is coming up on one year since the campaign of criminal harassment began against her, I feel compelled to mention how the Labour-led government’s ...1 week ago - Climate Change: Helping the marketThe government today announced a $100 million green investment fund to help new Zealand transition to a green economy: The Government has bankrolled a $100 million green investment fund which aims to invest with businesses to reduce emissions while also ...1 week ago
- NZ should sign the UN Global Compact on MigrationOne of the foundations of New Zealand foreign policy has been support for international institutions and international law. Now, the National Party is opposing that foundation over the UN Global Compact on Migration, saying that "it's not for the UN ...1 week ago
- The causes and economic consequences of rising regional housing prices (part 1)
This is a post from Peter Nunns I stepped down from Greater Auckland at the start of the year as my schedule was about to get a lot busier. First, I was going to have a baby in August. This has ...1 week ago - Après moi, le délugeConsequences of National's austerity, part 287: the public service forgot how to deal with (and was not funded for) a change of government:Public servants responsible for the transition between governments failed to support new ministers as no-one had planned for ...1 week ago
- Legal advice and freedom of informationThe UK government was found to have committed contempt of parliament today, and will be publishing its full Brexit legal advice as a result (and as a desperate attempt to keep government ministers out of the clock tower). Meanwhile, human ...1 week ago
- HealthCarePlus Newsletter Summer 2018
HealthCarePlus Spring 2018 Newsletter ...1 week ago - Making Charitable Gifts and Paying TaxesThe Christmas festive session is traditionally the time for charitable giving, when many of us recognise the need to ensure that the hungry can enjoy a Christmas dinner and that Father Christmas can bring presents on Christmas morning for kiddies ...1 week ago
- Making Charitable Gifts and Paying TaxesThe Christmas festive session is traditionally the time for charitable giving, when many of us recognise the need to ensure that the hungry can enjoy a Christmas dinner and that Father Christmas can bring presents on Christmas morning for kiddies ...1 week ago
- Kids in the City: Access
This three-part series of guest posts is written by Alex Bonham, a member of Women in Urbanism, who has worked as a Porse carer and is now researching “the playful city” for her doctorate. In this series of three posts ...1 week ago - Gavin Hawthorn: send him to (drug) court, but not to prison1 week ago
- Ngāti Tūwharetoa passes third reading
Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Andrew Little, today welcomed Te Ariki Tā Tumu Te Heuheu and members of Ngāti Tūwharetoa to Parliament to witness the Third Reading of their Treaty Settlement legislation, the Ngāti Tūwharetoa Claims Settlement Bill. ...17 hours ago - Crackdown on synthetic drug dealersCrackdown on synthetic drug dealers The Government is responding to increased drug-related deaths by cracking down on the suppliers of synthetic drugs while making it easier for those with addiction problems to get treatment, Health Minister Dr David Clark ...19 hours ago
- Milestone in Police recruitmentA milestone in Police recruitment has been achieved with the deployment of more than 1,000 new constables around the country since the government was formed. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Police Minister Stuart Nash congratulated graduates of Wing 321 ...22 hours ago
- Government ropes in livestock rustlingJustice Minister Andrew Little today introduced a supplementary order paper (SOP) on the Crimes Amendment Bill to crack down on livestock rustling. ...2 days ago
- Small business the focus of Australian talksEfforts to progress a seamless trans-Tasman business environment will take another step at a ministerial roundtable meeting in Sydney tomorrow. Small Business Minister Stuart Nash and Australian Assistant Treasurer Stuart Robert will co-host a roundtable meeting of senior government and ...3 days ago
- Andrew Little – Speech to Amnesty International event to mark the 70th Anniversary of the Univ...ANDREW LITTLE - SPEECH TO AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL EVENT TO MARK THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ON WORLD HUMAN RIGHTS DAY, PARLIAMENT, WELLINGTON ...4 days ago
- Tax reforms focus on fairnessNew tax legislation has been introduced to Parliament to ensure greater fairness in the way the tax system shapes commerce, investment decisions and social policies. Revenue Minister Stuart Nash has introduced the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2019-20, GST Offshore Supplier ...1 week ago
- Preventing death and injury on our roadsPolice Minister Stuart Nash and Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter are encouraging road users to be alert to a new safety campaign launched today by Police and the NZ Transport Agency in the lead up to the Christmas. ...2 weeks ago
- New comms centre improves public servicesA new digital services and communications centre opened on the Kapiti Coast will help transform the way Police connect with the public and work to make communities safe. Police Minister Stuart Nash has officially opened the Police Digital Services Centre, ...2 weeks ago
- Superbugs found in overseas pork products
13 December 2018, LONDON — Bacteria resistant to antibiotics most critically important to humans has been found in pork from supermarket shelves in Spain, Brazil and Thailand. The routine overuse of antibiotics is propping up low-welfare practices in pig farming ...27 mins ago - MHF welcomes Government’s response to synthetic drug useThe Mental Health Foundation (MHF) welcomes the Government’s announcement that it will make it easier for those with synthetic drug use problems to get the help they deserve. ...44 mins ago
- Action needed to help people with mental health issues: OECDNew Zealand has carried out major health and welfare reforms over the past decade but needs to do more to help people with mental health issues stay in work or find a job, according to a new OECD report. ...12 hours ago
- New Zealand needs to take a human-rights based approachActing Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paula Tesoriero will highlight significant human rights issues in New Zealand with United Nations member states in Geneva this week. ...15 hours ago
- Tahu-Whaoa celebrate Tūwharetoa Claims Settlement BillTahu-Whaoa celebrate Tūwharetoa Claims Settlement Bill passing The Ngati Tahu – Ngati Whaoa Runanga Trust congratulates Ngāti Tūwharetoa on achieving its comprehensive Treaty of Waitangi claims settlement. The Ngāti Tūwharetoa Claims Settlement Bill ...15 hours ago
- Mental Health Foundation welcomes the Budget 2019 prioritiesThe Mental Health Foundation (MHF) welcomes the Budget 2019 priorities released by the Minister of Finance today. ...15 hours ago
- Diverse group answer Fire and Emergency’s callFire and Emergency New Zealand has welcomed a diverse group of 22 new firefighters at a graduation ceremony at the National Training Centre in Rotorua today. ...17 hours ago
- Maintaining Illegality Of Drugs Vital For Public HealthFamily First NZ says that the Government’s announcement of taking a tough line on synthetic cannabis is the right move, but maintaining the illegality of drugs is also important because we should continue fighting drugs and the devastation its ...17 hours ago
- Action needed to help people with mental health issuesNew Zealand has carried out major health and welfare reforms over the past decade but needs to do more to help people with mental health issues stay in work or find a job, according to a new OECD report. ...17 hours ago
- Interim Name Suppression Review PetitionInterim Name Suppression Review Petition 13th December 2018 On Monday 10th December the accused of the murder of Grace Millane was declined name suppression by Judge Evangelos Thomas but defence lawyer, Ian Brookie, appealed the Judge’s decision. ...18 hours ago
- Lifewise’s response to action on synthetic drug deathsLifewise supports the Government’s response to synthetic drug deaths which strikes a balance between giving law enforcement the tools they need to target criminal networks and changing drug law to make it easier for people to access help when they ...18 hours ago
- Christmas finance offers dress up danger as opportunityFlyers arriving in mailboxes encouraging Kiwis to “entertain now, pay later” are fuelling the pressure to spend at Christmas, even if it means racking up debt. ...19 hours ago
- DSIDE. Our PlasticDSIDE announces his new project; to spend the next four months traveling the a lap of New Zealand’s North Island, following the coasts to get to as many beaches as possible, picking up all the pollution he can, as much ...19 hours ago
- Trout Farming Proposal a “Dead Loss” for NZA petition of a former salmon farmer calling on Parliament to pass law allowing commercial trout farming has been criticised by a national trout and rivers advocacy as ridiculous, short-sighted and “a dead loss” for New Zealand. Graham Carter, ...19 hours ago
- Bar Association concerned about undermining of trialLeading New Zealand barristers are concerned that the trial of the man accused of the murder of Grace Millane might be compromised by ongoing breaches of court orders suppressing the name and information about the accused. ...19 hours ago
- Wellbeing of working people welcome budget focusCouncil of Trade Unions (CTU) Economist Bill Rosenberg applauded the new approach to Government Budgets, as described in the Budget Policy Statement this afternoon, for taking into account the wellbeing of working people and their families. ...19 hours ago
- City Mission Welcomes Measures to Tackle Synthetic DrugsThe Auckland City Mission welcomes the government’s announcement today that it will crack down on suppliers of synthetic drugs while investing in drug related health interventions. ...19 hours ago
- New Approach to Drugs Will Save LivesThe Salvation Army says increased support, announced today for New Zealanders suffering from the impact of drugs will save lives. ...20 hours ago
- Growing surpluses show need for tax cuts, not a CGTWith the Government’s OBEGAL annual surplus expected to grow to $8.4 billion by 2023, the Government should campiagn on tax cuts at the 2020 election not a capital gains tax, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union in response to the ...20 hours ago
- Wellbeing approach needs more detailThe wellbeing approach revealed at the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update needs more detail before it can be used to influence policy making, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . ...21 hours ago
- Safe, warm and well-fed: Making it the normSafe, warm and well-fed: Making it the norm The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) says that the 2018 report from the Child Poverty Monitor shows that one in five children in Aotearoa are suffering unacceptable levels of hardship and ...21 hours ago
- Response to Govt crack-down on synthetic drug dealersThe Addiction Practitioners’ Association (DAPAANZ) welcomes the government’s announcement that it will make it easier for those with addiction problems to get treatment and that it will crack down on the suppliers of synthetic drugs. It does, ...21 hours ago
- Māori Climate Commissioner condemns Aust’s climate denialMāori Climate Commissioner condemns Australia's climate denial and calls on Patrick Suckling to resign ...22 hours ago
- Statement on the proposed changes to the Misuse of Drugs ActWe know that effective prevention requires action to target supply chains, combined with health-focused support to reduce demand, addiction and improve people’s lives. ...22 hours ago
- Statement on the proposed changes to the Misuse of Drugs ActWe know that effective prevention requires action to target supply chains, combined with health-focused support to reduce demand, addiction and improve people’s lives. ...22 hours ago
- NZSIS welcomes Inspector-General’s warrants reportThe New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) welcomes the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security’s report relating to applications for intelligence warrants under the Intelligence and Security Act 2017. ...22 hours ago
- Public service workforce data shows sluggish improvementThe public service workforce data released today by the State Services Commission has confirmed very low pay movement, says the PSA. ...22 hours ago
- 2018 Public Service Workforce Data publishedState Services Commissioner Peter Hughes has published the 2018 Our People, Public Service Workforce Data , which shows the Public Service is making significant progress in important areas. ...23 hours ago
- Police Association conditional support to drug initiativesThe Police Association supports the government’s move to go after the manufacturers and suppliers of lethal synthetic drugs. ...23 hours ago
- First IGIS review of intelligence warrants under ISAThe Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, Cheryl Gwyn, has today published a report on the first nine months of intelligence warrants issued to the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service and the Government Communications Security Bureau under ...23 hours ago
- Hāpai Te Hauora applauds ‘significant step’Hāpai Te Hauora applauds ‘significant step’ towards reducing drug-related harm by Government Source: Hapai Te Hauora ...23 hours ago
- Government action on synthetics drugs crisis applaudedThe NZ Drug Foundation has welcomed the Government’s response to synthetic drug deaths. The response strikes a balance between giving law enforcement the tools they need to target criminal networks and changing drug law to make it easier for people ...23 hours ago
- Reserve Bank publishes climate change strategyThe Reserve Bank today published a strategy focusing on how the Bank can contribute to efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change. ...24 hours ago
- Dunne Speaks – Strikes and the public reactionJust over two years ago when Business New Zealand and the Employers and Manufacturers Association were using the bully-boy and standover tactics more associated with the trade unions of old in an attempt to browbeat Government support partners at the ...1 day ago
- Simon Bridges slip of the tongue wins 2018 Quote of the YearSimon Bridges’ slip of the tongue wins 2018 Quote of the Year Kiwis have voted a slip of the tongue by Leader of the Opposition Simon Bridges as 2018’s best quote. ...1 day ago
- Potential for Overseer to improve water qualityA report on whether a farm management tool used to calculate nutrient runoff could be used more widely to better inform water regulation is welcomed by LGNZ, who say that with the right investment it could be used to promote ...1 day ago
- Air NZ: We have a dealAfter three days of mediation, the unions representing Air New Zealand Logistics and Engineering workers have reached agreement in principle with company representatives. ...1 day ago
- Steady ETS developmentBusinessNZ has welcomed the announcement of the first tranche of decisions from the ongoing development of the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme. ...2 days ago
- Greenpeace upset at failure to include agriculture in ETSWednesday, December 12: The Government has just announced "improvements" to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). ...2 days ago
- Transparent Overseer needed to regulate water qualityA report on whether Overseer is suitable for use in regulation to help clean up Aotearoa New Zealand’s rivers and lakes has been released today by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton. ...2 days ago
- Māori Party congratulates Bentham Ohia’s new appointmentThe Māori Party congratulates Bentham Ohia on his new role as Chief Advisor Iwi and Māori Education Relationships at the Ministry of Education, and farewells him from his short time as Vice-President Tāne for the Māori Party. ...2 days ago
- Local Govt OIA practices feedback soughtThe Chief Ombudsman has commenced four new self-initiated investigations into the official information practices of the public sector, the third set of investigations announced in the past eight months. ...2 days ago
- Submission from ANZASWThe Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) believes that the statistics and findings contained in the Child Poverty Monitor report released by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner this week should be a wake up call to ...2 days ago
- Creating a marine spatial plan for the Hauraki GulfThe Auditor-General’s report Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari: Creating a marine spatial plan for the Hauraki Gulf was presented to the House of Representatives today. ...2 days ago
- Investigator appointed for Retirement Commissioner inquiryState Services Commissioner Peter Hughes has today announced the appointment of Ms Maria Dew QC to investigate allegations of bullying by the Retirement Commissioner, Ms Diane Maxwell. ...2 days ago
- Budget cuts welcome – but why not go further?Responding to reports that the Government has ordered Ministers to cut one percent in ‘low priority’ spending across all departments, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: ...2 days ago
- Report praised for acknowledging historic trauma"How do we stop getting in the way of Maori and Pasifica flourishing, and reverse the trauma of colonisation and disadvantage?" ...2 days ago
- Impact of rental property tax change could be hugeThe impact of a law-change to ring-fence rental property tax losses could be huge and sudden because owners absorbing loss with no prospect of gain will sell, Tenancies War spokesman Mike Butler said today. ...2 days ago
- Press Release from the One New Zealand PartyThe One New Zealand Party find the proposed 9 million dollars of public funding being earmarked for the reconciliation package to the Parihaka Papakainga Trust to be paramount to another act of treason by this and previous governments. ...2 days ago
- SAFE demands a ban on greyhound racingSAFE is demanding an end to greyhound racing cruelty, amid new figures that show the industry killed 353 unwanted dogs during the last season. ...2 days ago
- Beached Az is back, baby!
Ten years after that blue whale first waked up on a New Zealand beach, Beached Az is coming back to our screens. Below, an exclusive Beached Aziversary trailer plus details of what to expect from the new 10-episode series.The team ...1 hour ago - NZ dollar trades in tight range
The New Zealand dollar traded in a tight range as the European Central Bank confirmed it will end its quantitative easing programme at the end of the month, despite a gloomier economic outlook. ...1 hour ago - NZ shares rise as optimism over US-China trade deal lingers
New Zealand shares rose for a third day as investors around Asia remained optimistic that trade tensions between China and the US will ease, removing a risk to global growth. ...1 hour ago - How people seeking asylum in Australia access higher education, and the enormous barriers they face
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Hartley, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Human Rights Education, Curtin University Accessing higher education is critical for many people seeking asylum. It’s not simply a means of acquiring the qualifications and skills ...1 hour ago - It’s not so easy to gain the true measure of thingsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cris Brack, Associate professor in forest measurement and management, Australian National University I teach measurement – the quantification of things. Some people think this is the most objective of the sciences; just ...2 hours ago
- Morrison’s health handout is bad policy (but might be good politics)Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Director, Health Program, Grattan Institute The A$1.25 billion Community Health and Hospitals Program Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced this week should be awarded a big policy fail. The move sets ...2 hours ago
- Our cities fall short on sustainability, but planning innovations offer local solutionsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sebastien Darchen, Senior Lecturer in Planning, The University of Queensland Thirty years after the landmark Brundtland report, the debate on urban sustainability continues. Urban planners are still grappling with the challenges of ...2 hours ago
- Monday’s MYEFO will look good, but it will set the budget up for awful trouble down the trackSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Warren Hogan, Industry Professor, University of Technology Sydney An appallingly perfect storm is brewing for the federal budget: a government with much more income than expected a federal election ...2 hours ago
- Vital Signs: No, Joe, America should not be copying Australia’s ‘asset recycling’ misdirectionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics and PLuS Alliance Fellow, UNSW Anyone who has been to La Guardia airport in New York can attest the dire need in the United States for infrastructure ...2 hours ago
- Friday essay: back to Moore River and finding familySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aileen Marwung Walsh, ARC Laureate Research Scholarship, Rediscovering Deep Human History, Australian National University Untangling the web that is the history of the stolen generations is a very satisfying process. In October, ...2 hours ago
- Oram: Beware the beef with smoked bacon
We are not facing up to the food and farming challenges ahead, writes Rod Oram from the Polish climate change summit. ...3 hours ago - The Bulletin: Govt’s all things to all people drug reforms
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Government pushes in two different directions with drug reforms, nitrogen runoff tool has serious flaws, and finance minister outlines ‘wellbeing’ budget.The government has launched a range of drug reforms, which somehow ...3 hours ago - The murky meth mess: why we still don’t know how much P is too much
Howls of indignation over state housing evictions based on spurious meth testing have masked the reality of New Zealand’s two-speed P standard.Veronica Crichton admitted that she and her friends had been smoking meth in their Gate Pa, Tauranga home. She ...5 hours ago - Cute news! The Spinoff readers really love having friends a lot!
The Spinoff partnered with UMR to survey the attitudes of our readers, and the nation as a whole. Today, how social are The Spinoff readers? And how much do we suck at chores?Turns out The Spinoff readers love having friends ...5 hours ago - A tribute to Leighton Smith, by Leighton Smith (also Leighton Smith & Leighton Smith)Today one of the true veterans of NZ radio hangs up the headphones to complete three decades as the morning host at Newstalk ZB. To mark the occasion we asked a number of Leighton Smiths if they had a message ...5 hours ago
- The Spinoff Hot Take Advent Calendar: December 14Every day in the lead-up to Christmas, open the door to reveal a Spinoff writer’s short, sizzling commentary on a weighty subject. Our arbitrary and strictly enforced word limit: 365. Today: Mark Kelliher on attitudes of New Zealanders who’ve returned ...5 hours ago
- Grattan on Friday: Unions likely to be more challenging for a Shorten government than boatsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In this week’s Newspoll 55% believed Labor would win next year’s election, compared with just 24% who thought the Coalition would. These are figures to ...9 hours ago
- Fiji warns ‘selfish’ countries amid Paris Agreement climate rulebook deadlock
Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama … urging world leaders to summon the courage and political will to make the switch from dirty to clean energy. Image: Fiji Times Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk Talks to draft the Paris Agreement rulebook ...10 hours ago - MFAT boss defends NZ-China relationship
Top foreign affairs official says there are no "alarming signals" from Beijing about bilateral ties. ...11 hours ago - Spying warrants under scrutiny by watchdog
The watchdog of the country's spying agencies has taken issue with aspects of their approach to getting warrants for intelligence gathering, under a new law passed last year. ...13 hours ago - A tale of two media reports: one poses challenges for digital media; the other gives ABC and SBS a c...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Advancing Journalism, University of Melbourne Two reports out this week – one into the operations of Facebook and Google, the other into the ...14 hours ago
- House of Drag power rankings: The all-white rap challenge
House of Drag breaks out of the Drag Race mould with an all rap-challenge, with mixed results. Look. It’s not racist to do a rap challenge with an all-white cast, but it’s something that I might give a little pause to before continuing ...15 hours ago - The proposed National Integrity Commission is a watered-down version of a federal ICACSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yee-Fui Ng, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, Monash University The federal government has announced it will establish a Commonwealth Integrity Commission. This new commission will be the peak body to detect and ...15 hours ago
- Many people have a hard time swallowing. Help them to ‘eat, drink and be merry’ this ChristmasSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bronwyn Hemsley, Professor of Speech Pathology, University of Technology Sydney Swallowing food, drink, and saliva is a central part of our lives. It’s something we do about 900 times a day, yet ...15 hours ago
- In long-awaited response to Ruddock review, the government pushes hard on religious freedomSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anja Hilkemeijer, Lecturer in Law, University of Tasmania Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Attorney-General Christian Porter have released both the Ruddock Panel Report on Religious Freedom and the government’s response. Given the ...15 hours ago
- The suburbs are the spiritual home of overconsumption. But they also hold the key to a better futureSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Alexander, Research fellow, Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, University of Melbourne Suburban affluence is the defining image of the good life under capitalism, commonly held up as a model to which all ...15 hours ago
- Why cutting Australia’s migrant intake would do more harm than good, at least for the next decadeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter McDonald, Professor of Demography, Centre for Health Policy, University of Melbourne Australia’s population is among the fastest growing in the OECD with an increase of 1.7 per cent in 2016-17. In ...15 hours ago
- The women wanting Kiwis to invest in the US share marketBusiness is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff, in association with Callaghan Innovation, in which host Simon Pound speaks with innovators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Natalie Ferguson and ...16 hours ago
- I moved to London, and now I finally care about ChristmasWhen she lived in New Zealand, Elle Hunt never really understood the fuss about Christmas. That all changed when she moved to London, she writes in the latest instalment of her Elleswhere series about life as a New Zealander in ...16 hours ago
- We have a Christmas comet: how to spot 2018’s interplanetary baubleSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jake Clark, PhD Candidate, University of Southern Queensland We’re in for a pre-Christmas treat this weekend, as the cosmos entertains us with two equally exciting gifts: the Geminid meteor shower and the ...16 hours ago
- Resignations likely at NZTA, and Ministry under spotlight
More resignations at NZTA are likely, as Phil Twyford says the Ministry of Transport's role in the regulation scandal will also be reviewed. ...16 hours ago - Mental fatigue becomes major focus in govt’s workplace strategyThe government is changing its approach to health and safety, with a greater focus on mental fatigue in its strategy for the next decade. ...16 hours ago
- Discretion the question in synthetics response
The Government's response to the surge of synthetic deaths has won some praise - but is greater police discretion the answer? ...17 hours ago - Spinoff readers are giving meat-eating the cold shoulder
The Spinoff partnered with UMR to survey the attitudes of our readers, and the nation as a whole. Today, how much meat is the country eating? And is that changing? You’ve probably got stereotypes in your head about vegetarians. You’ve definitely ...17 hours ago - MBIE officials grilled on terms of Westland Milk loan
Not knowing how much interest Westland Milk is paying on its $9.9 million loan from the government’s Provincial Development Fund leaves parliamentarians no means of assessing how much of a subsidy the dairy company is getting, said National MP Paul ...17 hours ago - Hear ye, hear ye: these are the 20 best novels of 2018
All week this week we present the best books of 2018. Today: the 20 best novels.Previously: the best kids books, poetry books and non-fiction books of 2018.Past Tense by Lee Child (Bantam, $38)Reacher.Normal People by Sally Rooney (Faber, $33)Was the Irish ...17 hours ago - The Real Pod: A star (baker) is bornThe Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s.This week on the Real Pod, we suck back an ice cold taurine fizz and tackle another week of reality television. ...18 hours ago
- Trade Me suitor Hellman & Friedman drops out
Trade Me suitor Hellman & Friedman has dropped out of the race to buy New Zealand's dominant online marketplace. ...18 hours ago - Morrison wants Religious Discrimination Act passed before electionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government will introduce a Religious Discrimination Act to protect the rights of people of faith, with Scott Morrison declaring he would like the legislation ...18 hours ago
- Hydrogen not a short-term option for Huntly
Hydrogen may be the ideal fuel to provide dry-winter power supplies but it may not be economic before 2030, MPs heard today. ...19 hours ago - The Spinoff Hot Take Advent Calendar: December 13
Every day in the lead-up to Christmas, open the door to reveal a Spinoff writer’s short, sizzling commentary on a weighty subject. Our arbitrary and strictly enforced word limit: 365. Today: Sam Brooks on why cocktail snobbery is for losers.Look, ...19 hours ago - Treasury forecasting annual wage growth above 3% over next five years
The New Zealand economy is forecast to deliver annual average wage growth of more than 3 percent a year during the next five years, although economic growth rates are seen falling gradually over that time. ...19 hours ago - Parents shouldn’t be embarrassed to talk to their kids about pornParents surveyed for research on their attitudes to children viewing pornography has shown some are embarrassed to talk to their children. Family Planning National Health Promotion Advisor Amanda Hargreaves gives some tips on approaching the issue of relationships, sexuality, and ...19 hours ago
- Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel intends to stand for a third termLianne Dalziel says the decision to stand for another term wasn't an easy decision to make. ...20 hours ago
- I choose freedom: on being a young woman who travels aloneWhat does it mean to step out into the world on your own as a young woman?Three days after my 21st birthday, I jumped on a plane and went to Europe. I spent five months in London studying for a ...20 hours ago
- Fiscal policy to slow growth over next five years
The Labour-led coalition government will run a tight fiscal policy, keeping a lid on economic growth over the next five years, the Treasury's half year fiscal and economic update says. ...20 hours ago - The great unknowns: The best NZ music of 2018 with
Gareth Shute digs around to create a best-of-2018 music list with one criterion: the tracks all have less than 1000 streams on Spotify.One cruel thing about online music services like Spotify is that they instantly put a number next to ...20 hours ago - Solid growth underpins govt spending plansA solid economy is expected to underpin the government's spending plans. ...20 hours ago
- Robertson holds fire for Wellbeing Budget
Finance Minister Grant Robertson is keeping his powder dry for the first full Budget he will be able to put his own stamp on. ...20 hours ago - Treasury sees $27b of surpluses over 5 years
The books are looking good but the Government is still holding back on much needed spending on housing and health. ...21 hours ago
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