Posts Tagged ‘rick perry’
American politics
Written By: - Date published: 3:15 pm, December 9th, 2011 - 32 comments
Sometimes when I get depressed about NZ politics, I take a few deep breaths and reassure myself that at least it’s not American politics.
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- All in all another brick in the wall of money
Only two more sleeps to the Government’s Jamboree Investor Extravaganza! As a proud New Zealander I’m very much hoping for the best: Off-shore wind farms! Solar power! Sustainable industry powered by the abundant energy we could be producing!I wonder, will they have a deal already lined up, something to announce ...2 hours ago - Australia needs to manufacture change to ensure national security
After decades of gradual decline, Australia’s manufacturing capability is no longer mission-fit to meet national security needs. Any whole-of-nation effort to arrest this trend needs to start by making the industrial operating environment more conducive ...2 hours ago - This is why we have juries
Back in October 2022, Restore Passenger Rail hung banners across roads in Wellington to protest against the then-Labour government's weak climate change policy. The police responded by charging them not with the usual public order offences, but with "endangering transport", a crime with a maximum sentence of 14 years in ...2 hours ago - Luxon’s economy focus at odds with voters
Luxon’s popularity continues to fall, and a new survey shows voters rank fixing the health system as the top priority. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesLong stories shortest in Aotearoa’s political economy this morning: National’s pollster finds Christopher Luxon has fallen behind Chris Hipkins as preferred PM for the first ...6 hours ago - Tuesday 11 March
The CTU is calling for an apology from Nicola Willis after her office made a false characterisation of CTU statements, which ultimately saw him blocked from future Treasury briefings. New data shows that Māori make up 83% of those charged under new gang laws. Financial incentives are being offered to ...7 hours ago - Protected: Fight Back Together May Day 2025 Resources
This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below: Password: The post Protected: Fight Back Together May Day 2025 Resources appeared first on NZCTU. ...7 hours ago
- Australia needs to prevent cybercrime, not just react to it
Australia’s cyber capabilities have evolved rapidly, but they are still largely reactive, not preventative. Rather than responding to cyber incidents, Australian law enforcement agencies should focus on dismantling underlying criminal networks. On 11 December, Europol ...7 hours ago
- The National Hurricane Center set an all-time record for forecast accuracy in 2024
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters Finally, there’s some good news to report from NOAA, the parent organization of the National Hurricane Center, or NHC: During the highly active 2o24 Atlantic hurricane season, the NHC made record-accurate track forecasts at every time interval (12-, ...10 hours ago - Societal resilience is the best answer to Chinese warships
The Australian government has prioritised enhancing Australia’s national resilience for many years now, whether against natural disasters, economic coercion or hostile armed forces. However, the public and media response to the presence of Chinese naval ...10 hours ago
- Upper Habour Bus change a step towards rapid transit
It appears that Auckland Transport is finally set to improve Auckland’s busiest non-frequent bus route, the 120. As highlighted in my post a month ago on Auckland’s busiest bus routes, the 120 is the busiest route that doesn’t already run frequently all day/week and carries more passengers than many other ...10 hours ago - Gordon Campbell On The Government’s Stubborn Refusal To Invest For Growth
Economists have earned their reputation for jargon and tunnel vision, but sometimes, it takes an someone as perceptive as Simplicity economist Shamubeel Eaqub to identify something simple and devastating. As he pointed out recently, the coalition government is trying to attract foreign investment here to generate economic growth, while – ...18 hours ago - 5 Extraordinary Revelations From Deloitte’s Health NZ Review
Opinion & AnalysisSimeon Brown, left, and Deloitte partner David LovattIn September 2024, Deloitte Partner David Lovatt, was contracted by the National Government to help National ostensibly understand “the drivers behind HNZ’s worsening financial performance”.1 i.e. deficit.The report shows the last version was dated December 2024.It was formally released this week ...23 hours ago - All the Toey Horses
This cobbled-together government was altogether more the beneficiary of Labour getting turfed out than anything it managed to do itself. Even the worthless cheques they were writing didn't buy all that much favour.How’s it all looking now?Shall we take a look at a Horizon poll?The Government’s performance is making only ...1 day ago - Aotearoa should sign the Disappearance Convention
There's horrible news from the US today, with the Trump regime disappearing Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student, for protesting against genocide in Gaza. Its another significant decline in US human rights, and puts them in the same class as the authoritarian dictatorships they used to sponsor in South ...1 day ago
- Judging their own case
Yesterday National announced plans to amend the Public Works Act to "speed up" land acquisition for public works. Which sounds boring and bureaucratic - except its not. Because what "land acquisition" means is people's homes being compulsorily acquired by the state - which is inherently controversial, and fairly high up ...1 day ago
- Leadership Problems.
Contenders: The next question after “Will Luxon really go?” is, of course, “Will that work?” The answer to that question lies not so much in the efficacy of Luxon’s successor as it does in the perceived strength of the Centre-Left alternative.AT LEAST TWO prominent political commentators are alluding publicly to the ...1 day ago - It’s Only Natural
Ice will melt, water will boilYou and I can shake off this mortal coilIt's bigger than usYou don't have to worry about itIt's circumstantialIt's nothing written in the skyAnd we don't even have to trySongwriters: Neil Finn / Tim Finn.Preparing for the future.Many of you will be familiar with the ...1 day ago - On the way ahead
In my post last Thursday I offered some thoughts on changes that should be initiated by the government in the wake of the Governor’s surprise resignation. (Days on we still have no real explanation as to why he just resigned with no notice, disappearing out the door and (eg) leaving ...1 day ago - Chinese navy transit: opinions in The Strategist
In late February a Chinese navy flotilla including a cruiser, a frigate and a replenishment ship began to circle Australia, conducting a live fire exercise in the Tasman Sea along the way. The Strategist featured ...1 day ago
- China’s navy sends a steady drumbeat of ships around Australia
China’s deployment of a potent surface action group around Australia over the past two weeks is unprecedented but not unique. Over the past few years, China’s navy has deployed a range of vessels in Australia’s ...1 day ago
- Owners of compulsorily acquired non-iwi land to be stripped of appeal rights
Long stories shortest in Aotearoa’s political economy this morning: Within months and before Parliamentary approval is obtained, the Government plans to strip non-Maori landowners of the right to use the Environment Court to stop compulsory acquisition for fast-track projects and big new motorways.The Government also wants to buy off landowners ...1 day ago - The Last Video Shop
Hi,When I was 16 (pimples, braces, painfully awkward) — I applied for a job at Video Ezy.It’s difficult to describe how much I wanted this job. Video Ezy was my local video shop in Tauranga, and I’d spend hours of my teenage life stalking through those aisles, looking at the ...2 days ago - 2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #10
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 2, 2025 thru Sat, March 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. We are still interested ...2 days ago
- Thinking about life in a nuclear armed crowd.
The title of this post comes from Albert Wohlstetter’s 1976 seminal essay Moving Towards Life in a Nuclear Armed Crowd. In that essay he contemplated a world in which several nations had nuclear weapons, and also the strategic logics governing their proliferation, deployment and use (mainly as a deterrent). For ...2 days ago - A soliloquy for the week to March 9
Adrian Orr resigned unexpectedly and immediately on Wednesday, giving no explanation for departing three years before the end of his second term. File Photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories shortest in our political economy this week: David Seymour’s lunch programme came under increasing scrutiny;Adrian Orr resigned unexpectedly after clashing with Nicola Willis ...2 days ago - On Sunday
You've got to live, lady liveDo the tongue rollGive me joyBut don't kiss me too fastSong: Th’ Dudes.Good morning, all. After another heavy week of less-than-positive news, it’s time for something silly: the old standby of memories and questions.I can’t face writing about any more terrible people this week. I usually ...2 days ago - Fact brief – Is Greenland losing land ice?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Greenland losing land ice? Data from satellites and expeditions confirm Greenland has been losing land ice at an accelerating rate for decades. ...3 days ago
- A letter
After the Reserve Bank’s appearance on 20 February at the Finance and Expenditure Committee (the Governor, his macro deputy Karen Silk, and his chief economist Paul Conway) on the previous day’s Monetary Policy Statement, I wrote a post here about it, focused on a number of areas in which Orr, ...3 days ago
- Australia’s defences must be ready in two years. Here’s what to do
Beijing deployed a naval task group to the waters around Australia for three related reasons. First, to demonstrate the reach and potency of Chinese sea power and to put Australia on notice that it is ...3 days ago
- True Faith
That's the price that we all payAnd the value of destiny comes to nothingI can't tell you where we're goingI guess there was just no way of knowingSongwriters: Bernard Sumner / Gillian Lesley Gilbert / Peter Hook / Stephen Eric Hague / Stephen Paul David Morris.What an eventful week it’s ...3 days ago - Trump’s speech to Congress: America First in trade and alliances
In what might have been the longest presidential address to Congress in American history—an hour and forty minutes without intermission—President Donald Trump delivered a performance on Tuesday night that was simultaneously grandiose, confrontational, optimistic and ...3 days ago
- Can We Ignore the Environment?
Peter Frankopan’s The Earth Transformed: An Untold History is a compelling account of the interaction between humans and the environment. We would be unwise to ignore it. The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Oxford professor of history Peter Frankopan was initially widely admired. But critics point ...4 days ago - A loss in Europe is a loss in the Indo-Pacific
The United States shocked the world last week with President Donald Trump’s very public rift with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This was followed by a US pause on military aid and some intelligence sharing with ...4 days ago
- International Women’s Day 2025: progress and possibilities
International Women’s Day (IWD) serves as both a celebration of progress and a reminder of the ongoing challenges women face worldwide. Across national security, diplomacy, human rights and digital spaces, women continue to break barriers. ...4 days ago
- Bernanke on inflation targeting
Former chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors (and FOMC), Ben Bernanke, was yesterday the first of two keynote speakers at the Reserve Bank’s conference to mark 35 years of inflation targeting, which first became a formalised thing here in New Zealand. He indicated that he’d be speaking about ...4 days ago
- From home to horror: the association between domestic violence and terrorism
Domestic violence is an under-recognised early indicator of terrorism. It is not a reliable solitary indicator, but when observed alongside risk factors, it can prompt authorities to take a closer look at a potential terrorist. ...4 days ago
- You say socialist like it’s a bad thing
1. The Government is bringing back what to Health New Zealand?a. Buckb. Sexyc. The arrangement they dumped nine months ago2. Patient advocate and health campaigner Malcolm Mulholland said Commissioner Levy's time would be remembered as what?a. The Good Placeb. The Bad Placec. Absolute havoc and mayhem3. The government also announced ...4 days ago - Submit!
The Justice Committee has called for submissions on the Term of Parliament (Enabling 4-year Term) Legislation Amendment Bill. Submissions are due by 1:00pm Thursday, 17 April 2025 (note unusual time!), so in practice you need to get it done by 16 April. You can submit at the link above. If ...4 days ago
- Want change? Don’t vote Labour
The current National government is one of the worst in Aotearoa's history. And because of this, its also one of the most unpopular. A war on Māori, corrupt fast-track legislation, undermining the fight against climate change, the ferry fiasco, the school lunch disaster... none of these policies are making friends. ...4 days ago
- The Quad can help Australia monitor China’s naval behaviour
Australia should enlist partners in the Quad to help address China’s increasingly assertive naval behaviour in the Indo-Pacific. The Quad may be slow in moving into security roles, but one militarily useful function that it ...4 days ago
- How Australia is advancing gender equality in the Indo-Pacific
Women’s rights and protections are regressing on the international stage, from the Taliban’s erasure of women from public life to US President Donald Trump’s misogynistic rhetoric and decision to suspend USAID. Against this backdrop, Australia’s ...4 days ago
- Friday 7 March
E tū, representing many of NZME’s journalists, says it is “deeply worried” by a billionaire’s plans to take over its board. They are also concerned that NZ Post call centre jobs are gradually shifting to the Philippines as a cost-cutting measure. APEX have announced that more than 850 lab staff ...4 days ago
- Weekly Roundup 6-March-2025
The first Friday of March, and it’s definitely been madder on the transport network this week. Here’s some things we saw this week that were interesting. This week in Greater Auckland On Monday Connor did a deep dive into Auckland’s speed limit reversals. For Tuesday saw Connor follow ...4 days ago
- As Trump sacks scientists, Australia should hire them. US drain is our brain gain
US President Donald Trump, his powerful offsider Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are slashing public spending in an effort to save US taxpayers anywhere between US$500 billion and US$2 trillion. Caught ...4 days ago
- Truth Is a Beautiful Thing
Miles and miles on my ownWarm with shame, I follow onA language to find hard to hearNot to understand, just disappearCould you take my place and stand here?I do not think you'd take this painYou'll be on your knees and struggle under the weightOh, the truth would be a beautiful ...4 days ago - Winston taunts Luxon: ‘I made him PM’
“I made him the Prime Minister”, said Winston Peters, leaning into his “kingmaker” role. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories shortest in Aotearoa’s political economy this morning: Winston Peters believes he made Christopher Luxon PM and therefore didn’t have to tell him about sacking Phil Goff, which Luxon ...4 days ago - Luxon’s Untenable Grasp
Yesterday, after kids got “steam burns” from hot school lunches, came the news of a kid in Gisborne who suffered “second degree burns” after opening one of the school lunches and accidentally splashing some on their leg.The student had to be rushed to A&E at the hospital, but it’s horrific ...5 days ago - The Hoon around the week to March 7
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: and Elaine Monaghan on the week in geopolitics, including Donald Trump’s wrecking of the post-WW II political landscape; and, on ...5 days ago - Trump’s UN vote a defining act that points to day of reckoning for NZ
Of all the headline-making, world-reshaping actions of the second Trump administration thus far, perhaps the most defining is the United States’ vote against the resolution condemning Moscow’s invasion and supporting Ukraine’s territorial authority. The US has used its security council veto and superpower heft in questionable ways before, but this ...5 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #10 2025
Open access notables Snow Mass Recharge of the Greenland Ice Sheet Fueled by Intense Atmospheric River, Bailey & Hubbard, Geophysical Research Letters: Atmospheric rivers (ARs) have been linked with extreme rainfall and melt events across the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS), accelerating its mass loss. However, the impact of AR-fueled snowfall has ...5 days ago
- If Trump’s US abandons liberal idealism, others must pick up the baton
Donald Trump’s description of himself during last week’s excruciating Oval Office meeting as a ‘mediator’ between Russia and Ukraine was revealing even by the standards of the past six weeks. It showed an indifference to ...5 days ago
- Trump is making the mistake that FDR shunned
In April 1941, Charles Lindbergh, the America First Committee’s most prominent leader, outlined his position that Nazi Germany’s victory was inevitable, that the United States should stay neutral and that Britain was ‘a belligerent nation’ ...5 days ago
- Canadian Billionaire James Jim Grenon launches NZME Board Takeover
National Business Review has this scoop todayLet’s not belabour it.He wants all NZME directors to be replaced by himself, three new nominees, and one existing NZME Director.Grenon’s link to publications such as Centrist and News Essentials are note worthy.Those publications for all intensive purposes present a very alt-right view of ...5 days ago - The value of Ukraine’s critical minerals is overstated
Anyone involved in Australia’s critical minerals industry would be rolling their eyes at the transaction still reported to be under consideration between Ukraine and the United States. US President Donald Trump was initially asking for ...5 days ago
- Today’s fake news
Collins Unveils Very Special FrigateJudith Collins today announced a bold plan to address the navy’s billion dollar headaches.We’re so short of sailors that we’ve had to tie up half the fleet, and as if that wasn’t enough, our allies have been heavying us to upgrade the boats. Well, that would ...5 days ago - Many Reasons Adrian Orr Resigned
ANALYSIS / OPINION -Why Central Bankers MatterI remember the day that Lehman Brothers fell. LB was a global financial services behemoth. Fourth largest investment bank in the world. Founded in 1850. The brand smelt of prestige and calibre.But their demise in 2018 - caused by shoddy risk management practices and ...5 days ago - Trump’s upending of US intelligence: implications for Australia
Australia has no room for complacency as it watches the second Trump Administration upend the US Intelligence Community (USIC). The evident mutual advantages of the US-Australian intelligence partnership and of the Five Eyes alliance more ...5 days ago
- Thursday 6 March
Port workers in Lyttleton are warning that a proposal to cut jobs at the port will lead to more workplace deaths. The Government is doubling the number of nurse practitioners able to train in GP clinics, to 120 every year. They have also announced plans to lower the age for ...5 days ago
- Indonesia steps up defence relationships, but stays non-aligned
Indonesia has recognised that security affairs in its region are no longer business as usual, though it hasn’t completely given up its commitment to strategic autonomy. Its biggest step was a Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) ...5 days ago
- Trump has cut funding for transgender mice. The only problem? The mice aren’t transgender.
What a world we live in. It sounds like a satire piece, or perhaps a headline for some alternative universe where Stuart Little was a documentary. Source: TransVitaeSadly, it’s not. It’s a stunning indictment that the leader of the free world either can’t, or doesn’t, read. Yesterday in Congress, Donald ...5 days ago - Adrian Orr Jumps
I hate to break it to you babe, but I'm not drowningThere's no one here to saveWho cares if you disagree?You are not meWho made you king of anything?So you dare tell me who to be?Who died and made you king of anything?Songwriters: Sara Beth Bareilles.It’s hard to be surprised ...5 days ago - Britain’s cut to foreign aid undermines threat prevention
Britain’s decision to cut foreign aid to fund defence spending overlooks the preventive role of foreign aid. It follows the pause and review of USAID activities and is an approach to foreign aid that Australia ...5 days ago
- $11 billion and out
I’d been thinking last week of writing a post looking ahead to the end of Adrian Orr’s term (due to have run until March 2028) and offering some thoughts on structural changes the government should be looking to make, to complete and refine the Reserve Bank reform programme kicked off ...5 days ago
- Defence, not more assertive cyber activity, is the right response to Salt Typhoon
The ongoing Salt Typhoon cyberattack, affecting some of the United States’ largest telecoms companies, has galvanised a trend toward more assertive US engagement in the cyber domain. This is the wrong lesson to take. Instead, ...5 days ago
- Time of Use charging progresses – but will it actually lead anywhere?
On Tuesday the long awaited Land Transport Management (Time of Use Charging) Amendment Bill passed its first reading in parliament and now heads off to select committee for public submissions. This is the legislation that enables Time of Use charging schemes – what’s typically known as congestion pricing – to ...5 days ago
- Will Adrian Orr’s replacement unleash a new mortgage war?
RBNZ governor Orr is now gone and using up his leave before the formal end of his employment, but does this mean we might see a new 2004-style ‘unbeatable’ mortgage war and another credit-fuelled housing price boom? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong story short: Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr ...6 days ago
- Gordon Campbell On Why GP Practices Are In Crisis
In a week when PM Christopher Luxon and Health Minister Simeon Brown have been blowing their own trumpets about how supportive they are of GPs, and how they are offering “all New Zealanders” more “choice” in how they access primary health care blah blah blah…. Can we please have some ...6 days ago
- Climate Adam: Protecting our Planet from President Trump
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy and climate communicator Becky Hoag. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). In just a few weeks President Donald Trump has done everything he can ...6 days ago
- Trump’s challenge to international order
US President Donald Trump has cast serious doubts on the future of the postwar international order. In recent speeches and UN votes, his administration has sided with Russia, an aggressor that launched a war of ...6 days ago
- When dealing with China, Australia must prioritise security over economics
China’s economic importance cannot be allowed to supersede all other Australian interests. For the past couple of decades, trade has dominated Australia’s relations with China. This cannot continue. Australia needs to prioritise its security interests ...6 days ago
- No-one knows what he’ll do next
Troubling times, surreal times. So many of us seem to be pacing our exposure to it all to preserve our sanity. I know I am.A generous dose of history podcasts and five seasons in a row of The Last Kingdom have been a big help. Good will hand evil a ...6 days ago - A recipe for waste
With the Trump regime in the US causing growing global instability, the government is banging the drum about increasing defence spending. And this morning we have a bunch of defence lobbyists pushing to double the size of the navy to four frigates, at a cost of $8 billion. Which sounds ...6 days ago
- School meals as human capital investment.
Although I do not usually write about NZ politics, I do follow them. I find that with the exception of a few commentators, coverage of domestic issues tends to be dominated by a fixation on personalities, scandals, “gotcha” questioning, “he said, she said” accusations, nitpicking about the daily minutia of ...6 days ago
- Australia’s Pandemic Exceptionalism
That’s the title of a 2024 book by a couple of Australian academic economists, Steven Hamilton (based in US) and Richard Holden (a professor at the University of New South Wales). The subtitle of the book is “How we crushed the curve but lost the race”. It is easy ...6 days ago
- Overseas investment is getting riskier. The government needs to step up
Australian companies operating overseas are navigating an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape where economic coercion, regulatory uncertainty and security risks are becoming the norm. Our growing global investment footprint is nationally important, and the Australian government ...6 days ago
- Release: Labour’s approach to Māori economy benefits all
Under Labour, the Māori economy went from strength to strength according to the latest report released by MBIE. ...8 hours ago - 20 Years of Success Down the Drain: Govt Gut Whānau Ora
Te Pāti Māori extends our deepest aroha to the 500 plus Whānau Ora workers who have been advised today that the govt will be dismantling their contracts. For twenty years , Whānau Ora has been helping families, delivering life-changing support through a kaupapa Māori approach. It has built trust where ...3 days ago
- Green Party launches petition to allow Pacific whānau visa-free access
The Green Party is launching a petition calling on the Government to extend visa-free travel to visitors from Pacific Island nations. ...3 days ago - Release: Labour welcomes reinstatement of Heath NZ board
Labour welcomes Simeon Brown’s move to reinstate a board at Health New Zealand, bringing the destructive and secretive tenure of commissioner Lester Levy to an end. ...4 days ago
- NZ’s Public Health system dealt yet another blow
This morning’s announcement by the Health Minister regarding a major overhaul of the public health sector levels yet another blow to the country’s essential services. ...4 days ago
- Release: Chris Hipkins’ State of the Nation address
Ngā mihi ki a koutou katoa It is a great pleasure to be here with you this morning. ...4 days ago
- NZ First Introduces Bill to Remove Woke ‘DEI’ Regulations from Public Service
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill that will ensure employment decisions in the public service are based on merit and not on forced woke ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ targets. “This Bill would put an end to the woke left-wing social engineering and diversity targets in the public sector. ...4 days ago - Release: Labour outlines priorities of next Govt
The next Labour Government will prioritise jobs, health and homes so Kiwis and Kiwi businesses have the opportunity to thrive. ...4 days ago
- Release: Refreshed team to drive Labour’s 2026 priorities
Labour leader Chris Hipkins has unveiled a new economic team as part of a caucus reshuffle. ...4 days ago
- Release: Labour calls for end to police referrals to Destiny programmes
Police have referred 20 offenders to Destiny Church-affiliated programmes Man Up and Legacy as ‘wellness providers’ in the last year, raising concerns that those seeking help are being recruited into a harmful organisation. ...5 days ago
- Good Riddance: Prebble Resigns from Waitangi Tribunal
Te Pāti Māori welcomes the resignation of Richard Prebble from the Waitangi Tribunal. His appointment in October 2024 was a disgrace- another example of this government undermining Te Tiriti o Waitangi by appointing a former ACT leader who has spent his career attacking Māori rights. “Regardless of the reason for ...6 days ago
- Release: Labour calls on Govt to condemn Israel’s aid blockade
The National Government needs to publicly condemn Israel’s cutting off of aid supplies to the war-ravaged people of Gaza. ...6 days ago
- Release: Mark Mitchell missing in action
Police Minister Mark Mitchell is avoiding accountability by refusing to answer key questions in the House as his Government faces criticism over their dangerous citizen’s arrest policy, firearm reform, and broken promises to recruit more police. ...1 week ago
- Release: Fewer houses, consents down under National
The number of building consents issued under this Government continues to spiral, taking a toll on the infrastructure sector, tradies, and future generations of Kiwi homeowners. ...1 week ago
- Govt urged to rule out any involvement in AUKUS
The Green Party is calling on the Prime Minister to rule out joining the AUKUS military pact in any capacity following the scenes in the White House over the weekend. ...1 week ago
- Release: PSA survey proves Govt’s cuts are hurting patients
The National Government’s decision to cut jobs and freeze recruitment of health care workers is hurting frontline services and harming patients. ...1 week ago
- Government levels another blow at kaupapa Māori education
The Green Party is appalled by the Government’s plan to disestablish Resource Teachers of Māori (RTM) roles, a move that takes another swing at kaupapa Māori education. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour PR: More clarity needed for homebuyers
The Government’s levies announcement is a step in the right direction, but they must be upfront about who will pay its new infrastructure levies and ensure that first-home buyers are protected from hidden costs. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: More clarity needed for homebuyers
The Government’s levies announcement is a step in the right direction, but they must be upfront about who will pay its new infrastructure levies and ensure that first-home buyers are protected from hidden costs. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens welcome pause of works at Lake Rotokākahi and call for council to work constructively with m...
After months of mana whenua protecting their wāhi tapu, the Green Party welcomes the pause of works at Lake Rotokākahi and calls for the Rotorua Lakes Council to work constructively with Tūhourangi and Ngāti Tumatawera on the pathway forward. ...2 weeks ago
- The week in review
New Zealand First continues to bring balance, experience, and commonsense to Government. This week we've made progress on many of our promises to New Zealand. Winston representing New Zealand Winston Peters is overseas this week, with stops across the Middle East and North Asia. Winston's stops include Saudi Arabia, the ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt abandons retailers with citizen’s arrests
The Government’s expansion of citizen’s arrest powers leaves retailers on their own to deal with crime on their premises. ...2 weeks ago
- Co-Leaders announce plans to launch Green Budget this year
Green Party Co-Leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick have announced the party’s plans to deliver a Green Budget this year to offer an alternative vision to the Government’s trickle-down economics and austerity politics. ...2 weeks ago
- State of the Planet speeches, 2025
At this year's State of the Planet address, Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick announced the party’s plans to deliver a Green Budget this year to offer an alternative vision to the Government’s trickle-down economics and austerity politics. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Millions spent to rehash bad ideas on retail crime
The Government has spent $3.6 million dollars on a retail crime advisory group, including paying its chair $920 a day, to come up with ideas already dismissed as dangerous by police. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens stand in solidarity with mana whenua of Lake Rotokākahi
The Green Party supports the peaceful occupation at Lake Rotokākahi and are calling for the controversial sewerage project on the lake to be stopped until the Environment Court has made a decision. ...2 weeks ago
- Report highlights urgent need for “life-changing” free dental care
ActionStation’s Oral Healthcare report, released today, paints a dire picture of unmet need and inequality across the country, highlighting the urgency of free dental care for all New Zealanders. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Overhaul of Overseas Investment Act a Fire Sale of Kiwi Assets
The Government’s reckless overhaul of the Overseas Investment Act is a fast track for foreign investment at the expense of Kiwi interests. ...2 weeks ago
- MP Views: The Golden Age, The Red Band Cavalry, Fluoride, and Social Media
The Golden Age There has been long-standing recognition that New Zealand First has an unrivalled reputation for delivering for our older New Zealanders. This remains true, and is reflected in our coalition agreement. While we know there is much that we can and will do in this space, it is ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Call for Destiny Church to lose charity status
Labour Te Atatū MP Phil Twyford has written to the charities regulator asking that Destiny Church charities be struck off in the wake of last weekend’s violence by Destiny followers in his electorate. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Two Labour members’ bills drawn from ballot
Bills by Labour MPs to remove rules around sale of alcohol on public holidays, and for Crown entities to adopt Māori names have been drawn from the Members’ Bill Ballot. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Govt losing police faster than it can hire them
The Government is falling even further behind its promised target of 500 new police officers, now with 72 fewer police officers than when National took office. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Child poverty reduction must remain a priority
The latest child poverty statistics show child poverty reduction must remain a priority for the Government. ...3 weeks ago
- Static child poverty stats highlight need for urgent action
This morning’s Stats NZ child poverty statistics should act as a wake-up call for the government: with no movement in child poverty rates since June 2023, it’s time to make the wellbeing of our tamariki a political priority. ...3 weeks ago
- Right to Repair Bill passes significant step
Green Party Co-Leader Marama Davidson’s Consumer Guarantees Right to Repair Amendment Bill has passed its first reading in Parliament this evening. ...3 weeks ago
- New Zealand stands with Ukraine, three years after illegal Russian invasion
As the world marks three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced additional sanctions on Russian entities and support for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction. “Russia’s illegal invasion has brought three years of devastation to Ukraine’s people, environment, and infrastructure,” Mr Peters says. “These additional sanctions target 52 ...2 weeks ago - Going for Growth: Overseas investment changes to drive higher wages
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced the Government’s plan to reform the Overseas Investment Act and make it easier for New Zealand businesses to receive new investment, grow and pay higher wages. “New Zealand is one of the hardest countries in the developed world for overseas people to ...2 weeks ago
- Minister going to Australia for aged care meetings
Associate Health Minister Hon Casey Costello is traveling to Australia for meetings with the aged care sector in Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney next week. “Australia is our closest partner, so as we consider the changes necessary to make our system more effective and sustainable it makes sense to learn from ...2 weeks ago
- More funding for biodiversity protection
The Government is boosting investment in the QEII National Trust to reinforce the protection of Aotearoa New Zealand's biodiversity on private land, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says. The Government today announced an additional $4.5 million for conservation body QEII National Trust over three years. QEII Trust works with farmers and ...2 weeks ago
- Closure of the Ava Bridge Walkway postponed
The closure of the Ava Bridge walkway will be delayed so Hutt City Council have more time to develop options for a new footbridge, says Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Mayor of Lower Hutt, Campbell Barry. “The Hutt River paths are one of the Hutt’s most beloved features. Hutt locals ...3 weeks ago
- Speech to Committee for Auckland
Good afternoon. Can I acknowledge Ngāti Whātua for their warm welcome, Simpson Grierson for hosting us here today, and of course the Committee for Auckland for putting on today’s event. I suspect some of you are sitting there wondering what a boy from the Hutt would know about Auckland, our ...3 weeks ago
- Removal of level crossings a win for Aucklanders
The Government will invest funding to remove the level crossings in Takanini and Glen Innes and replace them with grade-separated crossings, to maximise the City Rail Link’s ability to speed up journey times by rail and road and boost Auckland’s productivity, Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown ...3 weeks ago
- Carbon capture one step closer
The Government has made key decisions on a Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) framework to enable businesses to benefit from storing carbon underground, which will support New Zealand’s businesses to continue operating while reducing net carbon emissions, Energy and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Economic growth is a ...3 weeks ago
- Industrial hemp regulations to be reviewed
Minister for Regulation David Seymour says that outdated and burdensome regulations surrounding industrial hemp (iHemp) production are set to be reviewed by the Ministry for Regulation. Industrial hemp is currently classified as a Class C controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act, despite containing minimal THC and posing little ...3 weeks ago
- Advisory group on organised crime appointed
The Ministerial Advisory Group on transnational and serious organised crime was appointed by Cabinet on Monday and met for the first time today, Associate Police Minister Casey Costello announced. “The group will provide independent advice to ensure we have a better cross-government response to fighting the increasing threat posed to ...3 weeks ago
- Economic growth the focus of PM’s visit to Viet Nam
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will travel to Viet Nam next week, visiting both Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City, accompanied by a delegation of senior New Zealand business leaders. “Viet Nam is a rising star of Southeast Asia with one of the fastest growing economies in the region. This ...3 weeks ago
- Changes to enable investment in build-to-rent housing passed into law
The coalition Government has passed legislation to support overseas investment in the Build-to-Rent housing sector, Associate Minister of Finance Chris Bishop says. “The Overseas Investment (Facilitating Build-to-Rent Developments) Amendment Bill has completed its third reading in Parliament, fulfilling another step in the Government’s plan to support an increase in New ...3 weeks ago
- New Police campaign welcomed
The new Police marketing campaign starting today, recreating the ‘He Ain’t Heavy’ ad from the 1990s, has been welcomed by Associate Police Minister Casey Costello. “This isn’t just a great way to get the attention of more potential recruits, it’s a reminder to everyone about what policing is and the ...3 weeks ago
- Child Poverty statistics show challenges remain
No significant change to child poverty rates under successive governments reinforces that lifting children out of material hardship will be an ongoing challenge, Child Poverty Reduction Minister Louise Upston says. Figures released by Stats NZ today show no change in child poverty rates for the year ended June 2024, reflecting ...3 weeks ago
- Most common registered family names in 2024
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is pleased to announce the most common family names given to newborns in 2024. “For the seventh consecutive year, Singh is the most common registered family name, with over 680 babies given this name. Kaur follows closely in second place with 630 babies, while ...3 weeks ago
- Regional Tourism Boost to attract international visitors
A new $3 million fund from the International Conservation and Tourism Visitor Levy will be used to attract more international visitors to regional destinations this autumn and winter, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says. “The Government has a clear priority to unleash economic growth and getting our visitor numbers ...3 weeks ago
- ‘A peaceful, prosperous, democratic Pacific’
Good Evening Let us begin by acknowledging Professor David Capie and the PIPSA team for convening this important conference over the next few days. Whenever the Pacific Islands region comes together, we have a precious opportunity to share perspectives and learn from each other. That is especially true in our ...3 weeks ago
- Live: Luxon says Seymour working through ‘challenging issues’ as school lunch woes deepe...
Christopher Luxon and David Seymour front questions in Parliament as school lunch woes deepen. ...1 hour ago - Beloved beaches were washed offshore by Cyclone Alfred – but most of this sand will return
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Javier Leon, Associate Professor in Physical Geography, University of the Sunshine Coast For many people, the most visible impact of Cyclone Alfred was the damage big waves and storm surge did to their local beaches. Beaches in southeast Queensland and northeast ...2 hours ago - Fa’anānā Efeso Collins’ widow reflects on grief, legacy, and a life without him
A year after the sudden passing of the Auckland politician, his widow has opened up about the heartbreak of losing him. ...2 hours ago
- Health-care workers should not be a target. In Gaza, their detention and death affect the entire pop...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tania King, Associate Professor in Social Epidemiology, The University of Melbourne A freeze on aid entering the Gaza Strip, imposed by Israel last week, means once again tons of urgent medical supplies and medicines are stuck at the border, with delivery uncertain. ...2 hours ago
- Regional Australia needs more workers to rebuild after disasters like Alfred. Skilled refugees could...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sally Baker, Associate Professor, Migration and Education, Australian National University The damage inflicted by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred on Queensland and northern New South Wales has been extensive. Several areas have had infrastructure badly damaged, and many homes have been destroyed. With ...2 hours ago
- Candace Owens was denied a visa to New Zealand – and then a minister stepped in
Late last year, the associate immigration minister reversed a decision to deny the controversial US commentator a visa, after a local lobby group put the pressure on. Documents released under the Official Information Act reveal how it unfolded. Across the ditch, her risk of “inciting discord” was deemed too great ...2 hours ago - Calculated risk: will the next Reserve Bank governor relax capital requirements for banks?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Matthews, Associate Professor and Head of School, School of Accountancy, Economics and Finance, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Andrzej Rostek/Getty Images Adrian Orr has so far not spoken about the reasons for his recent and unexpected resignation as ...3 hours ago
- Watch live: Luxon in the hot seat at Question Time as school lunch woes deepen
Christopher Luxon and David Seymour front questions in Parliament as school lunch woes deepen. ...3 hours ago
- Revealed: Nelson’s $660,000 Saltwater Creek Footbridge
“It doesn’t have to be barebones, but when one-sixth of the cost of a footbridge is simply on flourish, it’s probably time to pull back. The people of Nelson deserve better from their council in terms of spending decisions.” ...4 hours ago - In trying to save its life, has Shortland Street lost its heart?
New Zealand’s favourite soap returned this year with a new look and a new attitude – but is it working? This year, Shortland Street has rewritten its own rules. After falling advertising revenue saw the long-running series reduce to three episode a week in 2025, the show returned to our ...4 hours ago
- Watch live: Luxon in hot seat at Question Time as school lunch woes deepen
The PM faces a grilling at Question Time in a day where he called Wellington's councils "pretty lame-o" and a school lunch provider went into liquidation. ...4 hours ago
- Luxon denies stricter emergency housing rules have increased homelessness
A 'please help' letter has been sent to the government, after a 53 percent rise in people sleeping rough in the city ...5 hours ago
- Christopher Luxon calls Wellington’s councils ‘pretty lame-o’
But the committee says it chose not to apply for the government's regional deals. ...5 hours ago
- School lunches provider Libelle Group Auckland goes into liquidation
Libelle Group was contracted by Compass Group to provide 125,000 meals daily. ...5 hours ago
- Christopher Luxon open to adopting some of NZ First’s ‘anti-woke’ proposals
New Zealand First has proposed legislation it says will end "woke left-wing social engineering and diversity targets" in the public sector. ...6 hours ago
- How to go on a first date in Wellington
In episode five of Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club, our pair head to our capital city and finally brave the dating scene solo. Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club is a new documentary series for The Spinoff following award-winning comedians and friends Brynley Stent and Kura Forrester as they ...6 hours ago
- The Fold: Big tech and regulation in the second coming of Trump
Duncan Greive is joined by trade specialist Charles Finny and Echobox’s tech regulation expert Tom Barraclough to dive deep into the theoretical and the practical of media regulation in the new era. The second Trump administration has blown apart a multi-decade long rules based order for trade. The White ...6 hours ago
- Politics live: Christopher Luxon calls Wellington’s councils ‘lame-o’
It comes after the region failed to put in a bid for an infrastructure deal. ...6 hours ago
- In siding with Russia over Ukraine, Trump is not putting America first. He is hastening its decline
ANALYSIS: By Matthew Sussex, Australian National University Has any nation squandered its diplomatic capital, plundered its own political system, attacked its partners and supplicated itself before its far weaker enemies as rapidly and brazenly as Donald Trump’s America? The fiery Oval Office meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ...7 hours ago
- US report discusses possibility of nuclear submarine accident, if subs supplied to Australia
A report to the US Congress discusses the possibility of an accident with a nuclear-powered submarine if it supplies one to Australia. ...7 hours ago
- Senior diplomat to take over as Acting UK High Commissioner after Goff sacking
Chris Seed will be Acting UK High Commissioner after Goff was removed for comments he made about US President Donald Trump. ...7 hours ago
- Faith meets finance: The investor helping Muslims navigate the money world
Halal investing presents a number of challenges, especially in New Zealand. Can you be a good Muslim, and also have serious financial goals you want to hit? That’s the challenge Muhammad Lambat is tackling. And, he says, the answer is yes. As the founder and content creator behind @MuslimInvesting, he’s ...8 hours ago
- Violent weekend brawl, clashes rock Greater Nouméa area
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A series of violent incidents and confrontations over the weekend in New Caledonia’s capital Nouméa and its surroundings, causing clashes with law enforcement agencies and several injuries. On Saturday night, in a bar and night-club in downtown Nouméa, a “Ladies Night” ...8 hours ago
- ‘I’m disappointed in NZ’: Artist to leave country after Supreme Court defeat
Analysis: The questions posed by a Marlborough painter’s court loss are a microcosm of a bigger US trade battle over intellectual property The post ‘I’m disappointed in NZ’: Artist to leave country after Supreme Court defeat appeared first on Newsroom. ...8 hours ago - Do cats have ‘friends’, or do they always vie for territory? Animal experts weigh in
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanna Tepper, Associate Lecturer, Psychology, La Trobe University Yang/Unsplash Domestic cats have been living alongside humans for an estimated 10,000 years, first as rodent control and then as the couch-warmers we know and love. A far cry from the lone predator ...9 hours ago
- Quantum technologies are changing our world – what does NZ need to be part of the next revolution?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hutchinson, Professor in Theoretical Physics, University of Otago Shutterstock/Gorodenkoff As part of a major reform of the science sector, the government plans to set up a research organisation focused on emerging technologies, including quantum technologies. The first quantum revolution – ...9 hours ago
- Independents took cities by storm last election. This time, they’ve got regional Australia in thei...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maxine Newlands, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Policy Futures, University of Queensland, Adjunct Principle Research Fellow, Cairns Institute, James Cook University In 2022, the national vote for independents or minor parties was the highest in almost a century. A third of ...9 hours ago
- 5 years since COVID was declared a pandemic, we’re still poorly prepared for the next one
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Lewin, Melbourne Laureate Professor, University of Melbourne; Director, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity Anastasiia Chepinska/Unsplash On March 11, 2020, as COVID continued to spread rapidly around the globe, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared a pandemic. ...9 hours ago
- What can you do if your child is being bullied?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Green, Senior Lecturer, UniSA Education Futures, University of South Australia MPIX/Shutterstock Bullying is one of the top concerns Australian parents have about their children’s health. Unfortunately about one in four Australian students between Year 4 and Year 9 ...9 hours ago
- Replacing stamp duty with a land tax could save home buyers big money. Here’s how
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University Infrastructure Victoria has released a draft 30-year plan outlining how the state can grow sustainably. It focuses on key areas like transport, housing, energy, and public services to support a ...9 hours ago
- The cost of being: A 25-year-old bar manager who’s in debt to the dentist
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a ‘currently struggling but eternally optimistic’ bar manager and dog sitter shares some spending-and-saving insights. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here. Gender: Woman but occasionally questioning it. Age: ...9 hours ago
- Can playing games like Wordle help improve work and workplaces?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim M Caudwell, Senior Lecturer in Psychology | Chair, Researchers in Behavioural Addictions, Alcohol and Drugs (BAAD), Charles Darwin University Tada Images/Shutterstock Do you ever find yourself taking a sneaky few minutes out of your work day to play a game ...9 hours ago
- Politics live: Incompetence not sabotage behind Health NZ issues, Christopher Luxon says
A poll shows both Luxon and his coalition are losing support. ...10 hours ago
- Offshore operators poised to dominate new online gambling market
Millions of dollars in gambling profits look set to flow offshore - leaving local communities out of pocket. ...10 hours ago
- Politics live: Nicola Willis says Christopher Luxon will lead National into next year’s electi...
A poll shows both Luxon and his coalition are losing support. ...10 hours ago
- Will Health NZ’s IT workers get a reprieve from cuts?
IT workers - threatened with large-scale job cuts at Health NZ - are hoping for a reprieve, after the health minister revealed he has asked officials to think again. ...11 hours ago
- Bad poll fuels flickers of doubt about Luxon’s future
With Chris Hipkins overtaking him as preferred PM, Christopher Luxon’s position has never been shakier. But is a leadership spill really possible, asks Catherine McGregor in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Hipkins pips Luxon for preferred PM For the first ...11 hours ago
- What’s behind the Whānau Ora overhaul?
The first changes in more than a decade have created uncertainty for 600 kaimahi – what happens next? Last week, Whānau Ora made headlines with confirmation that the current North Island commissioning agency – the John Tamihere-led Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency (formerly Te Pou Matakana) – will end its role ...13 hours ago
- Getting rid of predators is one thing. Keeping them gone is another
Nearly a decade since the ambitious Predator Free 2050 goal was launched, what progress has been made? “There are three stages when you open a trap,” says David, who works in pest control in Fiordland. “There’s the fresh stage: you open it up and find a limp fluffy corpse, that’s ...13 hours ago
- Dear Brooke van Velden, please help
Most New Zealand authors are familiar with the Public Lending Right. But most New Zealand authors don’t benefit from the PLR.Its purpose is set out in legislation: “To provide for New Zealand authors to receive payments in recognition of the fact that their books are available for use in New ...13 hours ago
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