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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
You're like MarmiteFickle to meMixed receptionNo one can agreeStill so saltyDarkest energyThink you're specialBut you're no match for meSong by Porij.Morena, let’s not beat about the bush this morning, shall we? You and I both know we’re not here to discuss cornflakes, poached eggs, or buttered toast. We’re here for ...
Unlike other leaders, Luxon chose to say he trusted Donald Trump and saw the United States as a reliable partner, just as Trump upended 80 years of US-led stability in trade and security. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāIn summary today: PM Christopher Luxon is increasingly at odds with leaders ...
Australians need to understand the cyber threat from China. US President Donald Trump described the launch of Chinese artificial intelligence chatbot, DeepSeek, as a wake-up call for the US tech industry. The Australian government moved ...
This Webworm deals with religious trauma. Please take care when reading and listening. I will note that the audio portion is handled gently by my guests Michael and Shane. Hi,I usually like to have my thoughts a little more organised before I send out a Webworm, but this is sort ...
..From: Frank MacskasySent: Tuesday, 25 February 2025 12:37 PMTo: Brooke van Velden <Brooke.vanVelden@parliament.govt.nz>Subject: Destiny Church/GangKia Ora Ms Van Velden,Not sure if you're checking this email account, but on the off-chance you are, please add my voice to removing Destiny Church/Gang's charity status.I've enquired about what charities do, and harassing and ...
The Australian government’s underreaction to China’s ongoing naval circumnavigation of Australia is a bigger problem than any perceived overreaction in public commentary. Some politicisation of the issue before a general election is natural in a ...
Oh hi, Chris Luxon here, just touching base to cover off an issue about Marie Antoinette.Let me be clear. I never said she ate Marmite sandwiches and I honestly don’t know how people get hold of some of these ideas. I’m here to do one thing and one thing only: ...
Artificial intelligence is becoming commonplace in electoral campaigns and politics across Southeast Asia, but the region is struggling to regulate it. Indonesia’s 2024 general election exposed actual harms of AI-driven politics and overhyped concerns that ...
The StrategistBy Karryl Kim Sagun Trajano and Adhi Priamarizki
The Commerce Commission is investigating Wellington Water after damning reports into its procurement processes. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says parents who are dissatisfied with the new school lunch programme should “make a marmite sandwich and put an apple in a bag”. Health Minister Simeon Brown says overseas clinicians may be ...
Ruled Out:The AfD, (Alternative für Deutschland) branded “Far Right” by Germany’s political mainstream, has been ostracised politically. The Christian Democrats (many of whose voters support the AfD’s tough anti-immigration stance) have ruled out any possibility of entering into a coalition with the radical-nationalist party.THAT THERE HAS BEEN A SHIFT towards the ...
School lunches plagued with issues as Luxon continues to defend Seymour Today, futher reports on “an array of issues” with school lunches as the “collective nightmare” for schools continues. An investigation is underway from the Ministries of Primary Industries after melted plastic was consumed by kids in Friday’s school lunches ...
Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis tour a factory. Photo: NZMEMountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Last week, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Mike Hoskings that nurses could easily replace general practitioners (GPs) - a ...
When National cancelled the iRex ferry contract out of the blue in a desperate effort to make short-term savings to pay for their landlord tax cuts, we knew there would be a cost. Not just one to society, in terms of shitter ferries later, but one to the government, which ...
The risk of China spiralling into an unprecedentedly prolonged recession is increasing. Its economy is experiencing deflation, with the price level falling for a second consecutive year in 2024, according to recent data from the ...
You know he got the cureYou know he went astrayHe used to stay awakeTo drive the dreams he had awayHe wanted to believeIn the hands of loveHands of loveSongwriters: Paul David Hewson / Adam Clayton / Larry Mullen / Dave Evans.Last night, I saw a Labour clip that looked awfully ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson One month into the new Trump administration, firings of scientists and freezes to U.S. research funding have caused an unprecedented elimination of scientific expertise from the federal government. Proposed and ongoing cuts to agencies like the National ...
Counter-productive cost shifting: The Government’s drive to reduce public borrowing and costs has led to increases in rates, fees and prices (such as Metlink’s 43% increase for off-peak fares) that in turn feed into consumer price inflation. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, my top six news items ...
China’s not-so-subtle attempt at gunboat diplomacy over the past two weeks has encountered various levels of indignation in Australia and throughout the region. Many have pointed out that the passage of a three-ship naval task ...
The left — or the center left, in more fragmented multi-party systems like New Zealand — are faced with what they feel is an impossible choice: how to run a campaign that is both popular enough to be voted on, while also addressing the problems we face? The answer, like ...
Are we feeling the country is in such capable hands, that we can afford to take a longer break between elections? Outside the parliamentary bubble and a few corporate boardrooms, surely there are not very many people who think that voters have too much power over politicians, and exert it ...
Like everyone else outside Russia, I watched Saturday morning's shitshow between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky in horror. Sure, the US had already thrown Ukraine under the bus, demanding that it accept Russia's theft of land - but there's a difference between that, and berating someone in front of the ...
With Donald Trump back in the White House, Washington is operating under a hard-nosed, transactional framework in which immediate returns rather than shared values measure alliances. For Australia, this signals a need to rethink its ...
Poor Bangladesh. Life is not easy there. One in five of its people live below the poverty line. Poor Bangladesh. Things would surely be even tougher for them if one billion dollars were disappear from their government’s bank deposits.In 2016, it very nearly happened. Perhaps you've heard of the Lazarus ...
Welcome to the January/February 2025 Economic Bulletin. In the feature article Craig surveys the backwards steps New Zealand has been making on child poverty reduction. In our main data updates, we cover wage growth, employment, social welfare, consumer inflation, household living costs, and retail trade. We also provide analysis of ...
Forty years ago, in a seminal masterpiece titled Amusing Ourselves to Death, US author Neil Postman warned that we had entered a brave new world in which people were enslaved by television and other technology-driven ...
Last month I dug into the appointment of fossil-fuel lobbyist John Carnegie to the board of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority. Carnegie was rejected as a candidate in two appointment rounds, being specifically not recommended because he was "likely to relitigate board decisions, or undermine decisions that have been ...
James “Jim“ Grenon, a Canadian private equity investor based in Auckland, dropped ~$10 million on Friday to acquire 9.321% of NZME.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Grenon owns one of the most expensive properties in New ...
Donald Trump and JD Vance’s verbal assault on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office will mark 28 February 2025 as an infamous moment in US and world history. The United States is rapidly ...
Following Our Example: Not even the presence of Chinese warships in the Tasman Sea will generate the sort of diplomatic breach the anti-China lobby has been working so assiduously for a decade to provoke. Too many New Zealanders recall the occasions when a New Zealand frigate has tagged along behind ...
Well you can't get what you wantBut you can get meSo let's set out to sea, love'Cause you are my medicineWhen you're close to meWhen you're close to meSongwriters: Damon Albarn / Jamie Hewlett.Morena, I’m a little out of the loop when it comes to current news stories, which is ...
“Time has come for a four-year term of govt”, or so declared the editorial in yesterday’s Sunday Star-Times. I voted against the idea in the 1990 referendum, and would do so in any conceivable future referendum. If history is anything to go by, a four-year parliamentary term seems a ...
Northern Australia’s liquid fuel infrastructure is the backbone of defence capability, national resilience, and economic prosperity. Yet, it faces mounting pressure from increasing demand, supply chain vulnerabilities and logistical fragilities. Fuel security is not just ...
A new survey of health staff released by the PSA outlines the “immeasurable pain” of restructuring and cost cutting at Health New Zealand, including cancelled surgeries, exploding wait lists and psychologists working reception. Treasury Secretary Iain Rennie has issued a stark warning: New Zealand needs to get its public finances in ...
Democracies and authoritarian states are battling over the future of the internet in a little-known UN process. The United Nations is conducting a 20-year review of its World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), a ...
Last week, Auckland Transport released the list and map showing which streets and roads must have their speed limits increased due to the new Setting of Speed Limits 2024 rule from central government. As things currently stand, none of these changes will be consulted with the communities they impact. And ...
There is an ongoing standoff between sellers who don’t want to take less than top dollar and buyers cautious about overpaying, while at the same time rental property investor demand is sliding. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, my top six news items in Aotearoa’s political economy around ...
A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 23, 2025 thru Sat, March 1, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Now the sun's gone to hellAnd the moon riding highLet me bid you farewellEvery man has to dieBut it's written in the starlightAnd every line in your palmWe're fools to make warOn our brothers-in-armsWritten by Mark Knopfler.“Where are the adults when you need them?” I thought. “Shouldn’t there be adults?”It ...
The Electricity Authority has proposed forcing the big four gentailers to offer the same hedging contracts and prices for wholesale electricity to their smaller competitors as they offer their own retailing arms internally. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things that stood out to me ...
What America Can Teach Us Here Yesterday Trump and his Peter Thiel affiliated Vice President, J.D Vance, berated Ukrainian President Zelensky in the White House.This came weeks after lying about Zelensky - claiming among other lies, that Ukraine started the war with Russia. It did not.Zelensky lamented that Trump was ...
The great problem you’re facing this month is very often not the one you’ll be worrying about a year from now.I find this notion reassuring. I lean upon it. But lately, given what the hell has been going on in the world, not so much.Perversely yesterday’s White House spectacle reinstated ...
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. Are high CO2 levels harmless because they also occurred in the past? While the Earth adapted to high carbon dioxide levels in the ...
Completed reads for February: He Who Shrank, by Henry Hasse The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus The Maracot Deep, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Poseidon’s Paradise: The Romance of Atlantis, by Elizabeth Birkmaier The Hairy Monster, by Neil Miller The Spider, by Arthur Edward Chapman The Canterville Ghost, by ...
Last year there was interesting new book out made up of 29 collected short papers by (more or less) prominent economists given at a 2023 conference to mark Floating Exchange Rates at Fifty. The fifty years related to the transition back to generalised floating of the major developed world currencies ...
Quick update here on the ferries cancellation saga, now led by Winston Peters.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.RNZ:The giant Korean ship builder Hyundai could be back in the running to build two new Cook Strait ...
The deployment of a Chinese naval task group in our region is clearly aimed at sending a message and testing Australia’s responses—not only on the military front, but socially and politically. The worst misstep would ...
Pans to replace development contributions with pre-set development levies and to give councils powers to set targeted rates won’t be finalised until well into 2026. Meanwhile, the Waikato District Council has stopped accepting new building consents for Pokeno because of wastewater infrastructure shortages. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories ...
Could 23 February 2025 become known as Europe’s Independence Day? It might as well be if the winner of Germany’s election, Friedrich Merz, has his way. It was striking that Merz, the quintessential German Atlanticist ...
Marjen is an ecological economist with 28 years' experience gained through research, teaching, advising, consulting, management, enterprising and governance in settings ranging from local to global. She is a ministerial appointment to the Lincoln University Council and a member of the Edmund Hilary Fellowship and a previous Chief Economist for ...
The United States’ refusal to sign the recent AI Action Summit declaration should be seen as a strategic shift rather than a diplomatic snub to the rest of the world. AI is as much about ...
As Lady Bracknell almost said, ‘to lose one may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose two looks like carelessness.’ And so a second Government Statistician has made a hasty exit, The official reason in each case was the management of the population census but the cult of generic management ...
Questions 1. What French expression best characterises this weeks’ intimate encounter between Old Mate Grabaseat and Mike Answer-the-fricken-question-for-the-love-of-me Hoskinga.Ménage à Trumpb.Folie à deuxc.Amour foud.None of the above all of the above I cannot live with this man I cannot live without him what even is this ...
Taiwan is among nations pioneering the adoption of hyperscale cloud services to achieve national digital resilience. The island faces two major digital threats: digital isolation, in which international connectivity is intentionally severed or significantly degraded ...
Newsroom’s Fox Meyer wrote a good piece yesterday on the Compass school lunches contract, unveiling its terms, and revealing the government stumped up an extra $8.9m “bonus” to meet requirements.This means the per school lunch cost is now a minimum of just under $4 - excluding the large number of ...
Japan’s Mogami class is clearly the best choice for Australia’s general-purpose frigate program. Compared with its very capable competitor, the Meko A-200 from Germany, the Mogami design needs a smaller crew, offers deeper magazines and ...
The United States is a secure power. Situated in a hemispheric citadel, and protected by wide oceans, the US could comfortably withdraw from being the arbiter of the geopolitical fate of Eurasia and still enjoy ...
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 ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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 ZealandWinston Peters is overseas this week, with stops across the Middle East and North Asia. Winston's stops include Saudi Arabia, the ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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 ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
Green Party Co-Leader Marama Davidson’s Consumer Guarantees Right to Repair Amendment Bill has passed its first reading in Parliament this evening. ...
“The ACT Party can’t be bothered putting an MP on one of the Justice subcommittees hearing submissions on their own Treaty Principles Bill,” Labour Justice Spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
The Government’s newly announced funding for biodiversity and tourism of $30-million over three years is a small fraction of what is required for conservation in this country. ...
The Government's sudden cancellation of the tertiary education funding increase is a reckless move that risks widespread job losses and service reductions across New Zealand's universities. ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
The Reserve Bank’s positive outlook indicates the economy is growing and people can look forward to more jobs and opportunities, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Bank today reduced the Official Cash Rate by 50 basis points. It said it expected further reductions this year and employment to pick up ...
Agriculture Minister, Todd McClay and Minister for Māori Development, Tama Potaka today congratulated the finalists for this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy, celebrating excellence in Māori sheep and beef farming. The two finalists for 2025 are Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust and Tawapata South Māori Incorporation Onenui Station. "The Ahuwhenua Trophy is a prestigious ...
The Government is continuing to respond to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care by establishing a fund to honour those who died in care and are buried in unmarked graves, and strengthen survivor-led initiatives that support those in need. “The $2 million dual purpose fund will be ...
A busy intersection on SH5 will be made safer with the construction of a new roundabout at the intersection of SH28/Harwoods Road, as we deliver on our commitment to help improve road safety through building safer infrastructure, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Safety is one of the Government’s strategic priorities ...
The Government is turbo charging growth to return confidence to the primary sector through common sense policies that are driving productivity and farm-gate returns, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “The latest Federated Farmers Farm Confidence Survey highlights strong momentum across the sector and the Government’s firm commitment to back ...
Improving people’s experience with the Justice system is at the heart of a package of Bills which passed its first reading today Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says. “The 63 changes in these Bills will deliver real impacts for everyday New Zealanders. The changes will improve court timeliness and efficiency, ...
Returning the Ō-Rākau battle site to tūpuna ownership will help to recognise the past and safeguard their stories for the benefit of future generations, Minister for Māori Crown Relations Tama Potaka says. The Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passed its third reading at ...
A new university programme will help prepare PhD students for world-class careers in science by building stronger connections between research and industry, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “Our Government is laser focused on growing New Zealand’s economy and to do that, we must realise the potential ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today announced funding of more than $14 million to replace the main water supply and ring mains in the main building of Auckland City Hospital. “Addressing the domestic hot water system at the country’s largest hospital, which opened in 2003, is vitally important to ensure ...
The Government is investing $30 million from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy to fund more than a dozen projects to boost biodiversity and the tourist economy, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says. “Tourism is a key economic driver, and nature is our biggest draw card for international tourists,” says ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters will travel to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, China, Mongolia, and the Republic of Korea later this week. “New Zealand enjoys long-standing and valued relationships with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, both highly influential actors in their region. The visit will focus on building ...
Minister for Rail Winston Peters has announced director appointments for Ferry Holdings Limited – the schedule 4a company charged with negotiating ferry procurement contracts for two new inter-island ferries. Mr Peters says Ferry Holdings Limited will be responsible for negotiating long-term port agreements on either side of the Cook Strait ...
Ophthalmology patients in Kaitaia are benefiting from being able to access the complete cataract care pathway closer to home, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. “Ensuring New Zealanders have access to timely, quality healthcare is a priority for the Government. “Since 30 September 2024, Kaitaia Hospital has been providing cataract care ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matt Nichol, Lecturer in Law, CQUniversity Australia Not-for-profit organisations support a range of needs and activities, such as financial disadvantage, health and education. Governments support these entities through various measures, notably exemption from income tax and other taxes. Some of Australia’s major ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Himadri Saini, Research Associate at Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Sydney Deborah Wallace Tasmanian/Shutterstock Europe is warmed by heat from ocean currents, which move water from the warm tropics to the colder North Atlantic. Once the warm, salty water from the ...
Aligned with this year's theme, "For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment," CID members are demonstrating their unwavering commitment to gender equality through a diverse range of initiatives. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Ogden, Associate Professor in Global Studies, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images When Donald Trump’s benefactor and cost-cutter-in-chief Elon Musk recently supported a call for the United States to quit NATO and the United Nations, it should perhaps ...
The age for free screenings will go from 60 to 58, but using money previously set aside to give Māori and Pacific access to tests from 50. A cancer network is calling it "institutionalised racism". ...
During the two-day meeting, members of the network will meet with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Foreign Minister Winston Peters (who is also chair of the network) and a range of New Zealand’s top public and private sector leaders. ...
The January results are reported against forecasts based on the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update 2024 (HYEFU 2024), published on 17 December 2024, and the results for the same period for the previous year. ...
The NZ First leader is one of parliament’s greatest quippers, but his hit rate lately has been well below his career average. Echo Chamber is The Spinoff’s dispatch from the press gallery, recapping sessions in the House. Columns are written by politics reporter Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and Wellington editor Joel MacManus. ...
The age would drop progressively from October from 60 to 58, by redirecting money previously set aside to widen eligibility for Māori and Pacific people ...
A top government minister personally added a fossil fuel lobbyist to the shortlist of candidates to help govern the country's main energy-saving agency. ...
Could the next Reserve Bank governor unleash a new mortgage war?This article was first published in Bernard Hickey’s newsletter The Kākā.Adrian Orr appeared to surprise everyone early yesterday afternoon by announcing his immediate resignation as Reserve Bank governor, just two years into his second five-year term. The still unexplained ...
He’s having the time of his life. I’m crippled by homesickness. Help me Hera, I convinced my partner to move to London (from Wellington) with me. Now, he loves it and wants to make a life here and I’ve had an ego death and want to run home forever. ...
'These things happen' was all the chair of the Reserve Bank really had to say about the sudden departure of governor Adrian Orr, writes Gyles Beckford. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University Over the weekend the Australian government announced A$644 million to build an extra 50 Medicare urgent care clinics around Australia. This is on top of nearly $600 million ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrice Pottier, Postdoctoral researcher in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UNSW Sydney Wirestock Creators, Shutterstock Frogs and other amphibians rely on the surrounding environment to regulate their body temperature. On hot days they might seek shade, water or cool spaces underground. But ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Garritt C. Van Dyk, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Waikato Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Boycotts are back. With people worried about everything from labour practices and human rights to tariffs and equal opportunity initiatives, collective consumer resistance has been rising globally. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Baron, Associate Professor, Philosophy of Science, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock You can doubt just about anything. But there’s one thing you can know for sure: you are having thoughts right now. This idea came to characterise the philosophical ...
The Reserve Bank governor shocked the business world with his resignation announcement. Why now, and why so sudden, asks Catherine McGregor in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ‘An embarrassment for the bank’ Adrian Orr has suddenly resigned as Reserve Bank ...
Analysis: The accelerating and dangerous world of advanced military technology is sparking more talks between governments, and more drones on the battlefield, writes Phil Pennington. ...
Analysis:Was the chair of the Reserve Bank’s board Neil Quigley thinking of the Kenny Rogers’ country classic ‘Lucille’ when he faced a clutch of reporters to explain the abrupt resignation of the Governor Adrian Orr ?Probably not, but the chorus line – “You picked a fine time to leave me ...
It would not make New Zealand any safer if the government followed the UK in cutting international aid to boost defence spending in Budget 2025, says an aid researcher. ...
One of 11 schools found in breach of government requirements to teach reading, writing and maths for an hour a day has yet to prove it complies with the rule. ...
A top government minister personally added a fossil fuel lobbyist to the shortlist of candidates to help govern the country's main energy-saving agency. ...
Potential tariffs on New Zealand agricultural exports to the United States are concerning, the trade and investment minister says, but he is confident NZ's trade is resilient and diverse enough to weather the worst. ...
John Tamihere, Waipareira Trust and Te Pāti Māori have faced scrutiny over financial dealings and political entanglements – but dismissing all criticism as racism risks damaging the credibility of kaupapa Māori governance. Tamihere appears to be a staunch believer in the sporting adage that the best defence is a good ...
In a recent interview, reflecting on the death of his wife, the Irish novelist, John Banville said, “I now realise that there are only two kinds of people in the world. People who are bereaved and those who are yet to be bereaved.” Perhaps a little emphatic – there must ...
Analysis: We are not currently regulating online media in this country, despite this resulting in serious problems for us, as was brought so readily into focus by the 2019 Christchurch terrorist attack and extremist reaction to our national pandemic response.Most people are not interested in discussing the finer points of ...
Comment: With the rapidity and range of the current attacks on US democracy it is difficult to see the shape of the authoritarianism that has taken over the White House and Congress. It is also difficult to name it.Is it fascistic? Elements certainly are. Is it simply gangsterism on steroids ...
On the slopes of the Slowbasin Resort, Rachael Battersby achieved something no other Kiwi woman has ever done at a Paralympic Winter Games when securing a stunning three gold medal haul at Salt Lake City 2002.The glorious victories of Battersby (now known by her married name, Henderson) in the Women’s ...
We’ve crunched the numbers from the latest release of ministerial expenses to bring you this expert analysis of the most curious costs.The quarterly release of government ministers’ credit card expenses is, on the surface, rather dull – parking, taxis, mānuka honey, All Blacks jerseys (it’s diplomacy, baby), more parking, more ...
Opinion: Richard Prebble’s letter of resignation from the Waitangi Tribunal shows why it’s critical that those who take it upon themselves to speak with authority about the Treaty of Waitangi are able to read Te Tiriti, the document that was signed by the representatives of Queen Victoria and more than ...
It has a dark history of misuse, a litany of ethical concerns and well-documented severe side effects.Its portrayal on film – think Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – hasn’t been kind.But in the modern world, is this still a fair perception of electroconvulsive therapy?When The Detail ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jamie Wood, Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Evolution, University of Adelaide Jamie Wood Studies of ancient DNA have tended to focus on frozen land in the northern hemisphere, where woolly mammoths and bison roamed. Meanwhile, Antarctica has received relatively little attention. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Becky Thomas, Senior Lecturer in Ecology, Royal Holloway University of London KreateStuff/Shutterstock Cities can be deeply unwelcoming places for wildlife. They are noisy, difficult to get around, full of people and heavily reliant on artificial lighting. Yet some species do better ...
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