Have you ever noticed how little advertising there is on television for Mum’s home-cooking? And conversely, have you ever wondered why it is that the purveyors of fast food find it necessary to spend so much on advertising their wares? ...
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, May 19 through Sat, May 25, 2019 Editor's Pick Why school strikers are guest editing Climate Home News (Photo: Pixabay) ...
JASPER BERNES in Communemag looks at the New Green Deal – a proposed stimulus package in the US – that aims to address climate change and economic inequality. We cannot legislate and spend our way out of catastrophic global warming ...
UK woman Maya Forstater lost her job for speaking up about women’s rights. She is going to court to protect other people who speak up too. I lost my job over tweeting and writing about sex and gender identity, and sharing ...
Police are investigating a series of racist messages posted on an unofficial University of Auckland social media page, as staff and students vow to continue fighting racism, hate, and discrimination. ...
Massey School of Management doctoral researcher/assistant lecturer and TEUU35 Branch representative Zoë Port is undertaking research on non-standardworkers and wellbeing. ...
TEU Branch President Southern Institute of Technology and tutor ofEnvironment Management Anna Palliser has been awarded a FulbrightScholarship to research urban food security and food sovereignty. ...
Living Wage at Vic – a coalition of student, staff, and communities members- held its second Living Wage Day at Victoria University of Wellington on ...
The US has charged Wikileaks editor Julian Assange with espionageJulian Assange could face decades in a US prison after being charged with violating the Espionage Act by publishing classified information through WikiLeaks. Prosecutors announced 17 additional charges against Assange for ...
Tens of thousands of students are skipping school today to strike for the climate. If you don't understand what this is about, you haven't been reading the news. The planet is burning, and their future is at risk. So, they're ...
Note! Weekly new research posts will not continue anymore. This is the last post in this series. A selection of new climate related research articles is shown below. This post has separate sections for: Climate Change, Climate Change Impacts, Climate ...
Three Christians walk into a bar. A Catholic, a Presbyterian and a Life Church member... None of them vote for the same party. No, it's not much of a punch line, I confess. But then the idea of a Christian ...
Over two centuries ago, the first-ever professor of economics, Thomas Malthus, predicted that levels of personal income would stagnate. He argued that there was a limited supply of land and that, given diminishing returns, additional farmers would produce less additional ...
Back in 2003, Destiny Church theocrat Brian Tamaki founded a political party, Destiny New Zealand, to rail against modern society. In the 2005 election, it gained just 0.62% of the vote. But Tamaki is undeterred, so he's trying again:Destiny Church ...
Back in February, the International Court of Justice ruled that UK had violated international law in its ethnic cleansing of the Chagos Islands, and ordered that they be handed back to Mauritius. Today the UN General Assembly voted on a ...
A new European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) called “The fast, fair and effective solution to climate change” was launched on May 6. The proposal asks that the European Commission introduce a carbon-pricing policy known as Carbon Fee and Dividend at the ...
Comments about Green MP Golriz Ghahraman by ACT MP David Seymour on a reactionary radio talk show, and the threats that followed and which the Police deemed serious enough to merit a security detail for her, got me to thinking ...
Today is a Member's Day. While it was originally expected to be the second reading of David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill, National's bigots have successfully filibustered the past few Member's Days, so that now looks like it won't ...
A couple of years ago the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment warned us of a "slow-moving red zone" due to sea-level rise. According to their estimates, tens of thousands of homes and billions of dollars of infrastructure were at risk. ...
Last week, ACT leader David Seymour called Green MP Golriz Ghahraman "a real menace to freedom in this country" over her views on hate speech. He said this in an environment where Ghahraman regularly receives death threats. And now, thanks ...
There's been another dump of documents from the Operation Burnham "inquiry", this time about rules of engagement. In the past, NZDF has refused to release these due to "national security", on the odd theory that if it were publicly known ...
Perhaps it’s because of the sheer size – and therefore enormous potential – of their country, but Australians have always demonstrated a harder-edged nationalism than have Kiwis. And that tendency has become even more apparent in recent years, when they ...
Current member of the National Party, List MP Alfred Ngaro, has declared he has an intent towards the possibility of setting up a Christian-oriented “values” party. Simon Bridges initially denied discussion, but we all know his denials are really never ...
Australians went to the polls over the weekend, and have apparently re-elected the shit party to government. It was unexpected, but I guess that's what happens when you have a media landscape utterly dominated by a highly partisan monopoly. Meanwhile, ...
Back in 2017, Taiwan's highest court ruled that violated “the people’s freedom of marriage” and “the people’s right to equality”, and gave the legislature to enact a marriage equality law. And over the weekend, just one week before the deadline ...
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, May 12 through Sat, May 18, 2019 Editor's Pick 12 excuses for climate inaction and how to refute themUsing moral ...
While abortion laws in New Zealand are likely to be liberalised, in the US abortion rights are being rolled back. This article from Feminist Current looks at the way the anti abortion movement is reframing its arguments. by Karen Jolly ...
by Sean Kearns It appears that even in Britain, where a lot of unions remain affiliated to Labour, the working class itself is less attached to Labour. The bureaucratic leaderships keep unions chained to Labour, the workers are just not ...
In October 2013 I wrote about “Valuing Xero in one hour“, and (although it had a bug) came up with a forecast that justified the then $2.2 billion valuation of Xero with a Weighted Average Cost of Capital of 18%. ...
Climate Change Minister James Shaw has announced the latest decisions in the government's programme to tweak the Emissions Trading Scheme to make it actually discourage pollution rather than subsidise it. There's a commitment to begin auctioning units from late next ...
Dunedin will play host to the New Zealand Minerals Forum at the end of the month, where the companies who dig up New Zealand and destroy our natural environment for private profit will conspire on how to pillage more effectively ...
Earlier in the year, National helped failed Green leadership candidate Vernon Tava set up a "teal" astroturf party, sustainablenz. It seems to have sunk without a trace, without even registering a logo with the Electoral Commission, let alone applying for ...
Those with a progressive agenda (and yes, I count myself as one) have been frustrated by our own inability and reluctance to engage head-on in the most important argument in political discourse – the role, function and objective of government.read ...
There is a story of a little old lady who woke up after a close election and was told that the result was a ‘hung parliament’. She responded that she did not know what that meant, but it sounded like ...
In a major decision, the UK Supreme Court has ruled that that country's spies are not above the law:Government security decisions will in future be open to challenge in the courts after judges ruled that a secretive intelligence tribunal could ...
‘Cheating by university students paying ‘ghostwriters’ to write essays for them is totally unacceptable and requires a nationally co-ordinated response’, says the New Zealand Tertiary Education Union. ...
ECan has just declared a climate emergency, becoming the first local authority in New Zealand to do so. But what does it mean? Their declaration included this:Environment Canterbury declares a climate emergency and commits to continue to: robustly and visibly ...
An investigation by the Privacy Commissioner has found that WINZ systematically misused its powers, conducting intrusive and illegal searches into beneficiaries' lives in violation of both the Social Security Act and Privacy Act. Searches like this:“In one instance, a beneficiary ...
I love the National's Library's Papers Past archive. I've used it many times for work and sometimes just for fun. The one thing I never thought I'd be able to do is vanity-search on it. And yet, here it is: ...
Bolton has never conceded that invading Iraq was a mistake, in fact he considers it to this day still as a roaring success. His history in public life is that of an unrepentant, ignorant thug of a politician, a persona ...
A big myth in this country is that we are all equal under the law. If someone commits a crime, they get prosecuted, regardless of who they are. We already know that that's a myth when it comes to race ...
Hate speech’ laws are being considered in New Zealand. We believe it is important to defend free speech. This is an important issue that the left should take up. If you’d like to be a part of the Left Network ...
One of the criticisms of the government's Zero Carbon Bill is that it is toothless: the independent Climate Change Commission can set budgets and advise on plans, but has no power to implement anything. Greenpeace for example wanted the Commission ...
(fire, California)Some time ago Jeanette Fitzsimons described our action on climate change like a car driving rapidly to a precipice while the occupants argue about whether they should maybe change down a gear. If we are to continue with this ...
“Business as usual” is always the catch-cry of those who are happy with the way things are. “Let’s not change anything” makes sense to those who are doing well and see no reason to run any risks in case that ...
KYOTO, Japan, May 13 – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released on Monday an update to its methodology used by governments to estimate their greenhouse gas emissions and removals. Governments are required to report their national greenhouse gas ...
The Tertiary Education Union Te Hautū Kahurangi welcomes the pre-budget announcement of $197 million for the reform of vocational education saying it’s a step in the right direction. ...
As Donald Trump surveys the current state of his relationships with China, Iran and North Korea, with all of whom he has recently engaged in a somewhat confrontational way, even someone as resistant to self-doubt as the US President might ...
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being prosecuted for corruption. So how is he planning to avoid it? A law granting him immunity would not survive judicial scrutiny. So, he plans to remove that scrutiny entirely:The new far-reaching bill would ...
Last week I highlighted an odious secrecy clause in the government's Zero Carbon Bill, which unnecessarily exempted information from the Official Information Act, undermining transparency and accountability. The government's Equal Pay Amendment Bill is back from select committee today, and ...
Earlier today Redline reached a total of 600,000 views since we began in June 2011. This is a modest total, but not bad for a hardcore marxist blog at the arse-end of the world, and based in perhaps the most ...
Why is MBIE so supportive of the oil industry, why do they come up with outrageous estimates of the value of the oil industry to New Zealand, and why do they see environmentalists as a threat to be suppressed by ...
So, its on. On May 29, the day before Labour's "wellbeing budget", the centrepiece of its political year when it tries to send a good news message about what its doing, the teachers are going on strike. They've been overworked ...
My wife grew up in suburban London – not an environment that was conducive, one might think, to developing an interest in wild life. But her father was a bird lover and he helped her, too, to develop a love ...
“You just need a sense of humour”. I heard this patronising and unhelpful advice from a panellist at an Autism New Zealand Conference many years ago. What about access to education and services, understanding, financial and other support?These words came ...
The Giddens Project has its origins in my association with 'Third Way' politics during my time as a member of the New Zealand parliament between 1990 and 2008.read more ...
by Jon Flanders Once again this year I traveled to Cuba on a delegation that visited many interesting sites on the island, once of them being the huge May Day march in Havana. Cuba celebrates May Day as a national ...
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, May 5 through Sat, May 11, 2019 Editor's Pick Proposal to spend 25% of EU budget on climate change Schoolchildren ...
Improving the safety of all road users is the focus of a new public consultation document on the issue of drug driver testing. Plans for public consultation on options to improve the drug driver testing process have been announced by ...
Police Minister Stuart Nash says calling a cop suddenly got a whole lot easier with the launch of a ground-breaking new service for non-emergency calls. “The single non-emergency number ‘ten-five’ is designed to provide better service for the public and ...
Frontline Police numbers have been boosted with today’s deployment of 77 new officers to the regions.Police Minister Stuart Nash today congratulated the recruits of Wing 325 who graduated at a formal ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Police College. ...
The New Zealand Maori Council has called on the Government to step in and ensure the recommendations made by the Children’s Commissioner in respect of youth detention facilities be implemented without delay. The Report released to the previous Government ...
Napier's port would be retained in public ownership if Social Credit had been a force in parliament, party leader Chris Leitch told the party's regional conference in Napier on Saturday. ...
Disability Rights Commissioner Paula Tesoriero MNZM was quoted on TVNZ’s Sunday programme last night speaking against the effectiveness of proposed changes to the End of Life Choice Bill to limit access to euthanasia or assisted suicide to those ...
What do a construction company, a musician, a Doctor of Philosophy, a museum, a fashion designer and a Director of High-Performance Sport NZ have in common? ...
The public’s trout fishery is severely declining in a number of rivers due to drops in both flow and quality says a national trout fishing advocacy. In his annual report retiring president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater Anglers ...
Politicians should be reminded not to misuse Police to suppress criticism 25 MAY 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Free Speech Coalition calls on the Police and Human Rights Commission to remind politicians that they can’t misuse false complaints ...
OIA requests reveal Housing New Zealand knew it was letting tenants wallow in dangerous, leaky conditions for at least seventeen years before its hand was forced and the flats demolished. The tenants were mostly disabled, solo mothers, or elderly, abandoned ...
Simon Shepherd: This week, a megastrike. The words no Education Minister wants to hear. For the first time in New Zealand history, all state and integrated schools will strike together this Wednesday. The action comes after talks failed to secure ...
New Zealand’s major media outlets—TVNZ, Stuff, Mediaworks, NZME and Radio NZ—signed an unprecedented agreement on May 1 to self-censor their coverage of the trial of Brenton Tarrant, who is accused of killing 51 people in terrorist attacks on two ...
The launch of new political party Coalition NZ came on Thursday following months of speculation. Controversial church leader Hannah Tamaki will lead the party. She said it will not be a Christian Party, but it will be built on strong ...
Press Release – Helicopter industry calls for review of aviation regulatory system The New Zealand Helicopter Association (NZHA), a division of Aviation New Zealand, welcomes the TAIC report into the tragic Fox Glacier accident for the messages it ...
Trees That Count is thrilled to be working with pole-vaulting Olympic medallist Eliza McCartney, who joins the organisation as brand ambassador in May 2019. An environmental science student who loves the outdoors, Eliza makes her first appearance for Trees ...
The government spending more to help survivors recover from sexual violence is great news according to ethnic communities – who have plans to develop a national specialist service for victims. ...
There are 6 days left to sign the petition Sign Petition: NZ, Declare a Climate Emergency. 6129 people have signed and we need 16,000 people minimum to sign before May 30 2019. ...
Alison Mau seems desperate to shut down our petition (“ Family First is trying to scare you - don't fall for it ” SST, 19 May 2019 ) which calls for an Inquiry into a possible link between cannabis and ...
This week has shown New Zealand Parliament is not immune to workplace bullying - highlighting that bullying is widespread in New Zealand workplaces, a recent Frog Recruitment poll reveals. ...
Fire and Emergency New Zealand is warning people to keep hazardous substances away from sleeping areas, following a Coroner’s report into a fatal fire in Christchurch. ...
The Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) notes the introduction of new intensive services by Oranga Tamariki, Ministry for Children, designed to reduce the number of children / tamariki uplifted into state care. ...
Dignity is calling on the Government to provide free sanitary products in all schools across the country to ensure girls have dignity and autonomy to access products of their choice when needed. ...
Wellbeing, kindness and compassion have been promoted by our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as central to how her government makes policy and determines its budget. But how can a government budget for wellbeing? ...
Generation Zero and School Strike 4 Climate are launching their Elbow Your Elders campaign today to coincide with the strikes happening around the country. Both groups recognise the need for the Zero Carbon Act to be more ambitious and strong ...
National’s response to the government loosening of it's debt target shows it has learnt nothing from it's 9 years in government or it's electoral defeat. ...
Aotearoa New Zealand is spending more than $20 million every year to anaesthetise children so they can undergo multiple tooth extractions as a consequence of consuming sugary drinks. This is one of the reasons that University of Auckland academic Dr ...
Welcoming today’s announcement of a change in New Zealand’s debt from 20% to a band of between 15-and-25% of GDP, Barnett said it is a step forward. It could allow the injection of $15b or more into the NZ economy ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) has signed up a number of major partners for the Vote 2019 campaign to lift nationwide voter turnout in local elections and increase the public’s engagement with their local council. Although local election turnout ...
The Palestine Solidarity Network has written to Minister of Defence Ron Mark asking him to urgently cancel a reported New Zealand Defence Force multi-million-dollar purchase of military equipment from an Israeli company. ...
World-renowned conservationist Dr Jane Goodall and a coalition of Aotearoa's leading environmental organisations have released an ambitious plan for reversing New Zealand’s environmental crisis. ...
The Heart Foundation welcomes this week’s announcement by the Associate Minister of Health Jenny Salesa that the Government’s Wellbeing Budget will include $12 million to reduce the incidence of rheumatic fever amongst Maori and Pacific people. ...
When the Government presents its first Wellbeing Budget next week, it will be looking beyond traditional measures, such as GDP, to define New Zealand’s success. This is also at the core of the Shared Prosperity Index launched by Massey University ...
FIRST Union has released its In It For The Long-Haul survey of truck drivers that reveals an ageing workforce who say the job isn’t attractive anymore due to low pay and driver surveillance. ...
"The announcement by the Minister of Finance that the Government was moving from a rigid 20% debt target to a range between 15% and 25% is welcome," CTU Economist Bill Rosenberg says. "At a time when interest rates are low ...
In a world where the human impact on the environment is becoming more and more apparent every day, it’s refreshing to hear of break-through companies that are having a positive impact. Ethical clothing company , Little Yellow Bird has, in ...
The success of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s inaugural state visit and Hon. David Parker in April to Beijing has been the impetus for a multi-sector China Trade Mission confirmed for 9-11 September 2019. The China Chamber of Commerce in New ...
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that a Police officer should not have tried to stop or pursue a car thought to contain young people in Palmerston North on 28 May 2018. The pursuit ended when the fleeing car ...
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is supporting the training of detector dogs, which help New Zealand Customs catch smugglers trying to bring illegal drugs and undeclared cash into the country. ...
A pre-budget analysis conducted by the Council of Trade Unions and Association of Salaried Medical Specialists has highlighted a vast spending shortfall in health since 2009/2010. ...
Bill Rosenberg, Economist and Policy Director for the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (CTU) and Lyndon Keene, Director of Policy and Research, for the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) have conducted a detailed analysis of what ...
New Zealanders’ concerns about the cost of living will take a further hit when road user charges (RUCs) go up again in July, says Road Transport Forum (RTF) chief executive Nick Leggett. ...
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows That too many people have died? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind The answer is blowin’ in the wind From Blowin’ in the wind. Bob Dylan ...
Good news! We’re launching a free daily newsletter featuring all of the Spinoff’s stories published that day. Read on to sign up now.Social media dominates how many consume content today. Whether it’s via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram stories, our reliance ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s contentWellbeing Budget Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Economics aside, the Budget ...
National Party leader says "serious harm" crimes before the courts, such as rape and murder, have increased by 25 percent since 2017, despite police statistics showing a drop in the number of crime victims. ...
Opposition finance spokesperson Amy Adams gives her verdict on the first wellbeing budget.This week will see the Labour-led government produce their much hyped ‘wellbeing budget’. That of course raises the questions of what wellbeing means, how it is assessed and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Wallace, ARC DECRA Fellow, Australian National University The high tide of analysis concerning the Australian Labor Party’s shock 2019 federal election loss has been reached. It looks like so much flotsam ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kristen Lyons, Professor Environment and Development Sociology, The University of Queensland Climate change threatens Australia in many different ways, and can devastate rural and urban communities alike. For Torres Strait Islanders, it’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jutta Beher, Spatial analyst in conservation and ecology, University of Melbourne From climate change to armed conflict, our world is struggling with urgent global issues. But disagreements about how to solve them ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Rowe, Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, Deakin University More advantaged public secondary schools across Australia generate nearly six times the amount of funding contributions from parents than less advantaged ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Makiko Nishitani, Lecturer, La Trobe University Established migrant communities in regional and rural areas are often ignored in favour of policies focused on attracting new intakes of skilled migrants. A striking example ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan Lyons, Scholar in Media and Cultural Studies, Macquarie University Last month, audiences got their first glimpse of the trailer for the upcoming film, Joker, which explores the origins of its iconic ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Another major day of climate protests puts pressure on politicians, PMs fall in dramatic political weekend, and calls to stop use of remand for young people.If activism in 2019 so far ...
We don't need a contest between public transport and private cars, but a reasoned discussion about how we can integrate the two, writes Shane Te Pou. ...
If you’re gay in the LGBT world, you’re part of the gang. If you’re straight, you’re on the outside. But where do those in between sit?A year ago I was planning my wedding. My fiancé and I had just celebrated ...
The government's Kiwibuild scheme has had setback after setback. The Detail asks Shamubeel Eaqub if it can be rescued, and if it is still worthwhile. ...
Organiser Hayley Coles explains why the time is right to launch New Zealand’s first union for legal workers. In 2018, Aotearoa’s legal profession received a wake-up call. The media broke stories of sexual harassment, bullying and other injustices throughout the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison’s new ministry mixes stability with dashes of innovation, box ticking, and the rewarding of friends. The Prime Minister has maintained his record number ...
Westpac says the Reserve Bank’s bank capital proposals will mean homeowners with an average mortgage in Auckland will be paying about $6,000 a year more in interest. ...
By RNZ Pacific Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has announced that is resigning, citing a need for change, after weeks of unrest in the government. O’Neill held a press conference today in Port Moresby, announcing he would ...
The Child Poverty Action Group is pleased the government intends to lower public transport costs for low-income households, but says the announcement does not go far enough. ...
Controversy erupted over The Project host Kanoa Lloyd’s decision to wear an ‘it’s OK to be white’ t-shirt this week. Newshub’s Sophie Bateman looks into the co-option of a seemingly innocuous slogan. The Rorschach test is a ...
Children's Minister Tracey Martin has announced $150 million will be spent on a new service to help young people transition from state care to adulthood. ...
Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website.Patrick Reynolds: The story of a revolution: How public transport transformed Auckland“There’s a quiet revolution underway in Auckland, slowly but relentlessly transforming the city. It began early in the century – ...
Some offers by foreign investors to bring their capital to New Zealand promise such riches, at least for them, that their forecasts soar into the realms of implausibility. ...
Zoe Mills is a 17 year old high school student and one of thousands who joined the global climate strikes. She explains why her generation feel this moment so acutely.It’s an eerie sight. A sea of bodies lay across the worn ...
Men need to put aside their discomfort and support New Zealand women in the wake of Alabama’s abortion ban, writes Zoe Deans. Kiwi bloke stoicism hasn’t really equipped anyone to deal with outpourings of pain. And right now, it’s all around. ...
In our Q&A series, The Lightbulb, we ask innovators and entrepreneurs to tell us about how they turned their ideas into reality. This week we talk to Mathew Jury, founder of award-winning company Taska Prosthetics which makes state-of-the-art prosthetic hands.First of ...
A one-pot energy boost that’s as good for breakfast as it is afternoon tea. I find packing lunches a challenge so am always on the hunt for inspiration to keep the kids’ lunchboxes both interesting and nourishing. What I love about ...
David Farrier dives deep into the Hotel Bed Jumping Community on Instagram and is quickly told: “Should you pursue with your article and publish it we will be taking action”. He chose to pursue the article.I’m a big fan of Instagram, and ...
A play teaching teens about consent and sexual harassment opens in Wellington and Auckland next month. Co-creator Karin McCracken talks about why the show was necessary, and the generationally unique struggles kids face today.The current model of health education in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Holly Cullen, Adjunct professor, University of Western Australia Australians woke to the news on Friday that the United States had unveiled new charges against Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange. The indictment, issued by ...
By Megan Darby of Climate Home News It has been a big week for democracy, starting with a pro-coal verdict in Australia and ending with Europeans going to the polls. Environmentalists despaired as Australian Labor lost another battle in ...
What’s happened to the Government’s promised liberalising reform of abortion laws? An announcement of new legislation is looming, but there are signs that reform might be less liberal than pro-choice campaigners were wanting or expecting. The concept of a “woman’s ...
RNZ’s Guyon Espiner investigates New Zealand’s central drug buyer Pharmac – how it works and whether its model is costing lives. In part one, he reveals how lung cancer patients are buying cut-price drugs from India, as other New Zealanders fundraise, ...
OPEN LETTER:By Gary Juffa, Governor of Oro Dear Prime Minister, You sold all our todays and were about to sell our children’s tomorrows too. You were in the most enviable and powerful position to do what is right ...
After a decade feeling alienated from sport, Hannah Spyksma returned to the netball courts and found it just as good as when she left.It’s winter sport time and this year I’ve decided to break an almost 14-year drought. A Saturday ...
The National party announced the details of the referendum, before Cabinet had made a decision. Now, public service bosses are checking to see if their staff were responsible. ...
Yesterday, Destiny Church rebranded their political arm as The Coalition Party, and Tim Batt bought their domains before anybody else could. He writes on the value of online trolling as political protest.Yesterday Destiny rebranded their political arm as The Coalition ...
In this bonus edition of Gone By Lunchtime, the prime minister talks to Toby Manhire at the Auckland Writers FestivalLast weekend at the Auckland Writers Festival, Jacinda Ardern spoke with Spinoff editor Toby Manhire about the extraordinary election campaign of ...
This year’s International Comedy Festival was a roaring success, but some comedians have turned the spotlight on audiences. Are they too timid? Do our hecklers suck? Josie Adams sizes things up.When Netflix star James Acaster closed his last show of ...
New Zealand’s binge drinking culture is notoriously bad, but could change be on the horizon for this little country of boozers?Booze, booze, everywhere, but what does it mean to drink? Alcohol consumption around the world is awash with stereotypes. In ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government’s tax relief package is shaping up as the first test of incoming opposition leader Anthony Albanese, with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg declaring on Friday ...
The United Resources Party, led by Hagen Open MP William Duma, including four ministers, switches to the opposition. Video: EMTV NewsPacific Media Centre Newsdesk The biggest coalition partner in Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s coalition government has defected to ...
Have you ever noticed how little advertising there is on television for Mum’s home-cooking? And conversely, have you ever wondered why it is that the purveyors of fast food find it necessary to spend so much on advertising their wares? ...23 hours ago
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, May 19 through Sat, May 25, 2019 Editor's Pick Why school strikers are guest editing Climate Home News (Photo: Pixabay) ...1 day ago
JASPER BERNES in Communemag looks at the New Green Deal – a proposed stimulus package in the US – that aims to address climate change and economic inequality. We cannot legislate and spend our way out of catastrophic global warming ...2 days ago
Police are investigating a series of racist messages posted on an unofficial University of Auckland social media page, as staff and students vow to continue fighting racism, hate, and discrimination. ...3 days ago
The US has charged Wikileaks editor Julian Assange with espionageJulian Assange could face decades in a US prison after being charged with violating the Espionage Act by publishing classified information through WikiLeaks. Prosecutors announced 17 additional charges against Assange for ...3 days ago
Note! Weekly new research posts will not continue anymore. This is the last post in this series. A selection of new climate related research articles is shown below. This post has separate sections for: Climate Change, Climate Change Impacts, Climate ...3 days ago
Three Christians walk into a bar. A Catholic, a Presbyterian and a Life Church member... None of them vote for the same party. No, it's not much of a punch line, I confess. But then the idea of a Christian ...3 days ago
A new European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) called “The fast, fair and effective solution to climate change” was launched on May 6. The proposal asks that the European Commission introduce a carbon-pricing policy known as Carbon Fee and Dividend at the ...4 days ago
Comments about Green MP Golriz Ghahraman by ACT MP David Seymour on a reactionary radio talk show, and the threats that followed and which the Police deemed serious enough to merit a security detail for her, got me to thinking ...5 days ago
A review of the last ever episode of Game of Thrones (Spoiler alert!) ...6 days ago
Current member of the National Party, List MP Alfred Ngaro, has declared he has an intent towards the possibility of setting up a Christian-oriented “values” party. Simon Bridges initially denied discussion, but we all know his denials are really never ...7 days ago
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, May 12 through Sat, May 18, 2019 Editor's Pick 12 excuses for climate inaction and how to refute them Using moral ...1 week ago
by Sean Kearns It appears that even in Britain, where a lot of unions remain affiliated to Labour, the working class itself is less attached to Labour. The bureaucratic leaderships keep unions chained to Labour, the workers are just not ...1 week ago
In October 2013 I wrote about “Valuing Xero in one hour“, and (although it had a bug) came up with a forecast that justified the then $2.2 billion valuation of Xero with a Weighted Average Cost of Capital of 18%. ...1 week ago
I love the National's Library's Papers Past archive. I've used it many times for work and sometimes just for fun. The one thing I never thought I'd be able to do is vanity-search on it. And yet, here it is: ...2 weeks ago
Bolton has never conceded that invading Iraq was a mistake, in fact he considers it to this day still as a roaring success. His history in public life is that of an unrepentant, ignorant thug of a politician, a persona ...2 weeks ago
(fire, California)Some time ago Jeanette Fitzsimons described our action on climate change like a car driving rapidly to a precipice while the occupants argue about whether they should maybe change down a gear. If we are to continue with this ...2 weeks ago
Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons headquarters in The Hague. Image credit: Prensa Latina Ready Syria to Cooperate with Organization Against Chemical Weapons Multinational bodies, like ... 2 weeks ago
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, May 5 through Sat, May 11, 2019 Editor's Pick Proposal to spend 25% of EU budget on climate change Schoolchildren ...2 weeks ago
Improving the safety of all road users is the focus of a new public consultation document on the issue of drug driver testing. Plans for public consultation on options to improve the drug driver testing process have been announced by ...2 weeks ago
NZ On Air and RNZ launch new Local Democracy Reporting service with NPA ...17 mins ago
Today in the political economy, updated throughout the day. ...53 mins ago
Good news! We’re launching a free daily newsletter featuring all of the Spinoff’s stories published that day. Read on to sign up now.Social media dominates how many consume content today. Whether it’s via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram stories, our reliance ...54 mins ago
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.
The Warehouse is looking to centralise its online shopping distribution, putting as many as 150 jobs on the line. ...1 hour ago
National Party leader says "serious harm" crimes before the courts, such as rape and murder, have increased by 25 percent since 2017, despite police statistics showing a drop in the number of crime victims. ...2 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laichang Zhang, Professor Mechanical Engineering, Edith Cowan University To mark the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements we’re taking a look at how researchers study some of the elements ...3 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Gilroy, ARC Research Fellow in Indigenous Health, Disability and Community Development, University of Sydney We welcome the recently announced Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. ...3 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kristen Lyons, Professor Environment and Development Sociology, The University of Queensland Climate change threatens Australia in many different ways, and can devastate rural and urban communities alike. For Torres Strait Islanders, it’s ...3 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jutta Beher, Spatial analyst in conservation and ecology, University of Melbourne From climate change to armed conflict, our world is struggling with urgent global issues. But disagreements about how to solve them ...3 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Makiko Nishitani, Lecturer, La Trobe University Established migrant communities in regional and rural areas are often ignored in favour of policies focused on attracting new intakes of skilled migrants. A striking example ...3 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan Lyons, Scholar in Media and Cultural Studies, Macquarie University Last month, audiences got their first glimpse of the trailer for the upcoming film, Joker, which explores the origins of its iconic ...3 hours ago
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Another major day of climate protests puts pressure on politicians, PMs fall in dramatic political weekend, and calls to stop use of remand for young people.If activism in 2019 so far ...3 hours ago
We don't need a contest between public transport and private cars, but a reasoned discussion about how we can integrate the two, writes Shane Te Pou. ...5 hours ago
If you’re gay in the LGBT world, you’re part of the gang. If you’re straight, you’re on the outside. But where do those in between sit?A year ago I was planning my wedding. My fiancé and I had just celebrated ...5 hours ago
The company behind a Queenstown eco-tourism development has postponed a council hearing. ...5 hours ago
Labour’s Kiwibuild was touted as a solution to the housing crisis - but it hasn’t gone well. ...5 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison’s new ministry mixes stability with dashes of innovation, box ticking, and the rewarding of friends. The Prime Minister has maintained his record number ...11 hours ago
Westpac says the Reserve Bank’s bank capital proposals will mean homeowners with an average mortgage in Auckland will be paying about $6,000 a year more in interest. ...14 hours ago
A $153m service to support young people leaving state care is the first in a raft of changes to Oranga Tamariki operations under incoming law. ...14 hours ago
By RNZ Pacific Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has announced that is resigning, citing a need for change, after weeks of unrest in the government. O’Neill held a press conference today in Port Moresby, announcing he would ...16 hours ago
Controversy erupted over The Project host Kanoa Lloyd’s decision to wear an ‘it’s OK to be white’ t-shirt this week. Newshub’s Sophie Bateman looks into the co-option of a seemingly innocuous slogan. The Rorschach test is a ...20 hours ago
Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website.Patrick Reynolds: The story of a revolution: How public transport transformed Auckland“There’s a quiet revolution underway in Auckland, slowly but relentlessly transforming the city. It began early in the century – ...1 day ago
Some offers by foreign investors to bring their capital to New Zealand promise such riches, at least for them, that their forecasts soar into the realms of implausibility. ...1 day ago
Men need to put aside their discomfort and support New Zealand women in the wake of Alabama’s abortion ban, writes Zoe Deans. Kiwi bloke stoicism hasn’t really equipped anyone to deal with outpourings of pain. And right now, it’s all around. ...1 day ago
In our Q&A series, The Lightbulb, we ask innovators and entrepreneurs to tell us about how they turned their ideas into reality. This week we talk to Mathew Jury, founder of award-winning company Taska Prosthetics which makes state-of-the-art prosthetic hands.First of ...1 day ago
David Farrier dives deep into the Hotel Bed Jumping Community on Instagram and is quickly told: “Should you pursue with your article and publish it we will be taking action”. He chose to pursue the article.I’m a big fan of Instagram, and ...1 day ago
A play teaching teens about consent and sexual harassment opens in Wellington and Auckland next month. Co-creator Karin McCracken talks about why the show was necessary, and the generationally unique struggles kids face today.The current model of health education in ...1 day ago
By Megan Darby of Climate Home News It has been a big week for democracy, starting with a pro-coal verdict in Australia and ending with Europeans going to the polls. Environmentalists despaired as Australian Labor lost another battle in ...2 days ago
RNZ’s Guyon Espiner investigates New Zealand’s central drug buyer Pharmac – how it works and whether its model is costing lives. In part one, he reveals how lung cancer patients are buying cut-price drugs from India, as other New Zealanders fundraise, ...2 days ago
OPEN LETTER: By Gary Juffa, Governor of Oro Dear Prime Minister, You sold all our todays and were about to sell our children’s tomorrows too. You were in the most enviable and powerful position to do what is right ...2 days ago
New Zealand’s number one slam-poet Ben Fagan begins a new series exploring what he thinks it means to be pākehā in 2019. ...2 days ago
This year’s International Comedy Festival was a roaring success, but some comedians have turned the spotlight on audiences. Are they too timid? Do our hecklers suck? Josie Adams sizes things up.When Netflix star James Acaster closed his last show of ...2 days ago
New Zealand’s binge drinking culture is notoriously bad, but could change be on the horizon for this little country of boozers?Booze, booze, everywhere, but what does it mean to drink? Alcohol consumption around the world is awash with stereotypes. In ...2 days ago
The United Resources Party, led by Hagen Open MP William Duma, including four ministers, switches to the opposition. Video: EMTV News Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk The biggest coalition partner in Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s coalition government has defected to ...2 days ago
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