Posts Tagged ‘utu’
Peters hit list so far – Seymour – Eagleson – Carter
Written By: - Date published: 6:23 am, September 26th, 2017 - 84 comments
Peters has hardly cleared his throat yet and he’s already clearing out Nats and their proxies. Seymour, Eagleson, Carter – Peters won’t be stopping there. Bill English will agree to anything to cling to power. Peters is already enjoying humiliating him in public.
The meaning of utu
Written By: - Date published: 11:37 am, May 14th, 2013 - 115 comments
Aaron Gilmore has promised ‘utu’, or reciprocation, against a select band of National insiders. What’s going on behind the scenes?
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #3
Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Graphic of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Reviews... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... 'It's heart-wrenching': 80% of Blue Mountains and 50% of ...18 hours ago - Britain exits the European Union and takes a sharp right turn
by John Smith Britain’s exit from the imperialist bloc known as the European Union (EU) is now irreversible. The crushing electoral defeat of the Labour Party has dismayed many workers and youth who had placed their hopes in Jeremy Corbyn, its left-wing leader. This article assesses these historic events, neither of which ...20 hours ago - 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #3A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Jan 12, 2020 through Sat, Jan 18, 2020 Editor's Pick The Past and the Future of the Earth’s Oldest Trees Bristlecone pines have survived various catastrophes over the millennia, and they ...2 days ago
- How climate change influenced Australia’s unprecedented firesThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections, and has been adapted into a new myth rebuttal on climate-wildfire connections with the short URL sks.to/wildfires Australia’s frightening bushfires, which kicked off an early fire season in September 2019, have already had cataclysmic effects, and the continent is still just in the early ...2 days ago
- Gender Identity Ideology – A Partial Bibliography of Online CoverageThis great resource has been contributed to Redline by Janie Doebuck. Janie made some notes on the bibliography: 1) It is by no means exhaustive. There are tons more gender critical posts, essays, articles, podcasts, youtube videos, etc. online. 2) There are links in the bibliography that are behind paywalls. There ...3 days ago
- About those biased Oscar Nominations
There’s been a lot written about the 2020 Oscar Nominations and their apparent lack of diversity. It’s true, there are in fact no women nominated for the Best Director and very few nominees of colour across the board. But is this a result of a biased process or a symptom ...4 days ago - How New Zealand media reports chronic pain
Hemakumar Devan Around three million New Zealanders access news media (both paper and online) every week. Yes, you heard that right! So, the potential for news media to shape public health beliefs is common sense. As chronic pain affects one in five New Zealanders, we wanted to find out how ...4 days ago - Still Waiting For American Democracy.
Unfinished Republic: Though the United States' crimes against democracy are legion, most Americans are blissfully unaware of them. The brutal realities of American life: the officially sanctioned violence; the refusal to hold racists accountable for their actions; the seemingly endless tragedy of African-American suffering; of which White America is the ...4 days ago - In Outrage Over Its Bunk Science, Goop Finds Fuel for GrowthMichael Schulson For years, experts have said that Goop, the wellness and lifestyle brand founded by the actor and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow, markets pseudoscience and overblown cures. And for years, despite the criticism, Goop has just kept growing. Now the company, which was valued at $250 million in 2018, ...4 days ago
- Tobacco Excise Taxes and the Smokefree 2025 Goal: Some Ways ForwardJanet Hoek, Richard Edwards, George Thomson, Andrew Waa, Nick Wilson Debate over tobacco tax increases has intensified as research indicates potentially conflicting policy directions. On the one hand, excise tax increases continue to stimulate quit attempts among smokers yet, on the other hand, they may lead to financial hardship for ...5 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #2, 2020Conflation and how to fix it VIa AMS, Raul Lejano looks at what in a layperson's thinking would be called conflation— confusion and blending of entirely different topics— when people think about climate change. Ideology and the Narrative of Skepticism (open access) starts with some arguably frightening false connections between the science and ...5 days ago
- ‘Cranky Uncle’ smart phone game will show you how to disarm climate deniersThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bud Ward (Image: Courtesy of John Cook) When it comes to climate change, it seems every family has its own version of the proverbial Cranky Uncle. An uncle, cousin, grandparent, in-law, neighbor, whatever. Just think back to the recent holiday season’s large ...5 days ago
- Science in the ’20s – part 1Outrageous, immoral or downright dangerous. That’s a description of the lifestyle of women “flappers” in the 1920s. Could it apply to science (and scientists) in the 2020s? Actually, you could look back at the past decade and see those, or similar terms, used about some science and scientists. Sometimes ...5 days ago
- Postscript: Citizenship Granted.
I am pleased to say that I have been granted NZ citizenship. I need to do the ceremony for things to be official, but the application was a success. I now join my son as a dual NZ-US citizen. To be fair, very little will change other than the fact ...6 days ago - Hard News: Music: Morales is coming
It will be no secret to longtime readers that I, Russell Brown, love the disco. So I'm pretty excited by the fact that one of the greats of the game is returning this summer – and also pleased to say I have tickets to give away.Legendary mixer and DJ ...6 days ago - The WHO Vaccine Safety Summit – from someone who was actually thereThe conspiracy I saw a new conspiracy theory flying around the other day. According to the conspiracy (that seems to originate from Del Bigtree), the World Health Organization have been ‘caught on camera’ questioning the safety of vaccines. Gosh this sounds as though someone was a mole at a ...6 days ago
- The timely death of the British Labour PartyBelow is an article submitted to Redline by Alec Abbott At its inception, the British Labour Party was a vehicle for the propagation of racist and imperialist views within the working-class. Such views are still widespread in the party, as they are in Europe’s Social-Democratic parties, though, in the case of ...6 days ago
- Mystery China pneumonia outbreak likely caused by new human coronavirusConnor Bamford, Queen’s University Belfast Since December 2019, there has been a cluster of 59 cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, eastern China. The pneumonia is associated with a previously unidentified coronavirus related to the deadly SARS virus. Seven of those cases are thought to be serious, and one person – ...6 days ago
- Yes, koalas are cute – but should we bring them to NZ? Errm, noIt’s been hard to miss the extreme fires raging across Australia and the tragic plight of the animals – human and otherwise – affected by the fires’ insatiable spread. I know I’ve been captivated and concerned by the tales of how Australia’s famous wildlife has been coping. Koalas approaching cyclists ...7 days ago
- National’s negative campaigningAnybody who looked into the Dirty Politics saga knows all too well that honesty is often in short supply within the National Party. You would think that after the exposure the John Key government received over their untruthful attack politics, the National Party would learn from its "mistakes" and leave ...7 days ago
- Ending the government’s charade over water
For the past decade, the government has been responding to the obvious Treaty issues raised by water allocation with the mantra that "no-one owns water". But last year, the Waitangi Tribunal ruled that actually, Māori owned it, and that those rights had never been extinguished. They recommended that iwi bring ...7 days ago - Northern Ireland joins the civilised worldSame-sex marriage has finally become legal in Northern Ireland. But not through any decision of the Northern Irish Executive or Assembly, which has only just reformed after a three year walkout by the DUP; instead, Westminster made that decision for them. I've talked before about the constitutional impropriety of this, ...7 days ago
- I had an intense conversation at work today.Claire Cohen-Norris volunteers with Citizens Climate Lobby as a chapter founder and leader in rural New York. Her climate advocacy sprung from her drive to provide a secure, joyful and fulfilling life for her two wonderful children. It has become a life’s mission, shared with her like-minded husband and partner. Claire ...1 week ago
- French transport workers take on Macron over pension reform
by John Edmundson Starting on December 5th, 2019 workers in the Parisian rail network commenced an open-ended strike in opposition to French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed changes to their pension scheme. Rail workers in the Metro Underground have, for decades, had retirement conditions that compensate them for the low wages, ...1 week ago - What a difference the decimal point makesI’m back at work following a nearly three-week break over Christmas. We were fortunate to be offered a house to stay in for a week over Christmas, which enabled us to have a holiday in Dunedin and see the extended family reasonably cheaply. But the house came with a catch: ...1 week ago
- Who’s Going To Stop Him?Blank And Pitiless: Having ordered the assassination of the Iranian General, Qasem Soleimani, President Donald Trump promised to reduce the cultural monuments of Iran’s 3,000 year-old civilisation to rubble if a revenge attack was mounted. A breach of international law? Certainly. A war crime? Indisputably. Who’s going to stop him? Nobody.WHAT ...1 week ago
- A worker’s storyThis interview is from Aotearoa Workers Solidarity Movement (AWSM) and is the first of an ongoing series of interviews they plan to do with workers from various sectors who are having their well being and livelihoods damaged. They begin with an educator in Southland. Due to the attitude and actions ...1 week ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #2A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Jan 5, 2020 through Sat, Jan 11, 2020 Editor's Pick Debunked Australian Bushfire Conspiracy Theories Were Pushed by Alex Jones, Murdoch Media As unusually intense and widespread bushfires have ...1 week ago
- J.K. Rowling, the Seattle Library, and the Issue That Must Not Be NamedThis article was submitted to Redline by Seattle-based activist Lucinda Stoan J.K. Rowling recognizes repression when she sees it. That’s why the author of the wildly popular Harry Potter books recently tweeted in defense of Maya Forstater. Forstater lost her job for stating that sex is real and immutable. A judge ...1 week ago
- Rules of Empire: Laws simply do not apply and “National Security” excuses all else.
Empires rise and fall, and the American Empire is absolutely no different. But while an Empire, in order to further the footprint, it seems to pay to do one primary thing above all else: project that everything – everything – is “simply for the good of the world” at large, ...1 week ago - Indian lessons for NZ workers – the January 8 general strikeby Phil Duncan On Wednesday (January 8) another massive general strike took place in India. Some 250 million industrial workers, white-collar workers, agricultural labourers struck against the government’s economic policies and attacks on the Muslim population through new proposed citizenship rules. This ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: The action that countsOver on Newsroom, Professor Jacqueline Beggs writes about the action she is taking on climate change. Its the usual list: reduce meat, don't fly, consume less. I'm doing some of this myself, and none of it hurts - but the way our economic system is constructed means the impact of ...2 weeks ago
- Fossil fuel political giving outdistances renewables 13 to oneThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk Corporations, special interest groups, and individuals inject billions of dollars into the American political system every year. Much of the financial support in politics is concealed from public view, as some rules – and loopholes – allow “dark money” and ...2 weeks ago
- Should I ditch my fossil-fueled car?Yes. Reducing the number of cars in your household, or switching from petrol/diesel to electric, will dramatically reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. It’s one of the easiest and highest-impact climate steps you can take. New Zealand is being flooded with cars The New Zealand vehicle fleet is increasing rapidly. In ...2 weeks ago
- Speaker: Planet History: Taking Tea with QuentinThis interview with Quentin Crisp is part of a series of articles republished from Planet, the independent magazine I edited in the early 90s from a base at 309 Karangahape Road, along with Grant Fell, Rachael Churchward, Fiona Rae, David Teehan, Mere Ngailevu and others.Inevitably, you forget things, and over ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #1, 2020Supply Side How are we doing with CO2 emissions? It's an important question, increasingly posed to a mixed bag of CO2 contributors who may or may not provide accurate reportage. Liu et al present a new, additional means of measurement based on satellite observations of nitrogen dioxide co-emitted from ...2 weeks ago
- Is the prostitute the seller or the sold?Excerpts from Being and Being Bought, by Kajsa Ekis Ekman, Spinifex Press, 2013. Ekman, a Swedish journalist and critic, brings together a Marxist and feminist analysis of prostitution and surrogacy in this groundbreaking book. This is the third part of a synopsis and brief commentary of the book by Daphna Whitmore. Part 1 was ...2 weeks ago
- The climate crisis is also a biodiversity crisisDr Andrea Byrom Like many of us, the summer break has seen me transfixed with horror at the scale and magnitude of the bushfire crisis in Australia. As an ecologist, I can’t help but be appalled at the loss of some of Australia’s most beautiful ecosystems and landscapes. And ...2 weeks ago
- Apathy in the face of disasterWarning: This article contains topics that might trigger right wing snowflakes!Unless you’ve had your head buried in a billabong for the last four months you’d of heard about the Australian bush fires. The fires have been unprecedented, with approximately five million hectares (12.35 million acres) of land burned nationwide. More ...2 weeks ago
- Labour opposes leisureFinland's new Prime Minister has made headlines by pushing for a 4-day week. So what does new Zealand's "centre-left" government think? Nope. They'd rather people kept working themselves into misery and death:The Government does not plan to follow Finland's lead to encourage businesses to offer staff a four-day week. [...] ...2 weeks ago
- Who’s afraid of the non-native accent? Everyone … unless you tell them about itAs someone who learnt English late-ish in life, I was always on the look-out for signs which betray my foreignness, afraid that my clumsy mispronunciation or syntactic misalignment will give away my outsider status. And for once, sadly, my worries were well-founded it seems. It’s bad, prejudice is rife! In ...2 weeks ago
- Donald Trump’s strategic gambleThere’s a meme going around the Internet at the moment claiming that Donald Trump is a bit of an idiot. To outside eyes it does seem as though the President of the United States thumbs his nose at his own countries laws and administration far too often to be taken ...2 weeks ago
- More Spanish repressionBack in December, the European Court of Justice ruled that jailed Catalan politician Oriol Junqueras was a Member of the European Parliament and therefore had immunity from prosecution. In a democratic state under the rule of law, he would have been immediately released from prison (and compensated for his illegal ...2 weeks ago
- Doubling down: Researchers investigate compound climate risksThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daniel Grossman It was a grim day in Moscow on July 25, 2010. The English-language Moscow Times reported that the Russian capital had broken the 1936 temperature record for July: 98 degrees Fahrenheit. That month, the city, where air conditioning was (and still is) ...2 weeks ago
- Everyone, we must be united and work together (now we’ve got rid of the Corbyn)
Yvette Cooper has written a piece in the Guardian outlinig 'Seven things Labour Must Do To Win The Next Election'.I'll overlook the absurd headline - no-one is talking about Labour winning the next election and I assume that Cooper didn't write the headline (she doesn't mention winning the next election anywhere ...2 weeks ago - “A common interest in war with Iran” say those who will NOT be in the firing line
Well, things have certainly escalated. Brent Crude hits $70 in light of recent geopolitical incidents. There’s a British nuclear sub on its way to thump Iran if needed, and Netenyahu says “everyone” is keen on war with Iran. Of course in terms of the oil prices, that’ll have downstream ...2 weeks ago - 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #1Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... El Niño/La Niña Update... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Reviews... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... The signal of human-caused climate change has emerged in everyday weather, study finds ...2 weeks ago
- New Fisk2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: Complementary measuresFor the past twenty-five years, climate change policy in New Zealand has been all about emissions pricing. Policy makers thought that all you needed to do was make people pay for their pollution via a carbon tax or emissions trading scheme, and the problem would be solved. This mechanism was ...2 weeks ago
- Jeremy Clarkson – God is an arsonistYou've really got to wonder if Jeremy Clarkson is worshiping the right deity? I mean thinking that Australia is somehow deserving of the calamity that has befallen it in the form of unprecedented bush fires is one thing, but claiming God intentionally likes to cause people and animals immeasurable pain ...2 weeks ago
- We are no longer welcome in IraqLast Friday, the US murdered a high-ranking Iranian general, ostensibly as retaliation for Iraqi militias attacking US troops in Iraq. It was a stupid move, a mistake as well as a crime (to misquote Talleyrand), and it is already having the expected effects: the Iranian nuclear deal is now completely ...2 weeks ago
- Miscalculation, escalation and the law of unintended consequences.Note: I penned a series of tweets on the consultancy page offering my thoughts on the Soleimani assassination. I have decided to gather them together, add some more material, and edit them into a blogpost. Here it is. The US drone strike in Baghdad that killed Iranian Quds force commander ...2 weeks ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #1A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Dec 29, 2019 through Sat, Jan 4, 2020 Editor's Pick There Is No Safe Global Warming Australia Bushfire - Shutterstock Safety is something we all crave. It’s human nature. ...2 weeks ago
- The strike on Suleimani: a Neocon gambit for rolling the MIC onwards to a new chapter of global dest...
Anyone who thinks this was merely a so-called “precision strike” on “a really bad man!” and doesn’t get the wider geopolitical ramifications of this is beyond deluded. Probably those who think Commando comics are actually transcripts from a lost war documentary, and GI Joe was the biography of a real ...2 weeks ago - This is goodStill feeling very kicked in the head. Took some time off over Christmas and New Year to think about stuff, contemplating the unthinkable idea that i might have been ... wrong. But, after a thorough deconstruction of my cerebellum and rigorous self examination, I conclude I was not, am not.Okay, ...2 weeks ago
- A standout example of Right-wing truth inversion: “debating” responsibility for the Aust...
Many people must have seen the copious amounts of emotive, highly charged blame being increasingly passed onto “the bloody environmentalists!” and “the bloody Greenies” for this absolute debacle. This blame has been fomented by the Rightwing press, and the Governing coalition under Scott Morrison, who it must be said never ...3 weeks ago - Someone To Follow, Something To Blame.Poshing The Proletariat: As we enter the third decade of the twenty-first century, the question for New Zealand politicians is a simple one. Will workers’ expectations of fair treatment erode faster than their rising political determination to find someone to follow and something to blame? Significant sections of the United ...3 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #52, 2019The other side of the coin Last week's New Research mentioned a New York Times article describing how academic researchers plow straight through holidays with work. On the publishing side: not so much. Argue about priorities but clearly there's a difference in attitudes between the input hopper and the output conveyor. ...3 weeks ago
- December ’19 – NZ blogs sitemeter ranking
I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or the numbers seem very low please check ... 3 weeks ago
- Acting PM Winston Peters confirms NZDF troops in Iraq not hit by Iranian attacks
Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters called for calm and diplomacy following Iranian missile strikes on bases housing United States troops in Iraq, but confirmed New Zealand's base in the country was not hit. The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) was earlier today investigating claims New Zealand's base in Iraq had ...19 hours ago - Housing consents hit highest level since 1974Housing consents have hit a 45-year high, as Statistics NZ data shows a total of 37,010 residential consents were issued in the year to November --- the first time they have breached the 37,000 mark since the mid-1970s. Statistics NZ said the trend had been rising since late 2011, when ...6 days ago
- Darroch Ball MP: “Violence against first responders is a problem on the rise”New Zealand First MP Darroch Ball says that a paramedic being kicked unconscious last night in an attempted burglary in Warkworth, north of Auckland, is a symptom of a larger problem. "Incidents like this are becoming more and more frequent...and it’s getting worse," Mr Ball said. The MP is pushing for ...7 days ago
- Minister Ron Mark asks NZDF to conduct fire risk assessment from defence point of viewDefence Minister Ron Mark said there was nothing to prevent similar large-scale bushfires seen in Australia from also happening in New Zealand, and has asked the New Zealand Defence Force to conduct a nfire risk assessment from a defence point of view. The defence assessment would help prevent a disaster ...2 weeks ago
- Defence Minister Mark expresses “absolute confidence” in NZDF forces stationed in IraqWhile feeling worried about increased Middle East tensions, Defence Minister Ron Mark said he had "absolute confidence" in New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) leadership. His statements come as the fate of Kiwi troops stationed in Iraq comes under intense scrutiny. Forty-five Defence Force personnel were thought to be in the ...2 weeks ago
- Defence Minister Ron Mark: “NZDF focused on protecting troops in Iraq from retaliation”As tensions in the Middle East continue to grow after the assassination of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, the New Zealand Defence Force is focusing on the protection of Kiwi troops deployed in Iraq. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says that "recent attacks on coalition bases and embassies constitute unacceptable ...2 weeks ago
- Advancing New Zealand’s trade agenda focus of Europe meetings
World Trade Organisation reform, agricultural trade and a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom will be the focus of Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker’s visit to Europe this week. David Parker leaves on Tuesday for a series of meetings in the UK and Switzerland that aim ...18 hours ago - Minister of Defence to visit counterparts in US and CanadaThe Minister of Defence, Ron Mark, departed today for the United States and Canada where he will meet with his counterparts. While in Canada Minister Mark will meet with his counterpart, Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan. “New Zealand and Canada are close friends, and share an instinctive like-mindedness on ...22 hours ago
- Government to deliver family carers $2000 pay rise, expand scheme to spouses this yearThe Coalition Government is delivering this year the changes to Funded Family Care the disability sector has long-asked for, says Associate Minister of Health Jenny Salesa. “Today we are announcing the details of our big changes to Funded Family Care, including an annual average pay boost of $2,246.40 for funded ...2 days ago
- Ko te reo kua mū: Piri SciasciaMinister for Māori Development Nanaia Mahuta joins te ao Māori in their sorrow as they learn of the loss of one of the great orators and spokespersons of a generation – Piri Sciascia. “The son of Pōrangahau was a staunch advocate for Māori development and served his people for over ...2 days ago
- Minister opens new ecosanctuary at Cape FarewellA new ecosanctuary with a predator proof fence on Golden Bay’s Cape Farewell, which will restore a safe home for sea birds, rare native plants, giant snails, and geckos, was officially opened today by the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage. “There has been a fantastic community effort supported by the ...3 days ago
- Pacific partners work together to provide additional support to AustraliaThe NZDF continues to support the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as it battles fires in Victoria and New South Wales, including by transporting Republic of Fiji Military engineers from Nadi to Australia, announced Defence Minister Ron Mark. On Saturday morning a NZDF Boeing 757 will depart New Zealand to uplift ...4 days ago
- Kaikōura $10.88 million boost in tourism & businessThe Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $10.88 million to boost business and tourism opportunities in Kaikōura, Parliamentary Undersecretary for Regional Economic Development, Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. As part of the Kaikōura Marina Development Programme, the following two projects will receive PGF funding: A $9.88 million investment to begin the ...4 days ago
- Govt accounts in surplus, debt remains lowThe Government’s books are in good shape with the accounts in surplus and expenses close to forecast, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Treasury today released the Crown accounts for the five months to November. The operating balance before gains and losses (OBEGAL) was above forecast by $0.7 billion resulting ...4 days ago
- Auckland focus for first Police graduation of 2020The number of Police on the Auckland frontline is increasing with the graduation today of a special locally-trained wing of new constables. Police Minister Stuart Nash says the graduation of eighteen officers from Recruit Wing 333-5 means that more than 1900 new Police have been deployed since the Coalition Government ...5 days ago
- Wairarapa gets $7.11m PGF water boostThe Provincial Growth Fund is putting $7.11 million into creating a sustainable water supply for Wairarapa, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. The following two projects will receive Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) funding: A $7 million investment in Wairarapa Water Limited for the pre-construction development of ...6 days ago
- Progress with new Police station in MahiaCommunity safety and crime prevention in the East Coast community of Mahia has moved forward with the opening of a new Police station to serve the growing coastal settlement. Police Minister Stuart Nash has officially opened the new station, which was relocated almost 20 kilometres along the coast from the nearby ...7 days ago
- Plans to protect the future of whitebaiting announcedWith several native whitebait species in decline the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage has today released proposals to standardise and improve management of whitebait across New Zealand. “The need for action for a healthy whitebait fishery has never been greater,” Eugenie Sage said. “Four of the six whitebait species are ...7 days ago
- New resource for schools to increase awareness and understanding of climate changeA new Ministry of Education resource available for schools in 2020 will increase awareness and understanding of climate change, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “The resource, Climate Change – prepare today, live well tomorrow, will help students understand the effects of climate change at a local, national and global ...1 week ago
- Getting more out of our most productive firmsFinance Minister Grant Robertson has approved the terms of reference for an Inquiry into the economic contribution of New Zealand's frontier firms. Frontier firms are the most productive firms in the domestic economy within their own industry. “These firms are important as they diffuse new technologies and business practices into ...1 week ago
- NZDF sends more support to AustraliaThe New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is sending an Environmental Health Team, a Primary Health Care Team and a Chaplain to Australia, boosting New Zealand support for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as it battles bush fires in Victoria and New South Wales, Defence Minister Ron Mark announced today. The ...1 week ago
- New Zealand joins partners in calling for full investigation into air crash in IranActing Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rt Hon Winston Peters says that developments suggesting a surface-to-air missile is responsible for the downing of the Ukrainian International Airlines flight in Iran is disastrous news. “New Zealand offers its deepest sympathies to the families of the 176 victims. It is ...2 weeks ago
- Staying connected to Australian agricultureAgriculture Minister, Damien O’Connor, says the Ministry for Primary Industries is continuing to stay connected to federal authorities in Australia as devastating fires affect the country. “The Ministry is using an existing trans-Tasman forum for discussions on the agricultural impact of the fires and the future recovery phase,” says Damien ...2 weeks ago
- Investment in schools – a commitment to communitiesThousands of school-age children, their teachers and wider communities are benefiting from the Government’s multi-million dollar investment upgrading and renewing schools, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “We want New Zealand to be the best place to be a child and that means learning in warm, comfortable and modern classrooms,” ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand Defence Force sends support to AustraliaMinister of Defence Ron Mark today announced New Zealand is sending three Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopters and crew, and two NZ Army Combat Engineer Sections as well as a command element to support the Australian Defence Force efforts in tackling the Australian fires. The New Zealand Defence Force ...2 weeks ago
- Better access to books for blind and low vision citizens on World Braille Day"Today is World Braille Day and I am delighted to announce that an international treaty giving blind and low vision New Zealanders access to books and literary works comes into force today,” Minister for Disability Issues Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “Today the Marrakesh Treaty and the associated amendments to the ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand to send further firefighter support to AustraliaThe New Zealand Government is sending a further 22 firefighters to help fight the Australian fires. “The devastation caused by these fires is taking a substantial toll on our Australian neighbours and we will continue to do what we can to assist as they deal with this extremely dynamic, dangerous ...3 weeks ago
- Reducing the cost of educationTwenty-two more schools have opted into the Government’s policy of providing $150 per child to schools who don’t ask parents for donations– bringing the total number of schools in the policy to 1,585. The Ministry of Education has accepted late opt ins past the November 14 deadline from schools that ...3 weeks ago
- Road deaths lower in 2019, but still more work to do“As we enter the new decade, my thoughts are with the families, friends and communities of the 353 people who lost their lives in road crashes last year. While the number of deaths is lower than in 2018 (377), this is still a staggering loss of life,” Duty Minister Iain ...3 weeks ago
- View from The Hill: Morrison should control that temper in Liberal climate debate
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison’s Monday salvo against the NSW environment minister, Matt Kean, one of the Liberal progressives on climate change, was gratuitous and inept. Quizzed about Kean’s claim that there’s pressure from senior Liberals for strong ...5 hours ago - Australia’s threatened bats need protection from a silent killer: white-nose syndromeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Turbill, Senior Lecturer in Animal Ecology, Western Sydney University We already know how deadly this summer’s fires have been for mammals, birds, and reptiles across Australia. But beyond this bushfire season, many of those same species – including our bats, which ...11 hours ago
- Bran Nue Dae review: exceptional singing and music obscure the political heart of this classic Austr...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bronwyn Carlson, Professor, Indigenous Studies, Macquarie University Review: Bran Nue Dae, by Jimmy Chi and Knuckles and directed by Andrew Ross for Sydney Festival Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names of deceased people. It is exciting ...11 hours ago
- New mayors and what they have achieved in first 100 days
It has been 100 days since mayors in cities and districts took up their roles. RNZ's Andrew McRae looks into how some of the newbies are coping in their new roles. ...12 hours ago - CSIRO wants our laws turned into computer code. Here’s why that’s a bad ideaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joe McIntyre, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of South Australia Most of our laws are dense, obscure and effectively unintelligible for most people (even some lawyers). In a country where, every year, 25% of the population face serious legal issues yet often ...12 hours ago
- The tender years
How to apply an economic solution to the problem of chores ...13 hours ago - A brain transplant for one of Australia’s top telescopesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ray Norris, Professor, School of Science, Western Sydney University One of Australia’s top telescopes will receive an A$2.6 million upgrade to help extend its three-decade record of improving our understanding of the Universe. The Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), near Narrabri in ...13 hours ago
- Why the futures of 5G and 5 Eyes depend on Britain
Spark and Huawei hope Britain will decide to use the Chinese firm's gear at the fringes of it's 5G rollout. This would further tighten the trade and security vice we are in between China and America. ...13 hours ago - Why are Chinese construction workers being sent home?
This week I have learnt that at least four Chinese construction workers who came to New Zealand under false pretenses in mid-2018 are being refused an extension of their visas. ...13 hours ago - Unaffordable Housing Requires Partnership Approach“News that New Zealand is the second least affordable place to buy a house, after only Hong Kong, is sadly unsurprising, and signals that a new approach is needed to get more homes built and make housing affordable,” says Infrastructure New Zealand ...14 hours ago
- Boycott Bali? Why the genocide in West Papua demands your attention
It’s estimated that as many as half a million Papuans have been killed at the hands of Indonesian security forces over the past 50 years. Not holidaying in Indonesia is an easy way to say you’re not OK with that, writes Morgan Godfery.Would you have gone on holiday in apartheid ...14 hours ago - Boycott Bali? Why the atrocities in West Papua demand your attentionIt’s estimated that as many as half a million Papuans have been killed at the hands of Indonesian security forces over the past 50 years. Not holidaying in Indonesia is an easy way to say you’re not OK with that, writes Morgan Godfery.Would you have gone on holiday in apartheid ...14 hours ago
- What makes a good psychologist or psychiatrist and how do you find one you like?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jade Sheen, Associate Professor, School of Psychology, Deakin University Hi, I have mental health issues and I would like to know what makes a good or bad psychiatrist, psychologist or neuropsychologist. Key points Understanding the different roles of psychologists ...14 hours ago
- Gentrack Group expects significant drop in sales and profit
Gentrack Group says it is experiencing difficult conditions in its key utilities markets, which has impacted its sales pipeline more than expected. ...14 hours ago - Agriculture Minister monitoring dry conditions across NZ
Minister of Agriculture Damien O'Connor says he's keeping a close eye on dry conditions around the country. ...14 hours ago - The National Library cull of 600,000 books could be a disaster for researchersThe National Library says it is ‘making room for more New Zealand and Pacific stories’ and hopes the books it’s purging might ‘spark joy’ for other people. David Larsen considers it a whacking great clear-cutting.It would be irresponsible for me to tell you the National Library is about to burn ...15 hours ago
- Meet the woman turning your old pool toys into bagsPool toys are cool for the summer, but don’t do so well in landfill. Alex Casey meets a woman trying to prolong the life of New Zealand’s novelty inflatables.If Instagram is any indication of real life, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the human race is currently being ruled by ...15 hours ago
- What’s on RNZ News at midday – Jan 20
National's deputy leader Paula Bennett says the party's Auckland headquarters were broken into over the weekend, with three laptops stolen. ...16 hours ago - Questions are raised by RNZ report about a forestry company, the PGF and a meeting with Shane Jones
So when did Shane Jones first learn about NZ Future Forest Products’ bid for a $15 million government loan from the Provincial Growth Fund.? According to a Radio NZ report today, when NZFFP applied for PGF on 8 April, 2019, the company was asked whether the project had been “previously ...17 hours ago - What Lizzo did for meTo see someone like us – a band geek, a joyful dancer, a plus size beauty – being unapologetically who she is, is powerful. Applying that to your own life for the better is precious. And then she gives you a shout-out on the radio? Beautiful.Last week something really weird ...17 hours ago
- Gruelling bike crusade heads to ParliamentAn arduous 1300 kilometre biking campaign undertaken by a determined Dunedin couple is set to finish at Parliament steps on Wednesday – delivering an impassioned message to the government to immediately double Pharmac’s budget. ...17 hours ago
- Serious Fraud Office announcement over National donations expected in ‘coming weeks’The Serious Fraud Office has signalled an announcement is imminent over its inquiry into National's handling of an alleged $100,000 donation. ...19 hours ago
- Vegetarianism in schools is ‘entirely appropriate’The NZ Vegetarian Society has responded to claims that a new climate change resource which encourages students to eat less meat and dairy should be removed from schools. ...19 hours ago
- Time For Standing Commission Against CorruptionThe New Zealand Maori Council will tell the Coalition Government this week that New Zealand moved with the times when it came to a stand-alone body to investigate corruption and the misuse of office by Public officials, including public servants, politicians ...19 hours ago
- Climate Education in Schools a DisasterTraining children about a climate emergency under the current format will be a disaster as the government is giving false hope to our children that they can control the climate - when they can't. ...19 hours ago
- Seymour unimpressed by Trump slogan ‘conniptions’Borrowing Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan does not mean adopting the US president's ideas on policy, says ACT leader David Seymour. ...20 hours ago
- What’s on RNZ News at 8am – Jan 20
A forestry company with close links to New Zealand First says it gave a presentation to Shane Jones about a project it was seeking a $15 million government loan for - months before Jones says. ...20 hours ago - What’s in the newspapers – Jan 20
The Government spent almost half a million dollars on foreign advertising in a bid to woo overseas teachers to come work in New Zealand as the country grapples with a teacher "supply crisis". ...20 hours ago - Application for GMO ‘Imitation Blood’ Raises ConcernsFoods Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has received an application seeking approval for the GE Imitation blood ingredient used in the Impossible Burger to enter the food chain.[1] ...20 hours ago
- Not bot, not beast: scientists create first ever living, programmable organismSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Coghlan, Senior Research Fellow in Digital Ethics, School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne A remarkable combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and biology has produced the world’s first “living robots”. This week, a research team of roboticists and scientists ...21 hours ago
- Who can break up the ‘Big 3’ monopoly on men’s tennis? Here’s what the numbers saySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Kovalchik, Senior Data Scientist, Victoria University As the Australian Open gets underway, one question on every tennis fan’s mind is whether 2020 will be yet another year dominated by the “Big 3”, the nickname given to the three most accomplished players ...21 hours ago
- How effective is the pill?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Bateson, Clinical Associate Professor, Discipline of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Neonatology, University of Sydney About one-third of people using contraception use the pill. But how effective is it? There are two types of contraceptive pill – the combined pill, containing oestrogen and ...21 hours ago
- Forest thinning is controversial, but it shouldn’t be ruled out for managing bushfiresSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rod Keenan, Professor, University of Melbourne Calls from industry and unions for increased thinning in forests to reduce bushfire risks have been met with concern from conservation scientists. They suggest forest thinning makes forests more fire prone. So who’s right? Well, it’s ...21 hours ago
- Celebrity concern about bushfires could do more harm than good. To help they need to put boots on th...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabrielle Walters, Associate Professor, School of Business, The University of Queensland From Australian superstars such as Cate Blanchet, Russell Crowe, Chris Hemsworth and Nicole Kidman to Hollywood heavyweights including Ellen DeGeneres and Bette Midler, a lengthening list of celebrities are helping to ...21 hours ago
- NZ First-linked company in government loan bid says it met with Shane JonesA forestry company with close links to NZ First says it gave a presentation to Shane Jones about a project it was seeking a $15 million government loan for - months before Jones says he first heard of it. ...21 hours ago
- Ten important summer news stories you may have missedGood morning, and welcome back to The Bulletin for 2020. In today’s edition: A collection of news stories you probably wisely ignored over the last month.The Bulletin is The Spinoff’s free daily newsletter of the most important news and analysis from across New Zealand. To get it in your inbox ...22 hours ago
- Twyford eyes commuter trains for Hamilton and Tauranga
The new year could herald the start of a new era for two of NZ's fastest growing cities ...23 hours ago - Kāinga Ora’s borrowing limit lifted by $4b
Just quietly, the Government is gearing up to announce in an election year that it will borrow $4 billion more to almost double its plans for state house building. Bernard Hickey reports exclusively. ...23 hours ago - China’s new virus: What you need to know
A new virus which emerged in China in December has killed two people and infected around 41 others including travellers to Thailand and Japan. ...23 hours ago - Courage in the void of suicide
Suffering can produce something; it’s not random or meaningless, nor merely something to get rid of. It can act as either a fertiliser or a poison, writes Dr Chris Bowden ...23 hours ago - Teen helping mum realise Olympic riding dream
Geologist and equestrian Wendi Williamson is making significant strides in the world of dressage, earning a coveted spot in the World Cup, and has the Tokyo Olympics in her sights. ...23 hours ago - Stiglitz: The truth about the Trump economy
Renowned economist Professor Joseph Stiglitz argues Donald Trump might have been a good president for the top 1 percent but has not been so for everyone else. ...23 hours ago - Pretty average: NZ books in 2020
ReadingRoom literary editor Steve Braunias previews the year ahead in New Zealand publishing. ...23 hours ago - The NZ tourism industry cannot afford to ignore the elephant in the roomWhile New Zealand may continue to prosper from the tourist dollar for a decade or two yet, there is the very real prospect that the climate crisis will drive international tourism down, writes James Renwick.The headline read “Tourism industry working to ensure a sustainable future” but there was scant evidence ...24 hours ago
- CEAC calls for Ministry of Health to be cautious“CEAC calls for Ministry of Health to be cautious of mystery viral pneumonia spreading from China.” ...1 day ago
- Six million hectares of threatened species habitat up in smokeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Ward, PhD Candidate, The University of Queensland More than one billion mammals, birds, and reptiles across eastern Australia are estimated to have been affected by the current fire catastrophe. Many animals and plants have been incinerated or suffocated by smoke and ...2 days ago
- Simon Bridges to raise concerns over killings in Philippines tripNational Party leader Simon Bridges will meet with a number of politicians and officials for talks on trade and other cooperation. ...2 days ago
- Oram: The systems that got us he have failed
What I should focus on for the final five and a half years of my career as a business journalist? ...2 days ago - Emily Writes and Eddie, 7, review Wellington’s best places for swimmingMy name is Eddie and I’m seven and my mum said I have to write about my school holidays and I just want to play Minecraft. I love swimming so these are the best places for swimming by me Eddie.Eddie: Kilbirnie pool is new now but the only thing that’s ...2 days ago
- A West Coast internshipBetween the city and the coast lies an insurmountable gulf, or so they say. Fresh from university, Michael Andrew decided to test that by interning at a local paper in the West Coast and found himself beguiled by the strangeness and the beauty. I had never smelled fresh newsprint coming straight ...2 days ago
- Death of Professor Piri Sciascia, Government House KaumatuaThe Governor-General, HE Dame Patsy Reddy and Sir David Gascoigne were deeply distressed to receive the news that Government House’s Kaumatua, Professor Piri Sciascia died this morning. ...3 days ago
- Media academic warns shutting key TV channel would be step to ‘dictatorship’By Camille Abiel H. Torres, Charm Ryanne C. Magpali, Laurd Menhard Salen of The Varsitarian in Manila A New Zealand media academic and freedom advocate has warned that shutting down the Philippines’ largest and most popular media network would be a move toward dictatorship. Professor David Robie, director of ...3 days ago
- Ravensdown’s Western Sahara story rebuttedWestern Sahara Campaign-NZ enlisted the support of Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW) to question and comment on Ravensdown’s stated position in its press release of the 11th of December 2019, “Two sides to the Western Sahara story”. https://www.ravensdown.co.nz/in-the-community/two-sides-to-the-western-sahara-story ...3 days ago
- Another New Year handout from the PGF nudges us to wonder: where’s the Jones boy?So where’s Shane Jones, we wondered after the Point of Order Trough Monitor sounded its second alert of the week. Again, the alert was triggered by the sound of taxpayers’ money being given away by the Parliamentary Undersecretary for Regional Economic Development, Fletcher Tabuteau. The ...3 days ago
- Short story: Festival on a blanket, by Harley Hern
"Muscled, tattooed guys peel off their shirts...Voluptuous women curl and flex their fingers...Same sex couples smooch and purr": a short story, by writer Harley Hern. ...3 days ago - On swampy ground: Painter and printmaker Brent Harris returns homePalmerston North-born Brent Harris’s considers himself an Australian artist, but his work is suffused with the unease and melancholia long associated with New Zealand art, cinema and music. Kiran Dass spoke to him about his monsters, and his solo exhibition on now in Christchurch.Brent Harris left New Zealand in 1981; ...3 days ago
- Please stop offering sober people orange juiceEmbrace the many zero-alcohol drink options out there and stop bloody serving OJ.How many times have you been at home, or at work, or at a concert, or at a birthday party, or at a formal event, and thought, “What would go really well with this experience is some orange ...3 days ago
- ‘Monsters Inc’ – Ampatuan massacre justice aftermath with more fear of warlords, corruptionReport by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – [embedded content] The Rappler video feed on the Ampatuan convictions last month. For decades, the feared Ampatuan clan held sway in the impoverished province of Maguindanao in Mindanao in the southern Philippines. Through a ruthless private army and a ...3 days ago
- Plunging DHB deficits prove the pie is too smallReports that DHB deficits are set to plunge even further this year are yet more proof that underfunding is bringing hospitals to their knees, says the new Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, Sarah Dalton. ...3 days ago
- Before we rush to rebuild after fires, we need to think about where and howSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Maund, PhD Candidate, School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Newcastle A primary school in East Gippsland was burnt down in the current bushfire crisis. While Premier Daniel Andrews immediately committed to rebuilding the school as it was, media reported ...3 days ago
- Australian sea lions are declining. Using drones to check their health can help us understand whySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jarrod Hodgson, PhD Candidate, University of Adelaide Australian sea lions are in trouble. Their population has never recovered from the impact of the commercial sealing that occurred mainly in the 19th century. Low-lying rock islands and outcrops make important breeding sites for ...4 days ago
- With costs approaching $100 billion, the fires are Australia’s costliest natural disasterSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Read, Climate Criminologist & Senior Instructor/Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, Monash University It’s hard to estimate the eventual economic cost of Australia’s 2019-20 megafires, partly because they are still underway, and partly because it is hard to know the cost to attribute ...4 days ago
- Anniversary of the War on Drugs – a young ACT statementToday marks 100 years since America began waging a war on drugs. This war cannot be won; the effects of prohibition have long pointed this out. In fact, young ACT believes drug prohibition causes more harm than the precise drugs it aims to protect ...4 days ago
- What Trump’s re-election would mean for us
Bernard Hickey looks at the second big question for 2020: Will Trump get re-elected? ...4 days ago - Karen Walker’s Takapuna store to close after 10 years
An Auckland retail store owned by fashion designer Karen Walker is closing its doors permanently at the end of this month. ...4 days ago - In cases of cardiac arrest, time is everything. Community responders can save livesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bill Lord, Adjunct Associate Professor, Monash University Each year more than 24,000 Australians experience a sudden cardiac arrest. This means their heart unexpectedly stops beating. A cardiac arrest leads to loss of consciousness and will result in death if not recognised and ...4 days ago
- Auckland Island pigs: ‘It’s a big call to eradicate them’
The Department of Conservation's efforts to cull Auckland Island pigs are being labelled a crime against humanity by the Rare Breeds Conservation Society. ...4 days ago - Action needed to improve youth justice systemChildren and adolescents detained in the youth justice system experience poor health across a range of complex physical and mental health disorders, according to new research . ...4 days ago
- Make-or-break year for Bridges – he must prove he is PM material without shouting down Ardern
Already it is shaping as the most challenging year for National since it lost the Treasury benches in 2017. For Simon Bridges, it’s make-or-break for his leadership. Going head-to-head with the Jacinda phenomenon, he has little chance of monstering her in television broadcasts, and even if he did it could ...4 days ago - Westpac centralising 250 jobs in Auckland
Westpac plans to shift 250 jobs from Wellington to Auckland to consolidate its technology and product marketing team. ...4 days ago - So the government gave sports grants to marginal seats. What happens now?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria O’Sullivan, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, and Deputy Director, Castan Centre for Human Rights Law, Monash University When Australians pay their income tax, they assume the money is going to areas of the community that need it, rather than being used ...4 days ago
- Manufacturing sector index falls
The manufacturing sector is back in the doldrums after a short-lived improvement. ...4 days ago - Who the hell are the celebs on The X-Factor UK: Celebrity?Tara Ward breaks down the full line-up for The X-Factor UK: Celebrity and we promise you’ll recognise at least a few of them.What makes everything better in this rancid world of ours? Not trees, not cooler temperatures, not an unexpected Briscoes ‘Monday Madness Sale’. It’s celebrities. Celebrities make the world ...4 days ago
- Kāinga Ora’s borrowing limit lifted by $4bJust quietly, the Government is gearing up to announce in an election year that it will borrow $4 billion more to almost double its plans for state house building. Bernard Hickey reports exclusively. ...4 days ago
- Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending January 17The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Normal People by Sally Rooney (Faber & Faber, $23)WTAF Auckland2 The Truants by Kate Weinberg (Bloomsbury, $33)Agatha Christie + ...4 days ago
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