Posts Tagged ‘warrant of fitness’
Lucky Labour – disgraceful Speaker
Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, October 16th, 2015 - 37 comments
Three of the four member’s bills drawn yesterday were sponsored by Labour leaders. What followed was one of the most disgusting maneuvers ever pulled by this government, justifying the headline – Nats play politics while Kiwi kids die in homes.
A win on rental standards
Written By: - Date published: 12:56 pm, July 9th, 2015 - 104 comments
This is a good example of a policy win from opposition. More please!
Another death linked to cold state house
Written By: - Date published: 5:03 pm, June 9th, 2015 - 127 comments
This should not be happening in New Zealand.
NRT: Half-measures on housing quality
Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, June 9th, 2015 - 71 comments
I/S at No Right Turn: “Any improvement is better than what we’ve got now .. At the same time, we should recognise that this is pathetically weak.”
- Candidate Survey: Western Bay of Plenty – Local Body Elections 2019
We surveyed candidates on their attitudes to issues facing the Western Bay Region, find out what they think: “Closing the Gap” Tauranga, one of the area groups of Income Equality Aotearoa NZ Inc., has surveyed all candidates in the three local body elections to discover attitudes to some basic issues ...15 mins ago - Project Nettie calls on scientists to defend biology
Please spread widely, and sign, to support science and rationalism over the new irrationalism sweeping universities and institutions. PROJECT NETTIE Sexual reproduction, the generation of offspring by fusion of genetic material from two different individuals, evolved over 1 billion years ago. It is the reproductive strategy of all higher animals ...1 hour ago - I’m glad I don’t live in Auckland
Just when I was thinking that Palmerston North's mayoral race (which includes a convicted child molester / public wanker and a convicted child beater) was the worst in the country, Auckland mayoral candidate John Tamihere opened his mouth:Auckland mayoral candidate John Tamihere is being slammed for using the words "sieg ...2 hours ago - Index of Power Update, 2018-19: China #2We reprint below an article from the excellent website the Economics of Imperialism by Tony Norfield This is an update of the statistics for my Index of Power, using data for 2018-19 and discussing what a country’s ranking reflects. The major change is that China’s rank has shifted up and ...3 hours ago
- Climate Change: A history lesson
Why is New Zealand climate change policy so crap? The Herald this morning has a long article on the twists and turns of climate change policy in New Zealand [paywalled / depaywall script], which shows where we've been. The short version is that the government first began worrying about this ...5 hours ago - What the All Blacks Mean to Us
The All Blacks have been, for more than a century, arguably the most successful International sports team in the world. But they are more than that; even for those Kiwis who are immune to the charms of rugby (and there are more than a few), the All Blacks are ambassadors ...7 hours ago - No one is born into the wrong bodyA short and incredibly powerful speech from a young lesbian woman. No one is born in the wrong body. ...24 hours ago
- ContemptBack in June, the UK Court of Appeal ruled that that country's continued arms sales to Saudi Arabia were unlawful. So you'd expect that the UK government stopped approving them, right?Of course not:The government has apologised for breaching a court ruling against the sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia that ...1 day ago
- Covering up the cover-upYesterday NZDF officials were put on the stand about the lies they had told over Operation Burnham, making implausible claims that it was all a big mistake. But along the way, we learned they had already been put on the spot about it by a previous Defence Minister, who had ...1 day ago
- Not as important as they think they areFarmers have been whining a lot lately, about the methane targets in the Zero Carbon Bill, about Canterbury's proposed nitrogen limits, and about the government's new proposals to stop them from shitting in our lakes and rivers. These policies are "throwing farmers under the tractor", they will force farmers off ...1 day ago
- Behind Every Good Woman Should Stand – Another Good Woman.
1 day ago - Poor quality, poorly educated kiddie ‘Journalists’ spreading fake news
In times of hysteria about the “World coming to an end” and “rising sea levels” so-called ‘Journalists’ who can barely spell words longer than four letters are having a ball! Though the majority of the Public have worked out that manmade climate change is nothing short of pseudo-science, and the ...1 day ago - Chris Trotter on the BFD
2 days ago - Sex is not a spectrumThe text below is a Twitter thread by Heather Heying that explains the essence of sexual reproduction and it long evolutionary history. She is an evolutionary biologist and a “professor-in-exile” after she and her husband, Bret Weinstein, stood up to supporters of an enforced “Day of Absence” for white staff and teachers ...2 days ago
- Climate Change: Trees, aviation, and offsetsWith crunch time for new Zealand climate policy approaching, most of the New Zealand media have got on board with a global reporting effort to cover the issue. There's one strand of stories today about polling and what it shows about changing public attitudes to the crisis, but the strand ...2 days ago
- Pissing-Off The Israelis Is A High-Risk Strategy.
Dangerous Foes: For those readers of Bowalley Road who feel disposed to dismiss any prospect of an Israeli destabilisation of New Zealand politics, the example of the United Kingdom repays close attention. Ever since the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the British Labour Party, the Israelis have sanctioned, funded and ...2 days ago - Something to go to in Wellington
Make It 16, the youth-led campaign to lower New Zealand's voting age, is holding an official campaign launch at Parliament this Friday from 16:30. If you'd like to attend, you can register using EventBrite here. ...2 days ago - A founding member responds to Peace Action Wellington
by Don Franks It was a lovely sunny Wellington afternoon with blue skies above the beaches. In Courtenay Place, political activists packed out a stuffy upstairs room for an important meeting. The assembled pacifists, anarchists, communists and independent young radicals of Peace Action Wellington felt the need for a mission ...2 days ago - “Mistakes and errors”Current and former NZDF top brass are being publicly grilled this week by the hit and run inquiry over their public responses to allegations of civilian casualties. Previously, they've claimed there were no casualties, a position which led them to lie to Ministers and to the public. Now, they're saying ...2 days ago
- “Homosexuality is same-sex attraction and relationships, not heterosexuals with delusions of gende...by Rafael D. Quiles (gender-critical gay man from Puerto Rico) The writing on the wall is right in people’s faces and people just don’t see it or don’t want to. What could actually possess a heterosexual male to want to feminize himself and claim that he is a lesbian? Because ...3 days ago
- Trump: “Where’s my favourite dictator?”
From the Wall Street Journal:Inside a room of the ornately decorated Hotel du Palais during last month’s Group of Seven summit in Biarritz, France, President Trump awaited a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi. Mr. Trump looked over a gathering of American and Egyptian officials and called out in ...3 days ago - Magdalen Burns, 1983-2019, fighter for women’s liberationby the Redline blog collective At Redline we are very saddened to hear of the death of Magdalen Burns who passed away on the morning of Friday, September 13 (British time). Magdalen was a great fighter for the rights of women in general and lesbian women in particular, a defender ...4 days ago
- Parliament and the ExecutiveThe Brexit issue has certainly brought with it a series of apparently difficult constitutional issues, many of them concerning the respective roles of the executive and parliament. Most of them arise because of the unwillingness of MPs, despite their professions to the contrary, to be bound by a constitutional rarity ...4 days ago
- The Abigail Article; Martyn Bradbury’s Article, and My Response
. . This blogpost is different to my usual format of reporting on issues… Since July 1011, I have blogged on a variety of political issues; near always political and/or environmental; mostly highly critical of the previous National Government. Other issues included Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and repression of ...4 days ago - Police will have to wear silly Buckingham Palace hats from now on, says Police Minister
Those close to the Police Minister believe the initiative may be the result of Nash “seeing a great deal” on AliExpress. In a move that comes seemingly out of nowhere, Police Minister Stuart Nash announced this afternoon that he expects all frontline staff to don bearskin hats, famously worn by ...5 days ago - A sensible crackdownThe government has released its Arms Legislation Bill, containing the second tranche of changes to gun laws following the March 15 massacre. And it all looks quite sensible: a national gun register, higher penalties for illegal possession and dealing, tighter restrictions on arms dealers and shooting clubs, and a shorter ...5 days ago
- California bans private prisonsPrivate prisons are a stain on humanity. Prison operators explicitly profit from human misery, then lobby for longer prisons terms so they can keep on profiting. And in the US, prison companies run not only local and state prisons, but also Donald Trump's immigration concentration camps. Faced with this moral ...5 days ago
- Why PPPs are a bad ideaWhen National was in power, they were very keen on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) - basicly, using private companies to finance public infrastructure as a way of hiding debt from the public. They were keen on using them for everything - roads, schools, hospitals. But as the UK shows, that "service" ...5 days ago
- A Movement That No Longer Moves.
Moving And Shaking: There was a time when people spoke matter-of-factly about the “labour movement” – a political phenomenon understood to embrace much more than the Labour Party. Included within the term’s definition was the whole trade union movement – many of whose members looked upon the Labour Party as ...5 days ago - NZ ‘left’ politically embracing extreme postmodernismby Philip Ferguson Much of the left, even people who formally identify as marxists, have collapsed politically in the face of postmodern gender theory of the sort pioneered by American philosopher Judith Butler. For Butler even biological sex is socially constructed. “If the immutable character of sex is contested, perhaps ...6 days ago
- The obvious questionThe media is reporting that the (alleged) Labour party sexual assaulter has resigned from their job at Parliament, which means hopefully he won't be turning up there making people feel unsafe in future. Good. But as with everything about this scandal, it just raises other questions. Most significantly: why the ...6 days ago
- The moment I found out that you found out, I acted swiftly
By Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern I am every bit as angry as you are. I am every bit as disappointed as you must be. The people with power, oversight and the ability to do something about these processes within the Labour Party should be ashamed. Whoever those people are, I ...6 days ago - This is why people hate property developersProperty developers think there is an "oversupply" of houses in Auckland:High turnover rates and falling prices may be a sign that there are too many new houses going in to some parts of Auckland, commentators say. [...] Property developer David Whitburn said there was a "bit of an oversupply" in ...6 days ago
- Australia to Pacific: “Fuck you, you can all drown”World leaders are meeting in New York in two weeks for the 2019 Climate Action Summit, where they are expected to announce new and more ambitious targets to stop the world from burning. But the Australian Prime Minister won't be there, despite being in the USA at the time:Scott Morrison ...6 days ago
- Implausible ignoranceLabour Party president Nigel Haworth resigned yesterday over the party's sexual assault scandal. But while that's good news, its unlikely to take away the stench of a coverup. Because according to Paula Bennett in Parliament yesterday, pretty much everyone in the Prime Minister's office was involved as well:I have been ...6 days ago
- Labour’s Fatal Flaw.
Two-Faced? Labour insiders' commitment to the neoliberal status quo puts them at odds with their party’s membership; its trade union affiliates; and a majority of Labour voters, but this only serves to strengthen the perception they have of themselves as a special elite. Among the lesser breeds, they’ll talk up a ...6 days ago - Ten reasons the Tories do NOT want an electionThere has been a lot of talk about Boris Johnson wanting an election, and he has blustered with great gusto about 'chicken' Jeremy Corbyn refusing one, but I think there are many reasons why he is secretly glad he has been refused the opportunity:The Tories are an utter rabble,tearing themselves ...7 days ago
- Prorogation Illegal, rule Scottish judgesScottish appeal court judges have declared that Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend parliament in the run-up to the October Brexit deadline is unlawful. The three judges, chaired by Lord Carloway, Scotland’s most senior judge, overturned an earlier ruling that the courts did not have the powers to interfere in the prime ...7 days ago
- Let me explain what I meant by Everyday New Zealanders
By Simon Bridges. The following is a press release from the office of Simon Bridges, leader of The National Party. Key ora, New Zealand. Happy Maori Language Week. Look, I’m writing to you today because I want to clear something up. There’s been a lot of kerfuffle around some things ...7 days ago - Yes, the SIS is subject to the Public Records ActI understand there's some stuff going round about how the SIS "was removed from the list of public offices covered by the Public Records Act in 2017". The context of course being their records derived from US torture, which will be disposed of or sealed. The good news is that ...7 days ago
- An evidence-based discussion of the Canadian fluoride/IQ study
Dr. Christopher Labos and Jonathan Jarry discuss the recent Canadian fluoride/IQ research. They provide an expert analysis of the paper and its problems. Click on image to go to podcast. The critical debate about the recent ... 1 week ago- Climate Change: Australia in denial
Australia is burning down again, and meanwhile its natural disaster minister is denying climate change:Australia’s minister responsible for drought and natural disasters, David Littleproud, has said that he doesn’t “know if climate change is manmade”. Clarifying earlier comments that the question is “irrelevant” when considering the Coalition government’s response to ...1 week ago- Philippines activist speaking on the Duterte tyranny
Auckland Philippines Solidarity is excited to host Professor Judy Taguiwalo for a speaking tour of NZ in September. She is a well-known activist in the Philippines and was a political prisoner under the Marcos dictatorship. Professor Taguiwalo briefly served as a Cabinet member under President Duterte but was forced from ...1 week ago- Disgust
I have no special insights to offer on the Labour sexual assault coverup. All I have is disgust. Disgust that an organisation could fail its people so badly. Disgust that they punished the victims rather than the perpetrator. Disgust that its party hacks are apparently blaming the victims for demanding ...1 week ago- Speak Up for Women calls out Greens’ censorship
This open letter to the Green Party was penned after an opinion piece by Jill Abigail, a feminist and founding member of the party, was censored by the Greens’ leadership. (Redline has reprinted her article here).The intolerance of the Green Party leaders and their acceptance of the misogyny of gender ...1 week ago- Member’s Day: End of Life Choice, part 3
Today is a Member's day, and David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill continues its slow crawl through its committee stage. They're spending the whole day on it today, though the first hour is likely to be spent on voting left over from last time. After that they'll move on ...1 week ago- Flight to Los Angeles turned back after passengers decide they don’t want to go anymore
An ambitious plan to fly to Los Angeles petered out into a brief sight-seeing trip and a desire to return home and get some sleep before work tomorrow. Air New Zealand has confirmed a flight to Los Angeles last night was turned back about a quarter of the way into ...1 week ago- Indigenous Futures: defuturing and futuring – an analytical framework for policy development?
There appears to be consensus – by omission – that the concept of indigenous futures should be accepted at face value. So I scavenged the internet to see if I could locate an academic descriptor or a framework around how we think about it as a concept, and whether it ...1 week ago- Cadbury rumoured to be releasing the Pineapple Trump
Here’s another novelty chocolate to shove in your gob, New Zealand Cadbury could be seeking to make itself great again with a rumoured new release: Pineapple Trumps, a spin on its classic chocolate-encased pineapple treat and do-it-yourself tooth remover. The global confectionery manufacturer and bumbling “before” character in an infomercial, ...1 week ago- The coming resource war.
During my time in the Pentagon I had the privilege of sitting down with military leaders and defence and security officials from a variety of Latin American nations. Sometimes I was present as a subordinate assistant to a senior US defence department official, sometimes as part of a delegation that ...1 week ago- Māori Language Week with The Civilian
Kia ora, Aotearoa. It’s that magical time of year. Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. In English, the week that frightens talk radio. As you probably know by now, all your favourite media outlets are participating, some more successfully than others. Stuff has changed its name to Puna for the ...1 week ago- Will Horizons act on climate change?
Local body elections are coming up next month. And it looks like all Palmerston North candidates for Horizons (the Manawatu-Whanganui Regional Council) want to take action on climate change:Climate change is set to be a key issue in Palmerston North for the next three years if those wanting to get ...1 week ago- BORA reform is stalled
Eighteen months ago, the government promised to strengthen the Bill of Rights Act, by explicitly affirming the power of the courts to issue declarations of inconsistency and requiring Parliament to formally respond to them. So how's that going? I was curious, so I asked for all advice about the proposal. ...1 week ago- Corbyn and Brexit
As the Brexit saga staggers on, the focus is naturally enough on the Prime Minister and his attempts to achieve Brexit “do or die”. But the role played by the Leader of the Opposition is of almost equal interest and complexity. The first problem for Jeremy Corbyn is that he ...1 week ago- A ditch for him to die in
Last week, English Prime Minister Boris Johnson boldly declared that he would rather die be dead in a ditch than delay Brexit. Unfortunately for him, the UK parliament accepted the challenge, and promptly dug one for him. The "rebellion bill" requires him to ask for and secure yet another temporary ...1 week ago- Warning! Warning! Danger Jacinda Ardern! Danger Marama Davidson! Warning!
Lost In Political Space: The most important takeaway from this latest Labour sexual assault scandal, which (if I may paraphrase Nixon’s White House counsel’s, John Dean’s, infamous description of Watergate) is “growing like a cancer” on the premiership, is the Labour Party organisation’s extraordinary professional paralysis in the face of ...1 week ago- Union solidarity with Ihumatao land occupation
by Daphna Whitmore Every Sunday for the past two months unionists from First Union, with supporters from other unions, have set out to the Ihumatao land protest, put up gazebos and gas barbeques, and cooked food for a few hundred locals and supporters who have come from across the country. ...1 week ago- Climate Change: The wrong kind of trees?
Newsroom today has an excellent, in-depth article on pine trees as carbon sinks. The TL;DR is that pine is really good at soaking up carbon, but people prefer far-less efficient native forests instead. Which is understandable, but there's two problems: firstly, we've pissed about so long on this problem that ...1 week ago- No freedom of speech in Turkey
Canan Kaftancioglu is a Turkish politician and member of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). Like most modern politicians, she tweets, and uses the platform to criticise the Turkish government. She has criticised them over the death of a 14-year-old boy who was hit by a tear gas grenade during ...1 week ago- Speaker: Tadhg Stopford: Why I’m standing for the ADHB
Hi there, just call me Tim.We face tough problems, and I’d like to help, because there are solutions.An Auckand District Health Board member has nominated me for as a candidate for the ADHB, because her MS-related pain and fatigue is reduced with hemp products from Rotorua. Nothing else helped her. If I ...1 week ago- Good little vassals
The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security has published their report on whether the SIS and GCSB had any complicity in American torture. And its damning. The pull quote is this:The Inquiry found both agencies, but to a much greater degree, the NZSIS, received many intelligence reports obtained from detainees who, ...1 week ago- Who Shall We Turn To When God, And Uncle Sam, Cease To Defend New Zealand?
Bewhiskered Cassandra? Professor Hugh White’s chilling suggestion, advanced to select collections of academic, military and diplomatic Kiwi experts over the course of the past week, is that the assumptions upon which Australia and New Zealand have built their foreign affairs and defence policies for practically their entire histories – are ...1 week ago- The Politics of Opposition
For most of the time I was a British MP, my party was out of government – these were the Thatcher years, when it was hard for anyone else to get a look-in. As a front-bencher and shadow minister, I became familiar with the strategies required in a parliamentary democracy ...1 week ago- More expert comments on the Canadian fluoride-IQ paper
The Green et al (2019) fluoride/IQ is certainly controversial – as would be expected from its subject (see If at first you don’t succeed . . . statistical manipulation might help and Politics of science – making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear). Anti-fluoride campaigners have been actively promoting it ...1 week ago- The return to guerrilla war in Colombia
by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh On August 29th a video in which veteran FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) commander Iván Márquez announced that they had taken up arms again was released. There was no delay in the reaction to it, from longtime Liberal Party figure and former president Uribe, for ...1 week ago- Air New Zealand identifies this enormous plot of unused land as possible second airport site
Air New Zealand couldn’t believe its luck that this seemingly ideal piece of real estate had so far gone entirely unnoticed. Air New Zealand’s search for a site to build a second Auckland Airport may have made a breakthrough this afternoon, after employees scanning Google satellite imagery spotted a huge, ...2 weeks ago- Redline on the Labour Party
No-one on the anti-capitalist left in this country today puts forward a case that Labour is on the side of the working class. There are certainly people who call themselves ‘socialist’ who do, but they are essentially liberals with vested interests in Labourism – often for career reasons. Nevertheless, there ...2 weeks ago- New Fisk
2 weeks ago- Labour’s failure
When National was in government and fucking over the poor for the benefit of the rich, foodbanks were a growth industry. And now Labour is in charge, nothing has changed: A huge demand for emergency food parcels means the Auckland City Mission is struggling to prepare for the impending arrival ...2 weeks ago- Ardern attempts to vaccinate Clarke Gayford live on television to prove that it’s safe
Gayford, pictured here on The Project, before things got wildly out of control. A bold public relations move by the Government to encourage parents to vaccinate their children has gone horribly wrong. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern appeared on tonight’s episode of Three’s The Project, where the plan was for her ...2 weeks ago- Has Mr. Whippy gone too far by parking on our front lawns?
Mr. Whippy’s business model has driven it down a dark road of intimidation. Residents in major centres around the country are becoming disgruntled by the increasingly aggressive actions of purported ice cream company Mr. Whippy, who have taken to parking on people’s front lawns and doorsteps in a desperate attempt ...2 weeks ago- Cleaning up the water
Today the government released its Action Plan for Healthy Waterways, aimed at cleaning up our lakes and rivers. Its actually quite good. There will be protection for wetlands, better standards for swimming spots, a requirement for continuous improvement, and better standards for wastewater and stormwater. But most importantly, there's a ...2 weeks ago- Fronting up
Today I appeared before the Environment Committee to give an oral submission on the Zero Carbon Bill. Over 1,500 people have asked to appear in person, so they've divided into subcommittees and are off touring the country, giving people a five minute slot each. The other submitters were a mixed ...2 weeks ago- Politics of science – making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear
Anti-fluoride activists have some wealthy backers – they are erecting billboards misrepresenting the Canadian study on many New Zealand cities – and local authorities are ordering their removal because of their scaremongering. Many New Zealanders ... 2 weeks ago- Democracy – I Don’t Think So
So, those who “know best” have again done their worst. While constantly claiming to be the guardians of democracy and the constitution, and respecters of the 2016 referendum result, diehard Remainers (who have never brought themselves to believe that their advice could have been rejected) have striven might and main ...2 weeks ago - Climate Change: Australia in denial
- Educators’ pay equity claims in spotlight for Suffrage Day
NZEI Te Riu Roa members will be joining with others across the union movement by wearing black and white in support of pay equity on Suffrage Day tomorrow, and urging the Government to commit to a settlement for teacher aides this year. ...44 mins ago - Changes to working visasYesterday’s announcement from the Minister for Immigration, to improve temporary work visas for migrant workers, provides some positive changes but more detail is needed. The Council of Trade Unions fundamentally supports the principle of making ...53 mins ago
- Action on bank gender pay gap must begin at the bottomFIRST Union today welcomed Westpac’s public admission of the significant gender pay gap in its workforce and reiterated its call for employers to work with unions to close this disparity, arguing that this work must begin at the bottom of the pay ...58 mins ago
- Latest changes to work visas not all positiveChanges to the work visa system announced by the Minister of Immigration are not all positive for employers or migrants, comments Ms June Ranson, chair of the New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment (NZAMI) , a leading voice in the ...1 hour ago
- Dairy Union welcomes great step forward on parental leaveThe Dairy Workers Union (DWU) has welcomed the announcement from dairy company, Synlait, that they will be boosting parental leave entitlements significantly for working parents. ...2 hours ago
- Scope of review into Oranga Tamariki care and protectionScope of review into Oranga Tamariki’s care and protection practice for tamariki Māori announced ...3 hours ago
- Scope of review into Oranga Tamariki’s care and protectionIn June, the Children’s Commissioner announced a thematic review into Oranga Tamariki’s policies, processes and practice relating to care and protection issues for tamariki Māori aged 0-3 months. Today the Children’s Commissioner has released the full ...3 hours ago
- More equal societies work better for everyone“Closing the Gap” Tauranga, one of the area groups of Income Equality Aotearoa NZ Inc., has surveyed all candidates in the three local body elections to discover attitudes to some basic issues of the Western Bay region. We believe that this is ...4 hours ago
- DairyNZ’s selective memory in support of pollutersIn response to DairyNZ's attempt to dismiss an economic report that highlighted dairy's role in the New Zealand economy is only three per cent of GDP, Fish & Game New Zealand Chief Executive Martin Taylor says: "If DairyNZ wishes to reject a report ...4 hours ago
- Ihumaatao must be returned to mana whenua says KiingitangaKiingi Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has successfully guided the mana whenua of lhumaatao to reach a consensus on the future of their whenua. ...4 hours ago
- Activists disrupt gold mining AGMTwo activists disguised as shareholders interrupted the AGM of a gold mining company in central Auckland this morning to inform shareholders their plans to mine for gold in conservation estate in the Karangahake Gorge were unwelcome. ...5 hours ago
- DHB has just 1.4 staff for child patient mental healthThe Capital and Coast District Health Board (CCDHB) has been labelled ‘NATO’ (no action, talk only) when it comes to child mental health, with just 0.6 full time staff (24 hours per week) for inpatient child psychology and just 0.8 full time staff ...7 hours ago
- Youth Climate Groups Receivie Ambassador of Conscience awardAMNESTY INTERNATIONAL has awarded three New Zealand climate youth groups with its Ambassador of Conscience award, its highest recognition for human rights work, previously given to the likes of Nelson Mandela, Ai Weiwei and Malala Yousafzai. ...7 hours ago
- 2019 Ratepayers’ Report released, methodology explainedThe New Zealand Taxpayers' Union , in partnership with the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance , has today published this year's Ratepayers' Report – online local government league tables – at www.ratepayersreport.nz . ...7 hours ago
- NZUS Council welcomes news PM to meet with TrumpNZUS Council executive director Jordan Small welcomes the news New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will meet with US President Donald Trump in New York next week. ...20 hours ago
- Economic report an inaccurate, trivial attack on farmersThe recent NZIER report trivialises the significant role the dairy sector plays in New Zealand’s economy – and fails to look at the specifics of the Government’s freshwater package, according to DairyNZ. DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle said ...22 hours ago
- NZ Parliament and IPU hold security seminar for PacificThis week, the New Zealand Parliament and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will jointly host a seminar on tackling the global spread of illicit weapons. ...23 hours ago
- Business welcomes Ardern – Trump bilateralThe bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and US President Donald Trump will be an opportunity to strengthen trade ties. ...23 hours ago
- Southern Response Concealment Class ActionIn a landmark judgment issued this morning, the Court of Appeal confirmed that the Southern Response Concealment Class Action will proceed issued on an "opt out” basis. ...23 hours ago
- What Happened to Balanced Reporting?Mainstream media, as the purveyors of truth and source of balanced information, took another backward step today with the announcement by Stuff that most New Zealand organisations had joined 170 media outlets from around the world in the “Covering ...24 hours ago
- Kia Kaha Te Reo MāoriThe goal of one million Kiwis having basic conversations in te reo by 2040 is unrealistic if more is not done to get serious about reo acquisition says the Māori Party. “While small steps have been taken to bolster efforts to increase the numbers of speakers, ...24 hours ago
- Temporary work visa improvements a welcome startChanges announced today by the Immigration Minister to employer-assisted visas will help businesses, but more work is needed to boost economic growth says Business Central. ...1 day ago
- DairyNZ welcomes immigration changesDairyNZ Chief Executive Dr Tim Mackle is welcoming today’s announcement that the Government will be streamlining the employer assisted work visa process to help businesses and farms fill skills shortages. ...1 day ago
- Auditor-General’s letter and intentions publishedLawrence Yule MP wrote to our Office with concerns about the Department of Corrections' approach to procuring design and build services for rapid deployment of prison accommodation. We have published our response to Mr Yule on our website . ...1 day ago
- Pay Equity for Midwives Must Be Fast-trackedThat from the chair of the Wellington Region of the College of Midwives, Siobhan Connor, following the news that Hutt Valley District Health Board is targeting midwives from overseas to help fill gaps in maternity units. ...1 day ago
- Did Minister Parker mislead Cabinet?70% of New Zealand’s surface water take is allocated to Meridian’s Manapouri Power Scheme. But when Environment Minister David Parker asked to exempt the Scheme from his Freshwater Action Plan, he didn’t tell Cabinet that. ...1 day ago
- Pedestrian hit by fleeing driverThe Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that officers responded in a timely and appropriate manner as soon as they were aware that a fleeing driver had hit a pedestrian. ...1 day ago
- Ending Sexual Violence Togetherprevention and intervention. Following Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s post-Cabinet press conference we are encouraged to see the acknowledgement of the mistakes made and the need to address this. The five points outlined in the action plan, which ...1 day ago
- Government appears set for Knee Jerk Reaction on VapingA surge in teen vaping rates and a series of deaths being linked to vaping has resulted in a number of bans on the sales of flavoured Vape juice products in the United States. Though it is widely acknowledged that vaping is far less harmful than smoking tobacco, ...1 day ago
- New environmental laws will encourage stampede into ForestryThe governments’ new environmental proposals will further accentuate the move of good, productive farmland into forestry according to environmental lobby group 50 Shades of Green. ...1 day ago
- Kiwis Back A Plant-Based Diet To Improve Our Environment17 September 2019: New Zealanders are acutely aware of the impact food production processes have on our planet according to new research released today by the 5+ A Day Charitable Trust. ...1 day ago
- Amnesty International’s top honour goes to NZ youth groupsAMNESTY INTERNATIONAL is awarding three New Zealand climate youth groups with its Ambassador of Conscience award, its highest recognition for human rights work, previously given to the likes of Nelson Mandela, Ai Weiwei and Malala Yousafzai. ...1 day ago
- Report: Govt Inquiry into Auckland Fuel Supply DisruptionOn 14 September 2017, the pipeline that brings diesel, petrol, and jet fuel from Marsden Point Oil Refinery into Auckland ruptured. It leaked jet fuel into rural properties and stopped the transmission of fuels into Auckland for 10 days. The rupture ...1 day ago
- Q+A: Louise Nicholas interviewed by Jack TameVictims Advocate Louise Nicholas - Labour should have brought in “specialist support” “When there is a complaint especially a serious complaint of sexual assault, the first thing that should have happened was specialist support brought in to ensure ...1 day ago
- Q+A: Megan Woods interviewed by Jack TameEnergy and Resources Minister Megan Woods says New Zealand is ‘not close’ to bringing in oil reserves after the attack on Saudi fields. “We would have to see prices rise by about $20 per barrel in order for some of those strategic reserves ...1 day ago
- NZIER: No economic threat from new fresh water rulesNew Zealand's new fresh water regulation rules will have no major impacts on the national economy, according to an independent report just out. The report by independent economic consultancy New Zealand Institute of Economic Research shows that dairying ...2 days ago
- Freshwater plan unlikely to have major impact on DairyFish & Game New Zealand has welcomed the findings of a New Zealand Institute of Economic Research report, which rejects claims the Government’s freshwater proposals will have a significant economic impact. ...2 days ago
- Nationwide hearings needed on firearms lawThe Council of Licensed Firearms Owners (COLFO) says the Government should take its proposed firearms legislation to the people with a touring Select Committee, as it just has with the Zero Carbon bill. ...2 days ago
- Water reforms and long term sustainabilityWater reforms and the long term sustainability of water will be a key focus at the Water New Zealand conference and expo this week (18-20 September) in Hamilton. ...2 days ago
- More dealers to open their doors for firearms buy-backDealers from Kaitaia to Invercargill are opening their doors to firearms owners this week as part of the government amnesty and buy-back scheme. ...2 days ago
- Ex-smoker backlash builds against vaping flavour ban“Kiwi ex-smokers are mobilising against the Government’s plans to drastically limit vaping flavours. Flavours have been key to them quitting tobacco and they now just want other smokers to have the same chance,” says Jonathan Devery, co-owner ...2 days ago
- OMV oil rig falls foul of bad windOil company Tamarind Resources has reportedly halted drilling at its Tui oil field off the Taranaki coast after the first of the three planned wells came up dry and bad weather caused delays. ...2 days ago
- Ross v Southern Response – Opt-Out Claim Allowed[1] The main issue before us is whether this representative claim can proceed on an opt out basis. We conclude that it can, and should. ...2 days ago
- ActionStation should front up on taxpayer fundingThe New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the left-wing campaign group “ActionStation” to front up and be transparent about how much taxpayer funding it takes from the Government to underwrite its activism activities. Earlier in the month, the Taxpayers’ ...2 days ago
- ‘Unplanned’ Movie Lands in NZ – Amidst Abortion DebateThe ‘ Unplanned ’ movie is here and Family First has secured one of the first screenings in New Zealand tonight. ‘Unplanned’ brings an eye-opening look inside the abortion industry from a woman who was once its most passionate advocate. All ...2 days ago
- CEAC support James RenwickJames Renwick claim that NZ is failing on climate change is valid, and since James has been receiving widespread media coverage that we outline most of it again here now as we gear up for the ‘Global climate change conference’ beginning next week. ...2 days ago
- NZDF Military Hierarchy Urged to Tell the TruthProtestors will be outside the venue of the fourth hearing for Operation Burnham Inquiry on Monday morning from 8.30am to give a message to former and current military officers as they arrive to speak about the ongoing coverup of the 2010 attack on ...2 days ago
- On the attacks on National’s relations with ChinaThe long-running campaign against purported Chinese “interference” in New Zealand’s political system intensified in the past week following a five-day visit to Beijing by opposition National Party leader Simon Bridges. ...2 days ago
- The Nation: Simon Shepherd Interviews Paula BennettNational's Deputy Leader Paula Bennett spent the week claiming a serious cover-up in the Prime Minister's office. She used parliamentary privilege to name three of the Prime Minister's closest advisors who, she says, knew about the sexual assault ...4 days ago
- The Nation: Al Noor Mosque spokesperson Anthony GreenSix months on from the worst terrorist attack in New Zealand history, Simon Shepherd asked Al Noor Mosque spokesperson Anthony Green how the Christchurch Muslim is community faring. ...4 days ago
- Curious Kids: How big is the International Space Station?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Orrman-Rossiter, PhD Research Student, History & Philosophy of Science, University of Melbourne If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au. How big is the International Space Station? – Isla, aged 6, Australia. ...21 mins ago - More than a kick: sporting statues can enshrine players and also capture pivotal cultural moments
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle O’Shea, Lecturer Sport Management, Western Sydney University In March this year, photographer Michael Willson captured an image of AFL footballer Tayla Harris kicking for a goal. The image shows Harris in athletic flight, right leg extended skyward and muscles flexed as ...36 mins ago - We moderated a rebel debate for the Wellington mayoral candidates RNZ excluded
It’s a hard road getting attention for outsider candidates in local elections. Alex Braae, writer of The Bulletin and stout defender of the political little guy, thought he’d lend a hand by moderating a rebel Wellington mayoral debate.The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The Spinoff Members. For more ...45 mins ago - Balance of payments
The difference between what the country earns and spends overseas has narrowed slightly. ...1 hour ago - Vegan Week update: In which scrolls save our souls
Covering Climate Now: A midweek update from the Spinoffers who have ditched dairy (and eggs, and meat, and fish…) for the week. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!Read this for the background on what this plant-based palaver is all about.Three ...1 hour ago - Mayoral candidate John Tamihere defends ‘sieg heil’ comment
Auckland mayoral candidate John Tamihere is defending his use of the words "sieg heil" during last night's lively political debate with Phil Goff, despite being lambasted for it on social media. ...1 hour ago - Why attending a climate strike can change minds (most importantly your own)
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Belinda Xie, Scientia PhD Scholar, School of Psychology, UNSW This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of more than 250 news outlets to strengthen coverage of the climate story. This Friday in the lead-up to the United Nations ...1 hour ago - Don’t give up: An economist explains why individual climate actions still matter
Covering Climate Now: It’s easy to indulge in the idea that individual actions can’t have an impact on climate change. But a few simple ideas from economics show how wrong that is, argues Waikato University lecturer in environmental economics Zach Dorner.The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible ...3 hours ago - Goodman Property to raise capital
Listed property investment company Goodman Property Trust is looking to raise up to $175 million through a share issue for future developments. ...3 hours ago - Climate explained: why we won’t be heading into an ice age any time soon
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Renwick, Professor, Physical Geography (climate science), Victoria University of Wellington CC BY-NDClimate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like ...3 hours ago - Taking the minimalist approach on China
Curbing foreign political donations is the easy bit of the Chinese equation. ...3 hours ago - ‘Creeping distrust’: our anxiety over China’s influence is hurting Chinese-Australians
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Laurenceson, Acting Director and Professor, Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI), University of Technology Sydney Last week’s Asian-Australian Leadership Summit in Melbourne saw the release of valuable new survey data on the discrimination some Australians face. A survey conducted by the Australian National ...3 hours ago - Cheat sheet: How not to say Nazi stuff at an Auckland mayoral debate
Last night Auckland mayoral contender John Tamihere said “sieg heil” when answering a question on diversity. Sadly that has forced us to put together a cheat sheet on how not to say Nazi phrases in debates.About one hour and 18 minutes into a pub politics debate at Chapel Bar on ...3 hours ago - ‘Nature is angry – and nature strikes back’
In a special video interview ahead of the big UN Climate Action Summit, UN Secretary General Antonion Guterres says he is hopeful rather than desperate in the face of the climate emergency. ...3 hours ago - Kathmandu delivers another strong profit
Kathmandu's full year profit beat its expectations with strong sales and profit growth. ...4 hours ago - The art of work: Invisible labour on show at Dowse Gallery’s The Future of Work
The Future of Work at Hutt City’s Dowse Art Museum makes visible our changing work conditions. Mark Amery took a tour, and even got some work done himself while he was there.I’ve gone to work at the gallery. And I’m making an exhibition of myself. Making my labour visible. I’m ...4 hours ago - Race briefing: The highly successful Māori wards in the Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council was the first in New Zealand to vote in Māori ward seats. This election, the region’s longest-standing Māori councillor is up against some fierce competition from a former broadcaster who’s already put his skills to use in a viral video.The Spinoff local election coverage ...5 hours ago - Westpac pledges to increase number of women in top jobs
Westpac Bank has revealed a glaring gender pay gap in its workforce and its chief executive says it plans to tackle the issue. ...5 hours ago - How to watch the Rugby World Cup 2019
With only a few more sleeps until the 2019 Rugby World Cup, Tara Ward looks at the variety of ways you can watch the tournament from the comfort of your own home.Set your clocks, sound the alarms and gird your scrum-loving loins for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which kicks ...6 hours ago - Recipe: Quinoa chickpea pancakes with spring vegetables and harissa tahiniCovering Climate Now: As part of The Spinoff’s commitment to Covering Climate Now, the food section has gone vegan. Today, a delicious recipe to herald the arrival of spring. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!Roman-style vignarola has great appeal at ...6 hours ago
- The Amazon’s burning – and what you choose to eat plays a part Covering Climate Now: Connecting your everyday choices at the supermarket to a crisis half a world away might be a hard concept get your head around, but we all have power to effect change, writes Hannah McGowan.The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. ...7 hours ago
- PayID data breaches show Australia’s banks need to be more vigilant to hacking
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Haskell-Dowland, Associate Dean (Computing and Security), Edith Cowan University When we think of a bank robbery, we might imagine a safe with the door blown open. But nowadays it might be more accurate to picture criminals accessing our bank account online ...7 hours ago - Jacqui Lambie mixes battler politics with populism to make her swing vote count
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Kenny, Senior Fellow, Australian Studies Institute, Australian National University In the hit biopic Rocket Man, the ambitious young Reginald Dwight is counselled to hide his working-class roots if he wants to make it in “showbiz”: You gotta kill the person ...7 hours ago - How other countries get parents to vaccinate their kids (and what Australia can learn)Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Senior Lecturer, University of Western Australia Countries around the world, including Australia, are using different ways to get parents to vaccinate their children. Our new research, published this week in the journal Milbank Quarterly, looks at diverse mandatory vaccination policies ...7 hours ago
- The good, the bad and the ugly: the nations leading and failing on climate action
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bill Hare, Director, Climate Analytics, Adjunct Professor, Murdoch University (Perth), Visiting scientist, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research This piece is part of Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of more than 250 news outlets to strengthen coverage of the climate story. ...7 hours ago - Robo-debt is only one way government stigmatises claimants. There’s only so much a class action ca...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Hodgson, Professor, Curtin Law School and Curtin Business School, Curtin University The robo-debt recovery programme has been criticised as badly designed and unfair ever since it began in mid 2016. A year later the Senate Committee on Community Affairs recommended it ...7 hours ago
- Could managers BE any more authentic? 3 ways you can improve your leadership skills by watching Frie...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathalie Collins, Academic Director (National Programs), Edith Cowan University The hit sitcom Friends aired for the first time 25 years ago this week. Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe and Joey have not aged on our small screen – and neither has their ...7 hours ago - Dairy prices rise for first time in nearly two months
Dairy prices have risen for the first time in nearly two months in the latest auction. ...7 hours ago - Why our response to climate change needs to be a just and careful revolution that limits pushbackSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hall, Senior Researcher in Politics, Auckland University of Technology This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of more than 250 news outlets to strengthen coverage of the climate story. As a new sense of urgency to act ...7 hours ago
- If you want to cut bullying in schools, look at the ‘invisible violence’ in our societySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Arnold Lohmeyer, Adjunct Researcher, Flinders University A new strategy to tackle bullying of children both inside and outside the school gates was recently released by the South Australian Department of Education. It has adopted the national definition of bullying that directly ...7 hours ago
- Superblocks are transforming Barcelona. They might work in Australian cities too
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Love, Hon Senior Fellow, Transport Health and Urban Design (THUD) Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne The Spanish city of Barcelona has pioneered an innovative approach to managing traffic, freeing up public space and promoting walking and cycling. The “superblocks” ...7 hours ago - Gull says NZ rise ‘over the top’
Petrol company Gull says its competitors raised fuel prices too quickly after drone attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities. ...7 hours ago - The Bulletin: Govt makes business-friendly migrant worker changes
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Govt makes business-friendly migrant worker changes, PM off overseas to talk trade, and the cost of Christchurch water in China revealed.A range of changes around the immigration system have been announced, reports Newshub. Among the biggest headline grabbers was the decision that ...9 hours ago - Late pregnancy abortions point of contention at Parliamentary Abortion Legislation Select CommitteeAbortions later in pregnancy was a major point of contention at the Parliamentary Abortion Legislation Select Committee. ...9 hours ago
- Ethnic Communities office overhauled
Six months on from the terrorist attacks, and after years of frustrations, the Office of Ethnic communities is changing. ...9 hours ago - Regulators’ soggy bus ticket didn’t work
Surprise, surprise. The waving of a wet bus ticket did little to encourage New Zealand's life insurers to behave better. ...10 hours ago - Migrant Workers Association criticises New Zealand work visa overhaulA group representing migrant workers says the government's overhaul of work visas has failed to remove a clause that means they can be treated like modern day slaves. ...10 hours ago
- Another path to energy efficiency
A leading US energy expert has spoken optimistically about improving energy efficiency through existing infrastructure rather than relying on future technologies. ...10 hours ago - Anna Rawhiti-Connell: Black holes, black dogs and black days
Anna Rawhiti-Connell drops the euphemisms to explain how she sees her depression as a gift - albeit one she wishes she hadn't been given. ...10 hours ago - Olympian back in the saddle after cancer ordeal
After a year of chemotherapy and surgery to combat cancer, Olympic dressage rider Julie Brougham is back in the saddle – and winning. ...10 hours ago - Marcus Lush, Frank Sargeson, and the painted shells
Steve Braunias has a further instalment in the strange saga of Frank Sargeson and his imprisoned lover ...10 hours ago - Kōkako after the court case
Normally the fight to keep Hunua's kōkako alive is waged in native bush. Last year its fate was fought for in an Auckland courtroom. ...10 hours ago - Putting a cork in cow burps (and farts)Covering Climate Now: Currently, more than a third of all of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions come from sheep and cattle. There’s no easy solution, but a variety of anti-methane methods are being developed to curb this gaseous issue. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to ...11 hours ago
- The gender equity report that shocked a bank
Westpac NZ was pretty smug about its equity efforts - until it saw a report on its pay gap which shocked the CEO. ...11 hours ago - Robo-debt class action could deliver justice for tens of thousands of Australians instead of mere hu...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Terry Carney, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Sydney The announcement by Gordon Legal of a class action to compensate victims of the government’s so-called robo-debt scheme is welcome, perhaps even groundbreaking. Standing alongside class action litigator Peter Gordon at a press ...16 hours ago - An insider’s view of Rodrigo Duterte
A former member of the Philippines strongman's Cabinet explains why she joined - and why the world must hold him to account. ...19 hours ago - Celebrity Treasure Island rankings: Where dreams are castles in the sand
It was another wild week in our favourite island paradise, as our remaining celebrities continued their quest to win cash for charity. Tara Ward power ranks. The bells of change have rung on Celebrity Treasure Island, and we’re now knee deep in an individual game of trickery, ping-pongery, and Tim-Tammery. The two ...19 hours ago - Effectiveness of firearm buy-back scheme to be investigatedThe Auditor General will be investigating the effectiveness of the firearm buy-back scheme. ...19 hours ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: Arthur Sinodinos with some reflections and adviceSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Arthur Sinodinos will soon leave the Senate, and early next year take up the position of Australian ambassador in Washington. A former staffer and one-time public servant as well as a former minister, in this ...20 hours ago
- Fishing industry says its adverts are justifiedThe fishing industry is fighting back against claims its ad campaign is 'spin', saying protecting the Māui dolphin shouldn’t come at the expense of commercial fishers. ...21 hours ago
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