The big win

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 11:22 am, December 12th, 2011 - 41 comments
Categories: privatisation, united future - Tags: Peter Dunne

The new government comprises the same parties as the previous one: National, ACT, United Future, and the Maori Party. But this time they wield 64 votes, not 69. That’s due to less wasted vote and the governing parties’ combined vote falling from 51.84% to 50.41%. Even the narrower Nat+ACT bloc fell. National’s ‘big win’ was actually just one more seat.

And the most powerful man in the country now? Peter Dunne.

You see, the Maori Party agreement with National has ‘agree to disagree’ provisions, which will allow the Maori Party to vote against asset sales. The Maori Party has committed itself to that position, saying “We fought to ensure that partial asset sales did not become part of confidence and supply” and, if it is true to its own policies, the Maori Party will vote against the raft of policies that National is planning to pass under its agreement with John Banks.

So, that reduces the government’s numbers on asset sales and other big policies to 61 – a bare majority.

Dunne is now the most powerful politician in the country. He alone can stop asset sales and National’s radical agenda – like attacks on work rights . Will he?

41 comments on “The big win ”

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RedLogix 1

12 December 2011 at 11:29 am

Dunne is now the most powerful politician in the country. He alone can stop asset sales and National’s radical agenda – like attacks on work rights . Will he?

And the point is of course that Peter Dunne has consistently promoted his party as representing the “Sensible Centre”; that the whole point of UF’s existence was to act as a moderating influence.

So if he can’t exert that influence now, when for the first time he actually has the power to do so… what was the point of UF again?

PS.. And yes the constant harping on about National’s “Big Win” in the last election really is nothing more than a “Big LIE”.
- Puddleglum 1.1
  
  12 December 2011 at 12:55 pm
  
  Nail on the head, Redlogix.
  
  For the first time, Dunne now has to show whether or not he has any principles to speak of.
  
  To what extent will he ‘moderate’ National and Act’s agenda?
  - felix 1.1.1
    
    12 December 2011 at 3:07 pm
    
    To the extent that he will stand fast and refuse to let John Key sell the moon.
    
    Firm bottom line, no compromise.
    - IrishBill 1.1.1.1
      
      12 December 2011 at 3:17 pm
      
      He’s also steadfastly against the hunting of unicorns.
- aerobubble 1.2
  
  12 December 2011 at 1:26 pm
  
  Like the big lie of pollsters who were 10% above the mark of the election (in favor of NaffAct).
Bunji 2

12 December 2011 at 11:30 am

As stated on nine-to-noon this morning:

No.

(on asset sales at any rate)
Macro 3

12 December 2011 at 11:31 am

You can bet your life he won’t!
Dunne is only in it for himself.
queenstfarmer 4

12 December 2011 at 11:39 am

Dunne is effectively in no different position from a number of other MPs. Votes don’t recognise parties. It seems that a few on the Left intend to spend the next 3 years vainly clinging to the hope of a defection or two.
- RedLogix 4.1
  
  12 December 2011 at 11:52 am
  
  It seems that a few on the Left intend to spend the next 3 years vainly clinging to the hope of a defection or two.
  
  And why not? It’s happened before.That’s what you get when your majority is cut to such a slim margin.
  - ghostwhowalksnz 4.1.1
    
    12 December 2011 at 1:57 pm
    
    Jenny Shipley managed to score Alamein Kopu and the ALP in Australia swooped on Slipper before he was pushed out by the Liberals-Nationals-LibNats-Country Libs Coalition.
    
    Which just goes to show the governing party WILL make the first move.. as they have lots lots more to lose.
    
    Will they try someone or two from NZ First ? You bet
- Armchair Critic 4.2
  
  12 December 2011 at 12:22 pm
  
  Pansy Wong or Richard Worth? Phil Heatley? David Garrett? Ring any bells? Paula Bennett could have come unstuck with her disclosure of personal information early on in her term as a minister (what ever happened to the Privacy Commissioner’s report, btw?), who is to say it won’t happen again?
  There are a lot more National MPs this term, so the potential for the airing of dirty laundry (existing or yet to be created) is higher than last term. Add to that John Key’s hands-off management style, and anything could happen. The best outcome that National could hope for is to retain the seat in a by-election.
  - Colonial Viper 4.2.1
    
    12 December 2011 at 12:29 pm
    
    The best outcome that National could hope for is to retain the seat in a by-election.
    
    And if they don’t its potentially off to the polls again, for the whole country.
    
    Which is why we need a Labour leader ready to enter the ring right now, not in 3 years time.
    
    Nothing in the next 3 years is going to go to plan, that we can be certain of.
  - queenstfarmer 4.2.2
    
    12 December 2011 at 12:48 pm
    
    You are talking about something different from a defection / turncoat scenario. A scandal that brings down an MP (eg Worth, Darren Hughes) is far more plausible, however don’t forget that with MMP, a new list member simply slots in unless it is an electorate seat.
    - tc 4.2.2.1
      
      12 December 2011 at 12:58 pm
      
      Espom maybe…..banks has plenty of skeletons and enemies willing to bring them out.
      - Armchair Critic 4.2.2.1.1
        
        12 December 2011 at 4:18 pm
        
        Nah, Epsom would vote in whoever National put up, so it would make no difference to the overall number of MPs in the government. Hence the hypothethically available dirt on Banks is not likely to be of much use.
        What is needed is a list of electorates that:
        -are held by National, and
        -were won with a small majority, so could be swung to the opposition, and
        -have a scandal prone MP – the usual problems with financial ethics or zips will suffice.
        From there the work can commence.
  - Lanthanide 4.2.3
    
    12 December 2011 at 12:50 pm
    
    National have got 1 more seat than they did than last term, so that’s not really “a lot more National MPs”.
    
    What we do have are a lot more inexperienced National MPs.
  - newsense 4.2.4
    
    12 December 2011 at 12:51 pm
    
    Bennett still may have to face a human rights commission report or investigation or something right?
    - aerobubble 4.2.4.1
      
      12 December 2011 at 1:32 pm
      
      Dont forget the giant in the room. Billion dollar fraud under National leadership.
      
      As for National party, how any of them can call themselves that when they are sell assets into a world pumped with governments printing money. Its a national security issue to sell off assets…
      …and then what the frack, by the time they do sell them will Europe have imploded under its debts, or americians finally got off their behinds over the chronic lack of employment???
      - dave brown 4.2.4.1.1
        
        12 December 2011 at 1:55 pm
        
        And now they’ve OK Akl city selling bonds worth US$2.5 billion on Singapore market. Wow that’s a slippery slope to privatisation and Akld ratepayers becoming bondslaves.
        http://www.interest.co.nz/bonds/57087/auckland-councils-overseas-borrowing-programme-first-nz-local-authority-set-us25-bln
        
        Draco T Bastard 4.2.4.1.1.1
        
        12 December 2011 at 2:15 pm
        
        Wow that’s a slippery slope to privatisation and Akld ratepayers becoming bondslaves.
        
        That’s what National actually want NZers to become – bond-slaves to the rich.
        
        aerobubble …
        
        14 December 2011 at 3:16 pm
        
        Not sure they want that, I think more likely they are delusional over debt addiction.
        
        Like prebble who says smugly that (despite US taxpayers winning the space race) that the USSR neevr won by taxing its citizens (which is hilarious since the USSR was all about doing away with property rights and so taxation). Prebble means to say taxes are good? Wasn’t he in ACT?
        
        No, what’s happening the world over is the smart are paying off their debts (if they have any) and not taking on debt but growing organically. This will have a huge chill on the markets for decades to come, add in oil prices rising, and the whole basis of the rightwing propaganda is undermining, hey but that’s what the right have done by removing the undermining inspectors.
    - ghostwhowalksnz 4.2.4.2
      
      12 December 2011 at 1:58 pm
      
      wet bus ticket
tsmithfield 5

12 December 2011 at 12:16 pm

Hmmm…What your charts are telling me, Eddie, is that National’s share of the vote is trending upwards. If that trend continues for the next election, they will be able to govern outright.
- RedLogix 5.1
  
  12 December 2011 at 12:24 pm
  
  Eddie, is that National’s share of the vote is trending upwards. If that trend continues for the next election, they will be able to govern outright.
  
  Irrelevant and obsolete FPP thinking ts. And why did I not expect better from you?
  
  All that counts is the ability to form a government. On that basis, which is all that matters, the right-wing share has decreased.
  - Colonial Viper 5.1.1
    
    12 December 2011 at 12:27 pm
    
    And its decreased in a year of miserable low turn out, a factor which usually worsens the Left vote.
    - King Kong 5.1.1.1
      
      12 December 2011 at 12:56 pm
      
      I agree, National had a shocker…Labour on the other hand.
  - queenstfarmer 5.1.2
    
    12 December 2011 at 12:54 pm
    
    All that counts is the ability to form a government. On that basis, which is all that matters, the right-wing share has decreased.
    
    A bit contradictory there RL? Your first statement is correct. Following which, it doesn’t matter by what margin. A 1 seat margin is as good as a 20 seat margin – like Key said about the AB’s winning by 1 point. And like rugby, each new election is an entirely new game.
    - felix 5.1.2.1
      
      12 December 2011 at 3:18 pm
      
      A one-seat margin is “as good as a 20 seat margin”?
      
      You should tell John Key that, he seems to think a 4-seat margin is better than a 1-seat margin.
  - dv 5.1.3
    
    12 December 2011 at 12:55 pm
    
    Nope TS is right – Nats got 4000 more votes in total cf to 2008
    - RedLogix 5.1.3.1
      
      12 December 2011 at 1:01 pm
      
      But the combined Nat +ACT+UF vote declined. Which is what matters.
  - In Vino Veritas 5.1.4
    
    12 December 2011 at 2:45 pm
    
    Sheesh Red, why is it obsolete and irrelevant if one party makes the threshold to govern alone? Not that I think it will ever happen under MMP, but it is a possibility! And given the likely demise of UF and ACT over the next few election cycles, if a majority goverment was formed, its more likely to come from National than Labour, since the left wing vote is split amongst several parties.
    - RedLogix 5.1.4.1
      
      12 December 2011 at 3:29 pm
      
      Sheesh Red, why is it obsolete and irrelevant if one party makes the threshold to govern alone?
      
      Well that isn’t the case here. And if you think that any government is likely to increase it’s vote share at a third election in 2014 then you are perfectly entitled, but history is against you.
      
      My point is simple; it doesn’t matter if one party gets 49% of the seats in the House, as long as a coalition of however many other parties it takes can form a government with 51%. That one party on 49% may have “won the most votes”.. they didn’t win the election.
      
      That is the reality of multi-party elections. Try getting used to it.
- Lanthanide 5.2
  
  12 December 2011 at 12:52 pm
  
  If you look very closely, National + Act is now lower than the previous National + Act result.
  
  You can hardly say that the MP or UF appeal to National voters.
Tiger Mountain 6

12 December 2011 at 12:59 pm

NZ runs reasonably clean elections process wise. But not totally clean, some of the enrolment details letters sent out by elections nz relating to change of address were questionable as is the perennial situation of non enrolled voters being allowed at the booth to make what will be disallowed special declaration votes, usually into the 20,000s.

What steps did the John Key government take to genuinely encourage fuller participation? Bugger all.
They know the keenest voters are the self interested i.e. tory, and happy to leave it that way.

On one level, technical democracy, the bare numbers have to be respected. However so does the “tyranny of the majority” argument. The parliamentary seats may have been pretty much allocated but that does not mean that there is not going to be a hell of a fight back from those of us that do not support mining on conservation land or asset sales. The weirdness is, our ranks will one way or another include some people that voted for ShonKey.
Afewknowthetruth 7

12 December 2011 at 1:00 pm

Just enough clowns for the circus operator to put on a few more performances before the elephants in the room [that ‘everyone’ is ignoring] start to run wild and trample everything.

Pita Sharples 2005: We need an inter-party commission to investigate the potentially dire impacts of Peak Oil

Pita Sharples 2011: Well now that Peak Oil is history and starting bring everything to a halt we don’t need to talk about it. By the way, how much are you offering per vote?

Peter Dunne 2005: Policy doesn’t matter. It’s whether the lies are convincing or not that counts.

Peter Dunne 2011: Policy doesn’t matter. It’s whether the lies are convincing or not that counts.
- tsmithfield 7.1
  
  12 December 2011 at 3:03 pm
  
  You seem to all be forgetting the vote for the Conservative Party. National could have done a deal with them similar to Banks and Dunne. Then the graph would look very much in the rights favour.
  - RedLogix 7.1.1
    
    12 December 2011 at 4:50 pm
    
    You in turn forget about the very similar 2.2% something Mana Party vote that was equally ‘wasted’ on the left.
    
    And of course the probability that in the next election Turia and Sharples will both retire… and with that the Maori seats might well return to the left as well.
    - Colonial Viper 7.1.1.1
      
      12 December 2011 at 6:22 pm
      
      tsmithfield also forgets that the Conservative Party is deadset against asset sales.
gingercrush 8

12 December 2011 at 3:22 pm

Certainly makes 2014 difficult for National. Though I’m not sure Hooten’s hilarious screaming needs to be taken notice of either. Yes looking ahead to 2014 its difficult to see how National would govern. But 2005 could be a clue. Labour lost just 1-2 percent of their vote from 2002 while National grabbed the swinging centre-right vote back. Turnout was up from the low of 2002 and Labour with United Future, Progressives and NZ First was able to govern.

2014. I see National reaching out to whatever remnants there are of the Maori party, Peter Dunne (Until National voters shut shop on Dunne I see Dunne continually holding Ohariu) and whatever is left of Act. There is also N First and while John Key will have to back-track. Considering Labour has back-tracked on so many things I think Key and National can do it. Therefore, its not impossible for National to govern after 2014 its just very difficult.

The worse thing for Labour and the left is for Labour to simply re-take the vote that deserted them in 2011.

Anyway I’m so off tangent.
- tsmithfield 8.1
  
  12 December 2011 at 4:42 pm
  
  GC, I am not so sure it will be too difficult for National.
  
  I doubt that Peters will see another term, which will make it likely that NZ First will drop quite a few votes. Those could well be picked up by the Conservative Party which may allow them to get across 5%, or do a similar deal with National as per Act and UF. That would give National quite strong coalition possibilities on the right, along with the MP.
(A different) Nick K 9

12 December 2011 at 4:51 pm

I just emailed Peter Dunne and no he won’t stop asset sales, I asked him to explain the benefit of them and how the maths add up to make the case for sales, he didn’t address that.

I asked him why Radio New Zealand, water and Kiwibank were so important that they should not be sold (which I agree with) but four power companies were not. He didn’t address that either except to explain that everyone knew he was going to support National and National promoted asset sales.

Hopefully enough other people around Ohariu and the country put pressure on him. He doesn’t seem to have a strong will to sell assets, just a strong will to do what National says and get what he can in the process *cough* $217k *cough*

I wish our politicians were stronger willed. What would John Banks have done if Key had told him charter schools were a no go? Nothing, it wouldn’t put Key’s prime ministership in any jeopardy and would’ve shown that he can be strong on a issue no one campaigned on that has the potential to undermine our education system. Instead he shrugged said ‘That’s MMP for you.’ and gave Banks what he asked for. He might as well have shrugged and said ‘I’m weak willed and easily led, that what’s you get for voting for me’.

What would Key have done if Dunne told him asset sales were off the table, or if UF and the Maori party had talked to each other and said we have common ground on this issue, lets stick to our guns and make a difference. He would’ve had to budge, the election is too close for him to refuse support from UF and Maori. Instead Maori get a token issue to be principled on (vote against asset sales) as it will make no difference and get to sell out again, would be surprised if they manage three seats next election.

UnitedFuture support a policy they ‘don’t really’ agree with in return for reducing the number of families commissioners that only exists because UF put them there in the first place?! Would be surprised if they get any seat next term.

Grow a spine, everyone.

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Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
2 days ago

Green Party grapples with persistent scandals
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
2 days ago

A law school to be avoided – Auckland University of Technology
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
2 days ago

17 people in Malaita stand in way of China’s takeover of the Solomons
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
2 days ago

Gordon Campbell on the Hamas Ceasefire Offer, and Mark Mitchell’s Incompetence
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
3 days ago

Bernard’ s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Wednesday May 8
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
3 days ago

A few PT announcements
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Greater AucklandBy Matt L
3 days ago

Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Green Party grapples with persistent scandals
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
3 days ago

At a glance – Tree ring proxies and the divergence problem
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Skeptical Science
3 days ago

Nothing to sneer at
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
3 days ago

Still on their bullshit
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
3 days ago

Drawn
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
3 days ago

A nod and a wink that will unnecessarily cost Aucklanders tens of millions per year
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
3 days ago

Correcting the Corrections announcement – a fiscal farce that should bother the OECD
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
3 days ago

Like it or not, the Kiwis are either going into ‘Pillar 2’ – or they are going to China
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
3 days ago

A balanced and an unbalanced article
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
3 days ago

Deeply unserious country
Every bit of this seems insane. And people wonder why productivity is falling through the floor. Energy News reports that the Environment Court finally threw out Allan Crafar’s appeal against a solar farm. From the story: Consent was granted in 2022. Crafar appealed November 2022. On what grounds? That ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
3 days ago

Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied… Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
3 days ago

https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/?p=77196
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
Greater AucklandBy Matt L
4 days ago

Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, May 7
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
4 days ago

HM Prison Aotearoa.
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
4 days ago

Get Your Webworm Merch!
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
David FarrierBy David Farrier
4 days ago

Top OECD economist puts Willis between a rock and a hard place
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
PolitikBy Richard Harman
4 days ago

Media Link: “A View from Afar” on the moment of friction, and more.
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
4 days ago

Preposterous priorities – politicians preferred pastry
Newsroom writer Aaron Smale, in an article triggered by the High Court’s ruling on whether a sitting MP must respond to a summons to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal, reports on issues underpinning the tribunal’s urgent inquiry into the Government’s intention to remove Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
4 days ago

Climate Change: Forcing accountability in the UK
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
4 days ago

Other councils are keen to be next to strike a water deal with govt
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report: District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
4 days ago

Why India is key to heading off climate catastrophe
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections A farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Skeptical Science
4 days ago

Meanwhile “… the disturbing trend of increasing violence towards children continues to worsen”
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
4 days ago

New Zealand’s geopolitical friendly fire has its limits
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
4 days ago

The post-Covid economy: is it in another long stagnation – and if so, why?
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
4 days ago

On the LTP 2024 Feedback
A few weeks ago Auckland Council released the results of consultation on the Long Term Plan (LTP) that occurred in March. With almost 28,000 submissions, it received the most feedback of any LTP in Auckland. It covered a wide range of topics soliciting feedback on different areas of council funded ...
Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
4 days ago

Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, May 6
TL;DR: Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
5 days ago

Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s geopolitical friendly fire has its limits
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
5 days ago

I could be a Florist.
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
5 days ago

The Kaka’s diary for the week to May 12 and beyond
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
5 days ago

Willis on defence
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
PolitikBy Richard Harman
5 days ago

2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #18
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Skeptical Science
5 days ago

A prerequisite for Vulture Capitalism.
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
5 days ago

Early evening, April 30
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
6 days ago

Do Newsroom’s staff think they’re culturally superior to the rest of us? Are they arguing that A...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
6 days ago

New Zealand First Member’s Bill to protect women’s spaces
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
NZ First Press Release
7 hours ago

Release: Support for climate adaptation inquiry
Labour supports a Notice of Motion in the House today to move the Finance and Expenditure Committee to conduct an inquiry on climate adaptation. ...
Labour Blog
10 hours ago

Greens welcome cross-party approach to climate adaptation
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
Greens
15 hours ago

Release: Sexual violence prevention among hundreds of job cuts at ACC
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
Labour Blog
1 day ago

Government shows allergy to evidence in benefits crackdown
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
Greens
1 day ago

Minister of Finance reheats austerity politics
This morning’s pre-Budget speech from the Minister of Finance offered no “meaningful” news on the Government’s trickle-down economics based plans. ...
Greens
1 day ago

A win for Wellington – Greens welcome more housing
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
Greens
2 days ago

Release: Backtrack on school lunches a win for Kiwi kids
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Labour Blog
2 days ago

Release: Hon Willie Jackson to debate at the Prestigious Oxford Union
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Labour Blog
2 days ago

Members Bill will prevent Māori land confiscations
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
Greens
3 days ago

TIKANGA IS NOT LAW. IT IS CULTURAL INDOCTRINATION.
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
NZ First Press Release
3 days ago

Release: National won’t commit to full Nelson Hospital upgrade
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Labour Blog
3 days ago

Release: Labour calls for fast track list to be released
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour Blog
4 days ago

Release: National gaslights women fighting for equal pay
National has scrapped the pay equity taskforce that fights for equal pay for women and looks at ethnic pay gaps. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: More job cuts, fewer houses under National
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Children fall deeper through the cracks in Govt cuts
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Labour honours memory of Sir Robert Martin
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: 130,000 cattle saved from live export
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Central Bank makes clear Government is pouring fuel on housing crisis fire
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
Greens
1 week ago

New unemployment figures paint bleak picture
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Release: National’s job cuts already starting to bite as unemployment rises
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: National hiking transport costs for families and young New Zealanders
Weekly expenses will grow for more than 1.6 million New Zealanders as the Government ends free and half price public transport fares tomorrow. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Labour welcomes EU free trade agreement
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Surprise: Landlord tax cuts don’t trickle down
The Green Party is renewing its call for rent controls following reports of rental prices hitting an all-time high. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Release: $1.7b for no increase in access to medicine
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: National should heed Tribunal warning and scrap coalition commitment with ACT
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: More accountability for preventable workplace deaths this Workers’ Memorial Day
Labour is calling for more accountability for preventable workplace deaths because everybody who goes to work deserves to come home safely. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Gaza: Aotearoa Must Support Independent Investigation into Mass Graves
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Māori Party
2 weeks ago

Release: Working together on consistent support for veterans this Anzac Day
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Penny drops – but what about Seymour and Peters?
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Another ‘Stolen Generation’ enabled by court ruling on Waitangi Tribunal summons
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
Māori Party
2 weeks ago

Release: Budget blunder shows Nicola Willis could cut recovery funding
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Further environmental mismanagement on the cards
The Government’s resource management reforms will add to the heavy and ever-growing burden this Government is loading on to our environment. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: RMA changes will be a disaster for environment
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Labour supports urgent changes to emergency management system
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Labour calls for New Zealand to recognise Palestine
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Release: Three strikes law political posturing of worst kind
The Government is bringing back a law that has little evidential backing just to look tough, Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Release: Government cuts unbelievably target child exploitation, violent extremism, ports and airpor...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Three strikes has failed before and will fail again
Resurrecting the archaic three-strikes legislation is an unwelcome return to a failed American-style approach to justice. ...
Greens
3 weeks ago

Release: Environmental protection vital, not ‘onerous’
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Speech to the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 hours ago

$571 million for Defence pay and projects
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
10 hours ago

Climate change – mitigating the risks and costs
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
11 hours ago

Getting new job seekers on the pathway to work
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Accelerating Social Investment
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Getting Back on Track
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

NZ – European Union ties more critical than ever
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Therapeutic Products Act to be repealed
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Decisions on Wellington City Council’s District Plan
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Rape Awareness Week: Government committed to action on sexual violence
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Smarter lunch programme feeds more, costs less
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Report provides insights into marine recovery
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

NZ to send political delegation to the Pacific
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Low gas production threatens energy security
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Defence industry talent, commitment recognised
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Speech to the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Speech to the Sixth Annual New Zealand Government Data Summit
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Ceasefire agreement needed now: Peters
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Daily school attendance data now available
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Ambassador to United States appointed
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

New permit proposed for recreational gold mining
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

NZ and the UAE launch FTA negotiations
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

New Zealand Sign Language Week an opportunity for anyone to sign
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Next stop NASA for New Zealand students
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

$1.9 billion investment to keep NZ safe from crime
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

OECD reinforces need to control spending
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Agreement delivers Local Water Done Well for Auckland
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Gaza and the Pacific on the agenda with Germany
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

Decision allows for housing growth in Western Bay of Plenty
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Speech to New Zealand China Council
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Modern insurance law will protect Kiwi households
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Government recommits to equal pay
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Transforming how our children learn to read
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

NZ not backing down in Canada dairy dispute
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Stronger oversight for our most vulnerable children
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Streamlining Building Consent Changes
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Accelerating airport security lines
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Community hui to talk about kina barrens
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

High Court dismisses key challenge to indefinite immigration detention. What does it mean?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 hours ago

A brief history of found footage video art – and where Macklemore’s Hind’s Hall fits in
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 hours ago

Transmission Gully could need new bulider – Infrastructure Commission review
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 hours ago

Proposed repeal of Oranga Tamariki Act section 7AA breaches Treaty of Waitangi – Tribunal
The government is planning to repeal Treaty obligations from the Oranga Tamariki Act. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 hours ago

Committee Silences Majority Of Submitters On Fast-track Bill
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Scoop politics
2 hours ago

Sky-high vanity: constructing the world’s tallest buildings creates high emissions
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skyline AleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 hours ago

How can we measure the size of Australia’s illegal cannabis market – and the billions in taxes t...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Williams, Professor of Economics, The University of Melbourne Canna Obscura/Shutterstock At the end of this month, a senate inquiry by the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee is due to hand down its report on a bill to legalise cannabis. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 hours ago

Wearable devices can now harvest our brain data. Australia needs urgent privacy reforms
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/Shutterstock Recent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
4 hours ago

Labour Up, Greens Down But Centre-Right Remains Ahead
This is the first time since February that voters have had a net positive view of the country direction. ...
Scoop politics
5 hours ago

RNZAF Hercules, NZDF Personnel Arrive In Papua New Guinea To Help Distribute Relief Supplies
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Scoop politics
5 hours ago

Sleep wrinkles are real. Here’s how they leave their mark
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
6 hours ago

Week in Politics: Triumph and disaster, but no austerity
Analysis - A big announcement about Auckland's water woes was overshadowed by a chaotic press conference about prisons, Peter Wilson writes. ...
Radio NZ – political
6 hours ago

Community Groups Furious That Government Silencing Hundreds In Fast-Track Hearings
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
Scoop politics
6 hours ago

Review: Swan Lake is a reminder of how much work it takes to look effortless
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell? Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
The SpinoffBy Shanti Mathias
6 hours ago

The Friday Poem: ‘High Tide at Local Maxima’ by Eamonn Tee
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The SpinoffBy Eamonn Tee
6 hours ago

The plastic-heavy drinks industry is in for a shake-up
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
The SpinoffBy Ellen Rykers
6 hours ago

The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending May 10
The 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. AUCKLAND 1 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff Review of Books
6 hours ago

Puna calls for Pacific ‘journalistic vigilance’ in face of climate crisis
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
7 hours ago

Downsizing Of ERO Inconsistent With Govt Priority Of Lifting Student Achievement
The PSA is concerned that Government spending cuts have forced ERO to downsize at a time when student achievement is a significant challenge. ...
Scoop politics
7 hours ago

Education Review Office set to cut 13 jobs, union says
The Education Review Office is set to cut 13 jobs, the Public Service Association says. ...
Radio NZ – political
7 hours ago

Judith Collins announces $571 million Defence spend-up
An extra half a billion dollars is going to Defence in this year's Budget for pay and equipment upgrades, the Defence Minister has announced. ...
Radio NZ – political
8 hours ago

This new TVNZ anthology is Motherhood as you’ve never seen it before
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
The SpinoffBy Tara Ward
8 hours ago

LGNZ Supportive Of Cross-party Approach To Climate Adaptation
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
Scoop politics
8 hours ago

SBC And CLC Welcome Bipartisan Climate Adaptation Inquiry
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
Scoop politics
9 hours ago

Another Victory For Free Speech: DIA Abandons Proposals For Online Censorship
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Scoop politics
9 hours ago

Confused or playing for time? 3 possible reasons NZ is taking so long to make a call on AUKUS
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert G. Patman, Professor of International Relations, University of Otago Getty Images New Zealand governments have been actively exploring the option of joining pillar two of AUKUS for over a year now. But according to foreign minister Winston Peters, the government ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
9 hours ago

Archives NZ says it has enough space – for now
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
Radio NZ – political
10 hours ago

Consensus Welcomed
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Scoop politics
10 hours ago

How many lives is that tax cut worth?
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The SpinoffBy When the Facts Change
10 hours ago

How the Phoenix went from wooden spoon favourites to title contenders
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors. “There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
The SpinoffBy Mathew Nash
10 hours ago

Ministry cuts will harm Pacific health, wellbeing – union
The PSA is warning cuts at the Ministry for Pacific Peoples will have severe consequences for the health and wellbeing of Pasifika families. ...
Radio NZ – political
10 hours ago

Power shortages: What's being done to keep the lights on?
Officials are looking at better ways of choosing who gets the power during shortages amid relentlessly growing demands. ...
Radio NZ – political
11 hours ago

No more bad accents, stereotypes or cringe: why the rise of multilingual TV is good news for everyon...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
11 hours ago

It’s time to ditch Berhampore Golf Course
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
The SpinoffBy Kristin Kelly
11 hours ago

Women in rich countries are having fewer kids, or none at all. What’s going on?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
12 hours ago

We looked at over 166,000 psychiatric records. Over half showed people were admitted against their w...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
12 hours ago

Feral horses in Australia’s high country are damaging peatlands, decreasing carbon stores
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
12 hours ago

Andrew Tate’s extreme views about women are infiltrating Australian schools. We need a zero-tolera...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Wescott, Lecturer in Education, Monash University RDNE Stock Project/ Pexels , CC BY Earlier this week, two students were expelled from a Melbourne private school for their involvement in creating a spreadsheet that ranked girls using sexist and violent categories ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
12 hours ago

Yes, spending on health is growing, but new research shows we’re getting more for it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
12 hours ago

Govt must regulate to smooth EVs and data centres' demand on power grids – Vector
New Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...
Radio NZ – political
13 hours ago

Could you be about to lose your power?
New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...
The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund
13 hours ago

What actually are the Ockhams?
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams? The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
The SpinoffBy Rebecca K Reilly
15 hours ago

Selling Wellington Airport would be colossally careless
Wellington City Council should keep its 34% ownership share in Wellington International Airport, argue Unions Wellington spokespeople Finn Cordwell and Ashok Jacob. Insanity, as the saying goes, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Wellington City Council (WCC) is yet again proposing to dispose ...
The SpinoffBy Ashok Jacob
15 hours ago

Two senior publishers axed at Penguin Random House amid major restructure
New Zealand’s largest book publisher has undergone drastic changes this week, leaving its future role in local publishing uncertain. Two of the most recognisable local publishers in New Zealand are among those restructured out of Penguin Random House, it was announced this week. Head of publishing Claire Murdoch will leave ...
The SpinoffBy Madeleine Chapman
15 hours ago

All trained up and nowhere to write
In 2021 the Public Interest Journalism Fund launched the Te Rito Journalism project, a $2.4 million initiative to boost diversity in New Zealand’s newsrooms. The initiative was in response to the decades-long shortage of Māori and Pacific journalists in the media industry. It was billed as New Zealand’s ...
NewsroomBy Susana Suisuiki
15 hours ago

Daily crossword, Friday 10 May
The post Daily crossword, Friday 10 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
15 hours ago

Black Ferns Sevens: The greatest team of all
The Black Ferns Sevens appeared to be a mile behind Australia at the halfway point of the 2023-24 SVNS international circuit. Winless in three tournaments, a cup quarter-final exit in Perth was one of their worst results. To add insult to injury, talismanic skipper Sarah Hirini had been ruled out ...
NewsroomBy Adam Julian
15 hours ago

Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 10 May
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 10 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
15 hours ago

Government hypes gas crisis ahead of restarting drilling
Analysis: Solar power is the cheapest form of energy in the Pacific but the Government says NZ’s only choice is gas or coal The post Government hypes gas crisis ahead of restarting drilling appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Marc Daalder
15 hours ago

NZ sanctions needed to back Myanmar resistance – minister
An exiled Myanmar politician says NZ must continue to place pressure on the country’s military junta The post NZ sanctions needed to back Myanmar resistance – minister appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Sam Sachdeva
15 hours ago

There’s still time to avoid a ‘crime school’ at Waikeria
Opinion: Liam Martin examines the pitfalls of building a mega-prison twice the size of any other in the country in a remote area with few resources The post There’s still time to avoid a ‘crime school’ at Waikeria appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Liam Martin
15 hours ago

Government looks for a better way to count Māori
Successive governments have tried, and failed, to count Māori. But with the return of social investment, it’s more important than ever to get good data. The post Government looks for a better way to count Māori appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Laura Walters
15 hours ago

What will Willis’ social investment fund look like?
Experts in financing social investment initiatives say New Zealand is in a prime position to tackle social issues via a social investment approach The post What will Willis’ social investment fund look like? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Emma Hatton
15 hours ago

Three waters repeal hitting Far North hard as Auckland signs deal
Forced to lift rates by 33 percent to fund water infrastructure, a fifth of the Far North’s ratepayers have missed their first payment The post Three waters repeal hitting Far North hard as Auckland signs deal appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Andrew Bevin
15 hours ago

‘Completely stupid’ – ex-Tuvalu PM plea to NZ to rethink fossil fuel plan
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist A former Tuvalu prime minister says while the New Zealand government’s oil and gas plans show it is concerned about its economy, he is more concerned about the livelihoods and survival of the Tuvalu people. Enele Sopoaga — who still serves as an MP ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
21 hours ago

Grattan on Friday: Like the famous budget tree, Chalmers can change the story to suit the season
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Many people who follow federal budgets know about the magnificent “budget tree” in a parliamentary courtyard, which turns a glorious red in time for the May event. This week Treasurer Jim Chalmers posed by ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
21 hours ago

Australia can have a future for the gas industry, or meet its climate commitments – but not both
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Hepburn, Professor, Deakin Law School, Deakin University Aerial-motion/Shutterstock Gas is back – if it ever went away. Yesterday, the Albanese government doubled down on gas with the release of its Future Gas Industry policy. Under this proposal, gas will ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
23 hours ago

Technically accomplished, sonically subversive and fiercely independent, I’ll remember Steve Albin...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Bennett, Professor of Music, Australian National University Richard P J Lambert/flickr, CC BY The future belongs to the analogue loyalists. Fuck digital. As a tsunami of CDs, DAT tapes and samplers swept the recording industry in the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Hind’s Hall is Macklemore’s bold new pro-Palestine anthem. What might it actually achieve?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate professor, Music Industry, RMIT University This week American rapper Macklemore released a new track, Hind’s Hall, which has gained a lot of attention because of its explicitly political nature. The track is unapologetically pro-Palestine. It declares the artist’s ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

How KidsCan provides a nutritious school lunch for $2
A charity says it is - and that it has been doing so while providing fresh meals for nearly 6000 children per day. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Shane Jones sets sights on killer kina – 'An industrial grade problem'
"They kill all the kelp, they kill all the seaweed, and they turn the marine environment into a virtual desert," the Fisheries Minister says. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Using a structured literacy approach to teach reading: What you need to know
Explainer - The government from 2025 is mandating how state schools teach children to read. But what is structured literacy and how does it compare to other teaching methods? ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

‘We do not want to be like Russia’: a first-hand account of Georgia’s fight for democracy
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danica Jenkins, Lecturer in European Studies, University of Sydney On a freezing spring night in March, Georgia’s national soccer team beat Greece in a nail-biter penalty shootout to qualify for the Euro 2024 championships. The atmosphere on the streets of the capital ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Our research shows higher carbon emissions increase costs for Australian businesses
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam G. Arian, Lecturer (Accounting & Finance), Australian Catholic University Loic Manegarium/Pexels Imagine every ton of carbon dioxide a company emits is slowly inflating its costs — not just in terms of potential fines or fees but in the capital it ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Ponsonby shooting: Hone Kay-Selwyn death not suspicious
The death of Hone Kay-Selwyn, who was involved in the Ponsonby shooting, is not being treated as suspicious, police say. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Our cities are widening the divide between the well-off and the rest. How can we turn this damaging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Somwrita Sarkar, Senior Lecturer in Design and Computation, University of Sydney The “latte line” is the infamous, invisible boundary that divides Sydney between the more affluent north-east and the south-west. Historically, people north of the line enjoy better access to jobs and ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Supercharged thunderstorms: have we underestimated how climate change drives extreme rain and floods...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dowdy, Principal Research Scientist in Extreme Weather, The University of Melbourne Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock In media articles about unprecedented flooding, you’ll often come across the statement that for every 1°C of warming, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more moisture. This ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Former Fiji PM Voreqe Bainimarama jailed over block of USP probe
RNZ Pacific Former Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has been sentenced to one year in prison, Fiji media are reporting. Bainimarama, alongside suspended Fiji Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho appeared in the High Court in Suva today for their sentencing hearing for a case involving their roles in blocking a police ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
1 day ago

ACC proposes cutting more than 300 jobs
The cuts would be a 9 percent reduction in the Crown entity's total workforce. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Government To Respond To 259 Human Rights Recommendations
Acting Chief Human Rights Commissioner Saunoamaali’i Dr Karanina Sumeo says, “Addressing violence and abuse remains New Zealand’s most significant human rights issue affecting women. ...
Scoop politics
1 day ago

Marlborough by-election still possible when MP Jamie Arbuckle resigns
The mayor says she understands the MP's bid to avoid a costly by-election but the decision is one for councillors. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Glaring Hole Exposed In Government’s Single Use Plastics Ban
Just Earth Papers has challenged the Ministry for Environment to follow its own guidance on the phase out and ban of single-use plastics. ...
Scoop politics
1 day ago

ACT's interpretation of Treaty of Waitangi inaccurate and misleading – claimants
Speaking to the Waitangi Tribunal, Ngāpuhi Kaumātua Hone Sadler said ACT's interpretation is not in tune with the intent of Te Tiriti. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Should we fight climate change by re-engineering life itself?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Symons, Macquarie School of Social Sciences, Macquarie University Michael Schiffer / Unsplash Life has transformed our world over billions of years, turning a dead rock into the lush, fertile planet we know today. But human activity is currently transforming Earth ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Please let me watch the horny tennis movie at a reasonable time
One woman’s quest to watch Challengers without ruining her body clock. Every Saturday morning, I wake up with a screaming demon inside my head urging me to “Do. Something. This. Weekend.” I run through the possibilities in my head in a defensive mental crouch, reminiscent of that one time I ...
The SpinoffBy Anna Rawhiti-Connell
1 day ago

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