The power behind the Nats’ message discipline
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8:45 pm, February 16th, 2008 - Comments Off on The power behind the Nats’ message discipline
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Tags: national
Had to laugh at this in The Herald on Rich’s retirement:
She has told all her caucus colleagues only that morning that she’s retiring.
One of them – Simon Power, who entered Parliament on the same date in 1999 – is quietly sitting beside her now for moral support.
“It’s like having Big Brother right here with me”, said Rich, who seemed strangely uncomfortable.
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Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits of Aotearoa’s writers, and other guests. This week: Jenny Pattrick, playwright of Hope, which runs at Circa Theatre from January 25 – February 23. The book I wish I’d written How to choose? Let’s say ...5 hours ago - Samoa political update: Fiame prevails in leadership crisis
SPECIAL REPORT: By Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson and Lilomaiava Maina Vai The Speaker of the House, Papali’i Li’o Taeu Masipau, decisively addressed a letter from FAST, which informed him of the removal of Fiame along with Deputy Prime Minister Tuala Tevaga Ponifasio, Leatinu’u Wayne Fong, Olo Fiti Vaai, Faualo Harry Schuster, ...5 hours ago
- Earth is bombarded with rocks from space – but who gets to keep these ultimate antiques?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Marie Brennan, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Waikato Shutterstock/KV4000 Every day, about 48.5 tonnes of space rock hurtle towards Earth. Meteorites that fall into the ocean are never recovered. But the ones that crash on land can spark debates ...6 hours ago
- Gone By Lunchtime: Luxon launches reboot for 2025
New year, same friendly local politics podcast. The political year kicked off with a dramatic reshuffle that sees Shane Reti removed from health in favour of Simeon Brown, James Meager made minister for the fiefdom that is the South Island and Nicola Willis in the renamed role of minister for ...6 hours ago
- A serious and urgent briefing for the first minister for the South Island
Alex Casey and Tara Ward assemble a list of demands for James Meager, the first minister for the South Island. South islanders, rejoice, for there is now one man dedicated to ensuring that each and every 1,260,000 of us has our voices heard in parliament. This week Rangitata MP James ...6 hours ago
- Gaza and the Western media – complicit in genocide
COMMENTARY: By Steven Cowan, editor of Against The Current New Zealand’s One News interviewed a Gaza journalist last week who has called out the Western media for its complicity in genocide. For some 15 months, the Western media have framed Israel’s genocidal rampage in Gaza as a “legitimate” war. Pretending ...7 hours ago
- No change to abortion laws, new Health Minister Simeon Brown promises
Simeon Brown's opposition to abortion as been on the public record for years, having led a pro-life group at university and voted reform in 2020. ...7 hours ago
- Christopher Luxon defends government’s economic growth record
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says the government has been taking the problem of economic growth seriously, and its work on that so far has been "significant". ...8 hours ago
- Buyers have more power in ‘deep’ property downturn, new figures show
REINZ stats show sales down 27.4 percent in December compared to November and up 1.8 percent from a year earlier. ...9 hours ago
- It’s science, not fiction: high-tech drones may soon be fighting bushfires in Australia
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marta Yebra, Professor of Environmental Engineering, Australian National University Picture this. It’s a summer evening in Australia. A dry lightning storm is about to sweep across remote, tinder-dry bushland. The next day is forecast to be hot and windy. A lightning strike ...9 hours ago
- ‘Should I let my kid play Roblox?’ New safety features reduce risks – but more are needed
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanne Orlando, Researcher, Digital Literacy and Digital Wellbeing, Western Sydney University Wachiwit/Shutterstock Roblox isn’t just another video game – it’s a massive virtual universe where nearly 90 million people from around the world create, play and socialise. This includes some 34 ...9 hours ago
- Why do some young people use Xanax recreationally? What are the risks?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Lee, Adjunct Professor at the National Drug Research Institute (Melbourne based), Curtin University Dragana Gordic/Shutterstock Anecdotal reports from some professionals have prompted concerns about young people using prescription benzodiazepines such as Xanax for recreational use. Border force detections of ...9 hours ago
- Trump has begun dismantling America’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Here’s why Au...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Judy Lundy, Lecturer in Management, Edith Cowan University Vitalii Vodolazskyi/Shutterstock It’s been a significant day for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in the United States. Such initiatives are about providing equality of opportunity and a sense of being valued ...9 hours ago
- What challenges does 2025 have in store for the local screen industry?
Filmmaker Ahmed Osman reflects on the many challenges the screen industry is facing this year – and what needs to change. I grew up in front of the TV. For me, it was more than just background noise: it was connection. Shows like bro’Town, Street Legal, and Outrageous Fortune weren’t ...10 hours ago
- New Zealand Government Moves To Scrap Regulations That Constrain Corporate Profit
The government last year created a new Ministry for Regulation, with ACT leader David Seymour in charge, to review regulations and, in Seymour’s words, “to look for red tape to cut.” ...10 hours ago
- History under the floorboards: decoding the diets of institutionalised women in 19th century Sydney
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kimberley Connor, Postdoctoral Scholar at Stanford Archaeology Center, Stanford University Sydney’s Hyde Park Barracks photographed in 1871, when the building served as a women’s immigration depot and asylum. City of Sydney Archives. Sydney’s Hyde Park Barracks was built between 1817 and ...10 hours ago
- Nicola Willis hints at visa changes to grow economy
Finance Minister Nicola Willis was recently given the new responsibility of economic growth minister. ...10 hours ago
- Here’s when you should consider a longer home loan fix
The time may be coming to lock in a longer rate, here's how you can spot it. ...11 hours ago
- NZ’s climate policies are no longer enough to keep warming at 1.5°C – here’s what needs to ha...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert McLachlan, Professor in Applied Mathematics, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University NASA/Earth Observatory, CC BY-SA It’s now official. Last year was the warmest year on record globally and the first to exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This doesn’t mean ...11 hours ago
- NZ political parties gear up for a busy 2025
Analysis - The political year is kicking off with a flurry of gatherings and speeches after the Prime Minister used Wellington Anniversary weekend to get his team in order. ...13 hours ago
- Clean-out at the Waitangi Tribunal: Who’s in and who’s out?
There’s been a major shake-up at the Waitangi Tribunal, with more than half of the current members, including some esteemed Māori academics, losing their places to make way for some controversial new appointments. Established in 1975, the Waitangi Tribunal investigates alleged Crown breaches of the promises made to Māori in ...14 hours ago
- Are we doing enough about ‘forever chemicals’?
PFAS chemicals are omnipresent, enduring, and almost certainly in your bloodstream. Here’s a guide to where they come from, why there are concerns about their use and what regulations are in place to help you avoid exposure. Your raincoat, beading with water. The slippery smooth surface of your non-stick pans. ...14 hours ago
- Why NZ should lead the world in adopting childproof phones
Opinion: As the first country to mandate childproof phones, NZ would be creating a global blueprint on how to tackle a mental health crisis among our young people The post Why NZ should lead the world in adopting childproof phones appeared first on Newsroom. ...14 hours ago - Europe’s far-right dominoes knock down democracy
Opinion: Austria is poised to become the next European country to fall to the far right. There is only one option for mainstream parties to break this cycle. The post Europe’s far-right dominoes knock down democracy appeared first on Newsroom. ...14 hours ago
- Willis’ greater economic powers could come at a cost
Prime Minister Christoper Luxon has turned Finance Minister Nicola Willis into a ‘super minister’ by adding the rebranded economic portfolio to her plate and bolstering her ability to implement change.Luxon announced his decision to appoint Nicola Willis to the role of Minister for Economic Growth as part of a wider ...14 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 22 January
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('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, Wednesday 22 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...14 hours ago
- Harvey Crewe’s cousin speaks out
When I reflect on my life, I look at how everything changed on the evening of June 22, 1970.I was lying in bed when the phone went late one night. My father picked it up. He was on the phone for what seemed like an eternity, and I could tell ...14 hours ago
- New privacy code: gold-plated gift or a banana skin?
Opinion: After an exhaustive period of consultation spanning almost two years, the Privacy Commissioner, in the week before Christmas, released the draft version of the Biometric Processing Privacy Code he intends to issue under the Privacy Act.Biometric information, collected through the likes of facial recognition technology, is personal information covered ...14 hours ago
- Why some are working against public transport and rail
Opinion: With a freshly minted transport minister taking the helm this week, it’s a good time to consider why we lack a fair and objective conversation about transport in New Zealand.The main reason for opposing investment in public transport and rail is that these modes reduce the reliance on and ...14 hours ago
- Record-breaking Kiwi swimmer goes out on her terms
After 23 years following a black line at the bottom of a swimming pool, Aquablack and Olympian Helena Gasson has retired from competitive swimming on her terms.She now wants to share her expertise and give back to the sport after being the only New Zealander to compete at an Oceania ...14 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Wednesday 22 January
The post Daily crossword, Wednesday 22 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...14 hours ago
- Judge grants Māori six more customary marine titles as Govt second guesses its coastline reform
A temporary impasse between the executive and the courts over the Marine and Coastal Areas Act has now seen six more Māori groups granted customary rights by the High Court.The judge in the latest case says the courts can’t wait for what might eventuate from Parliament but must decide applications ...14 hours ago
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