A very good speech touching on many different policy areas. This morning on Q and A Hooten tryed again and again to put the boot in to Cunliffe insinuating that the speech was low on policy, quite simply Hootens clearly lying again.
Labour under Cunliffe is definately on the rise and Labours opponents only have liars and lies to fight back with. Should be an interesting election finally Labour has a leader who can articulate labours policy and values. To that pig hunters son, good on ya mate.
Well I’m obviously not in CHCH so shouldn’t have a right to comment like the 75% increasers, but I would like to see some artists and broadcasters influence the party a bit more.
I think the last Labour Government had a bit of style and class, and even Tony Blair had cool Brittania, even if he wasn’t always worth a damn.
The top 5 are very economicky, and health/police/defencey, which is good and shows a serious commitment to deal with problem areas. Maybe this is where Jacinda or someone needs to step up a lot, or perhaps parachute some people in.
There needs to be an arts and broadcasting policy that doesn’t just tag along with the glory of our All Blacks, but a coordinated policy for having public festivals, performances, feteing writers, designers and making a public consciousness and discussion that is available for all. I think that the Auckland Festival is not very much a festival as accessible as it could be or that some of the festivals/musics in the parks etc etc could be better and more could be done to create art events that can bring more of the public together in beauty, in conversation and in celebration.
Starting online, but engaging with our architecture, our history, our controversies and our differing communities.
This is a potential weakness for David and Labour- that he is too focused on being a credible economic manager to rival National that he doesn’t show his ability to lead us culturally and be entrusted with being at the front of the next twist in our tale. I think his speech was a good start- the family, the outdoors, the railways, fishing, tramping- but unfortunately these are not things that speak to everyone- especially in our cities, things like gardening and backyards, with all the associated activities cricket, throwing a ball around, bbqs, drinks on the deck, growing your own veges or fruit trees are simply alien to a lot of city kids these days. This is why I’m afraid of the new city plan that can’t factor in things like transport etc etc.
I’d love to see someone in Labour emerge with a real gift for storytelling and making our broadcasting and not just our parliament representative of who we are. Someone who can not just speak the policy speak but really inspire when they front up to bfm or twitter or whereever it is cool to have an public presence these days. Maybe that will be David as he grows into the role, or maybe there is someone else on the front bench who really has to decide that that is them.
Where are our next Jacksons, Cohens,Waititis, Sarkies, Kings and how can we help them to feel comfortable to stand up, stand out and speak out?
How do we intend to get our different communities and cultures to engage with one another? Will there be a buy New Zealand initiative? Will we have policies about learning other cultures languages at an early age?
I suppose what I should really do is either put up the money and go to CHCH or head up to my LEC, but I still haven’t been convinced of Labour’s ability to avoid scuppering itself and doing National’s work for itself.
David Cunliffe will betray the left at some point, but he won’t do it lightly. The reason he got elected leader is that this isn’t his reflex action.
Actually I am a young New Zealander who is studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts in San Francisco with the Lines Ballet.
I am incredibly proud to have been supported by David Cunliffe throughout the process of applying to American universities, and subsequently gaining admission and looking at how to make the best choice in my education, so that I would be well equipped to gain the knowledge needed to be a leader in the arts.
David is well connected to an understanding of the importance of the arts, and I applaud him for not using the neo-liberal language of ‘creative industries’ etc to describe the arts. It is important that we recognise that we must have arts for the sake of arts. That the wealth that it can bring to a community is far greater than any profit incentive. I believe this is what David was talking about in his speech when he talked fondly of NZ artists helping us come to realise who we are in the world.
yeh he’s cool- I just can’t see him talking opera or hanging out with bfm breakfast hosts or their 2014 equivalents yet…though he does seem to get on well with Bomber (hint MSM sign him up! He’ll do a better John Stewart than Paul Henry…)
I just think on two counts- he hasn’t got the equivalent of ‘Auntie Helen’ yet- the acceptance of good bloke-hood from the public and their confidence to lead us culturally as well as economically- even from those who don’t support him politically.
The second is the affection with which the broadcasting and arts had or seemed to have for the last Labour administration whose leader took the arts as her personal porftfolio has not yet been mirrored by the work of the spokespeople who hold arts, culture and broadcasting. IIRC broadcasting was number 3 or 4 in the last Labour government too. We have seen figures politically close to National Prime Ministers in key leadership roles in the broadcasting bureaucracy.
Conversely, the pitch for the regions that he has taken probably is better helped by this than by cosying up to Auckland artists the way Helen Clark did. In that regard it is probably handy. I think though that Key definitely is welcome everywhere and projects a relaxed and reasonableness, even if the policies and words don’t match this. It’s an area where Cunliffe trying to be serious and a safe pair of hands with policy and the economy may be a bit vulnerable and needs his front bench team to be convincing or at least in my opinion the left coalition can step up from what they have shown so far. But there is plenty of time.
btw David talked to a young dancer in training on Saturday, who explained to him very clearly how unnecessarily difficult studying was, thanks to various government decisions. Yes, DC really gets it.
Urgh. I can’t stand Cunliffe and this does nothing to make me like him anymore. That said however I’m not one to vote on how I feel about someone personally but on what the party policy offers and at this stage I have no idea where my vote will go so I look forward to be swayed. This speech has given me a lot of food for thought.
*Softening drug laws and leaning towards a health/harm based policy instead of criminal issue
*Focus on rehabilition of criminals rather than punishment (for minor crimes)
*More focus on R&D and high tech industries
*Education needs to aim at producing more scientists and techies as opposed to pumping out lawyers and bankers
*CGT (though I thought 15% was too high) but tax credits on venture capital to help spur on NZ industries
*A national discussion on neoliberal economics
*Small tax increases on the rich
*A national discussion regarding the five eyes arrangement
*A focus on personal liberties
*repealing the laws regarding police spying laws (which I was very much against when National introduced it)
*etc etc
I’m left leaning at heart but am more moderate than many. Labour might say they will do all these things but I want to see the policy and how it works rather than the soundbites. Labour saying they’ll do the above is different from showing how they will do it.
Like I said, my vote is up for grabs and I also vote strategically so I’ll be waiting until I hear from all the parties next year before deciding.
Most of those were touched upon in the speech, except the first 2 and extra one, but he did sayLab/Gre government. So it stands to reason if you are building new houses, you would want to put in the latest technology rather than have it ‘tacked’ on at a later date. Also being in partnership with the Greens the subject of eco friendly houses will pop up at regular intervals I should think. If not Tat reads these, so he may know into who to ask questions?
Most of those were touched upon in the speech, except the first 2 and extra one, but he did sayLab/Gre government. So it stands to reason if you are building new houses, you would want to put in the latest technology rather than have it ‘tacked’ on at a later date. Also being in partnership with the Greens the subject of eco friendly houses will pop up at regular intervals I should think. If not Tat reads these, so he may know into who to ask questions?
*Look at the feasibility of requiring new homes to be built with a section of solar paneling. Not heaps – even small enough to merely run the water heater. If feasible then a program to roll it out on older homes.
There’s a lot to like in Contrarian’s list, and if it were up to me then Labour would indeed have a stronger “moral/liberal” message, not being defensive as they usually are, but taking on the conservative/authoritarian Right, in their own language – an emphasis on core principles, on real freedom, on “right and wrong” rather than “what works”, which usually doesn’t work, it just jerks knees (e.g. corrections policy, incarceration etc).
But … in a full 3 year cycle there can be time to change the conversation. To reflect, to open up before closing down. To get people thinking. Sadly, Labour (i.e. caucus) opted not to do that, so 20 months were wasted while we couldn’t really work out what they were saying.
So Cunliffe doesn’t really have time now to use the “bully pulpit”, to lead a national dialogue. He got the job when the party is gearing up for an election, and much of the policy work – some of it good – has already been done.
It’s a shame, because I think at heart he is an “ideas” man, but New Zealanders aren’t fond of ideas, so they need time to think about them. Cunliffe wasn’t given that time.
(and right on cue, proving my point both 6pm TV news bulletins lead with … sex scandal vs sex scandal. We are now a no-information environment).
and right on cue, proving my point both 6pm TV news bulletins lead with … sex scandal vs sex scandal. We are now a no-information environment
Yep, and I won’t be watching “Sunday” on principle. I don’t care how ‘nice’ she might sound, the woman is loving the attention. She claimed to be very sorry that she caused so much upset to Len Brown’s family by speaking out about the affair, then she sets out to make things worse for them.
As for Contrarian: I can’t quarrel with anything on that list. Don’t pass judgement on Cunliffe yet Contrarian. I know many people mistake his political ambition and enthusiasm for arrogance but my observation is: he’s no more arrogant than the rest of us. When you meet him in person he actually comes across as being a little shy. I have never heard him talk down to anyone and those who know him best – his New Lynn members and supporters – cannot speak highly enough of him.
Well having been taken under the wing of Hamish Price her story comes out during the Labour Party conference. While he didn’t want to shaft Len Brown, it’s a nice bonus for either or any faction of the WanaTories.
Very good speech and he is far and away better than anything the party has put up since Helen left. I think he may have erred with wanting to house people in the red zone, I live on its outskirts and it’s pretty damn grim and not somewhere kiwis should be housed but if he could magic up 10000 houses that would be a much better result.
I hate the kiwi assure idea, the two worst outfits to deal with and the biggest hold up of the rebuild is EQC and Southern Response which are state owned and managed (from personal experience). What worries me even more as a taxpayer in the quake zone it is absolutely nuts to take on that liability and we are better off leaving it to people who can understand risk, if another one hits and the re insurance runs out it will be the taxpayers who not only has to fund the social obligations but will have to bail out the commercial ones too. When you have been hit like we have the last thing you need is more obligations when it is far better to grab a cheque from the nomes of Zurich.
I say hold your nose and ignore the profits that go offshore, when the shit hits the fan it’s nice to know the fat cats in Switzerland stand behind their obligations! and they have done when they can get past EQC.
So losing money overseas is better? Surely sorting out the problems with EQC and its leadership is the answer, not bleeding cash overseas?
I say hold your nose and ignore the profits that go offshore, when the shit hits the fan it’s nice to know the fat cats in Switzerland stand behind their obligations!
David Cunliffe stood up and was counted as a person that new zealanders can trust and who will deliver the policies that are needed to sail this ship in difficult waters.
Bravo David Cunliffe.
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We’re boosting incomes and helping ease cost of living pressures on Kiwis through a range of bread and butter support measures that will see pensioners, students, families, and those on main benefits better off from the start of next month. ...
The error Labour Ministers made by stopping work on a beverage container return scheme will be reversed by the Greens at the earliest opportunity as part of the next Government. ...
“Cabinet needs to do better - and today has shown exactly why we need Green Ministers in cabinet, so we can prioritise action to cut climate pollution and support people to make ends meet,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. ...
Biggest increase in food prices for over three decades shows the need for an excess profit tax on corporations to help people put food on the table. ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Barbara Edmonds has announced the 2023 Pacific Language week series, highlighting the need to revitalise and sustain languages for future generations. “Pacific languages are a cornerstone of our health, wellbeing and identity as Pacific peoples. When our languages are spoken, heard and celebrated, our communities thrive,” ...
880,000 pensioners to get a boost to Super, including 5000 veterans 52,000 students to see a bump in allowance or loan living costs Approximately 223,000 workers to receive a wage rise as a result of the minimum wage increasing to $22.70 8,000 community nurses to receive pay increase of up ...
Over 8000 community nurses will start receiving well-deserved pay rises of up to 15 percent over the next month as a Government initiative worth $200 million a year kicks in, says Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall. “The Government is committed to ensuring nurses are paid fairly and will receive ...
Tākiri mai ana te ata Ki runga o ngākau mārohirohi Kōrihi ana te manu kaupapa Ka ao, ka ao, ka awatea Tihei mauri ora Let the dawn break On the hearts and minds of those who stand resolute As the bird of action sings, it welcomes the dawn of a ...
The Government is introducing a scheme which will lift incomes for artists, support them beyond the current spike in cost of living and ensure they are properly recognised for their contribution to New Zealand’s economy and culture. “In line with New Zealand’s Free Trade Agreement with the UK, last ...
New Zealand is welcoming a decision by the United Nations General Assembly to ask the International Court of Justice to consider countries’ international legal obligations on climate change. The United Nations has voted unanimously to adopt a resolution led by Vanuatu to ask the ICJ for an advisory opinion on ...
More Police officers are being deployed to the frontline with the graduation of 59 new constables from the Royal New Zealand Police College today. “The graduation for recruit wing 364 was my first since becoming Police Minister last week,” Ginny Andersen said. “It was a real honour. I want to ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta met with Vanuatu Foreign Minister Jotham Napat in Port Vila, today, signing a new Statement of Partnership — Aotearoa New Zealand’s first with Vanuatu. “The Mauri Statement of Partnership is a joint expression of the values, priorities and principles that will guide the Aotearoa New Zealand–Vanuatu relationship into ...
The Government has passed new legislation amending the Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) levy regime, ensuring the best balance between a fair and cost effective funding model. The Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Levy) Amendment Bill makes changes to the existing law to: charge the levy on contracts of ...
The Government has passed the Organic Products and Production Bill through its third reading today in Parliament helping New Zealand’s organic sector to grow and lift export revenue. “The Organic Products and Production Bill will introduce robust and practical regulation to give businesses the certainty they need to continue to ...
The Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Bill, which will make it easier for New Zealanders to safely prove who they are digitally has passed its third and final reading today. “We know New Zealanders want control over their identity information and how it’s used by the companies and services they ...
The full Cyclone Gabrielle Recovery Taskforce has met formally for the first time as work continues to help the regions recover and rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle. The Taskforce, which includes representatives from business, local government, iwi and unions, covers all regions affected by the January and February floods and cyclone. ...
Changes have been made to legislation to give subcontractors the confidence they will be paid the retention money they are owed should the head contractor’s business fail, Minister for Building and Construction Megan Woods announced today. “These changes passed in the Construction Contracts (Retention Money) Amendment Act safeguard subcontractors who ...
Transport Minister Michael Wood has unveiled five scenarios for one of the most significant city-shaping projects for Tāmaki Makaurau in coming decades, the additional Waitematā Harbour crossing. “Aucklanders and businesses have made it clear that the biggest barriers to the success of Auckland is persistent congestion and after years of ...
The Government has passed new legislation that ensures New Zealand’s civil aviation rules are fit for purpose in the 21st century, Associate Transport Minister Kiri Allan says. The Civil Aviation Bill repeals and replaces the Civil Aviation Act 1990 and the Airport Authorities Act 1966 with a single modern law ...
A Bill aimed at helping to reduce delays in the coronial jurisdiction passed its third reading today. The Coroners Amendment Bill, amongst other things, will establish new coronial positions, known as Associate Coroners, who will be able to perform most of the functions, powers, and duties of Coroners. The new ...
The Prime Minister has asked the Cabinet Secretary to conduct a review into communications between Stuart Nash and his donors. The review will take place over the next two months. The review will look at whether there have been any other breaches of cabinet collective responsibility or confidentiality, or whether ...
The new Recovery Visa to help bring in additional migrant workers to support cyclone and flooding recovery has attracted over 600 successful applicants within its first month. “The Government is moving quickly to support businesses bring in the workers needed to recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland floods,” Michael ...
Bills to ensure non-teaching employees and contractors at schools, and unlicensed childcare services like mall crèches are vetted by police, and provide safeguards for school board appointments have passed their first reading today. The Education and Training Amendment Bill (No. 3) and the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill have now ...
Wānanga will gain increased flexibility and autonomy that recognises the unique role they fill in the tertiary education sector, Associate Minister of Education Kelvin Davis has announced. The Education and Training Amendment Bill (No.3), that had its first reading today, proposes a new Wānanga enabling framework for the three current ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will travel to Vanuatu today, announcing that Aotearoa New Zealand will provide further relief and recovery assistance there, following the recent destruction caused by Cyclones Judy and Kevin. While in Vanuatu, Minister Mahuta will meet with Vanuatu Acting Prime Minister Sato Kilman, Foreign Minister Jotham ...
The Government is backing Police and making communities safer with the roll-out of state-of-the-art tools and training to frontline staff, Police Minister Ginny Andersen said today. “Frontline staff face high-risk situations daily as they increasingly respond to sophisticated organised crime, gang-violence and the availability of illegal firearms,” Ginny Andersen said. ...
The Government has provided Police with more tools to crack down on gang offending with the passing of new legislation today which will further improve public safety, Justice Minister Kiri Allan says. The Criminal Activity Intervention Legislation Bill amends existing law to: create new targeted warrant and additional search powers ...
The Government today announced far-reaching changes to the way we make, use, recycle and dispose of waste, ushering in a new era for New Zealand’s waste system. The changes will ensure that where waste is recycled, for instance by households at the kerbside, it is less likely to be contaminated ...
New legislation passed by the Government today will make it harder for gangs and their leaders to benefit financially from crime that causes considerable harm in our communities, Minister of Justice Kiri Allan says. Since the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009 came into effect police have been highly successful in ...
This evening I have advised the Governor-General to dismiss Stuart Nash from all his ministerial portfolios. Late this afternoon I was made aware by a news outlet of an email Stuart Nash sent in March 2020 to two contacts regarding a commercial rent relief package that Cabinet had considered. In ...
Legislation to enable more build-to-rent developments has passed its third reading in Parliament, so this type of rental will be able to claim interest deductibility in perpetuity where it meets the requirements. Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods, says the changes will help unlock the potential of the build-to-rent sector and ...
A law passed by Parliament today exempts employers from paying fringe benefit tax on certain low emission commuting options they provide or subsidise for their staff. “Many employers already subsidise the commuting costs of their staff, for instance by providing car parks,” Environment Minister David Parker said. “This move supports ...
Today marks the 40th anniversary of Closer Economic Relations (CER), our gold standard free trade agreement between New Zealand and Australia. “CER was a world-leading agreement in 1983, is still world-renowned today and is emblematic of both our countries’ commitment to free trade. The WTO has called it the world’s ...
The Government is making procedural changes to the Immigration Act to ensure that 2013 amendments operate as Parliament intended. The Government is also introducing a new community management approach for asylum seekers. “While it’s unlikely we’ll experience a mass arrival due to our remote positioning, there is no doubt New ...
The Government welcomes progress on public sector pay adjustment (PSPA) agreements, and the release of the updated public service pay guidance by the Public Service Commission today, Minister for the Public Service Andrew Little says. “More than a dozen collective agreements are now settled in the public service, Crown Agents, ...
The Government has introduced the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Bill to further support the recovery and rebuild from the recent severe weather events in the North Island. “We know from our experiences following the Canterbury and Kaikōura earthquakes that it will take some time before we completely understand the ...
Further assistance is now available to businesses impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, with Customs able to offer payment plans and to remit late-payments, Customs Minister Meka Whaitiri has announced. “This is part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to assist economic recovery in the regions,” Meka Whaitiri said. “Cabinet has approved the ...
More than 41,000 sole parent families will be better off with a median gain of $20 a week Law change estimated to help lift up to 14,000 children out of poverty Child support payments will be passed on directly to people receiving a sole parent rate of main benefit, making ...
A major investment by Government-owned New Zealand Green Investment Finance towards electrifying the public bus fleet is being welcomed by Climate Change Minister James Shaw. “Today’s announcement that NZGIF has signed a $50 million financing deal with Kinetic, the biggest bus operator in Australasia, to further decarbonise public transport is ...
A world-leading payments system is expected to provide a significant cash flow boost for Kiwi innovators, Minister of Research, Science, and Innovation Ayesha Verrall says. Announcing that applications for ‘in-year’ payments of the Research and Development Tax Incentive (RDTI) were open, Ayesha Verrall said it represented a win for businesses ...
Minister of Transport Michael Wood joined crowds of keen cyclists and walkers this morning to celebrate the completion of the Te Awa shared path in Hamilton. “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport system to make it safer, greener, and more efficient for now and future generations to come,” Michael ...
Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little has delivered the Crown apology to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua for its historic breaches of Te Tiriti of Waitangi today. The ceremony was held at Queen Elizabeth Park in Masterton, hosted by Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua, with several hundred ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta has concluded her visit to China, the first by a New Zealand Foreign Minister since 2018. The Minister met her counterpart, newly appointed State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Qin Gang, who also hosted a working dinner. This was the first engagement between the two ...
World-class satellite positioning services that will support much safer search and rescue, boost precision farming, and help safety on construction sites through greater accuracy are a significant step closer today, says Land Information Minister Damien O’Connor. Damien O’Connor marked the start of construction on New Zealand’s first uplink centre for ...
As the move to digital commerce continues, fraudsters are counting on consumers to let their guard down and to supply personal information. And according to new research released today by global payments technology company Visa (NYSE: V), which ...
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is asking for views on which overseas regulators it will draw on for some hazardous substance assessments and reassessments. The recognised international regulators must regulate hazardous substances in a similar ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Shortis, Lecturer, RMIT University Alex Brandon/AP Events often seem inevitable in hindsight. The indictment of former US President Donald Trump on criminal charges has been a possibility since the start of his presidency – arguably, since close to the ...
Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union is ready to fight for every job at Te Pūkenga, as members digest a series of shocking statements from their Chief Executive on RNZ’s Nine To Noon programme today. Peter Winder stated, amongst other things, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gary Mortimer, Professor of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, Queensland University of Technology Media Whale Stock/Shutterstock What would you do to get more likes or shares on your favourite social media platform this April Fool’s Day? Would you blast an airhorn ...
New Zealand Politics Daily is a collation of the most prominent issues being discussed in New Zealand. It is edited by Dr Bryce Edwards of The Democracy Project. Today’s contentSTUART NASH, OIA Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Stuart Nash scandal boils down to cock-up vs ‘conspiracy’ (paywalled) Marc Daalder (Newsroom): The opaque transparency of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tara McAllister, Research Fellow, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Shutterstock/Guy Hasler As global environmental challenges grow, people and societies are increasingly looking to Indigenous knowledge for solutions. Indigenous knowledge is particularly appealing for addressing climate change because ...
Tommy de Silva explains an interesting new legal shift:Māori can now switch between the Māori and general electoral rolls more easily thanks to a law change. These new rules allow anyone of Māori descent to switch between the rolls whenever they please until three months before an election. That ...
The rules for overseas voting are changing from today for this year’s General Election to recognise the effect the pandemic has had on international travel. ‘This is a temporary change made by Parliament for New Zealanders living overseas who have ...
It’s a headline I never quite expected to write but in recent days have been wondering if I would have to. Former US president Donald Trump will be arrested after a New York grand jury voted to indict him over alleged hush money paid to former adult film star Stormy ...
Everything you need to know about the ticketing agency’s ongoing debacles.So Ticketmaster’s back in the news. Why is the company that should be spitting out concert tickets calmly and quietly sparking so many headlines? Where do you want to start? The lawsuits, the NFTs or the super-mad Swifties? It’s ...
Auckland Council has proposed significant budget cuts without assessing the potential impacts on the region’s environment and climate change efforts, an official response reveals. No assessment was made as Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown never asked for one, ...
Greenpeace is welcoming the National Party’s new renewable energy policy - ‘Electrify NZ’ - with its focus on increasing renewable electricity generation to replace coal, gas and petrol-fuelled transport. But the organisation is calling on National ...
The National Party has pledged to “cut red tape” in the electricity sector through a new policy that it claims will double New Zealand’s supply of renewable energy. Dubbed “Electrify NZ”, the policy was unveiled this morning by party leader Christopher Luxon. “National wants a future where buses and trains ...
By Tom Peters, Socialist Equality Group 30 March 2023 Original url: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/03/30/jspf-m30.html About 20,000 secondary teachers at public schools in New Zealand held a nationwide strike on March 29. It followed a much larger one-day strike on March 16 involving ...
In his first two months as Prime Minister Chris Hipkins impressed for his directness, clarity and determination, and the assured way in which he transitioned into his new role. His everyman style, from the hoodie to the more than occasional meat pie, ...
Recreational craft users are being reminded of their skipper responsibilities following the sentencing of a boatie in Invercargill this week. A skipper was this week sentenced in the Invercargill District Court in relation to a grounding of their vessel on ...
Morning Report - RNZ and the NZ Herald's political editors discuss potential law-breaking by a now-sacked minister, and Marama Davidson's comments. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alice Hayward, Molecular Biologist, The University of Queensland Shutterstock If you’re like me, you’ve managed to kill even the hardiest of indoor plants (yes, despite a doctorate in plant biology). But imagine a world where your plants actually told you ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Centaine Snoswell, Senior Research Fellow Health Economics, The University of Queensland Di Vincenzo/Shutterstock Telehealth has been a game changer for many First Nations people globally, including in Australia. It has allowed First Nations people to access health care close to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Davis, Emeritus Professor of Finance, The University of Melbourne Allen & UnwinThe Millionaires’ Factory, subtitled “the inside story of how Macquarie Bank became a global giant” by financial journalists Joyce Moullakis and Chris Wright is an impressive, informative ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sierra Keung, Lecturer in Sport and Recreation, Auckland University of Technology With this year’s National Rugby League (NRL) season now up and running, the prevalence of Pacific players in the tournament is again obvious to see. All NRL teams now feature stars ...
Since the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle, insurers have begun rapidly repricing the land beneath homes for flood risk, creating a Wild West for home owners impatient to find out if their land is going to continue to be insurable. In the new episode of When the Facts Change, Bernard Hickey talks ...
Dr Rangi Mātāmua has been announced as the 2023 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year for his work in communicating the importance of mātauranga Māori.Aotearoa boasts an exceptionally rich cultural heritage, with our indigenous Māori population contributing significantly to our unique identity. It hasn’t always been a celebrated part ...
The 2020 email to donors that prompted Nash’s firing had not been turned over following an OIA request for correspondence between Nash and his donors, Newsroom reports. The email had been deemed “out of scope” by the prime minister’s office (PMO) because it was not written in Nash’s ministerial responsibility. Writes Toby Manhire ...
Today FM isn’t on air today after it’s sudden closure at about 9.30am yesterday morning. A document leaked to media has confirmed Mediaworks’ plans to shut the station down, leaving key on-air staff like Tova O’Brien without a job. Interestingly, the document also confirmed the swift timeframe put in place ...
A pinch and a punch for the first of the month – and for higher minimum wages, increased benefits, new Covid boosters and more, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
As of tomorrow, everyone in Aotearoa aged in their 30s or 40s is eligible for a second booster shot – and it’s a new variety. A good deal of the population will struggle to remember when they had their first Covid-19 booster (hint: if you were quick off the mark, ...
Aucklanders, would you like a tunnel, two tunnels or a tunnel and a bridge?My nana was one of the first people ever to cross Te Waitematā on foot. In 1959, as a schoolgirl, she walked across the newly constructed Auckland Harbour Bridge before it opened to traffic. Back ...
The latest revelations in the Stuart Nash saga extend Chris Hipkins' political headache but also spotlight the lack of transparency on freedom of information decisions, Marc Daalder writesAnalysis: For Chris Hipkins, Stuart Nash's many and varied indiscretions are the headache that just won't stop. We're now more than two weeks ...
A conference on Māori housing held in Rotorua was attended by over 900 people who are on the front line of dealing with homelessness and providing solutions. By Aaron Smale. Speakers at a conference on Māori housing highlighted how major events like Covid-19 and Cyclone Gabrielle have exposed serious housing ...
The sudden closure of Today FM is recognition by MediaWorks that it doesn’t have the resources to stay in the fight with Newstalk ZB. The on-air disaster that saw an emotional Tova O’Brien lower the curtain on Today FM can be traced back to its owners – fund managers and ...
Because many of us find it hard to adjust, the idea of abandoning daylight saving gets attention every year, but it's shift workers and teenagers we should be concerned about, who live with this type of jet lag all the timeOpinion: Much of the population is likely to feel a ...
Evidence is piling up that the prevalence of our packaged food offerings is not just damaging our health, but shortening our lives. Almost 70 percent of the packaged foods in our supermarkets are classed as ultra-processed - and in some food categories, nearly all products are. They're high in ...
After injury put her on the back foot last year, Olympic triathlete Nicole van der Kaay is on a stirring winning streak to start her journey to the 2024 Paris Olympics. Suzanne McFadden writes. In the days since Nicole van der Kaay won the first World Cup gold medal of her ...
The latest Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list, described by Steve Braunias (plus giveaway of a $75 masterpiece)FICTION 1 Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $38) Number one for the seventh consecutive week; but, I think, maybe for the last time, or at least ...
The Posie Parker campaign, and a surprise bill this week dramatically extending possible asylum seeker detentions, show it's critical to keep fighting for human rights ...
New Zealanders, especially NZ businesses, should temper their expectations of a strong relationship with ChinaOpinion: Last week, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta made the first ministerial visit since 2019 to the People’s Republic of China for high-level meetings. With few concrete deliverables announced, the key achievement was stabilising bilateral relations ...
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In addition to 30 roles being disestablished, another 20 Today FM staff are under review following the abrupt closure of the Mediaworks talk station. A confidential internal Mediaworks document leaked to media has confirmed that Today FM’s production and leadership host teams, which includes high-profile broadcasters such as Tova O’Brien ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Teal candidates again fell short in the NSW election. Only one who was so labelled was successful, and she rejects the terminology. This followed the Victorian state election in which no teal won. Inevitably, ...
Asia Pacific Report Twenty West Papuans who were fundraising for the victims of tropical cyclones in Vanuatu were today arrested by Indonesian police in Jayapura, the Papuan provincial capital, reports a West Papuan advocacy group. “This was a peaceful, compassionate action, with Papuans taking to the streets to raise money ...
RNZ News The Mediaworks’ radio station Today FM abandoned scheduling today when presenters broke from programming to question the future of their employer. Broadcasters told their audience they were going off air and had been instructed to play music. Today FM hosts Duncan Garner and Tova O’Brien told listeners before ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Gibney, Senior research fellow, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity Shutterstock New South Wales health authorities have issued a measles alert after a baby who recently returned from overseas, and subsequently visited several sites in Western Sydney, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Glenn C. Savage, Associate Professor of Education Policy and the Future of Schooling, The University of Melbourne This week, Federal Education Minister Jason Clare announced an expert panel to advise on “key targets and specific reforms” that should be tied to funding ...
Self-employed lawyer and Filipino community advocate Paulo Garcia has been selected as National’s candidate in New Lynn for the 2023 General Election. “I’m excited to get to work campaigning in New Lynn for a National Government that will strengthen ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aaron Eger, Postdoctoral research fellow, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock What if we told you the world has forests harbouring creatures with three hearts and where the canopy can grow by a foot a day? What if we told you it was ...
A candid – but now-deleted – statement on Today FM’s Facebook page appeared to confirm the end of the Mediaworks talk station. A message from the head of the digital team blamed the “harsh reality of cold corporate decisions” for the sudden closure of the radio station. “As I type ...
The fate of Mediaworks’ talk station Today FM is due in under 10 minutes time. A banner on the station’s website states that a full update will be revealed at 5pm. What that update is, or whether it will be delivered by the radio, is still unclear – though it’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda Hassall, Senior Lecturer Humanities, Griffith University At the launch of the new national cultural policy earlier this year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said we must lift the arts beyond the economic debate, and see it as a vital part of Australia’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominique Moritz, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of the Sunshine Coast Shutterstock Australians have been shocked by an incident on the Sunshine Coast this month in which a 13-year-old girl was imprisoned, assaulted and tortured over many hours, allegedly by ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. SexKeith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. Whoever would have predicted that the definition of ‘male’ and ‘female’ could ever become a matter of contention? My professional life has been in ...
Just how often are official information requests to ministers unscrupulously denied, ruled out of scope, for sheer, naked, political expediency? Few words have haunted the sixth Labour government quite like those uttered by Clare Curran, then minister for open government, in November 2017, when she pledged “the most open, most ...
Forest & Bird says environmental indicator reporting today by Stats NZ is sobering, and shows how a whole-of-Government approach is needed to prevent New Zealand from remaining the extinction capital of the world. “This is a damning report and, ...
The departure of key station management in recent weeks was an ominous sign – but staff were still blindsided by the way Today FM’s fate was delivered, reports Stewart Sowman-Lund.If you tune into Today FM right now, the only voice you’ll hear, spliced between classic hits from the likes ...
An overseas traveller to New Zealand died from rabies last week – but the public is being told there’s no risk of further spread. It’s New Zealand’s first confirmed case of the disease, contracted overseas and then diagnosed on our shores. Director of public health Dr Nick Jones said person ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Jotzo, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy and Head of Energy, Institute for Climate Energy and Disaster Solutions, Australian National University Australia is about to take a big, constructive step on climate change policy: we will have a carbon price for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy McQuire, Indigenous Post-Doctoral Fellow: Faculty of Creative Industries, Education & Social Justice, School of Communication, Queensland University of Technology Family members with Debbie Kilroy at coronial inquest into the murder of Ms Constance Watcho Photo supplied by: ‘Charandev Singh, Immigrant/Occupier, ...
A banner on Today FM’s website has signalled an update on the at-risk news network will come at 5pm. All signs point to a full station closure – meaning this morning’s bombshell broadcast featuring Tova O’Brien and Duncan Garner may be the final minutes of Today FM. Here is how ...
None of the five proposed options would reduce climate pollution or car congestion and would in fact likely make both worse, Greens transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter says. ...
This daylight saving, Sunday 2 April, Fire and Emergency New Zealand is encouraging everyone to remember to pehia te button | press the patene to check their smoke alarms are in working order. "You and your family are more likely to survive a house ...
Renovate and rebuild, or knock it down and start again? Here’s what some experts think. It is, probably, one of Trade Me’s most expensive listings. Skyworld, the nine-storey entertainment mecca covering 3,486 square metres in the heart of Auckland’s CBD is, for the first time since 2011, up for sale. ...
The 2020 email that saw Stuart Nash sacked from cabinet had been identified, and deemed out of scope, despite directly requesting communications between Nash and a list of donors, the prime minister’s office has now acknowledged. The request was discussed with staff in the prime minister’s office on three occasions. ...
The Auditor-General’s report on progress by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) on implementing Operation Respect has found NZDF needs to act with urgency to create a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all its personnel. Introduced in ...
A critical checklist to ensure human rights are prioritised during relief and recovery efforts has been released today by Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission. It follows the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle and the January floods in Auckland, ...
A very good speech touching on many different policy areas. This morning on Q and A Hooten tryed again and again to put the boot in to Cunliffe insinuating that the speech was low on policy, quite simply Hootens clearly lying again.
Labour under Cunliffe is definately on the rise and Labours opponents only have liars and lies to fight back with. Should be an interesting election finally Labour has a leader who can articulate labours policy and values. To that pig hunters son, good on ya mate.
Excellent delivery too. Very relaxed, very assured and very confident.
Goodness, why did we wait so long?
Well I’m obviously not in CHCH so shouldn’t have a right to comment like the 75% increasers, but I would like to see some artists and broadcasters influence the party a bit more.
I think the last Labour Government had a bit of style and class, and even Tony Blair had cool Brittania, even if he wasn’t always worth a damn.
The top 5 are very economicky, and health/police/defencey, which is good and shows a serious commitment to deal with problem areas. Maybe this is where Jacinda or someone needs to step up a lot, or perhaps parachute some people in.
There needs to be an arts and broadcasting policy that doesn’t just tag along with the glory of our All Blacks, but a coordinated policy for having public festivals, performances, feteing writers, designers and making a public consciousness and discussion that is available for all. I think that the Auckland Festival is not very much a festival as accessible as it could be or that some of the festivals/musics in the parks etc etc could be better and more could be done to create art events that can bring more of the public together in beauty, in conversation and in celebration.
Starting online, but engaging with our architecture, our history, our controversies and our differing communities.
This is a potential weakness for David and Labour- that he is too focused on being a credible economic manager to rival National that he doesn’t show his ability to lead us culturally and be entrusted with being at the front of the next twist in our tale. I think his speech was a good start- the family, the outdoors, the railways, fishing, tramping- but unfortunately these are not things that speak to everyone- especially in our cities, things like gardening and backyards, with all the associated activities cricket, throwing a ball around, bbqs, drinks on the deck, growing your own veges or fruit trees are simply alien to a lot of city kids these days. This is why I’m afraid of the new city plan that can’t factor in things like transport etc etc.
I’d love to see someone in Labour emerge with a real gift for storytelling and making our broadcasting and not just our parliament representative of who we are. Someone who can not just speak the policy speak but really inspire when they front up to bfm or twitter or whereever it is cool to have an public presence these days. Maybe that will be David as he grows into the role, or maybe there is someone else on the front bench who really has to decide that that is them.
Where are our next Jacksons, Cohens,Waititis, Sarkies, Kings and how can we help them to feel comfortable to stand up, stand out and speak out?
How do we intend to get our different communities and cultures to engage with one another? Will there be a buy New Zealand initiative? Will we have policies about learning other cultures languages at an early age?
I suppose what I should really do is either put up the money and go to CHCH or head up to my LEC, but I still haven’t been convinced of Labour’s ability to avoid scuppering itself and doing National’s work for itself.
David Cunliffe will betray the left at some point, but he won’t do it lightly. The reason he got elected leader is that this isn’t his reflex action.
Actually I am a young New Zealander who is studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts in San Francisco with the Lines Ballet.
I am incredibly proud to have been supported by David Cunliffe throughout the process of applying to American universities, and subsequently gaining admission and looking at how to make the best choice in my education, so that I would be well equipped to gain the knowledge needed to be a leader in the arts.
David is well connected to an understanding of the importance of the arts, and I applaud him for not using the neo-liberal language of ‘creative industries’ etc to describe the arts. It is important that we recognise that we must have arts for the sake of arts. That the wealth that it can bring to a community is far greater than any profit incentive. I believe this is what David was talking about in his speech when he talked fondly of NZ artists helping us come to realise who we are in the world.
yeh he’s cool- I just can’t see him talking opera or hanging out with bfm breakfast hosts or their 2014 equivalents yet…though he does seem to get on well with Bomber (hint MSM sign him up! He’ll do a better John Stewart than Paul Henry…)
I just think on two counts- he hasn’t got the equivalent of ‘Auntie Helen’ yet- the acceptance of good bloke-hood from the public and their confidence to lead us culturally as well as economically- even from those who don’t support him politically.
The second is the affection with which the broadcasting and arts had or seemed to have for the last Labour administration whose leader took the arts as her personal porftfolio has not yet been mirrored by the work of the spokespeople who hold arts, culture and broadcasting. IIRC broadcasting was number 3 or 4 in the last Labour government too. We have seen figures politically close to National Prime Ministers in key leadership roles in the broadcasting bureaucracy.
Conversely, the pitch for the regions that he has taken probably is better helped by this than by cosying up to Auckland artists the way Helen Clark did. In that regard it is probably handy. I think though that Key definitely is welcome everywhere and projects a relaxed and reasonableness, even if the policies and words don’t match this. It’s an area where Cunliffe trying to be serious and a safe pair of hands with policy and the economy may be a bit vulnerable and needs his front bench team to be convincing or at least in my opinion the left coalition can step up from what they have shown so far. But there is plenty of time.
Hey 🙂
btw David talked to a young dancer in training on Saturday, who explained to him very clearly how unnecessarily difficult studying was, thanks to various government decisions. Yes, DC really gets it.
Urgh. I can’t stand Cunliffe and this does nothing to make me like him anymore. That said however I’m not one to vote on how I feel about someone personally but on what the party policy offers and at this stage I have no idea where my vote will go so I look forward to be swayed. This speech has given me a lot of food for thought.
What policies will persuade you contrarian?
*Softening drug laws and leaning towards a health/harm based policy instead of criminal issue
*Focus on rehabilition of criminals rather than punishment (for minor crimes)
*More focus on R&D and high tech industries
*Education needs to aim at producing more scientists and techies as opposed to pumping out lawyers and bankers
*CGT (though I thought 15% was too high) but tax credits on venture capital to help spur on NZ industries
*A national discussion on neoliberal economics
*Small tax increases on the rich
*A national discussion regarding the five eyes arrangement
*A focus on personal liberties
*repealing the laws regarding police spying laws (which I was very much against when National introduced it)
*etc etc
I’m left leaning at heart but am more moderate than many. Labour might say they will do all these things but I want to see the policy and how it works rather than the soundbites. Labour saying they’ll do the above is different from showing how they will do it.
Like I said, my vote is up for grabs and I also vote strategically so I’ll be waiting until I hear from all the parties next year before deciding.
Most of those were touched upon in the speech, except the first 2 and extra one, but he did sayLab/Gre government. So it stands to reason if you are building new houses, you would want to put in the latest technology rather than have it ‘tacked’ on at a later date. Also being in partnership with the Greens the subject of eco friendly houses will pop up at regular intervals I should think. If not Tat reads these, so he may know into who to ask questions?
Most of those were touched upon in the speech, except the first 2 and extra one, but he did sayLab/Gre government. So it stands to reason if you are building new houses, you would want to put in the latest technology rather than have it ‘tacked’ on at a later date. Also being in partnership with the Greens the subject of eco friendly houses will pop up at regular intervals I should think. If not Tat reads these, so he may know into who to ask questions?
Commie.
Comrade Contrarian 😀
one more:
*Look at the feasibility of requiring new homes to be built with a section of solar paneling. Not heaps – even small enough to merely run the water heater. If feasible then a program to roll it out on older homes.
There’s a lot to like in Contrarian’s list, and if it were up to me then Labour would indeed have a stronger “moral/liberal” message, not being defensive as they usually are, but taking on the conservative/authoritarian Right, in their own language – an emphasis on core principles, on real freedom, on “right and wrong” rather than “what works”, which usually doesn’t work, it just jerks knees (e.g. corrections policy, incarceration etc).
But … in a full 3 year cycle there can be time to change the conversation. To reflect, to open up before closing down. To get people thinking. Sadly, Labour (i.e. caucus) opted not to do that, so 20 months were wasted while we couldn’t really work out what they were saying.
So Cunliffe doesn’t really have time now to use the “bully pulpit”, to lead a national dialogue. He got the job when the party is gearing up for an election, and much of the policy work – some of it good – has already been done.
It’s a shame, because I think at heart he is an “ideas” man, but New Zealanders aren’t fond of ideas, so they need time to think about them. Cunliffe wasn’t given that time.
(and right on cue, proving my point both 6pm TV news bulletins lead with … sex scandal vs sex scandal. We are now a no-information environment).
Yep, and I won’t be watching “Sunday” on principle. I don’t care how ‘nice’ she might sound, the woman is loving the attention. She claimed to be very sorry that she caused so much upset to Len Brown’s family by speaking out about the affair, then she sets out to make things worse for them.
As for Contrarian: I can’t quarrel with anything on that list. Don’t pass judgement on Cunliffe yet Contrarian. I know many people mistake his political ambition and enthusiasm for arrogance but my observation is: he’s no more arrogant than the rest of us. When you meet him in person he actually comes across as being a little shy. I have never heard him talk down to anyone and those who know him best – his New Lynn members and supporters – cannot speak highly enough of him.
I’ll be voting on policy not personality so my dislike of him won’t have much, if any, bearing on whether I vote labour or not.
Well having been taken under the wing of Hamish Price her story comes out during the Labour Party conference. While he didn’t want to shaft Len Brown, it’s a nice bonus for either or any faction of the WanaTories.
Very good speech and he is far and away better than anything the party has put up since Helen left. I think he may have erred with wanting to house people in the red zone, I live on its outskirts and it’s pretty damn grim and not somewhere kiwis should be housed but if he could magic up 10000 houses that would be a much better result.
I hate the kiwi assure idea, the two worst outfits to deal with and the biggest hold up of the rebuild is EQC and Southern Response which are state owned and managed (from personal experience). What worries me even more as a taxpayer in the quake zone it is absolutely nuts to take on that liability and we are better off leaving it to people who can understand risk, if another one hits and the re insurance runs out it will be the taxpayers who not only has to fund the social obligations but will have to bail out the commercial ones too. When you have been hit like we have the last thing you need is more obligations when it is far better to grab a cheque from the nomes of Zurich.
I say hold your nose and ignore the profits that go offshore, when the shit hits the fan it’s nice to know the fat cats in Switzerland stand behind their obligations! and they have done when they can get past EQC.
So losing money overseas is better? Surely sorting out the problems with EQC and its leadership is the answer, not bleeding cash overseas?
You have to be fucking kidding.
David Cunliffe stood up and was counted as a person that new zealanders can trust and who will deliver the policies that are needed to sail this ship in difficult waters.
Bravo David Cunliffe.