Weekend social 07/12/2012

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 2:00 pm, December 7th, 2012 - 51 comments
Categories: weekend social - Tags:

Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever.

No politics, no aggro, why can’t we all just get along?

51 comments on “Weekend social 07/12/2012 ”

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TheContrarian 1

7 December 2012 at 2:33 pm

Early morning flight to Auckland for the weekend.
Going to see this:

http://www.stardome.org.nz/the-war-of-the-worlds/
- higherstandard 1.1
  
  7 December 2012 at 2:35 pm
  
  I thought you were a young chap not an old git like me ?
  - TheContrarian 1.1.1
    
    7 December 2012 at 2:44 pm
    
    In my early 30’s but having grown up in a household with this album (as I am sure every NZer did. As well as with copies of Brothers in Arms, Bat out of Hell, Dark Side of the Moon and Jethro Tulls’ Aqualung) I couldn’t miss the opportunity to see it on stage.
    - higherstandard 1.1.1.1
      
      7 December 2012 at 2:45 pm
      
      Ah… fair enough.
      - TheContrarian 1.1.1.1.1
        
        7 December 2012 at 2:46 pm
        
        I still have the original war of the Worlds vinyl at home – in perfect condition with the booklet.
        
        lprent 1.1.1.1.1.1
        
        7 December 2012 at 2:59 pm
        
        I had that as well up until 2 years ago. Like the books 16 weeks ago the boxes of vinyl didn’t survive the thought of trying to transport and find room for them.
        
        TheContrarian …
        
        7 December 2012 at 3:03 pm
        
        I could never ditch my vinyl and books. I am a book fiend in particular.
        
        What I didn’t note about this particular weekend is that I have a date with my wife tonight, in my study with a bottle of wine where we are going to, without bad feeling or rancor, go through my large volume of books with a view to discard some of them.
        
        This is not going to end well…if she goes over my old Detroit techno 12” records and rare white-labels there’ll be trouble…
        
        Ennui in Requiem …
        
        7 December 2012 at 5:08 pm
        
        Somewhere I have Yellow Brick Road on clear see through blue vinyl…the oldest one I have still since childhood is a battered copy of Let It Bleed (Stones) and an equally rat eared copy of Space Oddity (Bowie)…..sad really, dont even have the kit to play them on anymore.
        
        TheContrarian …
        
        7 December 2012 at 6:58 pm
        
        I have two copies of Yellow Brick Road for some reason. Became parted with my Shine on you Crazy Diamond somehow – which I am still pissy about.
        
        I have an early pressing of Sgt Peppers though. I think it is worth something these days though haven’t checked it out yet.
    - Ennui in Requiem 1.1.1.2
      
      7 December 2012 at 5:12 pm
      
      At half your age I saw Jethro Tull play a small venue, brilliant. Enjoy Saturdays gig, even if it is packed with oldies trying to groove!
- halfcrown 1.2
  
  7 December 2012 at 4:44 pm
  
  Enjoy yourself mate. I still have my double album c/w book. In very good condition and gets played a lot.
- felix 1.3
  
  8 December 2012 at 8:10 am
  
  Hey Contrarian, I have an idea for an alternate weekend plan if yours fall through. Take every record mentioned in this thread except DSOTM and Let It Bleed, and put them in a pile on the lawn and set fire to them, and dancing on the ashes as you meditate on what you’re going to do with the rest of your life.
  - mac1 1.3.1
    
    8 December 2012 at 8:22 am
    
    There is of course a serious answer to the problem of storage of vinyl records. When I had a lot of spare time after an operation before returning to work, the application Audacity recorded all my vinyl and cassettes to hard drive and MP3. I can now play them whilst working. Noisy vinyl could be cleaned up too, if important enough.
    - felixviper 1.3.1.1
      
      8 December 2012 at 8:47 am
      
      I’m deadly serious about my solution to the storage problem of War Of The Worlds, Yellow Brick Road, Aqualung, Bat Out of Hell, Brothers In Arms, Sgt Pepper’s, and all of TC’s Detroit techno. I think storing them in a pile of molten plastic in the bin is ideal.
      - mac1 1.3.1.1.1
        
        8 December 2012 at 5:48 pm
        
        Well, I did say that noisy vinyl could be cleaned up, Felix………… 😉
- David H 1.4
  
  8 December 2012 at 9:22 am
  
  Well if you got to spend 50 bucks thats a bloody excellent way of spending it.
  
  Another ‘old’ git lolz
  - TheContrarian 1.4.1
    
    9 December 2012 at 9:22 am
    
    Well the show sucked so bad. So fucking bad.
    And there is no way I am destroying my techno, Felix. That shit is gold.
    - felixviper 1.4.1.1
      
      9 December 2012 at 9:40 am
      
      You seem surprised. Had you not listened to the record?
vto 2

7 December 2012 at 3:00 pm

Is it weekend social time of the week already?

faaaarrk
lprent 3

7 December 2012 at 3:03 pm

The xmas party season is about to start with the work do. So does the annual question. Drive, designated driver, take taxi, or get Lyn to pick me up.

The latter is impossible as she is is in the Himalaya’s watching the bold mice in her accommodation (while worrying about the shoot).

Taxi I think…. What are other people doing?
- fender/same sentiment less eloquent Viper 3.1
  
  7 December 2012 at 3:49 pm
  
  Anything but drive Lynn, those xmas parties can quickly turn into a 21st re-run in my experience.
- karol 3.2
  
  7 December 2012 at 4:13 pm
  
  I don’t know. But I was out earlier around midday getting some groceries. There seems to be extra cars everywhere. And its still weeks away from Xmas.
- rosy 3.3
  
  7 December 2012 at 10:14 pm
  
  Public transport. And snow boots – because it’s looking like a very cold and white Christmas here.
Ennui in Requiem 4

7 December 2012 at 3:10 pm

We had a hell of a weather week in Wellington, it ripped the hell out of the garden, freak wind, so there is a bit of fixing to do. Chickens will be in attendance proffering advice and demands for beet.

Wondering how Annes budgie chicks are getting on?
Anne 5

7 December 2012 at 3:49 pm

The budgie chicks’ arrival was delayed one week due to neighbour being called away on family business. In the meantime, have purchased some budgie toys like ‘ropes’ and ‘ladders’ which have been hung from the roof and, hopefully, will keep them occupied and out of the oldies’ feathers.
Rosie 6

7 December 2012 at 4:06 pm

Time to Plant Up! Heavy and deep

Seriously though, we are involved in a local volunteer planters group charged with the mission of jazzing up the dreariness and encouraging biodiversity and will be out in force tomorrow morning.
And yep, E In R, looks like we’ve got a southerly coming in, down our way tomorrow. Might be a nice change from a boistorous northerly eh? My tenacious tomatoes are hanging on which is a miracle given the week we have had.

Our ducklings have grown and left the nursery that we provided. It was a joy watching them learn to fly.

Oh and it’s delicious Indian feast night! Yay!
- Ennui in Requiem 6.1
  
  7 December 2012 at 5:01 pm
  
  The northerly knocked over some broad beans but the most annoying bit is the way it stunts growth. My toms are rubbish except those in the hot tunnel (tres bon, looking fabulous). What kind of ducks?
  - Rosie 6.1.1
    
    7 December 2012 at 5:28 pm
    
    Testing. Site thinks I’m spam………..
    - lprent 6.1.1.1
      
      7 December 2012 at 10:44 pm
      
      Happens sometimes. Usually when you get an dynamic IP that has been previously delivering spam. If it persists try turning off your modem/adsl router and starting it again.
      - Rosie 6.1.1.1.1
        
        8 December 2012 at 8:10 am
        
        Thanks for the tricks Lprent:-)
  - Rosie 6.1.2
    
    7 December 2012 at 6:53 pm
    
    No go Ennui. 2 trys and both replies to you vanished in the mist.
    Ducks are mallards. Very short answer.
Rosie 7

7 December 2012 at 4:09 pm

On another note: Strength to those of you who are spending your Friday and your weekend cleaning up in West Ak after your tornado. I hope you get the help and support you need.
prism 8

7 December 2012 at 7:43 pm

I’ve jumped in and bought some Dave Brubeck – now that the old guy is dead. I liked his popular stuff and now have those plus some less well known. Did you know that he wrote a piece called Maori Blues or such when he was visiting here at one time?
QoTViper 9

7 December 2012 at 10:41 pm

Just finished season 2 of Boss, now to catch up on American Horror Story. I live such an action-packed life.
r0b 10

8 December 2012 at 12:20 am

Heading back South from Chch again Saturday – Mai Thai restaurant in Timaru – yum.
Te Reo Viper 11

8 December 2012 at 9:30 am

Listening to Bowie live in New York on vinyl courtesy of the nice people at Vinyl Countdown in New Plymouth. Any posters above who want to recycle their rekkids rather than melt them down are welcome to send them my way. But definitely no Eagles, ta. Ditto Queeen, AC/DC and the various MOR dinosaurs who blighted the seventies and eighties. We didn’t fight the punk wars for nothing, people.
- rosy viper 11.1
  
  8 December 2012 at 10:02 am
  
  We saw Bowie live in the pouring rain at Wellington stadium a few years ago. One of the most sincere artists I have every had the privilege to see. I was amazed to realise I remembered all the words from way back when, even though I hadn’t played the songs for years. My favourite
  - Te Reo Viper 11.1.1
    
    8 December 2012 at 10:25 am
    
    Lucky to have seen him twice Rosy, once at the Welly show you were at and also at Western Springs in ’78. The latter is still the best stadium gig I have ever been to, brutally loud, harshly lit and cathartic from start to finish. Just a monster of a show.
    
    The NYC LP is the recording of his 50th birthday party, lots of mates guesting, including Robert Smith, Sonic Youth and his American equivalent Lou Reed, who is also in fine, fine form. Could have stolen the recording from the net, but you never love what you get for free. And the vinyl just sounds better, anyway.
    - rosy viper 11.1.1.1
      
      8 December 2012 at 11:29 am
      
      Envious, I am. I’ll look up that LP.
      - Te Reo Viper 11.1.1.1.1
        
        8 December 2012 at 11:55 am
        
        Here’s a taster: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbxp1hC8vts
        
        I’m told the song is about Lou, but I’d suspect its more likely to be about another of Warhol’s special friends, perhaps Holly Woodlawn (who Lou also namechecks in song – Holly comes from Miami, F.L.A. etc).
        
        rosy viper 11.1.1.1.1.1
        
        8 December 2012 at 11:38 pm
        
        Ta. He’s just …. awesome, isn’t he? And Lou Reed is not so bad either. Interesting about Holly Woodlawn. Definitely on the to buy list – might try for the dvd.
- Rosie 11.2
  
  8 December 2012 at 1:17 pm
  
  Te Reo and Rosy: David Bowie is a God. Thank You for bringing him into the craic.
  
  It’s good folks are getting into vinyl again/never left it behind. We’ve got a couple of decades worth here, over 1000 at last count but also gazillions of cd’s. When we bought our first house a few months ago we planned to set up an epic music room/book library but there has been too much other stuff to do. All the gear is sitting there in waiting to be set up and for now we just use some good computer speakers. Transferred 750 music files, with 30 of them having sub directories on to the hard drive last weekend and just play everything from there for now.
  
  There continues to be good new music being produced. Its a great time to be keeping your ears out and its good to have access to free downloads, which more bands seem to be doing these days.
  
  Rosy: Hope you’re having a wonderful time in your winter wonderland:-)
  - rosy viper 11.2.1
    
    8 December 2012 at 11:54 pm
    
    To be honest we’re hibernating today – brunch in our thermally efficient, double-glazed home ;-). Although we might venture out to the markets a bit later, seeing as the temp has gone above the expected max of -3 (it’s -2 right now). Punsch is looking like a good option. Actually I do miss Wellington at this time of year – Enjoy it for us…
    
    And yes, Bowie is right up there. A music room is such a good idea – we’re not settled enough for that, surviving on downloads and I miss the touch and sight of all the paraphernalia that comes with records & CDs.
    
    As for new music, I’ve been intrigued by this young man – Jake Bugg recently. He seems to be a very musically mature 18 y.o.
    - Rosie 11.2.1.1
      
      9 December 2012 at 5:08 pm
      
      That sounds like a life affirming sort of a chill! Would love to experience a northern Europeon winter one day:-)
      
      Hey, that Jake Bugg is indeed on to it for his young years. That was a good sound early this Sunday morning. Its interesting how the country sound has become respectable and acknowledged over the last decade or so. Ditching the rhinestones and bouffy hair, tweaking the sounds and finding a new audience seems to have worked for that genre. And rag time is making a comeback! One band I’m going to look into is the Roseneath Centennial Ragtime Band, just to check it out. Sounds fun.
      
      Right now though it the roots and culture show on good ol radio active.
      
      Have fun:-)
      - rosy viper 11.2.1.1.1
        
        10 December 2012 at 9:41 am
        
        Very cool! If they’re around in Feb, I think I might too… you’ll need to update me if you manage to go see them.
Herodotus 12

8 December 2012 at 10:23 am

Watching the 6 star wars dvds with family in the order they were released – may take 2 weekends to complete. How do you tell kids that we start at episode 4 then progress to 6 then go to one. 😉
Pt 4 still holds up after all these years !!! And the special effects are still great.
Regarding records – where do you find stylists ?
aerobubble 13

8 December 2012 at 1:51 pm

To build a large society a book of common
understandings were required, some say this
book cannot change. Once first written, as
it had no errors, enlightenment never need
happen since. There are others that believe
a hair ape, pushed out by climate change
onto the savanna, learnt to standup, and
adapt to eating bone marrow. Eventually the
plains filled up with hairy apes, and some
shifted to the sea shore, where they were
nolonger dependant on kills from other beasts,
as they found sea food. There they became
the naked humans of today, unable to use
body gestures, or hand gestures, in the sea
they resorted to speach gestures. They of
course did this to reach the apex of their
existence writing a holy book that never could
be questioned again. The Pope has no problem
with evolution, my pinky fat near hairless behind.
The Pink Postman. 14

9 December 2012 at 4:14 pm

This Sunday morning spent on the Labour Party stall in he Lion’s Market Cambridge. Received a positive response from people /For Tory Cambridge that’s a good sign. This Wednesday off to the Met Opera iat the Lido Hamilton ,Verdi’s Otello . The next best thing to being at the real Met .
Neoleftie friend in arms of CV 15

9 December 2012 at 5:18 pm

Up early with baby, then more baby stuff, walk with baby, baby slept, changed baby, wife feed baby after coming home from farmers market, more baby stuff, another walk in sun, changed nappies and feed baby, visitors yeh, coffee beer and then played with baby in garden in the sun, baby eat a leak and choked, wife beside herself, more visitors and more visitors….baby asleep yeh, rest make tea for wife and myself thennnnn rinse and repeat.
Life of a new dad…all good and rewarding
- r0b 15.1
  
  9 December 2012 at 5:20 pm
  
  Nice. I miss those days!
  - Neoleftie friend in arms of CV 15.1.1
    
    9 December 2012 at 5:30 pm
    
    Well Friday I haddd to work from 9am till 11pm basically no breaks so glad for the weekend and Xmas coming up.
    Ah the joys of parenthood ah.

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Adrian R. Camilleri, University of Technology Sydney Christmas is a time of celebration, relaxation and gift giving. But choosing gifts can also make it a time of stress and anxiety. The wrong gift can actually do more harm than good. Here is some advice, based on decades of research, on ...
SciBlogsBy Guest Author
6 days ago

Fleeing to the Dawn: Published
2020 has been rather quiet on the short story front, but I have found a home for another of my pieces. A 1700-word fantasy (arguably getting into vignette territory), titled Fleeing to the Dawn, is now out as part of the Autumn 2020 edition of Shorts Magazine. The ...
A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
7 days ago

Observations of past climate change help rule out natural causes of current climate change
This post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "climate is changing now because climate has always changed". It was written by Scott Knapp as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. The total rate of global ...
Skeptical Science
7 days ago

As Safe As Houses?
Stein’s law says that if something cannot go on forever, it wont. But does a speculative bubble matter? The cryptocurrency bubble can be left to itself (tax evasion and criminal transactions aside). Why shouldn’t we do the same for housing? There are two general reasons why we should be concerned ...
PunditBy Brian Easton
1 week ago

Good riddance
Australian polluter Beach Energy has announced that it is cancelling plans to drill off Dunedin next year. The exploration permit in question, 38264, has a "drill or drop" requirement and has to drill an exploratory well by October 2021. But more importantly, it expires in November 2021. PEPANZ, the polluter ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
1 week ago

Repairing a hole in the wall with the diffusion equation
Last week child number 1 managed to put a hole in a plasterboard (‘gib’) wall. I wasn’t in the room at the time, but I believe it had something to do starting at one end of the house, running down the corridor, through the bedroom doorway, doing a forward flip ...
SciBlogsBy Marcus Wilson
1 week ago

Andy Asquith, Andrew Cardow, and Karen Webster: What ever happened to local government?
We would like to congratulate Nanaia Mahuta on her promotion to the role of Foreign Minister – an important historic move. We are delighted both to see some stability in the local government portfolio holder and to see it held by someone senior in the cabinet rankings. For once we ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
1 week ago

The Political Economy Of Pride And Prejudice.
For The Few, Not The Many: In the face of this widening gulf between the rich and the poor, successive New Zealand governments have opted for the same role that Jane Austen chose to play while her beloved England busied itself defeating Napoleon Bonaparte and the revolutionary egalitarian impulses he ...
Bowalley Road
1 week ago

What is causing the increase in atmospheric CO2?
This post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "CO2 increase is natural, not human-caused". It was written by Erika Harrington as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. Atmospheric CO2 has increased by more ...
Skeptical Science
1 week ago

Obvious questions for the NZDF
Today the Brereton report on war crimes by the Australian SAS was released, finding that Australian SAS troops had murdered 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners of war, with various actions taken to cover up the crimes. A special prosecutor will be appointed, and 25 soldiers have been referred for prosecution. ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
1 week ago

Matariki, history and ethnicity research honoured
Every year Royal Society Te Apārangi celebrates the achievements of researchers, scholars, and kairangahau who have achieved excellence in their disciplines throughout Aotearoa. This year separate ceremonies were held in the three main centres. In the first of two posts, we highlight the Māori and Pasifika recipients from the ...
SciBlogsBy Katherine Hurst
1 week ago

Keeping Rates Low
For decades, the Wellington City Council has been Keeping rates Low, skimping on infrastructure maintenance to pander to elderly property-owners. The result? Shit on the streets: Wastewater crews are working to fix a drain that is causing human faeces to pour onto a street in central Wellington. Wellington Water ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
1 week ago

Reconnecting with taha Māori on the shores of Lake Taupō
In one day with her kaumatua (elder) on the southern shores of Lake Taupō, Yvonne Taura (Ngāiterangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Uenuku, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) found her future career ambition was to raise awareness in restoring New Zealand’s wetlands back to health. In 2002 and in the middle of an ...
SciBlogsBy Rosemary Rangitauira
1 week ago

Enhancing the lives of tāngata whenua
Fiona Wiremu (Ngāi Tūhoe | Ngāti Ranginui) is driven to do all she can to enhance the lives of tāngata whenua and that’s evident in the multiple research areas she covers. These include mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) such as te reo Māori, culture and identity, Whai Rawa (Māori Economies), Te ...
SciBlogsBy Rosemary Rangitauira
1 week ago

Skeptical Science New Research for Week #46, 2020
If you learn something, say something The American Meteorological Society publication The Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences is encouraging authors to think about a wider readership's needs when submitting papers: The American Meteorological Society (AMS) mission statement specifically calls for advancing “the atmospheric and related sciences . . . for ...
Skeptical Science
1 week ago

It always pays to check before you share
Back in 2008, Dr Anthony Fauci (yes, that Dr Fauci) co-authored a paper that examined the interplay between influenza infection and secondary bacterial infection in mortality from the “Spanish flu¹” pandemic of 1918-19. He and his colleagues examined tissue samples taken during autopsies at the time of the pandemic, using ...
SciBlogsBy Alison Campbell
1 week ago

The Hollow Persons (With Apologies To T.S. Eliot)
Let’s do this Let’s keep moving IWe are the hollow personsInflated with hot airHanging togetherFor fear of hanging separately. Cut!Our empty promises, whenFirst we make them,Are far from empty.We are inflamed by the thrillOf passionate sounds,Like Boomers watching porn,Mistaking the image for the deed.Policy ...
Bowalley Road
1 week ago

The harmful impacts of climate change outweigh any benefits
This post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "global warming is good". It was written by Sophia Whitaker as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. The Pros and the Cons Our current ...
Skeptical Science
1 week ago

Southern Gothic Politics: The Bluing of Otago-Southland
The New Zealand Labour Party seems pretty happy with the October 2020 election. And on the whole, it is right to be happy. Single party majority governments don’t grow on trees under proportional representation. However, buried within the results are some… less encouraging signs for Labour (or alternatively, more ...
A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
1 week ago

Climate Change: The problem of air travel
Until the pandemic, air travel was one of the fastest growing causes of greenhouse gas emissions. And its obscenely unequal, with just 1% of the world's population causing 50% of the problem: Frequent-flying “‘super emitters” who represent just 1% of the world’s population caused half of aviation’s carbon emissions ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
1 week ago

Branko Marcetic: If Labour rests on its Covid-defeating laurels then its headed for a big fall
Jacinda Ardern’s Labour Party has received a historic landslide victory based on its competent handling of Covid, but the new government already shows worrying signs of complacency. Branko Marcetic argues that Labour can’t expect Covid issues to keep its popularity up and if it is to survive in power it ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
1 week ago

The obvious question
Stuff reports that housing speculators aren't paying their taxes: Speculators are making millions in an overheated housing market but as many as one in four didn’t pay the tax they owed on properties flipped last year, IRD figures reveal. Of the 1701 property sales subject to the bright-line test ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
1 week ago

Climate Change: Time to phase out fossil vehicles
Back in February, the UK announced that it was bringing forward its fossil-fuel vehicle phase out from 2040 to 2035. Now, they're about to bring it forward again, to 2030. Which has caused Climate Change Minister James Shaw to suggest that we follow them: Climate Change Minister James Shaw ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
1 week ago

What would happen if we cut down the Amazon rainforest?
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz What would happen if we cut down the ...
SciBlogsBy Guest Author
1 week ago

How we know human CO2 emissions have disrupted the carbon cycle
This post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "Human CO2 emissions is tiny compared to natural CO2 emissions". It was written by Ziheng Sun as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. Nature ...
Skeptical Science
1 week ago

Secondhand clothing sales are booming – and may help solve the sustainability crisis in the fashio...
Hyejune Park and Cosette Marie Joyner Armstrong, Oklahoma State University A massive force is reshaping the fashion industry: secondhand clothing. According to a new report, the U.S. secondhand clothing market is projected to more than triple in value in the next 10 years – from US$28 billion in 2019 to ...
SciBlogsBy Guest Author
1 week ago

To advance, workers must break the law: a reply to John Kerr
by Don Franks In response to my piece NZ union structure past its use by date John Kerr wrote: Bit of a cop out of an article: some penetrating analysis of what’s wrong (echoed in other pieces by Trotter et al) but no concrete suggestions around possible solutions… I agree ...
RedlineBy Admin
1 week ago

This is not a solution
Anger over the housing crisis and the betrayal of the kiwi dream has reached high enough levels that the Prime Minister feels she has to (be seen to) do something about it. Her solution? Subsidising property sellers: While facing questions this morning, Ardern revealed the Government was looking into ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
1 week ago

New data privacy rules are coming in NZ — businesses and other organisations will have to lift the...
Anca C. Yallop, Auckland University of Technology Most people these days are aware that what they share online is both valuable and vulnerable. Data privacy has become a major concern for consumers and corporations alike. The issue will come to a head when New Zealand’s Privacy Act 2020 comes into ...
SciBlogsBy Guest Author
1 week ago

A witch-hunt devastates the Auckland art world
Nina Power is a left-wing, Marxist influenced artist. Her work often takes a class-based analysis and explores women’s oppression. She recently became the target of a vicious attack and was slanderously was called a Nazi after she wrote an essay that was part of an exhibition of 400 flags. The ...
RedlineBy Daphna
1 week ago

Even the banks can see which way the wind is blowing
Jacinda Ardern has famously ruled out taxing wealth in any way, saying "not as long as I'm Prime Minister". Meanwhile, Westpac is saying that its inevitable: Rising public anger about growing inequality is likely to force the imposition of a capital gains or wealth tax in the next few ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
1 week ago

Moderna follows Pfizer with exciting vaccine news – how to read these dramatic developments
Simon Kolstoe, University of Portsmouth It is very exciting to hear another positive story about vaccine trial results – a good vaccine is the most likely way of ending the pandemic. Last week, interim results from Pfizer suggested its vaccine reduces cases of COVID-19 with 90% efficacy. Now Moderna has ...
SciBlogsBy Guest Author
1 week ago

If Only We Had A Minister Of Broadcasting Worthy Of The Title.
Worryingly Uninterested: Given Broadcasting Minister Kris Faafoi’s evident uninterest in the classic Reithian principles of public broadcasting – i.e. to educate, elevate and entertain the people – any review of his motivations for rolling-up TVNZ and RNZ into a single, state-owned broadcasting entity, leaves one fearing the worst.MORE OR LESS ...
Bowalley Road
2 weeks ago

Time to Stop Dodging Bullets? NZ’s Eight Recent Border Control Failures
Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Leah Grout, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Prof Michael Baker There have been eight distinct border control failures in Aotearoa/NZ relating to the pandemic virus that causes COVID-19, since early August 2020, equivalent to one every two weeks. In this blog we briefly detail these failures and ...
SciBlogsBy Public Health Expert
2 weeks ago

Human Fingerprints on Climate Change Rule Out Natural Cycles
This post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "global warming is caused by natural cycles". It was written by Kay Huang as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. Global warming refers to ...
Skeptical Science
2 weeks ago

A cringe, not a crouch
Over the weekend, Stuff's Henry Cooke identified the big problem with Labour: they're stuck permanently in defensive mode. And so they are unwilling to take political "risks" over things like housing, even when people are clamouring for action. Cooke's suggestion is that Labour needs to get out of its "defensive ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
2 weeks ago

Older posts

“The Government books are doing better than expected”: Grant Robertson on our economic r...
This week we presented the audited Government accounts for the year to 30 June 2020. These always take a while to be audited and published. But this year, with all that is been happening they cover a time that seems long ago! ...
Labour Blog
7 hours ago

Greens call for decent working conditions for all horticulture workers
The Green Party is calling on the Government to ensure all people working in horticulture are paid liveable wages and have access to quality accommodation. ...
Greens
9 hours ago

SPEECH: Opening the 53rd Parliament
E aku hoa i te ara o te whai, Kia kotahi tā tātou takahi i te kō, ko tōku whiwhi kei tō koutou tautoko mai. ...
Labour Blog
1 day ago

Oranga Tamariki head should question whether she has trust of Māori communities
“When considering whether to resign, Oranga Tamariki head Grainne Moss should question whether communities on the ground, particularly Māori, have trust and faith in her to do the job”, Green Party Māori Development spokesperson Dr Elizabeth Kerekere said today. ...
Greens
1 day ago

Green Party welcome Adrian Orr’s full and frank advice on tax
We welcome Adrian Orr signalling that he will provide advice to the Finance Minister on fiscal measures, include tax changes, to cool the housing market, Green Party Finance spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said today. ...
Greens
1 day ago

“We can do better”: Kelvin Davis talks tackling racism in education
"Racism exists – we feel little and bad." Those were the unprompted words of one student during an interview for the Education Matters to Me report produced by the Children’s Commissioner in 2018. ...
Labour Blog
3 days ago

Green Party respond to Government review of housing settings
It is a positive step that the Government is looking at options to take the heat out of the housing market, and has written to the Reserve Bank to that effect, but they must be open to using all the tools available to them, Green Party Co-leader and spokesperson on ...
Greens
3 days ago

Speeding up recovery: fast-tracking projects to boost jobs, build houses
We’ve announced three additional projects to go through the fast-track resource consenting process. Read below for a quick rundown of what these projects are, what the fast-tracking process means, and why the Government is using fast-tracking as one way to create jobs sooner and accelerate our economic recovery from COVID-19. ...
Labour Blog
3 days ago

Reports of prisoner abuse show need for prisons rethink and independent oversight
Reports of an asthmatic woman being bombed in her cell with pepper spray, being forced to lie face down on the ground to be fed, and having to show used sanitary items to guards to receive more, shows obscene human rights violations that need addressing, Green Party Corrections and Human ...
Greens
3 days ago

Green Party announce portfolio reshuffle with talented and energised caucus team
The Green Party Co-leaders have announced their portfolio reshuffle for the 53rd Parliament. “The Green Party caucus offers a breadth of talent and energy to the Parliament this term. In ten MPs you have a small business owner, a human rights lawyer, an academic, a climate negotiator, a transport planner, ...
Greens
4 days ago

Nearly 50 percent increase in Kiwi apprentices
As we recover and rebuild from COVID-19, we’re investing in major shovel-ready and long-term infrastructure projects up and down the country – creating thousands of jobs in the trades nationwide. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Celebrating World Children's Day
This World Children’s Day, we’re taking a look at all the ways we’re working to make New Zealand the best place in the world to be a child. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Report of alleged war crimes by Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan a distressing reminder of th...
The Green Party strongly condemns the revelation of alleged war crimes by the Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan, with an alleged unlawful killing of 39 people by 25 Special Forces personnel. ...
Greens
1 week ago

SPEECH: 10th Anniversary of Pike River tragedy
Tēnei te mihi ki a tātau katoa e huihui nei i tēnei rā I greet us all who are gathered here today ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Greens commit to ensuring strong oceans protection this term
The Green Party will work with Labour this term to ensure better protections for our oceans, Green MP Eugenie Sage said today. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Kiwis deserve fair prices at the supermarket
2020 has been a tough year. Not only has COVID-19 presented unique challenges to the way we work, play and socialise, for many Kiwis the pandemic has also meant more of a strain on the back pocket. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Auckland COVID-19 case shows need for extended sick leave before busy Christmas period
The case of an Auckland city worker heading to work with COVID-19 symptoms shows the need for urgent extended sick leave, Green Party Workplace Relations spokesperson Jan Logie said today. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Meet our new MPs
Wondering who our new Labour MPs are? We asked our 23 new Caucus members to share a little about themselves and the experience they will be bringing to Parliament... ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Reserve Bank policies will inevitably heat housing market, Government must implement tax reform to c...
The Government must use levers to prevent further over-heating of the housing market, which will result from the Reserve Bank pumping another $28 billion into the economy in the form of cheap loans to banks. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Successful prosecution of Talley’s deep-water fishing division shows need for more marine protecte...
Today’s ruling that Talley’s deep-water fishing division, Amaltal, is guilty of bottom trawling in the Hikurangi Marine Reserve demonstrates the need for increased fisheries enforcement and strong marine protected areas off our coasts, Green MP Eugenie Sage said today. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Green Party backs calls by New Zealand charities to lift the benefit by Christmas
The Green Party supports calls by 40 welfare and poverty organisations to increase income support payments to help lift families out of poverty before Christmas. ...
Greens
3 weeks ago

Next steps for Christchurch Hospital campus redevelopment
Canterbury DHB will be better placed to respond to future demand for services and continue to deliver high quality care, with the next stage of the campus redevelopment programme confirmed, Health Minister Andrew Little says. The Government has approved $154 million in funding for the construction of a third tower ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 hours ago

Five Power Defence Arrangements Defence Ministers’ Joint Statement
The Defence Ministers from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and United Kingdom reaffirmed their nations’ continued commitment to the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), and commended the achievements over the past 49 years as the FPDA moves towards its 50th Anniversary in 2021. The Ministers recognised the FPDA’s significant role ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 hours ago

New Year border exception for seasonal workers in the horticulture and wine industries
2000 additional RSE workers to enter New Zealand early next year employers must pay these workers at least $22.10 an hour employers will cover costs of managed isolation for the RSE workers RSE workers will be paid the equivalent of 30 hours work a week while in isolation From January ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
17 hours ago

Government increases support for New Zealanders to work in seasonal jobs
The Government is offering further financial support for unemployed New Zealanders to take on seasonal work. These new incentives include: Up to $200 per week for accommodation costs $1000 incentive payment for workers who complete jobs of six weeks or longer increasing wet weather payments when people can’t work to ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
18 hours ago

Government receives Royal Commission of Inquiry report into the Terrorist Attack on Christchurch Mos...
Minister for Internal Affairs Jan Tinetti has today received the Royal Commission of Inquiry report into the Terrorist Attack on Christchurch Mosques, and will table it in Parliament on Tuesday December 8. “I know this will have been a challenging process for whānau, survivors and witnesses of the terrorist attack ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

New Zealand Government to declare a climate emergency
The Government will declare a climate emergency next week, Climate Change Minister James Shaw said today. “We are in the midst of a climate crisis that will impact on nearly every ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Call for urgent action on Pacific conservation
A declaration on the urgency of the global biodiversity crisis and the need for immediate, transformative action in the Pacific was agreed at a pan-Pacific conference today. The 10th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas is taking place this week across the Pacific. Minister of Conservation Kiritapu ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Speech from the throne
E aku hoa i te ara o te whai, Kia kotahi tā tātou takahi i te kō, ko tōku whiwhi kei tō koutou tautoko mai. Ko tāku ki a koutou, hei whakapiki manawa mōku. He horomata rangatira te mahi, e rite ai te whiwhinga a te ringatuku, me te ringakape ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Keynote address to Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand conference
Speech to the CAANZ conference - November 19, 2020 Thank you, Greg, (Greg Haddon, MC) for the welcome. I’d like to acknowledge John Cuthbertson from CAANZ, the Commissioner of Inland Revenue Naomi Ferguson, former fellow MP and former Minister of Revenue, Peter Dunne, other guest speakers and CAANZ members. I ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Expert independent advisory group appointed to strengthen the future of Māori broadcasting
A panel of seven experts are adding their support to help shape the future of Māori broadcasting, Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson has announced today. “Today I will meet with some of the most experienced Māori broadcasters, commentators and practitioners in the field. They have practical insights on the ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Government to review housing settings
New Zealand’s stronger-than-expected economic performance has flowed through to housing demand, so the Government will review housing settings to improve access to the market, the Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced today. “Our focus is on improving access to the housing market for first home buyers and ensuring house price growth ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Crown accounts reflect Govt’s careful economic management
The better-than-expected Crown accounts released today show the Government’s careful management of the COVID-19 health crisis was the right approach to support the economy. As expected, the Crown accounts for the year to June 2020 show the operating balance before gains and losses, or OBEGAL, was in deficit. However that ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Community launch marks next step in addressing racism in education
The launch of Te Hurihanganui in Porirua today is another important milestone in the work needed to address racism in the education system and improve outcomes for Māori learners and their whānau, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis says. Budget 2019 included $42 million over three years to put Te Hurihanganui ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Government to consider recommendations on DNA use in criminal investigations
The Minister of Justice has received the Law Commission’s recommending changes to the law governing the way DNA is used in criminal investigations. The report, called The Use of DNA in Criminal Investigations – Te Whahamahi I te Ira Tangata I ngā Mātai Taihara, recommends new legislation to address how ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Speech to Wakatū Nelson regional hui on trade
First, I want to express my thanks to Te Taumata for this hui and for all the fantastic work you are doing for Māori in the trade space. In the short time that you’ve been operating you’ve already contributed an enormous amount to the conversation, and developed impressive networks. I ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Speech to Primary Industries Summit
Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today about the significant contribution the food and fibres sector makes to New Zealand and how this Government is supporting that effort. I’d like to start by acknowledging our co-Chairs, Terry Copeland and Mavis Mullins, my colleague, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Fast track referrals will speed up recovery and boost jobs and home building
The Government is taking action to increase jobs, speed up the economic recovery and build houses by putting three more projects through its fast track approval process. “It’s great to see that the fast-track consenting process is working. Today we have referred a mix of potential projects that, if approved, ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Papakāinga provides critically needed homes in Hastings
A papakāinga opened today by the Minister for Māori Development the Hon Willie Jackson will provide whānau with much needed affordable rental homes in Hastings. The four home papakāinga in Waiōhiki is the first project to be completed under the ‘Hastings Place Based’ initiative. This initiative is a Government, Hastings ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

New Zealand ready to host APEC virtually
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern took over the leadership of APEC earlier today, when she joined leaders from the 21 APEC economies virtually for the forum’s final 2020 meeting. “We look forward to hosting a fully virtual APEC 2021 next year. While this isn’t an in-person meeting, it will be one ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
7 days ago

Revival of Māori Horticulturists
The rapid revival of Māori horticulture was unmistakeable at this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy Awards, with 2020 marking the first time this iconic Māori farming event was dedicated to horticulture enterprises. Congratulating finalists at the Awards, Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson said growing large-scale māra kai is part of Māori DNA. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Emergency benefit to help temporary visa holders
From 1 December, people on temporary work, student or visitor visas who can’t return home and or support themselves may get an Emergency Benefit from the Ministry of Social Development, Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced today. Previously, temporary visa holders in hardship because of COVID-19 have had ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

School sustainability projects to help boost regional economies
Forty one schools from the Far North to Southland will receive funding for projects that will reduce schools’ emissions and save them money, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. This is the second round of the Sustainability Contestable Fund, and work will begin immediately. The first round announced in April ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Farmer-led projects to improve water health in Canterbury and Otago
More than $6 million will be spent on helping farmers improve the health of rivers, wetlands, and habitat biodiversity in Canterbury and Otago, as well as improving long-term land management practices, says Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. Four farmer-led catchment group Jobs for Nature projects have between allocated between $176,000 and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Tupu Aotearoa continues expansion to Pacific communities in Nelson, Marlborough, Tasman & Northl...
Pacific communities in Nelson, Marlborough, Tasman and Northland will benefit from the expansion of the Tupu Aotearoa programme announced today by the Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio. The programme provides sustainable employment and education pathways and will be delivered in partnership with three providers in Northland and two ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

New primary school and classrooms for 1,200 students in South Island
Education Minister Chris Hipkins unveiled major school building projects across the South Island during a visit to Waimea College in Nelson today. It’s part of the Government’s latest investment of $164 million to build new classrooms and upgrade schools around the country. “Investments like this gives the construction industry certainty ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Minister of Māori Development pays tribute to Rudy Taylor
Today the Minister of Māori Development, alongside other Government Ministers and MP’s said their final farewells to Nga Puhi Leader Rudy Taylor. “Rudy dedicated his life to the betterment of Māori, and his strong approach was always from the ground up, grassroots, sincere and unfaltering” “Over the past few ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Prime Minister to attend APEC Leaders’ Summit
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will attend the annual APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and associated events virtually today and tomorrow. “In a world where we cannot travel due to COVID-19, continuing close collaboration with our regional partners is key to accelerating New Zealand’s economic recovery,” Jacinda Ardern said. “There is wide ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Speech to Infrastructure NZ Symposium
Tena Koutou, Tena Koutou and thank you for inviting me to speak to you today. This is a critical time for New Zealand as we respond to the damage wreaked by the global COVID-19 pandemic. It is vital that investment in our economic recovery is well thought through, and makes ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Pike River 10 Year Anniversary Commemorative Service
Tēnei te mihi ki a tātau katoa e huihui nei i tēnei rā Ki a koutou ngā whānau o te hunga kua riro i kōnei – he mihi aroha ki a koutou Ki te hapori whānui – tēnā koutou Ki ngā tāngata whenua – tēnā koutou Ki ngā mate, e ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Huge investment in new and upgraded classrooms to boost construction jobs
Around 7,500 students are set to benefit from the Government’s latest investment of $164 million to build new classrooms and upgrade schools around the country. “The election delivered a clear mandate to accelerate our economic recovery and build back better. That’s why we are prioritising construction projects in schools so more ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Keeping Pike River Mine promises 10 years on
Ten years after the Pike River Mine tragedy in which 29 men lost their lives while at work, a commemorative service at Parliament has honoured them and their legacy of ensuring all New Zealand workplaces are safe. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attended the event, along with representatives of the Pike ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Additional testing to strengthen border and increase safety of workers
New testing measures are being put in place to increase the safety of border workers and further strengthen New Zealand’s barriers against COVID-19, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “These strengthened rules – to apply to all international airports and ports – build on the mandatory testing orders we’ve ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

More public housing delivered in Auckland
The Government’s investment in public housing is delivering more warm, dry homes with today’s official opening of 82 new apartments in New Lynn by the Housing Minister Megan Woods. The Thom Street development replaces 16 houses built in the 1940s, with brand new fit-for-purpose public housing that is in high ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Agreement advanced to purchase up to 5 million COVID-19 vaccines
The Government has confirmed an in-principle agreement to purchase up to 5 million COVID-19 vaccines – enough for 5 million people – from Janssen Pharmaceutica, subject to the vaccine successfully completing clinical trials and passing regulatory approvals in New Zealand, says Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods. “This agreement ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Jobs for Nature funding will leave a conservation legacy for Waikanae awa
Ninety-two jobs will be created to help environmental restoration in the Waikanae River catchment through $8.5 million of Jobs for Nature funding, Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan announced today. “The new funding will give a four-year boost to the restoration of the Waikanae awa, and is specifically focussed on restoration through ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

New Dunedin Hospital project progresses to next stage
As the new Dunedin Hospital project progresses, the Government is changing the oversight group to provide more technical input, ensure continued local representation, and to make sure lessons learnt from Dunedin benefit other health infrastructure projects around the country. Concept design approval and the release of a tender for early ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Jump in apprentice and trainee numbers
The number of New Zealanders taking up apprenticeships has increased nearly 50 percent, and the number of female apprentices has more than doubled. This comes as a Government campaign to raise the profile of vocational education and training (VET) begins. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

ReBuilding Nations Symposium 2020 (Infrastructure NZ Conference opening session)
Tena koutou katoa and thank you for the opportunity to be with you today. Can I acknowledge Ngarimu Blair, Ngati Whatua, and Mayor Phil Goff for the welcome. Before I start with my substantive comments, I do want to acknowledge the hard work it has taken by everyone to ensure ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

New Zealand's biosecurity champions honoured
Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor has paid tribute to the winners of the 2020 New Zealand Biosecurity Awards. “These are the people and organisations who go above and beyond to protect Aotearoa from pests and disease to ensure our unique way of life is sustained for future generations,” Damien O’Connor says. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Tourism Industry Aotearoa Conference
speech to Tourism Industry Aotearoa annual summit Te Papa, Wellington Introduction Nau mai, haere mai Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, Ka nui te mihi, ki a koutou. Thank you Tourism Industry Aotearoa for hosting today’s Summit. In particular, my acknowledgements to TIA Chair Gráinne Troute and Chief Executive Chris Roberts. You ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Older posts

PNG Supreme Court dismisses challenge to Marape’s election
By RNZ Pacific Papua New Guinea’s Supreme Court has dismissed a legal challenge over the election of James Marape as prime minister last year. The challenge by Opposition Leader Belden Namah related to alleged irregularities in the parliamentary election 18 months ago. During the May 2019 session, after resigning as ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
3 hours ago

40-day ‘fasting for West Papua’ protest ends soon – but still no action
Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk An appeal for a 40-day fast across the region by the Pacific Council of Churches in support of West Papua closes next week with no result in sight. The secretary-general of the PCC, Rev James Bhagwan, and West Papua Church Council (WPCC) are still waiting for ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
4 hours ago

Call By NZ Outdoors Party To Boycott Qantas If Mandatory Vaccinations Enforced
"Qantas set a dangerous precedent on Monday when it announced its “No Jab No Fly” policy for mandatory vaccination for Qantas customers." Said Tracy Livingston, the NZ Outdoors Party spokesperson on health. Tracy added "Many ...
Scoop politics
5 hours ago

Maradona: the Bolivarian Soccer Genius
Source: Council on Hemispheric Affairs – Analysis-Reportage By Danny Shaw and William Camacaro From NY and Caracas The fighting peoples of the world lost a humble legend yesterday. Diego Armando Maradona was 60-years-old. Arguably the greatest soccer player to ever grace the pitches, the spirited striker combined unparalleled ...
Evening ReportBy Evening Report
5 hours ago

Coon’s rebranding dilemma: polishing a brand name to stay out of controversy
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Abas Mirzaei, Senior Lecturer – Branding, Macquarie University The makers of Coon cheese will no doubt have paid close attention to the publicity surrounding Nestle’s rebadging of its Red Skins and Chicos confectionary brands. While the change of Chicos to Cheekies was ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
6 hours ago

Fullers360's Response To The Prime Minister's Climate Emergency Declaration
Mike Horne, Chief Executive Officer, Fullers360: “Fullers360 supports Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s announcement yesterday indicating the declaration of a climate emergency in New Zealand. As Auckland’s largest ferry provider, Fullers360 recognises ...
Scoop politics
6 hours ago

Keith Rankin Chart Analysis: Covid-19: Orders of Magnitude – USA vs. China, World
Analysis by Keith Rankin. A Tale of Two Countries. Chart by Keith Rankin. This week’s charts extend the period covered to January 2020, when almost all recorded cases were in China. Cases came into other countries in late January, including the United States in dribs and drabs, and were largely ...
Evening ReportBy Keith Rankin
7 hours ago

Fish & Game Endangers Its Vital Public Role By Moving Closer To Federated Farmers
Freshwater Campaigners Say The NZ Fish And Game Council Is Endangering Its Vital Public Role In The Protection Of Rivers And Lakes If It Moves Closer To Federated Farmers, Following Today’s Announcement On The Two Organisations’ Intention To ...
Scoop politics
7 hours ago

The Week in Politics: Govt gets serious about housing crisis
Analysis - The finance minister asks for Reserve Bank help to deal with the housing crisis, Oranga Tamariki chief executive says she won't quit and Māori Party MPs walk out on day one. ...
Radio NZ – political
7 hours ago

The Unity Books children’s bestseller chart for the month of November
What’s the best way to get adults reading? Get them reading when they’re children – and there’s no better place to start than the Unity Children’s Bestseller Chart.AUCKLAND1 Skunk & Badger by Amy Timberlake & Jon Klassen (Allen & Unwin, $26, 4+)“One of the best books I’ve read all year ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff Review of Books
8 hours ago

Planning a road trip in a pandemic? 11 tips for before you leave, on the road and when you arrive
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thea van de Mortel, Professor, Nursing and Deputy Head (Learning & Teaching), School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University As restrictions ease around the country and the prospect of travel beckons, many of us will be planning road trips for the holiday ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
8 hours ago

Haunted still by the ‘ship of death’, Samoa is on high Covid alert
The 1918 Spanish flue devasated Samoa, and its impact is still felt today, writes Tootoooleaav Dr Fanaafi Aiono-Le Tagaloa.Within minutes of news that crew members of the cargo ship Fesco Askold had tested positive for Covid-19, a social media storm broke across Samoa. Covid-free until then, the island nation’s anxiety ...
The SpinoffBy Tootoooleaava Dr Fanaafi Aiono-Le Tagaloa Tagaloa
8 hours ago

Can ‘hubs’ make up for the erasure of small-town banks?
The finance minister went to Martinborough today to open a new regional banking hub. But as Alex Braae reports, many see it as too small a measure to address a serious issue for regional New Zealand.There hasn’t been a bank branch in the south Wairarapa centre of Martinborough for a ...
The SpinoffBy Alex Braae
8 hours ago

Biden’s cabinet picks are globally respected, but one obstacle remains for the US to ‘lead the w...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra The “team of rivals” was the term historian Doris Kearns Goodwin used to describe US President Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet. It included three men who had run against Lincoln ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
8 hours ago

NZ to admit 2000 Pacific horticulture workers under strict conditions
By Eric Frykberg, RNZ News Reporter The New Zealand government has offered help to the under-pressure horticultural sector by allowing 2000 registered seasonal employer (RSE) workers in to help pick fruit and vegetables this summer. Growers had complained that without these workers, some produce would rot unpicked. The government has ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
8 hours ago

The Friday Poem: Code name by Oscar Upperton
A new poem by Oscar Upperton from a sequence about Dr James Barry, a 19th century surgeon whose gender has been the subject of much debate.Code nameYoung Barry begins the study of medicine, under a new name and in a new town.A name needs rinsing out, once in a while.I ...
The SpinoffBy Oscar Upperton
9 hours ago

Crown threatens court action over Newsroom video
Crown lawyers are considering legal action to have the Newsroom documentary on Oranga Tamariki removed from this website The Government's top lawyer, Solicitor-General Una Jagose, wants the High Court to stop Newsroom continuing to publish a video documentary on Oranga Tamariki's 'reverse uplift' of young Māori children. She has sought an urgent ...
Newsroom
9 hours ago

Yesterdaze: A lesson in talking the talk
Jacinda Ardern has been busy with pre-talk talks about having formal pre-talk talks, while the housing hot potato gets passive-aggressively tossed around. James Elliott has the news of the week. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke with US President-in-waiting-until-20-January-2021 Joe Biden this week. It’s unclear whether she was calling Joe to congratulate ...
Newsroom
10 hours ago

The border is NZ’s first defence against Covid-19 – but the rules will be relaxed to ensure our ...
Having reminded Parliament that New Zealanders in October elected a majority Government for the first time under our Mixed Member Proportional electoral system, and that the Government enjoys the confidence of a clear majority of members in the House of Representatives, the Speech from the Throne set out the policy ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
10 hours ago

New Health Minister Andrew Little promises to fast-track reforms of the health sector
The new Health Minister is promising to fast-track reforms of the health sector within the next 18 months to two years. ...
Radio NZ – political
10 hours ago

NZ may be excluded from climate leaders summit
New Zealand may not be invited to a meeting of high-ambition climate leaders in December over concerns about the country's inaction on climate change, Marc Daalder reports New Zealand's attendance at a summit of high-profile, high-ambition global leaders on climate change is in doubt. The Sprint to Glasgow meeting is ...
Newsroom
10 hours ago

How to avoid getting ripped off in the Black Friday bargain carnival
With retailers being urged to advertise honest and genuine savings this Black Friday, here’s what consumers should be looking out for.It’s been tough for a lot of businesses this year, but there was some good news for retailers earlier this week when Stats NZ revealed sales had jumped 7.4% year-on-year ...
The SpinoffBy Jihee Junn
10 hours ago

Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – November 27 2020
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Today’s content Opening of new Parliament Henry Cooke (Stuff): New Parliament brings old debates as Judith Collins and Jacinda Ardern fail to shift dial on first day back Justin Giovannetti (Spinoff): Get set, go: Labour ...
Evening ReportBy Bryce Edwards
10 hours ago

More Than 1700 Attend EMA Spring Briefings
New Zealand border issues, skills and staff shortages and new rules around compulsory Christmas shut-downs dominated discussions during the EMA’s recently completed Spring Briefing round. More than 1700 EMA members joined the briefings with record ...
Scoop politics
11 hours ago

Speaker of the House and Māori Party accuse each other of grandstanding after walk-out
The Speaker of the House and the Māori Party are accusing each other of grandstanding after the Māori Party's two MPs walked out of the first session of the new Parliament yesterday. ...
Radio NZ – political
11 hours ago

Labour Seems To Have Finally Realised There Is A Housing Crisis In New Zealand
The housing crisis right now in New Zealand is one of our biggest contributors to income and wealth inequality. With the explosive increase in sales and prices going on right now, those with houses or able to buy them for whatever reason, have their ...
Scoop politics
11 hours ago

Climate Change An Economic Issue; Critical For The Planet’s Future
Australia’s Lord Mayor of Darwin, Kon Vatskalis, says climate change is an economic issue and is critical to their city’s future. He says they need to act as it is critical to avoid irreparable damage to more than $1billion of community infrastructure ...
Scoop politics
11 hours ago

The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending November 26
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.AUCKLAND1 A Promised Land by Barack Obama (Penguin Random House, $70)The first volume of Obama’s presidential memoirs, released four ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff Review of Books
12 hours ago

CTU Welcomes Living Wage For Fruit Pickers
The Council of Trade Unions is welcoming today's announcement by Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi and Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor that the 2000 people from the Pacific being brought to New Zealand to pick seasonal fruit, will be paid no less ...
Scoop politics
12 hours ago

CTU Welcomes Living Wage For Fruit Pickers
The Council of Trade Unions is welcoming today's announcement by Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi and Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor that the 2000 people from the Pacific being brought to New Zealand to pick seasonal fruit, will be paid no less ...
Scoop politics
12 hours ago

Suspensions Up Over 25% – Time To Provide Students Online Choice
Latest Ministry of Education figures, released under the Official Information Act, reveal the number of school students suspended increased by 25.4% - from 2,618 students in 2015 to 3,283 in 2019, with the current school year’s data still being collated. ...
Scoop politics
12 hours ago

Suspensions Up Over 25% – Time To Provide Students Online Choice
Latest Ministry of Education figures, released under the Official Information Act, reveal the number of school students suspended increased by 25.4% - from 2,618 students in 2015 to 3,283 in 2019, with the current school year’s data still being collated. ...
Scoop politics
12 hours ago

Victoria may have eliminated COVID-19, but eradication is a distant dream
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Toole, Professor of International Health, Burnet Institute Today Victoria satisfied a common definition of elimination for COVID-19, recording its 28th consecutive day of zero new cases. While there is no international definition of elimination, two average incubation periods without community transmission ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
12 hours ago

Can you really make $400 a day picking cherries?
Claims that cherry pickers can pull in $400 a day should have all of us packing our bags and heading south. But is orchard work really that lucrative?Every year, as a crisp and blissful summer thaws the South Island out of its languor, students at the University of Otago toss ...
The SpinoffBy Michael Andrew
13 hours ago

Call Of The Kererū Reveals A Hidden Treasure
A new two part documentary gives a rare and insightful look into Tūhoe and their unique relationship with Te Urewera as seen through the iwi’s connection with the kererū. Te Kura Huna o Te Urewera (The Hidden Treasure of Te Urewera) speaks to ...
Scoop politics
13 hours ago

Black Friday: Time To Break Up Amazon
This ‘Black Friday’, the ITUC is joining a global movement calling for urgent action to deal with the serial, corporate abuse of Amazon. Governments and regulators must step in to stop Amazon: abusing its dominant market position squeezing small ...
Scoop politics
13 hours ago

Royal Commission Report Is Just The Start
The release of the Royal Commission of Inquiry report that looked into why the Police granted a gun license to the man who then committed the massacre on March the 15th last year is just the start, according to the Sporting Shooters Association of New ...
Scoop politics
13 hours ago

10 Considerations Before Giving Pets For Christmas
With the season to be jolly upon us, animal lovers might be tempted to share their joy by putting a puppy or kitten under the Christmas tree. However, PD Insurance is advising Kiwis to avoid the urge unless 100 percent sure it’s the right gift ...
Scoop politics
13 hours ago

These rangatahi Māori animation grads are ready to tell their own stories
Helping to get more rangatahi Māori interested in animation and design industries, the first class from the Māoriland MATCH programme are set to graduate today. The Māoriland film festival is run every year out of Ōtaki, a small town on the Kāpiti Coast. The five-day event hosts a number of Indigenous ...
The SpinoffBy Alice Webb-Liddall
14 hours ago

Curious Kids: could dinosaurs evolve back into existence?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Poropat, Postdoctoral Researcher (Palaeontology), Swinburne University of Technology Will there ever be dinosaurs again? — Anonymous What an interesting question! Well, technically dinosaurs are still here in the form of birds. Just like you’re a direct descendant of ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
15 hours ago

Taking proper sick leave has never been more crucial. So why are people still ‘soldiering on’ at...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Esme Franken, Lecturer in Management, Edith Cowan University New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian, who last week carried on working for up to two hours while awaiting the results of a rapid COVID test, wasn’t the first Australian to “soldier on” in ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
15 hours ago

Devastated by disease in the past, Samoa is on high alert after recent coronavirus scares
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tootoooleaava Dr. Fanaafi Aiono-Le Tagaloa, Law Lecturer and Convenor of Pacific Engagement, University of Waikato Within minutes of news that crew members of the cargo ship Fesco Askold had tested positive for COVID-19, a social media storm broke across Samoa. COVID-free until ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
15 hours ago

How will sharks respond to climate change? It might depend on where they grew up
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Culum Brown, Professor, Macquarie University They may have been around for hundreds of millions of years — long before trees — but today sharks and rays are are among the most threatened animals in the world, largely because of overfishing and habitat ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
15 hours ago

5 ways Australia can get ahead in attracting and retaining Chinese international students
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yu Tao, Senior Lecturer in Chinese Studies, University of Western Australia Before the COVID-19 pandemic, about two in every five international students enrolled in Australian higher education institutions were from mainland China. These Chinese students brought in more than $A10 billion a ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
15 hours ago

Delivery rider deaths highlight need to make streets safer for everyone
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amelia Thorpe, Associate Professor in Law, UNSW Five food-delivery cyclists have died on Australian roads in the past three months, four in Sydney. Most commentary has focused on the harsh employment conditions that force people to take risks they shouldn’t have to. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
15 hours ago

Vital Signs: Janet Yellen, the very model of a modern Madam Secretary
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW It is widely tipped that US president-elect Joe Biden will nominate Janet Yellen as Treasury Secretary – one of the most important posts in any administration. She will make for a terrific Treasury Secretary, bringing with ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
15 hours ago

Friday essay: 5 museum objects that tell a story of colonialism and its legacy
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alistair Paterson, ARC Future Fellow, University of Western Australia Two new Australian museums are emerging from old ones as the year draws to a close. The new Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney assembles rich collections from across the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
15 hours ago

Live updates, November 27: Māori Party co-leaders were ‘grandstanding’ – speaker
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 27. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz8.00am: Māori Party co-leaders were ‘grandstanding’ – speakerSpeaker of the house Trevor Mallard has defended his actions in the house yesterday, when he prevented the Māori Party co-leaders from speaking during the first session of the new parliament.It ...
The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund
15 hours ago

The Bulletin: Massive workforce boost for horticulture sector
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Massive workforce boost for horticulture sector, wild opening day at parliament, and dwindling specialist doctor workforce raises burnout fears.Two announcements from the government this morning will give the horticulture sector a major workforce boost. As the NZ Herald’s Derek Cheng reports, 2000 places ...
The SpinoffBy Alex Braae
16 hours ago

Declaration Of ‘Symbolic’ Climate Emergency
Does the Government know we are in a climate and ecological emergency, our house is on fire, and we are heading for a catastrophe? Today the government signalled that next week in parliament they intend to pass a climate emergency motion. The ...
Scoop politics
16 hours ago

'My name is Ibrahim Omer'
Former refugee and new MP Ibrahim Omer captivated Parliament yesterday with his maiden speech to the House. Here is the transcript, from Hansard, of his life's journey: IBRAHIM OMER (Labour): Kia ora and salaam alaikum. My name is Ibrahim Omer. I'm an Eritrean. I'm a son, brother, a friend. I'm a ...
Newsroom
17 hours ago

Māori Party ensures Parliament returns with a bang
The opening of Parliament saw familiar barbs exchanged between Jacinda Ardern and Judith Collins, but the Māori Party's new MPs have shown they are prepared to insert their unique approach into proceedings immediately With each new parliamentary term comes a chance for fresh beginnings, to wipe the slate clean and ...
Newsroom
17 hours ago

From where you'd rather beach
With the summer break tantalisingly close, Newsroom readers share their favourite beach escapes While countries around the world settle in for renewed Covid-19 lockdowns, here in Godzone we are mere weeks aways from the annual summer migration (as long as we keep scanning those QR codes). Day trips to beaches, roadies to ...
Newsroom
17 hours ago

Little regard for Māori heritage
The current lack of national support in our legal frameworks for cultural landscapes represents the ongoing struggle to address Te Āo Māori, and how we as a country see, understand and protect our past and land-based heritage, writes Nicola Short. Māori heritage is the oldest and rarest we have in ...
Newsroom
17 hours ago

NZ's housing debt dilemma
Housing debt is the catalyst behind our stratospheric house prices, and our policies to manage this will be central to either a managed descent or the triage that will follow a housing market crash. Dr Michael Rehm examines our housing debt problem. Kiwis face a dilemma when it comes to housing. ...
Newsroom
17 hours ago

The collateral damage of ideologically-driven uplifts
Opinion: University of Otago associate professor of social and community work, Dr Nicola Atwool, is one of the country’s top experts in attachment trauma. She explains the dangers of ideologically-driven uplifts. I find myself in a dilemma as I formulate my thoughts on the issue of the uplifts of children ...
Newsroom
17 hours ago

A market awash with money
The Reserve Bank's efforts to drive bank lending up and interest rates down are doing more harm than good. ...
Newsroom
17 hours ago

US climate envoy could be 'reality check' for NZ
Will New Zealand come under fire from the United States' soon-to-be climate envoy John Kerry for not doing enough on climate? ...
Newsroom
17 hours ago

One netball misstep hobbles Morey's AFLW dream
Already a double international in her teens, Killarney Morey was on the verge of breaking into the big time of the AFLW, but a cruel knee injury has slowed her down Last year, Killarney Morey came one step away from her dream of playing professional Aussie Rules across the Tasman. The ...
Newsroom
17 hours ago

The death of NZ's autonomous sanctions regime
Why was "the least successful piece of legislation in New Zealand history" killed off? ...
Newsroom
17 hours ago

'It's all about agendas'
Since the release of a Newsroom Investigates video showing Oranga Tamariki uplifting four children from their carers after two and a half years, Newsroom has been inundated by stories from other foster parents and caregivers who have been affected by the agency’s practices. A foster parent* who experienced similar ...
Newsroom
17 hours ago

Covid delivers record trade surplus
Business & Investing Wrap: A steep drop in imports delivers New Zealand's best trade surplus in nearly 30 years, Plus Bitcoin plunges overnight ...
Newsroom
17 hours ago

It’s time to get angry about excess baggage fees
After hearing how much Jetstar charges if you try to travel with a heavy carry-on bag, Stewart Sowman-Lund gets good and mad on behalf of those who have been forced to fork out.There’s nothing more satisfying than beating the system at its own game. Not paying for parking and not ...
The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund
18 hours ago

Get set, go: Labour plans big sprint of new laws before Christmas
New Zealand will see some last-minute governing as Labour plans to rush through a legislative agenda before the summer break.Jacinda Ardern’s government is about to undertake a parliamentary sprint before Christmas, with plans to legislate a number of campaign promises and declare a climate emergency in only a few sitting ...
The SpinoffBy Justin Giovannetti
18 hours ago

Tourism's Covid reset
New tourism minister Stuart Nash got plenty of reaction to his anti-freedom camping sentiments - but he's provoked a much needed conversation about the type of baggage international visitors bring. Freedom camping isn’t free. If the campers aren’t paying for power and toilets at facilities built for them, ratepayers are ...
Newsroom
18 hours ago

Grattan on Friday: Will Morrison adopt 2050 target before Glasgow climate conference?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government’s provision of a RAAF plane for Mathias Cormann’s barnstorming campaign to become OECD secretary-general has stirred predictable outrage, especially when linked to the understandable emotion around the (unrelated) struggle of Australians trying to ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
23 hours ago

Should Parliament cut ties with ties? Shaw asks for rule change
Green Party co-leader James Shaw has asked speaker Trevor Mallard to bin rules requiring male MPs to wear ties in Parliament. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

What can you expect if you get a call from a COVID contact tracer?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tambri Housen, Epidemiologist | Senior Research Fellow, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University “Test, trace and isolate” has become the catch cry of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s recognised as an essential strategy for containing the spread of the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Parliament opens to robust exchanges between govt and opposition
The 53rd Parliament has kicked off with a lively Address in Reply debate, with the opposition vowing to hold the government to account, and to ensure it delivers on its promises. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Kylie Moore-Gilbert has been released. But will a prisoner swap with Australia encourage more hostag...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Parmeter, Research Scholar, Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, Australian National University Australian-British academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert’s release from an Iranian prison after more than two years’ detention is certainly a welcome development. However, the circumstances raise some uncomfortable questions for Australian ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Ancient Earth had a thick, toxic atmosphere like Venus – until it cooled off and became liveable
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Antony Burnham, Research Fellow, Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University Earth is the only planet we know contains life. Is our planet special? Scientists over the years have mulled over what factors are essential for, or beneficial to, life. The ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Not just hot air: turning Sydney’s wastewater into green gas could be a climate boon
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bernadette McCabe, Professor and Principal Scientist, University of Southern Queensland Biomethane technology is no longer on the backburner in Australia after an announcement this week that gas from Sydney’s Malabar wastewater plant will be used to power up to 24,000 homes. Biomethane, ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

‘Rules as Code’ will let computers apply laws and regulations. But over-rigid interpretations wo...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Guido Governatori, Software Systems Research Group Leader, Data61 Can computers read and apply legal rules? It’s an idea that’s gaining momentum, as it promises to make laws more accessible to the public and easier to follow. But it raises a host of ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Air NZ covid case not linked to New Zealand genomes – one new case
RNZ News Genome sequencing has showed the Air New Zealand crew member who tested positive for covid-19 in China is not linked to known cases in New Zealand, the Ministry of Health says. In a statement, the ministry reported one new case of the coronavirus in managed isolation today. The ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
1 day ago

Kelvin Davis, Peeni Henare at odds over Oranga Tamariki comments
Children's Minister Kelvin Davis has blamed his ministerial colleague's lack of Cabinet experience for why he mispoke on Oranga Tamariki's leadership. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago