Weekend social 28/06/2013
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2:00 pm, June 28th, 2013 - 18 comments
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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?
18 comments on “Weekend social 28/06/2013 ”
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- Opening statement for Whāriki Indigenous Small Business RoundtableKei ngā tōpito e wha o te āo e rere ana te mihi maioha ki a koutou nō tawhiti, nō tata mai e tāpiri ana ki tēnei taumata kōrero mo te ao hokohoko arā mā ngā pākihi mo ngā iwi taketake Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa – Pai Mārire. ...5 days ago
- New members appointed to KāpuiaThe Government is adding four additional members to Kāpuia, the Ministerial Advisory Group on the Government’s Response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch mosques. “I’m looking forward to having Pamela MacNeill, Huia Bramley, Melani Anae and Katherine Dedo join Kāpuia and contribute to this group’s ...5 days ago
- Timeline confirmed for Emissions Reductions PlanCabinet has agreed to begin consulting on the Emissions Reduction Plan in early October and require that the final plan be released by the end of May next year in line with the 2022 Budget, the Minister of Climate Change, James Shaw confirmed today. “Cabinet’s decision allows organisations and communities ...5 days ago
- Pay parity pathway for early learning teachers confirmedPay parity conditions and higher funding rates for education and care services will come into force on 1 January, 2022, Minister of Education Chris Hipkins confirmed today. The Government signalled this work in Budget 2021. “From 1 January, 2022, centres opting into the scheme will receive government funding and be ...6 days ago
- Speech to the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Conference 2021Kia Ora tatau katoa. Ka tuku mihi ki nga nēhi, He pou Hauora o Aotearoa, E ora ai tatou. Whakatau mai I runga i te kaupapa o te ra Te NZNO conference. Tena koutou tena koutou Tena tatou katoa Good morning, and thank you inviting me ...6 days ago
- Government investment in farmer-led catchment groups sweeps past 150 mark171 catchment groups have now been invested in by the Government 31 catchment groups in the Lower North Island are receiving new support More than 5,000 farmers are focussed on restoring freshwater within a generation through involvement in catchment groups Government investment in on-the-ground efforts by farmers to improve land ...7 days ago
- Fight to protect kauri on trackThe Government is pitching in to help vital work to protect nationally significant kauri forests in Auckland, Minister of Conservation Kiri Allan says. “Ensuring the survival of these iconic trees for future generations means doing everything we can to prevent the potential spread of kauri dieback disease,” Kiri Allan said. ...7 days ago
- Joint statement of Mr Bernard Monk; Hon Andrew Little, Minister Responsible for Pike River Re-entry,...[Note: The Parties have agreed on terms to fully and finally settle the proceeding and will jointly issue the below statement.] At the heart of this litigation are the lives of the 29 men tragically lost at the Pike River mine on 19 November 2010 and to whom we pay ...7 days ago
- More financial support for businessesToday’s decision to keep Auckland in a higher COVID Alert Level triggers a third round of the Wage Subsidy Scheme which will open for applications at 9am this Friday. “The revenue test period for this payment will be the 14th to the 27th of September. A reminder that this is ...1 week ago
- Aotearoa New Zealand provides further humanitarian support for AfghanistanAotearoa New Zealand is providing a further $3 million in humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “There is significant humanitarian need in Afghanistan, with the crisis disproportionately affecting women and girls,” said Nanaia Mahuta. The UN has estimated that 80% of the quarter of a million ...1 week ago
- Innovative te reo prediction tool announced in Te Wiki o Te Reo MāoriA new Māori language prediction tool will play a key role in tracking our te reo Māori revitalisation efforts, Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson announced today. He Ara Poutama mō te reo Māori (He Ara Poutama) can forecast the number of conversational and fluent speakers of te reo Māori ...1 week ago
- Further Government support for people to access food and essential itemsThe Government is responding to need for support in Auckland and has committed a further $10 million to help people access ongoing food and other essential items, Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni announced today. This latest tranche is targeted at the Auckland region, helping providers and organisations to distribute ...1 week ago
- Half a million Pfizer vaccines from DenmarkThe Government has secured an extra half a million doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines from Denmark that will start arriving in New Zealand within days, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. “This is the second and larger agreement the Government has entered into to purchase additional vaccines to meet the ...1 week ago
- Inland Revenue providing essential COVID support for businessesInland Revenue is seeing increased demand for Resurgence Support Payments and other assistance schemes that it administers, but is processing applications quickly, Revenue Minister David Parker said today. David Parker said the Resurgence Support Payment, the Small Business Cashflow (loan) Scheme and the Wage Subsidy are available at the same ...1 week ago
- New Zealand marks 20th anniversary of 9/11 attacksNew Zealand is expressing unity with all victims, families and loved ones affected by the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks, and all terrorist attacks around the world since, including in New Zealand. “Saturday marks twenty years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, which killed nearly 3,000 people ...1 week ago
- Speech to SPREP Environment MinistersTalofa Honourable Ulu of Tokelau Faipule Kelihiano Kalolo Tēnā koutou katoa and warm Pacific greetings from Aotearoa to your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. The new science released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on 8 August paints an alarming picture of the projected impacts of climate change on the ...2 weeks ago
- Additional Resurgence Support Payments to support businessBusinesses affected by higher Alert Levels will be able to apply for further Resurgence Support Payments (RSP). “The Government’s RSP was initially intended as a one-off payment to help businesses with their fixed costs, such as rent. Ministers have agreed to provide additional payments to recognise the effects of an ...2 weeks ago
- More Dawn Raids scholarships announcedDetails of the ‘Manaaki New Zealand Short Term Training Scholarships’, a goodwill gesture that follows the Government’s apology for the Dawn Raids of the 1970s, were released today by Pacific Peoples Minister Aupito William Sio. “These scholarships that are targeted to the Pacific will support the kaupapa of the Dawn Raids’ ...2 weeks ago
- One-way quarantine-free travel for RSE workers starting in OctoberOne-way quarantine-free travel for Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers from Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu starts in October New requirement for RSE workers to have received their first vaccination pre-departure, undertake Day 0 and Day 5 tests, and complete a self-isolation period of seven days, pending a negative Day 5 ...2 weeks ago
- Govt boosts Pacific suicide prevention supportApplications have opened for the Pacific Suicide Prevention Community Fund as the Government acts to boost support amid the COVID delta outbreak. “We know strong and connected families and communities are the most important protective factor against suicide and this $900,000 fund will help to support this work,” Health Minister ...2 weeks ago
- Govt parks the expiry of licenses, WoFs and regosAs a result of the Delta outbreak, driver licences, Warrants of Fitness (WoFs), Certificates of Fitness (CoFs), vehicle licences (‘regos’) and licence endorsements that expired on or after 21 July 2021 will be valid until 30 November 2021, Transport Minister Michael Wood has announced today. “While this extension won’t officially ...2 weeks ago
- COVID-19 community fund to provide support for vulnerable women and girlsMinister for Women Jan Tinetti today announced a $2 million community fund that will provide support for women and girls adversely affected by COVID-19. “We know that women, particularly those who are already vulnerable, are disproportionally affected by the kind of economic disruption caused by COVID-19,” Jan Tinetti said. ...2 weeks ago
- Next phase of support for Fiji’s COVID-19 response announcedA further NZ$12 million of support for Fiji’s COVID-19 response has been announced by Foreign Minister Hon Nanaia Mahuta today. The package builds on previous tranches of assistance Aotearoa New Zealand has provided to Fiji, totalling over NZ$50 million. “Fiji remains in a very challenging position in their response to ...2 weeks ago
- Robotic asparagus harvester aimed at addressing industry challengesThe Government is backing a $5 million project to develop a commercial-scale autonomous robotic asparagus harvester, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. The Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund (SFF Futures) is contributing $2.6 million to the project. Project partner Robotics Plus Limited (RPL) will build on a prototype asparagus ...2 weeks ago
- Additional Pfizer vaccines to arrive tomorrowMore than a quarter of a million additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine are on their way from Spain to New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. The additional doses will arrive in Auckland on Friday morning to help meet the current surge in demand for vaccination. “It’s been ...2 weeks ago
- Young people to have their voices heard in Youth Parliament 2022The dates and details for Youth Parliament 2022 have been announced today by Minister for Youth Priyanca Radhakrishnan, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Youth Parliament is an opportunity for 141 young people from across Aotearoa New Zealand to experience the political process and learn how government works. ...2 weeks ago
- Boosting support for tertiary students affected by COVID-19Students facing a hard time as a result of COVID-19 restrictions will continue to be supported,” Education Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today. The Government is putting a further $20 million into the Hardship Fund for Learners, which will help around 15,000 students to stay connected to their studies and learning. ...2 weeks ago
- COVID-19: Immediate relief available for Māori and iwi organisationsThe Government has reprioritised up to $5 million to provide immediate relief to vulnerable whānau Māori and communities during the current COVID-19 outbreak Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson announced today. The COVID-19 2021 Whānau Recovery Fund will support community-driven, local responses to gaps in access and provision of critical ...2 weeks ago
- Who gives a tweet about MIQ misery
The government’s choice of a randomised electronic queue for the distribution of 3,000 MIQ rooms yesterday had one surprising benefit. It showed just how many New Zealanders were desperate enough to stand in e-line – more than 26,000 according to Stuff. It also reminds us that while ministers and ...6 hours ago - New Zealand government takes a calculated risk to relax Auckland’s lockdown while new cases contin...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Plank, Professor in Applied Mathematics, University of Canterbury Fiona Goodall/Getty Images The decision to move Auckland to alert level 3 from midnight on Tuesday is a calculated risk by the government. New daily cases in Auckland have stayed stubbornly ...8 hours ago - COVID will likely shift from pandemic to endemic — but what does that mean?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lara Herrero, Research Leader in Virology and Infectious Disease, Griffith University Most people are wondering when and how the COVID pandemic will end and there are still no easy answers. The word “endemic” is regularly mentioned, especially among public health leaders and ...9 hours ago
- Why you shouldn’t make a habit of doing a ‘just in case’ wee — and don’t tell your kids to...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer King, Honorary Clinical Lecturer, University of Sydney Shutterstock We’ve all done done a quick “just in case” wee before heading out or because we’re passing the bathroom. If you’re a parent, you might have also told the kids to ...10 hours ago
- Why is southeast Asia so concerned about AUKUS and Australia’s plans for nuclear submarines?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies, University of Tasmania The announcement of a new strategic alliance between Australia, the US and UK (AUKUS) has caught many by surprise. Besides France, which reacted with fury over Australia’s scrapping of a major submarine deal ...11 hours ago
- Relief for Auckland – more rules for Mangatangi
Aucklanders can breathe a sigh of relief stepping down to Alert Level 3, but for a small community in Waikato it's back to Alert Level 4, for now Cabinet has decided to move Auckland out of lockdown at 11.59pm on Tuesday after it received advice that there is "no significant ...11 hours ago - Coalition gains a point in Newspoll, but Morrison slides back into net negative ratingsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne AAP/Joel Carrett This week’s Newspoll, conducted September 15-18 from a sample a little over 1,500, gave Labor a 53-47 lead, a one-point gain for the Coalition since ...12 hours ago
- Australia’s COVID plan was designed before we knew how Delta would hit us. We need more flexibilit...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Lukas Coch/AAP The great economist John Maynard Keynes, when accused of inconsistency on some policy, is credited with saying: “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you ...13 hours ago
- ‘No other people popular like Franco Cozzo in Melbourne’: a new film explores his colorful, hard...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Nichols, Senior Lecturer – Urban Planning, The University of Melbourne Sharmill Films Review: Palazzo di Cozzo, directed by Madeleine Martiniello Every Melburnian over 40, and many under, knows (or thinks they know) who Franco Cozzo is. He rose to ...14 hours ago
- Whiteness in the time of COVID: Australia’s health services still leaving vulnerable communities b...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Menzel, Assistant Professor – First Nations Health, Bond University Due to the ongoing effects of colonisation, First Nations peoples often experience socio-economic disadvantage and health inequality. The pandemic has no doubt worsened these conditions for some. In addition, the health ...14 hours ago
- The way out of Alert Level Four Covid confinement (it seems) is to get arrested and be freed on rema...
The Beehive website has been focused on Covid-related news in recent days – each of the last four press statements from ministers is related to Covid-19 issues and, for good measure, we can include a statement which arrived in our email in-tray yesterday from Peeni Henare which has not yet ...14 hours ago - End funding to the Kahukura program
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling for the Government to end funding to the Kahukura meth rehab program after a devastating analysis of the program from Judge Russell Collins. Executive Director the Union Jordan Williams says, “The ...15 hours ago - Closing the digital divide requires ‘constant attention’, say education experts
Each day of lockdown is exacerbating the digital divide for many, but experts say the answers will be found in the communities worst affected.The divide between the digital haves and have-nots continues to be one of the major fallouts from this pandemic, according to education minister Chris Hipkins. Despite more ...15 hours ago - The desperate crowd in the MIQ lobby
With the unveiling of the MIQ virtual lobby booking system this morning, Kiwis trying to get home are starting to wonder if they ever actually will A few weeks ago, the announcement of a virtual lobby and queue system coming to the MIQ booking system got hopes up worldwide ...15 hours ago - “Purpose-built MIQ facilities are urgently needed”The Opportunities Party (TOP) says the Government must not waste any more time and provide facilities that are fit-for purpose for the long-term management of this persistent virus. “25,000 Kiwis are trapped overseas and unable to return because ...16 hours ago
- The Spinoff Covid tracker: 15 live graphs that tell the story of delta in AotearoaEverything you need to know about how the Covid-19 pandemic is tracking in New Zealand, through regularly updated data visualisations.The Spinoff Covid tracker brings together all the relevant Covid data – cases, tests, vaccination and mobility – in one place.The aim of this page is to show the numbers in ...16 hours ago
- Australian students say they understand global issues, but few are learning another language compare...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Richardson, Research Director, Surveys and International Assessments, Australian Council for Educational Research students More Australian 15 year olds feel they are familiar with global issues such as climate change, migration, causes of poverty and equality between men and women than ...16 hours ago
- TOP says purpose-built MIQ Facilities are urgently needed“25,000 Kiwis are trapped overseas and unable to return because we have severely limited MIQ spaces. 25,000 Kiwis unable to see terminally ill loved ones, unable to celebrate milestones with friends and families, and unable to return to live in ...16 hours ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – September 20 2021Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. You can sign up to NZ Politics Daily as well as New Zealand Political Roundup columns for free here. Today’s content AUKUS, foreign affairs, trade Audrey Young (Herald): Preparing ...17 hours ago
- All the locations of interest on an interactive NZ map, sorted by exposure time and date of listingView all places of interest on the maps below, and sort by both the dates of potential exposure and the days when added. Plus: a searchable table with all locations. Built by the Spinoff’s head of data, Harkanwal Singh.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid story depends on support from Members. ...17 hours ago
- Whanganui racetracks sees half a dozen greyhounds injuredAt a racing meet last Wednesday, six dogs were injured at the Whanganui greyhound racing track. Two of the dogs suffered broken legs, with a third suspected. Two of the dogs are undergoing x-rays to confirm. ...17 hours ago
- How the pandemic propelled these home cooks to social media stardomLooking to spice up their weeknights, cooped-up New Zealanders have been seeking culinary inspiration on their phones, and these three clever cooks have capitalised. Greeting her 29,000 followers with a peppy “It’s Friday!” Polly Markus, of Miss Polly’s Kitchen, gestures enthusiastically at the camera while explaining her latest creation.Describing the meal, ...17 hours ago
- Health reforms: Wider role for pharmacistsTo mark World Pharmacists Day on 25 September, the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand is calling for the Government to ensure a wider range of healthcare services are available at your local pharmacy. According to Professor Rhiannon Braund, president ...17 hours ago
- Waikato cases throw wrench into Govt's works
Analysis: Three new cases in the Waikato and the spectre of more than a week of community transmission have derailed the Government's likely decision to move Auckland to Level 3, Marc Daalder reports With the Cabinet poised to move Auckland down to Level 3 after the country's longest ever Level ...18 hours ago - The battle of Highland Park: Supermarkets stand-off despite public promise
Supermarkets in stand-off despite public promise to Commerce Commission ...18 hours ago - NZ Left Out of the AUKUS Military InitiativeThe recently announced military alliance between the United States, the United Kingdom, and the government of Australia is related to strategic and vital sales of naval weapons capability and not a unique new defence strategy. ...18 hours ago
- The hunt for New Zealand’s best meal kit delivery serviceJihee Junn crunches the numbers on a recent study comparing the biggest players in the meal kit game. As a single, childless individual who doesn’t really mind filling up on five bowls of oatmeal a day, I can’t say I’ve ever been one to fully embrace the meal kit movement. But ...19 hours ago
- Undersea internet cables connect Pacific islands to the world. But geopolitical tension is tugging a...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amanda H A Watson, Research Fellow, Department of Pacific Affairs, Australian National University Cable coming ashore from a ship. Coral Sea Cable System If you’ve ever emailed a resort in Fiji or Vanuatu about that long-awaited holiday, it’s likely your email travelled ...19 hours ago
- Why unions support vaccination — but not employer mandatesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joo-Cheong Tham, Professor, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne The American union movement has split over President Joe Biden’s proposal for companies with more than 100 employees to vaccinate their workforces against COVID-19. With increasing numbers of employers mandating COVID-19 ...19 hours ago
- People dropped whisky into their noses to treat Spanish flu. Here’s what else they took that would...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philippa Martyr, Lecturer, Pharmacology, Women’s Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia Shutterstock We’re researching COVID-19 in a fast-paced world with new data becoming available all the time. We track which interventions work well and which ones ...19 hours ago
- Yes, Australia is buying a fleet of nuclear submarines. But nuclear-powered electricity must not com...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Lowe, Emeritus Professor, School of Science, Griffith University Shutterstock The federal government on Thursday announced a landmark defence pact with the United States and United Kingdom that involves this nation acquiring nuclear-powered submarines. The question of nuclear submarines in ...19 hours ago
- Delayed graduations, no formals — the class of 2021 has had a hell of a year. They need mental hea...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caroline Hunt, Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Sydney Shutterstock In August this year, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published research charting the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of young people. In the first ...19 hours ago
- The fraying tempers and fracturing resolve of Victoria’s endless lockdownThe state of Victoria has now spent almost two months in lockdown, its seventh since the pandemic began. It’s little surprise that the mood has turned so dark in recent days, writes Joe Nunweek, a New Zealander based in MelbourneI got home to Aotearoa from Narrm for a few weeks’ ...20 hours ago
- Level change at risk from three cases in Waikato
Three new Covid cases just outside the Auckland boundaries prompt a call for Auckland's Level 4 lockdown to be extended and to include the Waikato A testing centre is being set up at a marae in the Waikato settlement of Kaiaua today after three community cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in ...20 hours ago - The path to 90% vaccinationIt’s possible we won’t be able to get there, but the country has a target and the promise of doing away with level four lockdowns in the future, Justin Giovannetti writes in The Bulletin.The country’s vaccine programme now has a semi-official target of 90%. The director-general of health says we should ...20 hours ago
- Live updates, September 20: Alert level decision to be announced as Covid confirmed in WaikatoWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for September 20, by Stewart Sowman-Lund. Say hello at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz.Today’s agenda 1pm: The latest delta Covid case numbers will be revealed by the Ministry of Health in a press release. We’ll be looking for two crucial things: the number of unlinked cases and whether the ...20 hours ago
- NZX posts big gain, awaits rare IPO
Business & Investing: Index changes boost the NZX, Stride announces only the third IPO of the year, plus all eyes on this week's Fonterra full year result ...22 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 20 September22 hours ago
- Newsroom daily crossword, Monday 20 September22 hours ago
- Meng Foon: In times of crisis we need to look deeply in the mirror The easier it is for us to dehumanise others and see them as anonymous or two-dimensional caricatures, the easier it is for us to turn them into targets of our own unexamined frustrations, writes race relations commissioner Meng Foon.Most of us here in Aotearoa New Zealand, I think, care about ...23 hours ago
- If we want to reach 90% vaccination, we need to change up our strategyStuart Nash has staked a case of wine on 90% of New Zealanders being vaccinated by the end of the year. Communications specialist Samson Samasoni explains why the minister won’t be winning this bet any time soon. In July 1988, Andy Mochan was shaken awake by explosions and alarms on an ...23 hours ago
- The quiet figure behind New Zealand's APEC success
Vangelis Vitalis on the privilege and responsibility of hosting the major forum. ...23 hours ago - The police detective who writes novels
A South Auckland detective on his writing career I spend my days as a Police detective in south Auckland; I don’t feel the need to write about it too. My books are a variety of action thrillers, spy thrillers, post-apocalyptic thrillers…you get the picture. I write a bit of crime, ...23 hours ago - Luuka's extreme plan for a fifth Olympics
There's unfinished business for four-time Olympian whitewater paddler Luuka Jones, who wants to learn from her mistakes in Tokyo, aim for Paris 2024, and try out an exhilarating new boat for size. It took Luuka Jones a while to stop kicking herself – her own words - after falling short in her ...23 hours ago - Climate opportunities lost
How New Zealand blew its chance to arrest climate change New Zealand’s now seen three decades of rising emissions. But 30 years ago, we were almost carbon neutral for carbon dioxide. We had a chance to turn it all around, but political mistakes, missed opportunities, and creeping climate scepticism, meant ...23 hours ago - Hope for the best, prepare for the burst: Akld readies for alert level drop
Amid uncertainty over widening Delta outbreak, some workers are hesitant about dropping Covid alert levels ...23 hours ago - On the money: Kate Sheppard and the making of a NZ feminist iconANALYSIS: By Katie Pickles, University of Canterbury In 1992 four New Zealand icons (and the queen) appeared on new banknotes. Part of creating national identity, these notable citizens were chosen to represent the pinnacles of achievement. Āpirana Ngata, Edmund Hillary, Ernest Rutherford and Kate Sheppard — all in circulation so ...1 day ago
- NZ delta’s tail is ‘long and tough’, says PM Jacinda ArdernRNZ News As Auckland waits to hear if it will move down an alert level this week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has assured New Zealand the level four lockdown is having an impact, even with a small rise in case numbers in the past two days. Ardern and Director of ...1 day ago
- AUKUS pact strikes at heart of Pacific nuclear-free regionalismBy Johnny Blades, RNZ Pacific reporter Australia’s new security pact with the US and the UK has touched a nerve at the core of Pacific regionalism. The AUKUS alliance, announced by leaders of the three countries last week, finds them seeking strategic advantage in the Indo-Pacific region with a focus ...1 day ago
- New Caledonia extends lockdown – covid death toll now 24RNZ Pacific The New Caledonian government has extended the current lockdown as well as the curfew, until October as the covid-19 pandemic worsens. On Thursday, seven deaths from covid-19 were recorded, the heaviest daily toll since the discovery of the first indigenous cases of the disease on September 6. It ...1 day ago
- Papua’s KNPB accuses Jakarta of using military post attack to criminalise themAsia Pacific Report newsdesk The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) claims that an attack on a military post in Maybrat regency earlier this month is being used as a pretext to “force the KNPB into a corner” and to criminalise them, reports Suara Papua. The September 2 attack on Kisor ...1 day ago
- Covid-19 red alert over PNG ‘super spreader’ independence eventsBy Lulu Mark in Port Moresby Ten people have died from Papua New Guinea’s covid-19 pandemic and 203 new cases were reported in five days from September 9 as National Pandemic Response Deputy Controller Dr Daoni Esorom made a red alert call on Independence Day “super spreader” events. “Papua New ...1 day ago
- Fiji government sacking of chief statistician branded ‘shameful’By Christine Rovoi, RNZ Pacific journalist Questions have been raised about why the head of Fiji’s Bureau of Statistics was fired by the Bainimarama government this week. Kemueli Naiqama recently published this year’s household income and expenditure survey that showed three quarters of Fiji’s poorest people are indigenous Fijians, or ...1 day ago
- View from The Hill: For Morrison AUKUS is all about the deal, never mind the nicetiesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison, whose COVID face masks have the Australian flag emblazoned on them, likes to talk about “the Australian way” of doing things and Australian values. But it is not “the Australian way” to secretly ...1 day ago
- With a post-lockdown Victoria in sight, the more we can contain transmission now, the easier the roa...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Bennett, Chair in Epidemiology, Deakin University Victoria’s roadmap out of lockdown, released today, marks an important milestone. It’s a clear commitment to delivering on the National Plan, and provides much-needed clarity on where we are heading and what the next few ...1 day ago
- Christian Porter quits cabinet, refusing to find out who gave him money for legal costsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra AAP/Lukas Coch Industry Minister Christian Porter has been forced to resign from cabinet after declining to seek and provide to Scott Morrison the names of the anonymous benefactors who have helped fund his ...1 day ago
- World leaders return to United Nations with focus on pandemic, climate
World leaders are returning to the United Nations in New York this week with a focus on boosting efforts to fight both climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic, which last year forced them to send video statements for the annual gathering. ...1 day ago - Peace Group Welcomes New Zealand’s Ban On Australian Nuclear SubmarinesThe New Zealand Government’s announced continuation of its anti-nuclear policy, which will ban any future Australian nuclear submarines from entering New Zealand waters or ports, has been welcomed by long term peace activists, the International ...1 day ago
- Land taken by government officials won't be returned to Taihape school – ministerTreaty Negotiations Minister Andrew Little says farmland taken away by government officials will not be returned to Taihape Area School. ...1 day ago
- Government announces $36m investment in Covid-19 research fundThe government will invest $36m into infectious disease research to aid with the Covid-19 pandemic response and prepare for future infectious disease outbreaks. ...2 days ago
- The safe bet and the cash cache: imprest supplyThe House: MPs have been arguing about imprest supply recently. Partly, that argument assumes you don't understand what it is. You're about to. ...2 days ago
- Live updates, September 19: Will Auckland move to level three on Wednesday?Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for September 19. Auckland is currently at alert level four, the rest of NZ level two. Our coverage of the Covid response depends on members’ contributions. Click here to learn more.8.30am: Will Auckland move to level three on Wednesday? The factors that will drive ...2 days ago
- Time to review asylum-seeker support
Bernard Sama explains why - and how - we must strengthen mental wellbeing in the entire refugee status determination procedure in New Zealand As an advocate for people seeking asylum and refugee rights generally in New Zealand, I was devastated to learn the terrorist who carried out the attack at LynnMall ...2 days ago - An ode for .. the Wānaka wankers
New Zealand's unelected poet laureate composes an ode for the two most shamed people in New Zealand The Wānakers From the sighing mangrove swamps of the North, did the young lovers flee; whence scrofulous humours didst afflict their City, that intemperate hub of commerce. Reluctant were our libertines ...2 days ago - The Sunday Essay: On keeping a notes appIn a world of curated social media feeds, Sharon Lam revisits the beautiful chaos of her notes app.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New ZealandOriginal illustration by Sofia Drescher“Since the note is in my notebook, it presumably has some meaning to me.” So began Joan ...2 days ago
- Lydia Wevers: On readingAn accomplished academic, a public intellectual and a brilliant writer, Lydia Wevers was also an insatiable reader. Here Lloyd Jones introduces excerpts from her essay on reading, which he commissioned for his Four Winds Press imprint.The New Zealand writing and reading community lost a committed stalwart with the death of ...2 days ago
- On the seasonal joy of onion weedThis garlicky blossom is the ubiquitous queen of springtime. Charlotte Muru-Lanning explains why you should get out and find yourself a bunch, and what to do with it.Consider the onion family. We all know the brown onion practically runs the marae kitchen, shallot is definitely the perfectionist cousin with a ...2 days ago
- Is it time for a Cobb & Comeback?Down from 37 at its peak, there are now just eight Cobb & Co branches in New Zealand. With plans afoot to return the chain to its former glory, Georgia Munn swings open the red saloon doors to see if the childhood favourite has still got it.Whatever happened to Cobb ...2 days ago
- Curia political poll is grim news for the Nats – but its measure of enthusiasm for “Aotearoa” ...
The New Zealand Herald was not alone in reporting on the discomforting results for National in the latest Curia opinion poll and the petition mounted by Maori Party leaders to have the name ... 3 days ago - Live updates, September 18: Pākehā discharged without conviction more often than MāoriWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for September 18. Auckland is currently at alert level four, the rest of NZ level two. Our coverage of the Covid response depends on members’ contributions. Click here to learn more.Coming up today The latest delta outbreak case numbers will be released via a ...3 days ago
- Protecting the people, East Coast styleNgāti Porou and Te Whānau-a-Apanui led the way at the beginning of the pandemic by drawing the line at their borders to protect the people within. They weren’t just fighting to keep Covid out – they were battling bureaucracy, racism and hunger too.Click here to read this story in te ...3 days ago
- Hei tā te Tairāwhiti tiaki tangataI mua kē a Ngāti Porou me Te Whānau-a-Apanui e ārahi ana i te tīmatanga o te mate urutā i tā rātou aukati i te huarahi whakaroto ki ō rātou rohe hei tiaki i te hunga o roto. Ehara i te mea i whawhai noa iho rātou i te Kowheori ...3 days ago
- When will NZ stop honouring this genocidal dictator?
Absent-mindedly paying tribute to murderous Turkish dictator Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is a stain on this country's integrity. It's time we did something about it, writes Maria Armoudian. Last week, in what once seemed to many an impossibility, the towering tribute to a racist champion of the American Confederacy, General Robert E. Lee, ...3 days ago - Short story: Beatrice’s visit, by Carol Aru
"She had spent roughly thirty thousand vatu on a whole cow": a story about money, set in Vanuatu Tina was daydreaming as she raked the newly trimmed grass around their house. Beatrice, whom she had not seen for ten years, was coming to visit today. They’d been best friends. Tina ...3 days ago - Nicola Legat on the poleaxing of New Zealand booksSelling books during lockdown can be safe and we were told doing so would be considered essential. So why are we in this shambles again? The publisher of Massey University Press makes her case. Most evenings after dinner in this interminable lockdown I find myself up on sad, shuttered Ponsonby Road ...3 days ago
“Will you still love me when I’m no longer Young and Beautiful “
What ever happened to Plastic Bertrand?
touche pas ma planete (Poupee de cellophane, chiveux chinois).
I liked his underground shit, before he sold out.
the lyrics to Ca Plane Pour Moi are still quite clever.
Hiroshima Mon Amour
Dangerous Rhythm
It’s great enjoying winter’s charms ( bracing walks, a roaring log burner, lots of music, spending time cooking time consuming recipes) when you’re NOT experiencing a 19 hour power cut as we were last weekend post the solstice eve storm. (Although of course the log burner kept a roarin’ the whole way through)
Power is at hand this weekend to watch a Hunter S Thompson doco I got out from the library “Buy the ticket, take the ride”. Should be interesting. That and trying a new recipe along the lines of a vego meal centred around Yorkshire puddings! Yorkshire puddings! And feeding the ducks that are returning to the lawn after being away since spring last year.They still know where their feeding stations are.
All the best to those all around the country affected by massive snows and ferocious storms last week. Hope the clean up’s are going well.
It is a humid 35degrees where I am. Long for cool days, reading by the winter fireside.
Where are you this week ianmac? A very pleasant low 20s forecast here for this weekend. Much better than last weeks mid-30s. But we’re not doing much – 3 more sleeps until the op on the man’s bad back.
Hi rosy. Not going to Vienna this time. A short sharp thunderstorm has just blasted Ho Chi Minh city here and coled the air to 29 degrees. Off to Croatia tomorrow because when my wife says go, I go quickly. But I am keeping track of nz via the standard. Afraid John key does not seem to need my advice. “Are you surprised?” Says my wife rather unkindly. Humph!
Do the words ‘Lucky Bugger” mean anything ? I’s like 4 degrees here, with snow on the hills just to keep the chill going.
Enjoy the Sun.
120F experienced in Phoenix and Las Vegas (49C); 130F (54C) possible in Death Valley. “jet- streams more erratic in past few years”.
Lovely to hear your ducks are back Rosie. If I remember correctly I told you they would be back. They spent the summer in Ennui’s back yard and beyond, but they know where the good lurks are in the middle of winter.
Each morning after I’ve fed and watered the budgies (and cleaned their
bedsperches), I let the wild winged creatures have the left overs. Problem is they now number about 50 to 100 and include grey doves, blackbirds, starlings, sparrows, mynas, two pair of thrushes and a bolshie pigeon. It’s getting a bit expensive.Ah yes indeed Anne, you did say they would be back! They’ve started settling in to a bit of a routine. Two of them came here with their mother, as chicks last year and stayed until they had learnt to fly. I remember their markings and personalities, and they know their way around.I don’t have a clue who the others are. These two young hens have brought with them two young drakes plus an older drake who is already in full breeding colours. He gives the young drakes a hard time and there was quite a scene this morning when a fight broke out.
You have certainly got your hands full with your lot – it must get noisy at feeding time. I can relate to the cost issues. Ours get poultry feed and we can manage the budget for feeding a pair but I’m not sure how it’s going to work with five of them………..
eww. Power cuts are not fun in winter. Glad my power has held up so far – not sure about the power bill though. There seems to have been a pretty virulent cold swept through my work team this week. And I had to ring in sick today for about the first time since my accident a couple of years ago.
Nice sunshine through my window though.
Glad to hear you have power now. Some people still without.
Hi Karol. I hope you’ll be your way to recovery soon. It’s great you have the sunshine. Rest up:-)
Heading out to this tomorrow, bring it…
http://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?383838
It should have eben a great weekend /What with the Handel Opera at the Hamilton Lido and the sunny Cambridge weather Unfortunately our good friend and Labour Party stalwart died .Noeline Nuttall was a wonderful worker for the Labour Cause a truthfully caring person who believed in a just fair world for all . My wife and I will miss Noeline a lot but vwewill remember her with much affection.
Sincere condolences Pink Postman. Noeline sounds like a true friend and comrade who will be missed by many.