Houseplants have become celebrities, commanding huge fees, bitterly fought over in digital marketplaces. Domestic foliage addict Steph Matuku dishes the dirt. I am writing this surrounded by a fittonia, two monsteras, three dracaenas and a golden pothos. If you know what I’m talking about, congratulations, you are my people. If you don’t, where on earth … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Year closes with government books in reasonable shape, Mallard sets record straight, and government bookings filling up accommodation sector. The half-yearly economic and fiscal update has been released by Treasury, and the numbers are (in context) remarkably good. Politik has a good wrap of that context, and … Read more
The Covid border restrictions might be saving lives but they’re also threatening the livelihoods of New Zealand farmers, unless a way can be found to allow Pacific Island seasonal workers to return and pick the crops, writes AUT business lecturer Swati Nagar Since its inception in 2007, the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme has enabled … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Tough week looms for National, PM congratulates president-elect Joe Biden, and community case acts as another reminder to use the Covid app. Not an awful lot of attention has been paid to them since the election defeat, but National is about to be back in … Read more
The health of our soil is intrinsically linked to the health of our people, and a new book aims to centre matauranga Māori in the quest to stop treating our soil like, well, dirt. We hardly ever think about it, even though it’s literally under our feet. But in the coming years soil will become … Read more
Amanda Thompson is a giant nerd, but she thinks cannabis plants look really cool. So if the yes votes prevail and it’s legalised, she’ll be growing a couple. Here’s her entirely hypothetical guide to how to do it. Voted yet? I have. As you get older, you get the joy of doing things early. Like … Read more
Several parties are promoting policies that aim to develop New Zealand’s regenerative agriculture and organics sectors. Michael Andrew asks the experts what it could mean for the environment, the economy and New Zealand’s participation in a burgeoning global market. Under the tangled canopy of green schools, fiscal holes, party leaks and other pre-election controversies, it … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Horticulture industry facing labour crisis, details of new cases spark concern, and Canterbury candidate under fire for local government record. Fears are growing that fruit will simply rot on the vine this season, because nobody will be there to pick it. Plenty of this sort of … Read more
The Bay of Plenty is synonymous with kiwifruit. With a large contingent of new workers moving in this season from Covid-displaced industries, Josie Adams asked what life is like for those who’ve been there for years. Under a very heavy tree in Tom French’s orchard waits a very heavy hedgehog. About a metre above the … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Challenges loom in matching unemployed with rural jobs, trans-Tasman travel bubble agreed in principle, and Greens push for urgent Fair Pay Agreements. It is increasingly becoming clear that one of the country’s biggest economic challenges over the rest of the year will be matching people … Read more
Richard Brimer’s photography exhibition Harvest is a little bit Humans of New York. Except it’s in Hastings, has zero pretension, and captures the diverse population of seasonal labourers who work the local vineyards and farms. Richard Brimer was born and raised in Hawke’s Bay. At 19 he worked his first vintage at Vidal’s winery in … Read more
Experts are warning that the legalisation of cannabis could increase the levels of contamination in other crops and impact our trade relationships, writes Zac Fleming. Warnings have been raised with the government that New Zealand’s trade relationships could be compromised by food contaminated with cannabis if the plant is legalised. On at least four occasions … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Govt makes business-friendly migrant worker changes, PM off overseas to talk trade, and the cost of Christchurch water in China revealed. A range of changes around the immigration system have been announced, reports Newshub. Among the biggest headline grabbers was the decision that low paid migrants will … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Seasonal peak hits fruit picking industry, massive data hole revealed in census response rate, and PM shuts down suggestions she’s backing Crusaders change. It appears pay rates for some seasonal fruit pickers have gone up, reports Stuff. You might recall perennial stories about workers not wanting to take … Read more
Good morning, and welcome back to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Problems with seasonal work laid bare, expanded CPTPP trade deal becomes more likely, and new swimming safety guideline launched in Auckland. A few big stories over the last few weeks have indicated serious strain on New Zealand’s seasonal economy. The details differ, but at the heart … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Exploitation cases of migrant workers pile up, more drama around the delayed census, and Ngāpuhi hapu vote against settlement model. A man has been arrested in the Hawke’s Bay, charged with more than a dozen counts of slavery and human trafficking in the horticulture industry, reports Radio NZ. … Read more
According to a theory that’s gained traction online, vegans should be spurning smashed avo and an almond milk flat white at brunch this weekend. But an Oxford ethics professor says it’s not so simple… A video recently doing the rounds on Facebook included a segment from the BBC comedy quiz show QI. The video asks … Read more