In withdrawing from the Paris agreement, Donald Trump is breaking with a tradition of political leadership and the best of humanity. But others are surging forward, writes Green Party co-leader James Shaw. At the height of the Cold War, President John F Kennedy proclaimed that all of us should have “the right to live out … Read more
An open letter signed by more than 150 New Zealanders under 30 who specialise in biological or environmental science says the current law hinders efforts to tackle the climate crisis, and urges the Greens to change their position and take a lead on reform. A group of more than 150 young New Zealand scientists has … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Reaction to the government’s agriculture emissions deal, formal apology made for Parihaka, and union fuming over unpunished trucking abuses. Agricultural organisations and the government have agreed on a plan for the industry to self-regulate on emissions reduction. Here’s a cheat sheet on the agreement, which … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: GDP growth slows in the latest quarter, questions raised over utter NZDF incompetence, and NZTA sends money intended for light rail elsewhere. The numbers are in, and GDP growth has slowed down for the second quarter of the year. Radio NZ reports it is the slowest level … Read more
Today marks the start of Covering Climate Now. To launch the week, the New Zealand climate change minister, James Shaw, writes an open letter to participants in the School Strike 4 Climate ahead of their day of action later this month. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Concern about slow progress for major transport projects, smoking researcher under pressure over funding, and hikoi marches from Ihumātao to Ardern’s office. NZTA is struggling to get spending out the door, so the money isn’t flowing through the economy, reports Thomas Coughlan for Stuff. It’s because of … Read more
The three governing parties are turning their attention to next year’s general election. RNZ‘s Jo Moir surveys the field. The night New Zealand First formed a government with Labour and the Greens, its leader Winston Peters quoted the song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”. Almost two years later all three parties still have … Read more
The review of the 2018 census backs up his experience that Statistics New Zealand is a monster with a small but distant brain, argues Tony Burton, a former senior official at Treasury After the 2011 Canterbury earthquake Statistics New Zealand’s Christchurch office was red stickered, declared too dangerous to enter. This may not sound important … Read more
The National leader says census data is so ropey we should halt the redrawing of electorate boundaries. Down that path lies a dangerous world of ‘alternative facts’, writes Andrew Geddis Let’s be clear – the 2018 census turned out to be a good, old-fashioned omnishambles. The just released report of an independent review into the … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Greens push policy at restive annual conference, police alarm Ihumātao protectors by showing rifles, and two major stories about dodgy historic rubbish dumps. The Green Party have held their annual conference over the weekend, and it heralded both policy drives, and organisational blows. We’ll start with … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Many claim leadership positions around farming emissions, concerns rise about deported gang members in small towns, and superyacht predictions panned. Now apologies if you feel like this is repetition – we did have a Bulletin last week about the plan to phase agriculture into the emissions … Read more
Zoe Mills is a 17 year old high school student and one of thousands who joined the global climate strikes. She explains why her generation feel this moment so acutely. It’s an eerie sight. A sea of bodies lay across the worn concrete of the Queen Street intersection. A faint murmuring grows in an impassioned roar: “Wake up! … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Zero carbon bill finally unveiled to mixed response, OCR cut to record lows, and Auckland councillor alleges poorer suburbs are subsidising wealthier areas. Last year, climate change minister James Shaw told Newshub Nation that he’d be happy if everyone else was “equally unhappy” with the final shape of the … Read more
Greenpeace hate it. So do farmers’ groups. But James Shaw is determined that the Zero Carbon Bill forges a fair path to a net-zero future. Toby Manhire sits down in a parliamentary corridor with the climate change minister to discuss the bill, and why he’s been bending over backwards to win National’s support. For James … Read more
A cornerstone of the Labour-Green post-election deal, the legislation will enshrine net zero emissions by 2050, with an independent Climate Change Commission installed. Methane gases, primarily emitted by agriculture in NZ, will need to reduce by 10% by 2030 under the bill. Read the Spinoff interview with climate change minister James Shaw here. Almost a … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Heavy fallout from axing of capital gains tax, cost blowout for City Rail Link, and wrongly evicted Housing NZ tenants to get debt wiped. PM Jacinda Ardern has ruled out a capital gains tax. Not only now, mind you, she’s ruled out Labour ever campaigning on it … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Carbon emissions continue to move wrong way, size and scope of police database revealed, and Ngāti Kurī propose massive new protected reserve. Yep, they’re going up. New Zealand’s carbon emissions continue to increase, with transport a leading cause, reports Stuff. Over 2017 they were up 2.2% on the … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Flashpoint looms for disastrous census, a deep dive on emissions from tourism, and minister promises hard look at unsafe landfills. The debacle around the 2018 census is set for a major flashpoint this week, with parliament demanding data Stats NZ doesn’t yet want to provide. Radio NZ reports … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Climate change report recommends major changes to land use and policy, Westland hit by heavy flooding, and St John in trouble with paramedics over donations call. The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has released a major new report into New Zealand’s approach to greenhouse gas emissions. There’s … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Brexit No Deal threat looms for Kiwi exporters, students to go on climate strike today, and families of disabled people fear support cuts by stealth. New Zealand businesses are being told they need to prepare now for the possibility of an imminent no-deal Brexit. The UK is … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Poland climate talks conclude with agreement on rules, ACT accuses conservative campaigners of misleading claims, and a new doco series on life in Queenstown. Climate talks in Poland have concluded with the moderately successful achievement of modest goals. The BBC reports that member nations of the Paris Climate Accords … Read more
We punched above our weight at the just-completed talks. But we must walk the talk at home, writes environmental lawyer Natalie Jones After a fortnight of meetings and a one-day extension, a deal was finalised yesterday at the UN climate talks in Katowice, Poland. The accord was hailed as delivering a set of strong, robust rules … Read more
A coalition of 150 scientists have written an open letter calling for faster and more comprehensive action on climate change. But what could that actually look like in practice? The IPCC report couldn’t have put it more plainly. Human civilisation will be unable to avert the worst effects of climate change unless we act swiftly … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Crackdown coming on dodgy lending practices, Fonterra revises forecast down again, and a new twist in the Simon Bridges expense leak tale. The government has launched a long-signalled crackdown on predatory lenders and the interest they’re able to charge, reports Radio NZ. Interest will be capped at … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Climate change report says it’s now or never for action, legislation aimed at anti-competitive markets prioritised, and Chorus contractors under scrutiny. The latest report from the intergovernmental panel on climate change has been released, and it’s a brutally stark warning. Radio NZ reports that it calls for “unprecedented … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Stories show complex costs of climate action, Simon Bridges attacks Housing NZ evictees, and Auckland wharfies are raising safety concerns. A range of stories have come out in the past few days and weeks that illustrate how complex the economic costs of fighting climate change … Read more
The Green co-leader on fearing he might be the party’s last leader, why Jacinda Ardern was a boost to their electability, and the nine-dimensional chess of coalition negotiations This is the fourth in a series of extracts from the new VUP collection Stardust and Substance. Read Jacinda Ardern’s review of ‘the most extraordinary year of my … Read more
Good morning, welcome back from the long weekend, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Climate change impacts on meat industry in focus, international student industry likened to pyramid scheme, and South Auckland playgrounds are underfunded. When long weekends come along, there doesn’t tend to be a defining issue to follow in the news. So … Read more
To paraphrase late-90s hitmakers LFO: Summer beards come and summer beards go, some are worthwhile and some are so-so. The summer of 2017-18 has been rife with speculation and chatter over which previously fresh-faced New Zealand politicians or television personalities have grown a summer beard. These are people who, like many working professionals, are precluded … Read more