The Bulletin: Traffic jams flow through as NZTA hits brakes

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

What’s the deal with the country-of-origin food labelling bill?

A select committee has proposed limiting the kinds of products the Consumers’ Right to Know (Country of Origin of Food) Bill will apply to, and plenty of folk ain’t happy about it. What’s the story? Back in 2016, then Green MP Steffan Browning introduced a member’s bill that proposed mandatory country-of-origin labelling (CoOL) on all … Read more

The revolution will not be pasteurised: A farewell to Biddy the cheese warrior

Biddy Fraser-Davies of Cwmglyn Farmhouse Cheese passed away on 13 July, aged 76. Her friend, cheesemonger Calum Hodgson, pays tribute. I would call cheesemaker Biddy Fraser-Davies on my commutes home from Auckland CBD to Whangaparāoa. I’d been making these calls to Biddy every other day now for the last three years, discussing everything from Eketahuna’s … Read more

Māori business is good for everyone

Joshua Hitchcock is looking to Māori businesses to help solve the problem of Māori unemployment. In mid-February I travelled to Tauranga to attend Te Hekenga – The National Māori Business Networks and Māori Enterprises Conference. It was an uplifting experience. For two days we heard stories from successful Māori business men and women who have … Read more