Gordon Campbell: On The Twitter Wars, And The Muller Muddles

Whatever the failings of our own politicians, spare a kind thought for the majority of Americans who did not vote for Donald Trump. Sure, it was depressing this week to watch Todd Muller clinging for dear life to his talking points on Q, ... More>>

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• National - SPEECH: Todd Muller - Families, Communities, Small Business National Backs Businesses With $10k JobStart - Todd Muller Elected Leader Of The New Zealand National Party - SPEECH: Todd Muller’s Maiden Speech As National Party Leader
• ACT - National’s Tack To The Centre Complementary To ACT
• Gordon Campbell - On Why Welfare Reform Has No Champions In Parliament - On Not Buying What Todd Muller Is Selling
• RNZ - New National Party leader Todd Muller: 'I'm not interested in opposition for opposition's sake' - Who is new National Party leader Todd Muller? - Simon Bridges on losing National Party leadership: 'It's been a heck of a ride'
• XE Money Transfer - XE Morning Update - Todd Muller New Leader Of The National Party
• NZ Taxpayers' Union - Taxpayers' Union Congratulates Todd Muller

Green Party: Statement On The Death Of George Floyd

“Today and every day we stand in solidarity with George Floyd’s family, friends and community who feel pain and fear about his untimely death at the hands of Minneapolis police”, said Green Party Co-leader and Māori Development spokesperson Marama ... More>>

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• RNZ - Winston Peters Calling For Move To Alert Level 1 After Protests
• Black Lives Matter Solidarity - Black Lives Matter March For Solidarity
• ACT - After Aotea Square, We Must Have Level 1 Tomorrow.

Government: Freshwater Package Backed By Comprehensive Economic Analysis

Decisions on the Action for Healthy Waterways package are supported by comprehensive environmental and economic impact analysis by leading New Zealand research institutes, universities, and private sector firms. More>>

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• Greens - Strongest Ever Water Reforms Mean Swimmable Rivers Within A Generation
• Horticulture NZ - Importance Of Horticulture Recognised In Government’s Freshwater Decisions
• Greenpeace - Nitrogen Fertiliser Poisoning Of Rivers To Face Cap, Says Greenpeace
• Fish and Game NZ - Freshwater Reforms A Significant Step Forward
• Federated Farmers - Government Freshwater Package Responds To Rural Communities’ Anxiety

Maritime NZ: NZ Joins Global Initiative Keeping Ports Open And Freight Moving

New Zealand has joined an international port authorities’ global initiative for safe and efficient movement of goods and shipping during the COVID-19 crisis. World-wide, 56 port authorities have agreed how they will work together facilitating maritime ... More>>

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• Marlborough Tour Company - Getting New Zealand Open For Business
• Kalkine - What Is Driving NZ Currency And Equity Markets Amid US-China Trade Tension?
• OECD - Covid-19 Hits G20 International Merchandise Trade In First Quarter

National: National Backs Businesses With $10k JobStart

National will provide a $10,000 cash payment to businesses that hire additional staff as part of our commitment to keeping New Zealanders in jobs, National Party Leader Todd Muller and Finance spokesperson Paul Goldsmith have announced. Our JobStart ... More>>

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• National - SPEECH: Todd Muller - Families, Communities, Small Business - Davis Delivers More Broken Promises

DIY Law: Government Exempts Some Home Improvements From Costly Consents

Homeowners, builders and DIYers will soon have an easier time making basic home improvements as the Government scraps the need for consents for low-risk building work such as sleep-outs, sheds and carports – allowing the construction sector ... More>>

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• ACT - Hon. Jenny Salesa Gets Something Right

Eric Zuesse: U.S. Empire: Biden And Kerry Gave Orders To Ukraine’s President

Eric Zuesse, originally posted at Strategic Culture On May 19th, an implicit international political warning was issued, but it wasn’t issued between countries; it was issued between allied versus opposed factions within each of two countries: U.S. and Ukraine. ... More>>

Binoy Kampmark: Budget Cockups In The Time Of Coronavirus: Reporting Errors And Australia’s JobKeeper Scheme

Hell has, in its raging fires, ringside seats for those who like their spreadsheets. The seating, already peopled by those from human resources, white collar criminals and accountants, becomes toastier for those who make errors with those spreadsheets. ... More>>

The Dig - COVID-19: Just Recovery

The COVID-19 crisis is compelling us to kick-start investment in a regenerative and zero-carbon future. We were bold enough to act quickly to stop the virus - can we now chart a course for a just recovery? More>>

USA: UN Human Rights Chief Urges 'serious Action' To Halt US Police Killings Of Unarmed African Americans

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Thursday condemned the killing of George Floyd, an African American man whose death in police custody on Monday was captured on video and has led to serious ongoing protests in Minneapolis. ... More>>

Food and Agriculture Organisation: FAO Warns Multiple Impact Of Viruses, Plagues And Economic Damage Will Fuel Hunger In Asia, Pacific

While the world fights to slow the spread of COVID-19, the worst pandemic experienced in a century, countries in South Asia are simultaneously responding to plagues of locusts, cyclones and a deadly livestock disease, all of which threaten to worsen ... More>>

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• Citizen News Service - Governments' Accountability For Responding To COVID-19, NCDs And Tobacco Epidemics
• Aid Agency Coalition - Aid Agencies Respond To MFAT Announcement Of $7m In Humanitarian Funding For Coronavirus Pandemic
• Greens - Green MP Joins International Call To Cancel Developing Countries’ Debt

Howard Davis: Charlotte Yates' Mansfield Project

Katherine Mansfield's vapid verses are of even less interest than her over-rated short stories, but Yates has risen to the challenge of producing a fascinating compilation album by a variety of musicians to accompany her poetry. More>>

Howard Davis: Dazed & Confused by Beats

Beats is both a coming-of-age tale and a romantic movie about endings, set to a nostalgic backdrop of the disappearing tail of the UK's illegal rave scene. More>>

Howard Davis: And The Oscar Goes To … Parasite

For its deliciously dark wit and genre-bending ingenuity, Bong Joon-ho's latest movie has just won four out of a potential six Academy Awards, including Best Screenplay and Director. Only ten foreign-language films have previously been nominated for Best Picture and none have won before. More>>

Howard Davis: 1917's 1,000 Yard Stare

Sam Mendes has created a terrible and barbarous trek, one that we appreciate all the more for being catapulted right into the midst of this ear-splitting melee from the film's opening sequence. More>>