Gordon Campbell: On Why Shipping Is NZ’s New Trade Problem

So Jacinda Ardern and Theresa May have signed a piece of paper promising peace in our time when it comes to our trade with Britain... Brexit is not the only concern. More>>

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - NZ UK trade relations advanced in Prime Ministers meeting
• Gordon Campbell - Gordon Campbell on the Brexit Vote Aftermath
• RNZ - Brexit: What does that mean for NZ trade?
• Binoy Kampmark - No-Confidence Survivor: Theresa May and Brexit

Reshuffle: National Announces Spokesperson For Drug Reform

National Leader Simon Bridges has appointed Paula Bennett to the new position of Spokesperson for Drug Reform as the Government pushes ahead with its agenda of drug decriminalisation, to signal National’s commitment to holding them to account. More>>

ALSO:

• National - Coordinated approach to drug reform needed
• Greens - Green Party welcomes open, public debate on Drug Reform

KiwiBailed: KiwiBuild Head Officially Resigns

The head of Kiwibuild, Stephen Barclay has officially resigned from the role. In a statement issued on his behalf, it was announced that he would step down from today [Friday]. More>>

ALSO:

• RNZ - Twyford: It's going to be tough to meet Kiwibuild target
• BusinessDesk - KiwiBuild a 'massive political distraction' - Housing Ministry head hints he acted against Barclay - Labour will lose in 2020 without more housing progress: Paveletich
• National - Defeated Housing Minister drops KiwiBuild target
• ACT - New report exposes KiwiBuild’s failings - Labour now owns National-created housing crisis - KiwiBuild in crisis with CEO’s resignation
• The NZ Initiative - Decisive action on red tape is the answer to housing issue
• NZ Immigration Law - Construction shortage list, unlikely to alleviate shortage
• NZ Taxpayers' Union - 'Tar baby’ report exposes Kiwibuild as welfare for the rich - Taxpayers rorted in Stephen Barclay saga

Welfare Stats: Rise In Hardship Numbers Shows Income Inadequacy

The latest Ministry of Social Development quarterly report show that a record number of people have received hardship assistance from work and income, with an additional 40,000 hardship payments made between September and December 2018, compared to the previous quarter of the same year... More>>

ALSO:

• RNZ - Hardship grant rise 'related to housing cost'
• NZ Govt - Benefit rates remain low
• National - Benefits up as Govt makes it easier to do nothing
• Greens - Hardship grant increase shows baseline benefit must increase
• ACT - Welfare rolls swell with 1 in 10 on benefits
• Child Poverty Action Group - Families cannot wait till Budget 2019 announcements

Gordon Campbell: On MBIE’s Social Media Scam

Given the ambit of MBIE’s work, almost any form of social activity could qualify as being part of MBIE’s brief, so the privacy threats posed by this training programme are extensive. The current oversight safeguards seem threadbare to non-existent. More>>

ALSO:

• RNZ - MBIE seeks training on managing fake online personas

JusTrade: New Campaign For A 21th Century Trade Agenda

‘Critique is no longer enough. If anything is to really change, we need to step away from the existing framework and take a first-principles approach to rethinking what will work for the 21st century.’ More>>

Earlier:

• NZ Govt - Exporters first to benefit as CPTPP takes effect today
• National - Nats welcome TPP tariff cuts - focus must move to US
• Professor Jane Kelsey - Progressive alternatives needed as failed TPPA model enters into force
• Chapman Tripp - International trade up in the air

Gordon Campbell: Thompson + Clark Are The Tip Of The Iceberg

How can we tell where and how any lines are being drawn? Oversight is not exactly robust. If it were, Thompson + Clark would have been out of contention for state security work ten years ago. More>>

'Unprecedented' Conditions: Genesis Coal Burn 5-Yr High

Coal-fired generation from Genesis Energy’s Huntly operations was the highest in more than five years in the December quarter, as a combination of low hydro storage and plant outages were compounded by tight natural gas supplies. More>>

ALSO:

• National - Govt in denial as most coal burned in five years
• Greenpeace NZ - Genesis’ record coal burn reveals urgent need for solar
• PEPANZ - Increased coal burning shows why we need natural gas

Climate Summary: NZ’s Equal-2nd Warmest Year On Record

Annual temperatures were above average (+0.51°C to +1.20°C above the annual average) across the majority of New Zealand... 2018 was the equal 2nd-warmest year on record for New Zealand, based on NIWA’s seven-station series which began in 1909. More>>

ALSO:

• Science Media Centre - 2018 another hot year in NZ - Expert Reaction - Science Deadline: another hot year, fibre's benefits, 1080
• RNZ - 2018 was NZ's warmest year on record - climate scientist
• NZ Govt - Honours recognise work that addresses climate change

GDP: Economic Growth Dampens In The September Quarter

Gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.3 percent in the September 2018 quarter, down from 1.0 percent in the previous quarter, Stats NZ said today... GDP per capita was flat in the September 2018 quarter, following an increase of 0.5 percent in the June 2018 quarter. More>>

ALSO:

• BusinessDesk - NZ economic growth softer than expected in Sept quarter
• National - NZ economy slows, growth per person stalls
• ACT - Economic slowdown must prompt change in direction
• NZ Taxpayers' Union - Taxpayers’ Union responds to economic growth slowdown

Up $1.20: $17.70 Minimum Wage For 2019

Coalition Government signals how it will move toward its goal of a $20 p/h minimum wage by 2021... “Today we are announcing that the minimum wage will increase to $17.70 an hour on 1 April 2019." More>>

ALSO:

• BusinessDesk - Government outlines planned hikes in minimum wage
• National - Wage rise welcome for some, worry for others
• Mike Treen - Facts refute critics of minimum wage increases
• CTU - Minimum wage announcement a huge relief for working Kiwis
• E tu - E tū celebrates largest ever minimum wage increase
• EMA - Minimum Wage increases will cost consumers
• Auckland Action Against Poverty - Minimum wage increase overdue
• First Union - Minimum wage increase a decade overdue
• NZ Taxpayers' Union - Putting a rocket under minimum wage is a moral failure
• NZ Educational Institute - Minimum wage boost for low-paid education workers
• NZ Nurses Organisation - An increase to the minimum wage is an increase to wellbeing
• Living Wage Aotearoa - Minimum wage a step closer to the Living Wage
• Business Central - Rising Wages Requires Rising Productivity Too

Gordon Campbell: On The Brexit Vote Aftermath

So, what happens next? Normally when a major policy like this gets so crushingly rejected – by 230 votes, when Theresa May had reportedly been hoping for a defeat by “only” 70- 100 votes – the PM would resign and/or a fresh election called. More>>

Gordon Campbell: On Our History Of Selling Out The Kurds

For the past 100 years, the West has sold out the Kurds over and over again. So much so that it came as a surprise yesterday when US National Security advisor John Bolton appeared to walk back the latest act of betrayal... More>>

ALSO:

• Binoy Kampmark - Leaving Syria: President Trump’s Withdrawal
• David Swanson - Corrupt Spineless Iraqi Legislators Are Right

Gordon Campbell: On The Reactionary Politics Of Fear

What do you call a situation where the state tries to create panic among its own people for party political gain? As practiced by Theresa May and her faction of the Conservative Party, this has become a well-honed form of state terrorism… More>>

Viva Scoop 3.0! Rounding Up 2018 And Looking Ahead

2018 has been quite a year for Scoop. We are so thrilled to have successfully met the funding target for the first stage of the ‘Scoop 3.0’ plan raising $36,000. This means we can now proceed with the planning phase for the delivery of this bold vision for a community-owned, participatory, independent newsroom... More>>

ALSO:

• Scoop's PledgeMe Campaign Finishes
• Open Letter Part 2: Who Are The Biggest Freeriders?
• Why We Care about Scoop, and Why We Think You Should
• It's Crunch Time For Scoop.co.nz - An Open Letter To Readers
• Saving The News
• Building a Community Newsroom: “Scoop 3.0”
• Stopping Freeriding - Help Scoop Survive (and Thrive!)
• Your Organisation Can Now Sponsor a Section on Scoop.co.nz!
• Scoop Section Sponsorships: An Opportunity to Collaborate

The Gili Islands: A Community Earthquake Recovery Effort

Joseph Cederwall travelled to the Gili Islands in October 2018 to talk to locals about their experiences of the event and witness the impact and the rebuild efforts on this unique ecotourism destination. More>>

Gordon Campbell: On The Ongoing Carnage In Gaza

The past month has devoted a lot of space to the best music and films of 2018, and far less to the past year’s human rights violations. The under-reporting on the ongoing carnage in Gaza has been a case in point. More>>

ALSO:

• Ramzy Baroud - When Bolsonaro and Netanyahu Are ‘Brothers’

New Report: Refugees In PNG Being Pushed To The Brink
Refugee Council of Australia and Amnesty International paint a stark picture of a traumatised refugee population hit hard by Australia's recent healthcare and counselling service cuts, as well as continued threats to their safety. More>>

ALSO:

• Amnesty International - Australian and PNG leaders must act urgently to save lives

Deal On Paris Implementation: Rapid Action Urged At Climate Change Conference

Following a year of devastating climate disasters around the globe, from California to Kerala, and Tonga to Japan, the annual UN Climate Change Conference opens with the goal of finalising the implementation guidelines for the Paris Climate Change Agreement. More>>

ALSO:

• Out-Link - COP24: Key outcomes agreed at the UN climate talks in Katowice | Carbon Brief
• RNZ - UN climate conference agreement: Mixed reactions - Climate change risk assessment faces uninsurable 'conundrum'
• United Nations - At COP24, world nations agree on a concrete way forward - New Era of Global Climate Action To Begin - UN Secretary-General's remarks at the conclusion of the COP2 - ‘Going green’ is good business says private sector at UN - COP24 addresses climate change displacement - G20 told COP24 climate change conference 'must succeed' - CO2 emissions on the rise for first time in four years - UN - #TakeYourSeat at the UN Climate Change Conference
• Carbon Market Watch - COP24 countries fail to agree on basic accounting principles
• Greenpeace NZ - COP24 ends without firm promises to raise climate action - NZ called on by global leaders to step up at COP24
• NZ Govt - Climate Change Minister James Shaw COP24 comments - Conference to write rules on climate change action
• Global Climate and Health Alliance - COP24 Must Put Health First in Climate Negotiations - Lancet Countdown Climate and Health Report
• Maori Climate Commissioner - Culture of climate change denial - Maori Climate Commissioner demands government response
• NZ Climate And Health - Major health report shows urgent climate action needed
• Association of Salaried Medical Specialists - Senior doctors urge action on climate change
• SPREP - The battle for 1.5 at the UN Climate Conference in Poland
• Iwi Chairs Forum - National Iwi Chairs Forum Delegation at COP24 UNCCC Katowice
• BusinessDesk - Govt opens $238M of grants to encourage tree planting
• NZ Energy and Environment Business Week - Crown Minerals Act Review coming, as DoC mining ban delayed
• University of Otago - Cycle lanes and walkways cut car use

Howard Davis Review: Pretty Maids All In A Row - Mary Queen of Scots

The disproportionate attention paid by the film industry to a figure of minor historical significance once again confirms that any story involving sex, murder, and political intrigue will always trump historical accuracy at the box office. More>>

Howard Davis Review: Wild at Heart - The Happy Prince and At Eternity's Gate

Besides being exact contemporaries who were born and died prematurely within a year of each other, Oscar Wilde and Vincent van Gogh shared the cautionary experience of being outcast and repudiated in their brief lifetimes. More>>

"Our Pride": Auckland Pride 2019 Programme Announcement

Auckland Pride Festival returns in 2019, celebrating the diversity of the rainbow experience in Tāmaki Makaurau and reconnecting with grassroots communities across the region, fromFebruary 1-17. More>>

ALSO:

• RNZ - Auckland Pride Board ditches parade plans for a walk

"Congratulations To Our Honours Recipients"

One hundred and ninety six New Zealanders were congratulated by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for their contributions to New Zealand and our communities… More>>

ALSO:

• Governor General - Governor-General’s New Year Message
• NZ Govt - New Year Honours List 2019 - Honours recognise work that addresses climate change - Strong Pacific contribution celebrated in New Year’s Honours - Contributions to sport honoured
• Environmental Defence Society - EDS congratulates Raewyn Peart, MNZM
• NZ Police - Southland police officer honoured for service
• Business Central - Wellington - Chamber congratulates New Year’s Honours recipients