John Minto: Supercity contracts out democracy to the private sectorThe dangers in the ACT/National coalition agreement are becoming clearer by the day.
The agreement goes well past maximising ACT’s 3.5% electoral support. As part of the arrangement ACT Leader Rodney Hide got himself one of the most influential cabinet roles as Minister of Local Government ahead of the development of the so-called Auckland supercity.
Up till now the focus on democracy has been how the councillors will be elected. Firstly ACT vetoed guaranteed Maori representation on the council but supported the proposal for eight councillors to be elected at large alongside just 12 elected from local wards. More>>
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Spy Agencies: PM's Foreign Intelligence Bureau Starts Spying On Us
The transformation of the External Assessments Bureau into the National Assessments Bureau should not have occurred without proper consultation, said Green Party Foreign Affairs spokesperson Keith Locke. More>>
Gordon Campbell:
The Waihopai Three Acquittal
The acquittal of the Waihopai Three for their attack on the Waihopai spy base is as welcome as it is surprising. To succeed in court, one would have thought they would need to have proved a direct connection between the base near... More>>
Leak-Stopping: Inquiries Into Unauthorised Release Of Government InformationThe State Services Commissioner, Iain Rennie, today announced two inquiries into the unauthorised release of Government information. More>>
Public Service: Cap Now Pulled Down Over Eyes
State Services Minister Tony Ryall has released the second six-monthly update on the government's cap of core government administration. More>>
Fiji Cyclone: NZ Help Now On Its Way
New Zealand has an Air Force C-130 Hercules on stand-by to head to Fiji as soon as weather conditions ease in the wake of Cyclone Tomas, Foreign Minister Murray McCully said today. More>>
Any Mention Of Neeson? Power Presents Human Rights Report To UN
The Minister of Justice, Simon Power, this morning completed his presentation of New Zealand’s Fifth Periodic Report under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to the Human Rights Committee in New York. More>>
Public Health: Mapua Cleanup Report Released
Expert advice to the Ministry of Health is that it is unlikely there are adverse long-term health effects for local residents from the Mapua clean-up process. More>>
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Aussie-Snubbing: Greens, National Release Natural Health Regulation
A proposal to set up a stand-alone New Zealand regulator for natural health products has been developed by the Green Party and the Government. A consultation paper on this proposal has been released by the Ministry of Health today. More>>
Scoop Business: Mackenzie Basin Backers “Gaming” Resource Process
The property development companies backing the Mackenzie Basin cubicle dairy farming proposals are gaming the resource consent application process by withdrawing from the government-ordered Board of Inquiry into its water discharge consents, says Environment Minister Nick Smith. More>>
It's Full Of Stars: Carter Observatory Ready For Lift Off
New Zealand’s place for space is ready for lift-off next weekend with a brand new full-dome digital theatre that will take visitors further into space than ever before. More>>
Productivity: ACT Supports Govt, Is Paid In Commissions
The government has raided small programmes across 29 government agencies to fund a new, $5 million a year Productivity Commission. More>>
Scoop Business: Dairying Gets Dirtier, Says Clean Streams Report
Dairy farmers’ compliance with effluent rules deteriorated for the second year in a row in 2009, according to the latest annual report from the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord, prompting Fonterra Cooperative Group to institute annual farm checks. More>>
Employment: TVNZ Cost-Cutting Strategy "Worthy Of Dilbert"
TVNZ’s proposal to make savage cuts to its news and current affairs is an idiotic strategy worthy of the bosses of the Dilbert comic strip, said Green Party Broadcasting spokesperson Sue Kedgley. More>>
Keith Rankin: Tax Reform In Pictures
On 8 February and 8 March I published a number of tables that show, for individual taxpayers, average and marginal tax rates for: the status quo; conservative reform options that recognise the comparatively high rates of tax that low income that... More >>
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Gordon Campbell: The Waihopai Three Verdict
The acquittal of the Waihopai Three for their attack on the Waihopai spy base is as welcome as it is surprising. To succeed in court, one would have thought they would need to have proved... More >>
Going Home: Hela Rahman returns to Iraq for the first time in a decade
Driving through the streets of Baghdad is a heartbreaking experience. Rubbish lies uncollected, roads bear the scars of exploded munitions and impoverished children play outside destroyed buildings, fires still smouldering amongst the rubble. There ... More >>
Saintly Cricketers and Tempting Sirens: The Clarke-Bingle Saga
Sporting stars have featured rather poorly of late. Tiger Woods became known less for his putting than his dalliances and treatment sessions for nymphomania. The publicity vultures swooped in and carried off their treasured morsels of carrion. But now, ... More >>
Michael Collins: "Jeopardizing U.S. Standing" – the Petraeus Controversy
Leaks from a recent top level briefing by General David Petraeus are causing quite a controversy. The general pointed out that, ''Israeli intransigence on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was jeopardizing U.S. standing in the region.'' Mark Perry reported ... More >>
Martin LeFevre: The Emergence of Intelligence
Fog enshrouds the town as I enter the mountain community from the valley below. With a few hundred meters more of elevation, the fog clears, though the skies remain cloudy. Reaching the man-made lake... More >>
Gordon Campbell: The Economics of Mining DOC Land
At yesterday’s Post cabinet press conference [video], Prime Minister John Key repeated the government’s current defensive position on the proposal to extend mining within our national parks... More >>
Richard S. Ehrlich: U.S. Surveillance Blimp Fights Harsh Criticism
BANGKOK, Thailand -- An Arlington, Virginia-based company is defending its harshly criticized US $ 9.7 million sale of a helium-filled blimp, equipped with infrared thermal cameras, to Thailand's army for hunting Islamist guerrillas in the south. ... More >>
Stateside with Rosalea Barker: Nova Albion Steampunk Exhibition
Nova Albion is the name that Francis (later Sir) Drake gave to the area where he spent five weeks in the early summer of 1579. He left a brass plaque claiming the region for Queen Elizabeth I, but a later claim by Spanish seafarers is the one that ... More >>
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Tensions Rise: Rocket Attack From Gaza Into Israel
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned today’s rocket attack from Gaza which killed a civilian in Israel, stressing that all acts of violence are “totally unacceptable.” More >>
Judge Wanted: Vacancy At International Court Of Justice
The Security Council decided today that the election to fill the vacancy at the principal judicial organ of the United Nations arising from the resignation of Judge Shi Jiuyong will take place on 29 June. More >>
Survival International: Shocking Situation Of Guarani Tribe In Brazil
The situation of the Guarani tribe of southern Brazil is one of the worst of all indigenous peoples in the Americas, says a new report by Survival International to the UN. More >>
Environmentalism: Governments Fail To Protect Bluefin Tuna
Doha, Qatar - March 18 2010, Greenpeace condemns the failure of governments meeting for at the CITES (Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species), to agree any measures to protect endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna. More >>
Press Freedom: Detention of Iranian Journalists
The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) has condemned the continued imprisonment of Iranian journalist Emad Baghi and the repressive measures employed by the state to silence critical publications.
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Poor Choices: American Idol “Voted Off” Wrong Contestants
A series of national studies conducted among 6,727 American Idol viewers revealed that the contestants who were “voted off” during the show’s elimination last night did not accurately reflect the viewers’ choices. More >>
Global Recovery: Brown & Sarkozy Call For Economic Cooperation
The Prime Minister has spoken of the close relationship between the UK and France and the two governments’ determination to work together to promote global economic recovery. More >>
Free Internet: Dissidents Urge UN Against Cyber-Censorship
Cites Belarus, Burma, China, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam issidents Issue Call for Internet Freedom More >>
No Action Taken: Vedanta Snubs British Government Again
Vedanta Resources has once again snubbed a British government investigation into its planned mine in Orissa, India, by labelling government calls for a change in its corporate behaviour ‘one-sided’, and urging it to ‘rest the case’. More >>
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Favorite Movies: NZ Likes Shawshank Redemption, Hates Prisoners
“10,000 Kiwis have just rated ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ as their top film of all time, but how is this compatible with our societal approach to imprisonment”, wonders Robin Gunston, National Director of Prison Fellowship, “it seems we want to live in the alternate reality of such a film rather than confront our real world issues” More>>
Arts Fest Review: Karsh Kale - Enter The Dragon
Indian-American drummer and producer Karsh Kale has taken on a task of epic proportions in re-scoring a much loved movie classic which already boasts music by one of the greatest composers in film & TV history... More>>
Music: The Flying Nun Vids Not Too Obscure For NZ On Screen
NZ On Screen has launched a collection of classic Flying Nun music videos, curated by the label’s founder Roger Shepherd. The clips are accompanied by an inside story from Shepherd and written tributes from ex-MTV Europe chief Brent Hansen and media commentator and former Rip It Up editor Russell Brown. More>>
Scoop Review Of Books: Frenetic Schama Fills Town Hall
There is a frenetic energy to Simon Schama when he talks about history, the kind of energy that you might expect from a highly excitable child caught in the ecstasy of their very favourite topic rather than a Cambridge-trained professor of Modern History. More>>
Gandalf The Tramp: Ian McKellen In Waiting For Godot
30 June 2010 - 2 July 2010: The Theatre Royal Haymarket Company’s production of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. Directed by Sean Mathias and starring Ian McKellen as Estragon and Roger Rees as Vladimir with Matthew Kelly as Pozzo. More>>
Arts Festival: In Case You Hadn't Heard, Los Amigos Invisibles Are Playing Saturday
Discovered by David Byrne in New York City almost two decades ago, Los Amigos Invisibles has, over 18 years, visited 60 countries, released six albums and won a Latin Grammy in 2009 for their latest album Commercial that embodies their infectious blend of Latin rhythms, funk, disco and acid jazz. More>>
Adventure: Quincey Completes Epic Trans Tasman Solo Row
Over 500 members of the public along with world news and media gathered on Northland's 90 Mile Beach to welcome back trans-Tasman rower Shaun Quincey who arrived on New Zealand soil at around 12:35pm Sunday. Image: 3NewsMore>>
The Power Of Paul: Q+A’s Paul Holmes Interviews Dr Simon Schama.
Dr Simon Schama is one of the world's most widely read historians, he's an Englishman, lives in New York City, he's Professor of Art History and History, Columbia University, he's a writer and presenter for the BBC Television, they famously paid him three million pounds for a combined television and book deal. More >>
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