Gordon Campbell: On Our Unreal Optimism About The Economic Impact Of Coronavirus

Gordon Campbell: On The Political Donations Scandals
Even paranoids have real enemies. While there has been something delusionary about the way New Zealand First has been living in denial about its donations scandal, one can sympathise with its indignation about Paula Bennett and Simon Bridges being among its chief accusers. More>>

ALSO:

• Jami-Lee Ross - Statement Of Jami-lee Ross - "Spoke Up Now Set Up" - Foreign donation loophole still wide open
• RNZ - Jacinda Ardern Tries To Soothe Virus Rift With China - Coronavirus: Expert Warns More Flights Could Be Cancelled - National Party Donations Case: 'I Am Now Being Painted As The Scapegoat' - Jami-Lee Ross - 'We Need To Apply Natural Justice' - PM On NZ First Foundation Investigation - Not One, But Two $100k Donations To National In Court - National Donations SFO Charge Details A Surprise - Bridges - PM Jacinda Ardern Washes Hands Of NZ First Foundation Photos Saga - Simon Bridges Says NZ First Foundation Investigation Should Be SFO Priority
• Serious Fraud Office - SFO Commences Investigation In Relation To NZ First Foundation - SFO Confirms Receipt Of Police Referral - SFO files charges in National Party donations case
• NZ First - Statement from New Zealand First leader Winston Peters
• NZ Taxpayers' Union - Taxpayers’ Union welcomes SFO investigation of donations
• Transparency International NZ - New Zealand tops the 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index

UN Expert: NZ Housing Crisis Requires Bold Human Rights Response

This is a press statement from UN Special Rapporteur on the right to housing at the end of her 10-day visit to New Zealand. The Government of New Zealand has recognized that the country is facing a housing crisis, said Leilani Farha, UN Special Rapporteur ... More>>

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Rental Reforms A Step Closer With The Introduction Of The Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill - Government Steps Up Action To Prevent Homelessness
• National - Homebuyers Shouldn’t Be Competing With Kāinga Ora
• New Conservative - Housing: Immigration Freeze, Not Rent Freeze Required
• Community Housing Aotearoa - UN Visit Identifies Actions For New Zealand To Address Housing Crisis - Government Homelessness Announcement Is The Turning Point We’ve Been Waiting For
• NZ Human Rights Commission - Chief Human Rights Commissioner Welcomes Findings From UN Independent Housing Expert
• Local Govt NZ - New Report A Pathfinder For Affordable Housing
• PSA - PSA Welcomes Increased Government Funding For Homeless Support
• State Housing Action - Government’s Homelessness Action Plan Misses The Mark
• RNZ - Auckland Council tells govt it is 'strongly opposed' to its planned model for the housing crisis - UN Special Rapporteur Calls On NZ For Bold Human-rights Approach To Housing Crisis - House Price Increases Break New Yearly Records, Regions Most Affected - 'Beyond The Pale': Councils Respond To Kāinga Ora Powers - Kāinga Ora Rubs Up Against Councils In Housing Consents - New Helen Clark Foundation Report Urges Capital Gains Tax
• Community Law Centres Aotearoa - Community Law Welcomes Housing Support – More Needed
• NZ Taxpayers' Union - Dispute Over Urban Development Bill Caused By Twyford’s Failure On RMA
• State Housing Action - Government’s Homelessness Action Plan Misses The Mark In The Face Of Rising House Prices

NIWA: Scientists Say Methane Emitted By Humans ‘vastly Underestimated’

NIWA researchers have helped unlock information trapped in ancient air samples from Greenland and Antarctica that shows the amount of methane humans are emitting into the atmosphere from fossil fuels has been vastly underestimated... More>>

ALSO:

• Andrea Germanos - Damning New Report Says Every Nation Undermining Children
• Medialens - ‘And Then - Nothing. Silence’: The Deadly Facade Of ‘Democracy’
• Jessica Corbett - Concentration Of CO2 Hits 416 Ppm - highest EVER daily average, but it still wont be breaking news - 23 Former Diplomats Urge Global Leaders To Adopt Paris-Style Agreement To Protect Biodiversity
• Steve Abel - Greenpeace Campaigner Of 22 Years Announces Bid To Stand For Parliament
• Business NZ - Kiwi youth feeling the heat
• RNZ - How NZ would fare during a world catastrophe
• United Nations - Antarctic continent posts record temperature - Climate action ‘both a priority and a driver of the decade'
• Lincoln University - Public surveyed on state of the environment
• Kapiti Coast District Council - Climate change and our coast
• University Of Canterbury - Climate Change Throws Tree Seeding Out Of Sync – New Study
• NZ Carbon Farming - Locally owned carbon forester pledges 20% of climate target
• UN News - 2020: the year for action, to ‘rise up’ and safeguard ocean

SMC Expert Reaction: Record Dry Spells And Effects On Forests

With no rain forecast before Sunday, Auckland is about to break a record for the city's longest dry spell. Niwa says Auckland is likely to hit 40 consecutive days without rain this weekend . The upper North Island is seeing severe meterological ... More>>

ALSO:

• MetService - More Rain For The South While Dry Continues In The North - Another dry week ahead, with temperatures rising
• NIWA - Auckland Set To Break Dry Spell Record
• Fire And Emergency Nz - Rolleston Fire
• RNZ - Farmers Fear New Water Rules Could Push Them Under

Reserve Bank: Official Cash Rate Remains At 1.0 Percent

The Monetary Policy Committee has decided to keep the Official Cash Rate (OCR) at 1.0 percent. Employment is at or slightly above its maximum sustainable level while consumer price inflation is close to the 2 percent mid-point of our target range. ... More>>

ALSO:

• Michael Reddell - The OCR Should Be Cut
• Reserve Bank - MPS, OCR and FSR dates for 2021
• RNZ - Reserve Bank Of New Zealand Keeps Official Cash Rate At 1 Percent
• XE Morning Update - XE Morning Update
• National - Economic Growth Slowing Under Coalition Government

Gordon Campbell: On The Addiction To Chinese Student Fees

Last week, Australian PM Scott Morrison extended its ban on foreign visitors from or passing through from mainland China – including Chinese students - for a third week. New Zealand has dutifully followed suit, with our travel ban ... More>>

Gordon Campbell: On Coronavirus, And The Iowa Debacle

As Bloomberg says, the coronavirus shutdown is creating the world’s biggest work-from-home experiment. On the upside, the mortality rate with the current outbreak is lower than with SARS in 2003, but (for a number of reasons) the economic impact this time ... More>>

Gordon Campbell: On Dodging A Bullet Over The Transport Cost Over-Runs

As New Zealand gears up to begin its $6.8 billion programme of large scale roading projects all around the country, we should be aware of this morning’s sobering headlines from New South Wales, where the cost overruns on major transport projects ... More>>

Gordon Campbell:On Kobemania, Palestine And The Infrastructure Package

Quick quiz to end the week. What deserves the more attention – the death of a US basketball legend, or the end of Palestinian hopes for an independent state? Both died this week, but only one was met with almost total indifference by the global community. More>>

Gordon Campbell: On The Rise Of Klobuchar And Bloomberg

Oh, the burden of being the front-runner. In 2016, when he was still the feisty underdog, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders set his campaign alight by beating Hillary Clinton in neighbouring New Hampshire by a resounding 60-39% margin. Yesterday, Sanders won again in New Hampshire. This time though only by a 1.3% margin over Pete Buttigieg, with Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar reasonably close behind in third place. More>>

ALSO:

• Caitlin Johnstone - The Belief That Everything Will Be Fine Once Trump’s Gone Is More Dangerous Than Trump - DNC Completely Loses Public Trust In Its Primary Process
• David Swanson - Why This Election Is Different
• Jon Queally - Progressives To Sanders Skeptics: This 'Big Tent' Movement Is A Winning And Practical Choice
• Jake Johnson - Sanders Condemns Trump Budget As 'Immoral Document' Designed To Hurt Families And Children
• Eoin Higgins - Sanders Leads Popular Vote, Trails Buttigieg With Delegates
• Binoy Kampmark - Muddling Democrats: Chaos in the Iowa Caucus - Hillary Clinton versus Mark Zuckerberg
• Common Dreams - Jessica Corbett - Sanders responds To Oxfam Inequality Report

Crisis and Opportunity: The ‘Deal of the Century’

After several postponements, US President, Donald Trump, has finally revealed the details of his Middle East plan, dubbed ‘Deal of the Century’, in a press conference in Washington on January 28. More>>

ALSO:

• Binoy Kampmark - Corporate Occupations: The UN Business “Black List” And Israel’s Settlements
• United Nations - Resolving Israel-Palestinian conflict
• Palestine Solidarity Network - Call for NZ to reject “Deal of the Century'
• International Trade Union Confederation - Proposals on Israel/Palestine are an affront to Palestinians
• Wellington Palestine Group - The worst deal of the century?
• Euro-Med Monitor - Peace plan strips Palestinians of their rights

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>>