Kirsten McDougall

Education Minister cut Māori words from future junior books, documents reveal The near-total ban was driven by concern it would be confusing for children learning to read English, documents show.

www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

this speaks to me of someone who is so out of touch with what it is like to live in NZ they think maaori words aren't a part of NZ English. or worse speaks to the NZ they want to create; one absent the language that has been with this land for centuries.

‘At the Marae’: Science and Ethics, Not Science or Ethics It will be tempting for many to think that if science is behind the decision by the Ministry to stop printing ‘At the Marae’, then the decision is rational and thus one to accept. But i…

bevanholloway.com/2025/08/08/a...
Well, this is revealing.

BREAKING

TODAY - As much of the country faces yet another damaging climate-fuelled storm – and amid a cost of living crisis – the Luxon government is pushing through changes to overturn the ban on new oil & gas exploration to MAKE THINGS EVEN WORSE.

#NZPOL #ClimateCrisis

I don’t know who needs to hear this but this whole renters don’t pay rates “at all” thing is just silly. We make this weekly payment called “rent” to our landlords, who then pay rates on the homes we live in. These people ⬇️ and about half the city.

Wobbly Wellington!!

what kind of fashy newspeak is this - rolling back worker rights = "a more effective and efficient bargaining environment"

Early Christmas cheer as retirees restore old bikes for kids The retirees say they enjoy drawing on their decades worth of DIY knowledge, and seeing happy youngsters zoom off on their new wheels.

Lovely Christmas cheer and sustainability story from Aotearoa New Zealand.

Retirees restore old bikes for kids
[photo of three older people, two of them in wheelchairs, with three young people and one other person and three as new bikes]
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

YouTube video by chunkymark Turner Prize 2024 Jasleen Kaur

❤️‍🔥 Jasleen Kaur, on winning the Turner Prize:

“I’ve been wondering why artists are required to dream up liberation in the gallery but when that dream meets life we are shut down”

youtu.be/6RoLMAf37qY

As a New Zealander currently overseas, what I really want New Zealanders to know is: Inflation was high everywhere. Skyrocketing unemployment and business closures are a uniquely NZ thing.

The first was due to global economic conditions, the second is a direct result of NZ government policy.

Govt cuts humanities and social science funding - Expert Reaction Humanities and social science funding has been cut from the Marsden Fund, the main fund for 'blue-skies' research in Aotearoa New Zealand. The areas that have been cut include research in subjects lik...

My full comments on the cuts to the Marsden Fund of the @royalsocietynz.bsky.social are now up here:

I keep trying to write something eloquent and just being tired.
History matters. Philosophy matters. Languages and literature matter. Indigenous studies matter. Arts and humanities and social sciences matter. All of them.

Signed,
a physicist

Oooo this looks v good.

Hi Adele! Is it just a bit thirsty? I have a plant in my greenhouse looking a bit like this, but the ones next to it are fine 🤷

"Let's keep pushing forward while we are currently facing a storm, there's no need to worry. In this storm we are strong. Together. The wind in our sails is kotahitanga, and with that we will reach our destination."

Cartoon. Title: Next up, Louise Upston, NZ’s champion of child poverty reduction. In the body of the cartoon there are six drawings of Louise Upston preparing to compete in a high jump. By the first drawing it says “Here she is at the Child Poverty High Jump. Let’s see how she does it…” She is stretching, running, and leaping (a Fosbury Flop) and in the last frame she has landed on her back on the mat, on top of a very low bar, and grinning, saying, “Cracked it!” And the caption says, “She lowers the bar”

Next up, Louise Upston, NZ’s champion of child poverty reduction.
My Stuff cartoon today. #nzpol

Network Tasman Consumers Benefit By $300 Million This year Network Tasman Trust celebrates 30 years of consumer ownership, a decision that trustees Patrick Adamson and Judene Edgar say was pivotal in the region’s history and puts the region in a goo...

The consumer-owned Network Tasman Trust was formed 30 years ago.
It has no debt and one of the lowest lines charges in NZ. The community model
resulted in $300 million in discounts and dividends which all stayed in the region.
Disclosure: I'm a Network Tasman consumer.

That’s nice news.

Yep. I think he’d prefer bots taught our kids. Far less pesky than human beings who actually care about kids and um, things like fair pay.

He FINALLY said the quiet bit out loud. This whole thing is about deprofessionalising teaching and union-breaking. It was never about the kids.

Govt announces changes to Education and Training Amendment Bill two days before submissions close David Seymour says the late changes are necessary to stop teacher unions from hamstringing the schools.

Seymour is focused on making charter school business investment opportunities very attractive to sponsors, this move has nothing to do with student outcomes. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

We need signatures whanau

Cartoon title: Strike Incoming. A bowling alley with pins. The one in front is Luxon and behind him Shane Jones. Luxon says, "I'm not making any apologies for the fast-track bill" and Jones is saying, "I haven't bothered to follow the protest". A gigantic bowling ball with the words public opinion (the holes have angry eyes) travelling at pace towards them. On the lane it says, FAST TRACK and the 'A' looks like the little arrows you see on a lane.

My cartoon in today's www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3503...

At the weekend we saw over 20,000 people from all walks of life demonstrating that they do not want this bill to be passed. The hubris and nonchalant attitude towards our people and the environment is breathtaking.

#NzPol #Aotearoa #Nz

From the people that brought you:

There's METH in the WALLS!

Comes:

Kāinga Ora ran up DEBT by building HOUSES!!
#NZPol

I will never understand why we run a vital emergency service as some outsourced semi-charity?!

Imagine seeing Facebook ads from the police wanting to fundraise for police stations.

Nationalise the fucking ambulances!

MP advising minister on Pharmac has investments in pharmaceutical companies Act MP Todd Stephenson's long links with pharma industry - and plans to shake up Pharmac.

Two government corruption scandals in one day: www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/...

Accelerating Social Investment A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says.

Cannot stress how much this will fuck social services in New Zealand.

These organisations are setup with a profit incentive to deliver results, and having worked at many corporations, all of them commit fraud to reach their KPIs.

She's a Killer - Gallic Books Bold, darkly funny and brilliantly bizarre, She’s a Killer is the story of a stubborn slacker confronting a very weird world.

Oh, the UK paperback of @cursesmcd.bsky.social McDougall's marvellous She's a Killer is out from @gallicbooks in a couple of weeks! gallicbooks.com/product/shes...

Grow the workforce: paid training in healthcare, education, and... We are short 700 social workers, 940 psychologists, 1000 teachers, 1,050 midwives, 1,700 doctors, & 4,800 nurses to name a few. Our hospitals, GP practices, schools, mental health & social services...

I support paying essential service workers like teachers and nurses to have paid internships. Sign the petition if you do too!
our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/gr...

It’s hard to know who he is if he misrepresents himself constantly