The Latest Breaking News from Aotearoa New Zealand

The true damage of invasive alien species was just revealed in a landmark report. Here's how we must act

Invasive alien species are driving biodiversity loss and extinctions in every country, all over the world.

The Conversation · Sep 4, 2023

Hunting for a 'golden unicorn': how NZ charities find banks constantly get in the way of them helping people

Aotearoa New Zealand is home to 28,560 registered charities and some 90,000 not-for-profits without charitable registration. From disability advocacy groups and local theatres to sporting clubs, all do vital work in our communities.

The Conversation · Aug 6, 2023

Penalties, passes, and a touch of politics: the Women's World Cup is about to kick off

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off this Thursday night, the first football world cup hosted by Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Conversation · Jul 16, 2023

The end of offshore oil and gas exploration in NZ was hard won – but it remains politically fragile

Recent news that the New Zealand government has granted an offshore oil and gas exploration permit it had earlier declined demonstrates how fragile the current ban on such activity still is.

The Conversation · May 8, 2023

New lessons about old wars: keeping the complex story of Anzac Day relevant in the 21st century

What happened on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey 108 years ago has shocked and shaped Aotearoa New Zealand ever since. The challenge in the 21st century, then, is how best to give contemporary relevance to such an epochal event.

The Conversation · Apr 24, 2023

The ‘otherness’ of Jacinda Ardern – by doing politics differently she changed the game and saved her party

This week marks the beginning of Jacinda Ardern’s life outside parliament, since she officially ceased to be an electorate MP at midnight last Saturday. Her legacy as prime minister will be discussed and disputed, but there’s no doubt her influence will continue to be felt, both in Aotearoa New Zealand…

The Conversation · Apr 17, 2023

We need consistency in how we treat financial crimes. Sentencing guidelines are a good place to start

As it stands in Aotearoa New Zealand, beneficiary fraud (fraud by people on benefits) is largely dealt with under the Crimes Act, while tax evasion is prosecuted under the Tax Administration Act. This, among other factors, means beneficiaries engaging in financial fraud face significantly stiffer penalties than professionals doing the…

The Conversation · Apr 13, 2023

NZ farmers worry about 'carbon leakage' if they have to pay for emissions, but they could benefit from playing the long game

The recent report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) underscores the urgency of emissions reductions. For Aotearoa New Zealand, where 50% of emissions come from agriculture in the form of methane and nitrous oxide, this means the primary sector must be part of the response.

The Conversation · Apr 11, 2023

Strikes, protests and collective action: how fighting a cost-of-living crisis wasn’t always about tightening your own belt

Most people today are coping with the rising cost of living individually: cost cutting, looking for a better paid job, taking on “side hustles”, and so on. But not so long ago, many workers globally and in Aotearoa New Zealand approached the same problem in far more collective ways.

The Conversation · Apr 10, 2023

Fishing for data: commercial fishers help monitor rising temperatures in coastal seas

The world’s oceans are buffering us from the worst climate impacts by taking up more than 90% of the excess heat generated by greenhouse gas emissions. This has warmed them by 0.88℃ (on average globally), according to the latest climate report released this week.

The Conversation · Mar 23, 2023