Extremely clear eyed (& long!) analysis of where we are today. Conspicuous Despair bubbles under all the political rhetoric. How long until enough people wake up and demand fundamental change?

George Monbiot@georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 4w ago

This is a brilliant essay, which, in my view, accurately describes the predicament of the post-Boomer generations, and the vast infrastructure of lies designed to disguise it. "Degeneracy is a symptom. The disease is rent." 🧵 henryfudgeofficial.substack.com/p/degeneracy...

This piece by one of our great science minds is well worth 5 minutes of your time - and a few months of your outrage.

Peter Dearden@peterkdearden.bsky.social · last mo.

on the destruction of New Zealand Science open.substack.com/pub/peterkde...

“A recent study in the journal JAMA Medicine found that when provided with more ambiguous symptoms, frontier AI models failed to produce the correct diagnosis upward of 80 percent of the time.” But in NZ, our health minister is promoting AI tools in our EDs…!? #nzpol

Futurism@futurism.com · 3mo ago

"Evidence that AI tools create value for patients, providers or health systems remains scarce."

"The goal isn't a symbolic headcount. The goal is a parliament where disability experience is so present – in the research, in the submissions, in the lived knowledge of enough members – that you can't design policy in ignorance of it." - Nick Ruane

Fixing Parliament’s institutional ableism

Representation isn't just about who's in the room. It's about whose experience shapes how the room thinks, Nick Ruane says.

artsaccess.org.nz

👇 www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3609...

We’re in crisis and don’t have anyone to believe in

Right now, it feels like the whole country is in the waiting room at the doctor’s, one dropped polystyrene coffee cup away from losing it.

stuff.co.nz

#NZpol interesting comparison 🧵⬇️ Down in the thread - “Luxon's fixated on partisan messaging dressed as crisis comms, with no new policy framing to deal with major crisis fallout.”

Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa@sanjanah.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Compared PM Luxon's "column" against addresses by the Australian PM Albanese, and British PM Starmer on 1 April in their respective countries, around the same set of issues. The UK, and Australia are two of New Zealand's closest allies. Comparison establishes quality of political leadership. #nzpol

If you read one piece about the fuel situation today make sure it’s this one: open.substack.com/pub/energyan...

Every Country in Our Supply Chain Has Declared an Emergency. NZ just launched an Ad Campaign.

What the ministerial press conference got wrong about NZ's fuel supply, and what it didn't mention at all.

open.substack.com

Rightio, another go at explaining something reasonably simple that the ghouls refuse to acknowledge. This is the 30 year average position of: - Govt deficit/surplus (x-axis) - Balance with rest of the world (y-axis - net $ from goods, service, income) See where NZ is? Why? Let's dive in... [🧵 1/n]

Cutting dialysis just to save a couple of dollars is truly toxic behaviour. But let's ask ourselves the question: where did the money that used to be available to keep people alive actually go? A short thread. #nzpol

D Jukic She/her@dejanajuk.bsky.social · 5mo ago

“Christchurch Hospital has started rationing dialysis to two sessions per week from three because of a Government-imposed sinking lid on spending to ensure Crown spending to GDP gets down below 30%, 1News reported last night” #nzpol

Kevin does such a good job here. Even if you know this topic well, he is communicating it using language that I believe you'll find works well for the obnoxious uncle in your life. Recommend reading through it end to end. Thank you @greenander.bsky.social

Kevin@greenander.bsky.social · 7mo ago

I’m going to try, as much as I am able, to explain how AI functions and what it can be used for. This will be a thread for sure. I’m a technical architect and consultant and have been having a lot of these conversations lately. Not an expert, but no one is.

This is a cogent, detailed and passionate demolition of generative and LLM AI in writing and publishing. It applies to other creative endeavours and industries, like design. I urge you to share it and start real conversations about AI, instead of blindly using it “because everyone else is.”

Chuck Wendig@chuckwendig.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Apparently I'm doing this -- my open letter to that open latter about AI in writing and publishing. I emerged from Hibernation Week to write it, so god only knows how much sense it makes. But at least a human wrote it, so that's nice. Bonus: picture of my "cat," sweet baby Boomba.

This is a careful, cogent and chilling analysis of the impact of AI in health care. It’s long and directly applies to the USA’s for profit model, but has huge lessons for NZ and elsewhere. “True care is not a transaction to be optimized; it is a practice and a relationship to be protected.”

Ms Hooper@mshooper.bsky.social · 9mo ago

“The problem is that when it is installed in a health sector that prizes efficiency, surveillance and profit extraction, AI becomes not a tool for care and community but simply another instrument for commodifying human life.” #nzpol

This such a cruel and uncaring attitude from our current government. I don’t know how anyone can support this heartless and ignorant policy in the face of so much evidence to the contrary. When did we stop investing in and supporting our young people, our future?

James W@jamesw228.bsky.social · 10mo ago

I wish I was surprised by this but as a country we've shown we dgaf about disabled people #nzpol www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

On the face of it, this approach to solar panels seems to make a lot of sense. Any NZ trials?

Rob@robertferry.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Vertical rows are the agrivoltaic winner! “The vertical panels produce slightly less electricity—but with higher value, as generation peaks coincide with morning and late afternoon demand…The crops don't seem to mind the presence of solar panels and they like the wind protection they provide.”

This deserves to be shared, discussed and amplified. And the government needs to rethink. Thank you Newsroom and Dame Anne Salmon.

Newsroom NZ@newsroom.co.nz · 12mo ago

On a range of environmental and legal measures involving forestry, the coalition Government seems to be doing the opposite of what people and communities need, writes Dame Anne Salmond

I made this post the other day because I can’t believe how little attention the Pae Ora Amendment Bill is getting. SUBMIT NOW. HEALTH PRIVATISATION is about to become LAW. #nzpol www.reddit.com/r/nzpolitics...

From the nzpolitics community on Reddit: The Amendment Bill seeing to PRIVATISE your health system

Posted by hadr0nc0llider - 53 votes and 11 comments

reddit.com

I've made this simple to use page for people to work out how much the change from fuel excise tax to road user charges will affect them. Please share it far and wide. #nzpol what-will-rucs-cost-me.netlify.app

Another excellent thread with a more balanced perspective on NZs COVID response. Thank you!

Musical Chairs@musicalchairs.bsky.social · 12mo ago

Here's the gotcha chart that Treasury have placed at the heart of their ideological rant about the need for Govt know it's place and generally stand back and let, RBNZ handle things during the next crisis (a housing boom will save jobs!) Let's look at what the IMF were reporting on here.. [1/n]

Discovering Ngāi Tahu's kahurumanu.co.nz/atlas for the correct place names has been huge for me, & I learn a thing or two about NZ history. For instance 'Pudding Island' in Otago Harbour is Te Pā-o-Titere-Moana & while the Govt assumed ownership, Ngāi Tahu never agreed to sell it to the Crown.

Thank you for your service!

Sherrilyn Ifill@sifill.bsky.social · last yr.

This. Is. Insane. Read this, please.

Well worth a read. It is time to reframe our language, change the narrative, challenge the thinking.

Kaimataara@kaimataara.bsky.social · last yr.

I finished my article on how to win the center while staying left, tell me what y'all think and share it around please (even better if it reaches our politicians) These tips are heavily based on Anat Shenker-Osorio's book, Anat helped Jacinda Ardern win in 2017 despite only being leader for 7 weeks

Very sad to learn Maurice Gee passed. I interviewed him in 1976 for Nelson College’s literary mag in my bedroom near Trafalgar Park. He was gracious and patient with my predictable questions. His advice to young writers was to keep doing it. In his books I still hear his quiet careful voice.

A simple straight forward summary of the dangers of the Regulatory Standards Bill. There’s nothing good about it, and plenty of risks and erosion of everyone’s rights. We just don’t need it. Please read, share and make a submission. newsroom.co.nz/2025/06/14/a...

Anne Salmond: What’s wrong with the Regulatory Standards Bill

Opinion: Nine reasons why Act's legislation on regulation is flawed and should not pass

newsroom.co.nz

A timely reminder (with actual FACTS!) as COVID starts ramping up again in Ao/NZ

Julia@juliadoubleday.bsky.social · last yr.

As NB.1.8.1 spreads, there’s only one thing spreading faster: misinformation. Here, I run down 5 of the most common errors I see circulating about COVID and encourage people to integrate airborne disease mitigation into their lives holistically. www.thegauntlet.news/p/common-mis...

I had the pleasure to writing a microhistory of a buried stream (Wai-Horotiu) in Auckland Aotearoa NZ. #coloniailsm #history #environmentalhistory #newzealand #Indigenous #environmentaljustice www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Remembering Wai-Horotiu: microhistory, public art, and Indigenous environmental justice in Tāmaki Makaurau

Few people walking along Queen Street in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, realise they are treading above Wai-Horotiu, a historically significant stream now buried beneath the urban landscape. In this pap...

tandfonline.com

"I think the message is very clear that we're moving into winter, we have got this rise in cases - and if anyone has been putting off getting their Covid-19 booster, now would be a good time to get it." - Michael Baker 🇳🇿

Covid-19: New wave could be coming after 11-month reprieve

A new Covid-19 wave could be coming after an 11-month lull, an epidemiologist says.

rnz.co.nz

Staff make passionate please to keep Auckland mental health service open, saying there's nothing else like it -say it should take on more people Feedback submitted to Health NZ this week will now be reviewed Opposition calls on government to keep service open and properly review its future. #nzpol

Health NZ wants to close a mental health facility, staff say more people need it

Rauaroha Segar House is a vital service for people who otherwise fall through the cracks, staff say.

rnz.co.nz

Chaotic, illogical and dangerous - and consistent with this government

Jolisa Gracewood@nzdodo.bsky.social · last yr.

With Auckland Transport racing to raise speeds across 1500+ streets (while other cities work to *reduce* the impact of the new Speed Rule), people-power brings a last-minute reprieve for two neighbourhoods. You wouldn't read about it! So I wrote about it. www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/05/20/a...