What the Ministerial amendments proposed to the EEZ Bill tell us about RMA reform plans - or, how a few lines on a page could change New Zealand's natural world
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I like the way Snrub thinks!
The Electoral Commission's proposed changes to MMP are on the table. Whether or not you like them, you still should tell the Commission what you think.
Read MoreMMP changes -- shake off the coat-tail and lower your threshold
What oh what will the Electoral Commission recommend in its review of MMP? And will MPs be willing to play ball?
Read MoreLisa Carrington - a star is born
The Olympic gold medal winner has the country at her feet, and could do for some time
Read MoreReality Test for Bamyan’s perfect PRT model
The New Zealand-led Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamyan has been presented as a model for building security and stability in Afghanistan – but the cracks are showing as insurgents step up the pressure.
Read MoreAll you need is love, love, love – but marriage matters too
Let's see if we can debate the place of marriage in our society without divorcing ourselves from reality and the importance of preserving age-old customs
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Friday August 10
Gu Kailai does not contest charges, found guilty of murdering British businessman in China; US begins cleanup of Agent Orange-contaminated site in Vietnam 37 years after war ended; Libya hands power to newly-elected assembly; France heads back into recession; and more
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Thursday August 9
Egypt launches attacks in Sinai, killing 20; aid is rushed to victims of Philippines floods, which have displaced 850,000 and killed 64; crowds turn out in Burma to celebrate 24th anniversary of pro-democracy protests; three NATO troops killed in Afghanistan; UK's double-dip recession deepens; and more
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Wednesday August 8
Egypt promises crackdown after massacre of 16 police by Islamists; China's top leaders gather for leadership transition meeting; Gu Kailai to go on trial for murder of British businessman; 1300 Syrian refugees flee to Turkey overnight; food inflation reaches high in Latin America; and more
Read MoreKennedy Graham's UN rescue plan – but what about big business?
Kennedy Graham is very experienced and knowledgeable in international law and process, but would his framework achieve what he claims?
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Tuesday August 7
Syrian prime minister fired; Beijing wants US to refute accusation it is hampering diplomatic efforts in South China Sea; Japan marks 67th anniversary of first atomic bomb attack; Karzai accepts Afghan parliament's sacking of ministers; NASA rover lands on Mars; and more
Read MoreUS elections: hope is replaced by sufferance
A trip to the US has given me five reasons to pick who will win the US presidential election in November
Read MoreCharter schools & mixed messages -- is this an intelligent design?
More innovation or wacky ideas? And how does the government square a commitment to quality teaching with its decision to let anyone's Uncle Jim teach struggling kids? Just a couple of the questions posed by charter schools. But wait, there's more...
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Friday August 3
Syrian rebels attack military airport near Aleppo; Chinese authorities ban fasting for Ramadan; Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng describes deterioration of human rights in China; Bangladesh bans foreign charities from helping Rohingya refugees; Greek leaders agree to new austerity plan; and more
Read MoreAnd so it begins
On chooks, the planting of blossom trees, and building an ecological movement from the ground up
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Thursday August 2
Power returns to India after world's biggest blackout; China calls on US to reverse sanctions against Chinese Bank of Kunlun Co; mass violence in Burma, reveals Human Rights Watch; anti-government protest in Darfur kills eight; France, Italy want more power for euro rescue fund; and more
Read MoreOne law for all!
There's no reason why a candidate wanting to represent Auckland voters in Parliament should have to follow different rules to a candidate wanting to represent Auckland voters as mayor.
Read MoreWhen you're in a hole, keep digging
The questions Energy Minister Phil Heatley should have been asked on The Nation; and why former Minister David Parker, bless him, still doesn’t get it
Read MoreUnholy gaffes in the Holy Land
If US presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's current trip is to establish his foreign policy credentials, he should have stayed at home...but then he'd have missed out on the cash.
Read MoreJohn Banks - not unlawful, just incompetent
John Banks didn't breach the Local Electoral Act, because he doesn't bother reading the legal declarations that get put in front of him. It's lucky he doesn't have an important job or anything ... .
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