Sir Ashley Bloomfield and Professor David Murdoch advocate for treating pandemics as national security issues due to their far-reaching economic, social, and health impacts. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

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Is a national security response to the next pandemic warranted? Ashley Bloomfield thinks so

Sir Ashley Bloomfield and Professor David Murdoch, two of New Zealand’s top COVID responders, are advocating for the government to treat pandemics as national security threats rather than just health concerns.

20 October 2024

ACT MP raises concerns over taxpayer-funded children’s book

ACT MP Laura Trask has raised concerns over the children’s book Paku Manu Ariki Whakatakapōkai, which is available in schools and funded by Creative New Zealand.

Trask, with The Platform’s Sean Plunkett, discussed problematic themes, such as one line in the book that reads, “I feel sorry for my mum because she’s only Pākehā.” Trask is concerned such material may not be appropriate for young readers.

20 October 2024

Fluoridation fight heads back to councils under NZ First plan

New Zealand First is pushing to give local councils the power to decide on water fluoridation. At their conference on 12 October, the party passed a remit calling for the repeal of a 2021 law that gave control to the Director-General of Health (DGH), leaving communities with no say.

This move, they argue, is essential as councils face hefty fines for resisting fluoridation, despite public opposition.

20 October 2024

Green Party pushes to eject Darleen Tana from Parliament using waka-jumping law

The Green Party is set to use the waka-jumping law to force out independent MP Darleen Tana. In a special meeting of 185 delegates on 17 October, the party reached a consensus to write to the Speaker of the House, claiming that Tana’s resignation from the party has skewed the proportionality of Parliament.

Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick urged Tana to “do the right thing” and resign, stating, “this is not a nice situation. It sucks.”

20 October 2024

Winston Peters’ $100b infrastructure fund faces political challenges, but may be a step in the right direction

Winston Peters has proposed a $100b “Future Fund” to tackle New Zealand’s infrastructure crisis, aiming to fund much-needed improvements in water, transport, and climate resilience.

While the idea seems promising, as urban planning expert Timothy Welch points out, “the proposal’s success will hinge on getting the details right and, more importantly, getting the politics out of infrastructure planning.”

20 October 2024

Gary Judd KC argues that tikanga shouldn’t be forced on law students

Law students in New Zealand are set to face mandatory learning of tikanga Māori from January 2025. This is part of new regulations by the New Zealand Council of Legal Education (NZCLE). But Gary Judd KC presented his case to Parliament’s Regulation Review Committee, urging them to block these regulations before they take effect:

“It will send a signal to the judiciary and to the legal and academic establishments that Parliament is sovereign and that parliament not the judiciary has the constitutional authority to make and unmake the laws of New Zealand.”

20 October 2024

Auckland Transport accused of conflict of interest over speed limit reviews

Auckland Transport (AT) faces criticism for relying on reports evaluating its speed reduction programme, authored by an engineer who previously worked on the very programme he reviewed.

The independent reviews, conducted by Lewis Martin after joining consultancy Abley, have been labelled “marking your own homework” by some, raising concerns about potential bias.