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Reposted by Oli - ultracrepidarian

miravox @miravox.bsky.social · 8h

Ferrets are an environmental catastrophe. One ferret attack wipes out half a seabird colony on Karioi. A single grey-faced petrel (oi) chick survived in its burrow so the ferret came back for that one too. A potentially record breeding season, with at least nine pairs sitting on eggs is now nothing.

The Waikato Times

www.waikatotimes.co.nz

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Reposted by Oli - ultracrepidarian

Felix, Hibernian ghoul @felixbloodaxe.bsky.social · 8h

If I was a parent and the kid brought this home I'd go apeshit on the school and organise all the other parents to kick AI out completely

Luke Plunkett @lukeplunkett.com · 9h

kids teacher just sent this home as part of an assignment he's doing and i want to smash every computer at the school

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Alison Campbell @acampbelteacher.bsky.social · 8h

They are totally screwing science over, & no mistake. This decision (to roll multiple funding sources into one & use non-expert reviewers) will seriously harm the NZ science ecosystem.

samuel mehr @mehr.nz · 14h

a few of us made public comments regarding the govt's consolidation of NZ's research funding

Richard Easther @rjme.bsky.social, Lucy Stewart @lcsnz.bsky.social, Nicola Gaston, me, et al

admittedly mine is a bit less polite than the others

comments at www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2025/10/14/b...

Samuel Mehr, 2023 Prime Minister’s MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist; Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology, University of Auckland; and Associate Professor Adjunct, Child Study Center, Yale University, comments:
“The consolidation of New Zealand’s primary sources of science funding is a terrible idea. It will weaken our global competitiveness and accelerate our ‘brain drain’ to Australia, Canada, Europe and various other attractive destinations for our top scientific minds.

“The biggest problem in the new science funding system its disregard for the importance of basic science, which isn’t even a ‘pillar’ and barely warrants two phrases of mention in the new funding structure. This year a Nobel Prize went to three economists who demonstrated that investment in discovery science drives sustained growth.

“One wonders if anyone in government noticed. Simply put: without core investment in basic science, our economy will suffer, and New Zealand’s universities will simply be unable to recruit and retain top talent.

“The second-biggest problem is moving oversight of funding decisions to the Research Funding New Zealand Board, which will be mainly comprised of non-academics. This is a highly unusual structure relative to the world’s top funding bodies, whose funding decisions are typically made by highly trained domain specialists.

“Take the US National Institutes of Health, who spends more annually on science than New Zealand spends on roads, tunnels, and bridges. There, panels of expert scientists in all areas of biomedical research confidentially review grant proposals, providing scores for proposals; then, separate panels of ‘program staff’ — most of whom have PhDs in the area they are making funding decisions about — decide which proposals should be funded.

“Moving control of science funding decisions away from the experts and toward government ministers is a recipe for under-informed funding decisions that are likely to be biased by external influence, whatever topics are currently exciting (but don’t necessarily have any long-term value), and, worst of all, the personal interests of the specific members of the board.

“Basic science in New Zealand has yielded world-changing discoveries in neonatal care, life-saving genomic advances in cancers, and the invention of R, a programming language used at every university on the planet. This is the country of Ernest Rutherford! Our government can and must do better.”

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Reposted by Oli - ultracrepidarian

Anton Gerashchenko @antongerashchenko.bsky.social · 8h

I don't think Putin can afford to admit that the war hasn't been a mistake&stop the war he cannot win.This’ll mean the end of his power.He needs a war that lasts- lasts until the end of his life

Is Putin ready to stop the war?That is the wrong question
The right question is:Can Putin stop the war?⤵️

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Byron C Clark @byroncclark.bsky.social · 10h

Of course he would say that. Peters launched his last election campaign on Reality Check Radio, his political career depends on the ability for online platforms to spread disinfo without any accountability to the public

www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

Winston Peters accuses Broadcasting Standards Authority of 'Soviet era stasi' censorship | RNZ News

It follows a decision to begin regulating podcasts and online media.

www.rnz.co.nz

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Oli - ultracrepidarian @olimnz.bsky.social · 9h

5. Deliver major projects on time - and cost???
6. Lead a stable council - I truly hope so.

3/3

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Oli - ultracrepidarian @olimnz.bsky.social · 9h

1. Keep rates affordable - how, if you're doing all the others?
2. Protect and enhance our environment - lofty aspiration. Good.
3. Future-proof our water supply - with this Govt in charge?
4. Deliver essential services well - define *essential* for this Govt please?

2/3

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Oli - ultracrepidarian @olimnz.bsky.social · 9h

Phil Mauger (Mayor of CCC) has a biiiiig job ahead of him. His aspirations are:
"I am focused on six key priorities. They’re about keeping the basics right and building on what we’ve started:"

#nzpol
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jonathanmilne.bsky.social @jonathanmilne.bsky.social · 14h

Exclusive @newsroom.co.nz Local Elections Survey reveals who NZ elected, city by city, district by district – and what the 422 respondents stand for. Click on your council and councillors to find out how they'll vote on the big issues. newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/13/n...

Newsroom Local Elections Survey 2025

Exclusive survey reveals who NZ elected, who our communities elected – and what they stand for. By Jonathan Milne and Marc Daalder

newsroom.co.nz

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Reposted by Oli - ultracrepidarian

Marc Daalder @marcdaalder.bsky.social · 20h

New: Climate Change Minister Simon Watts concedes the Government’s new methane target could result in outcomes not consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5C above preindustrial levels – a threshold mandated in New Zealand and international law.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/15/c...

Climate minister admits new target may breach global 1.5C goal

Climate Minister Simon Watts admitted the Government's new methane target may not be consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5C.

newsroom.co.nz

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Reposted by Oli - ultracrepidarian

Gary Chiles 🚲 🍄 ☕ 🦚 🐱 𝟜 𝟚𝟘 @testtubeone.bsky.social · 10h

Wore my tie to Question Time today.
It didn't make anyone behave any better.
Making people behave better is the Speaker's job, but Winston Peters (who wears a suit and tie) is allowed by the Speaker to be DELIBERATELY DISORDERLY!
EVERY DAY!
WITH ZERO CONSEQUENCES!💩😡
#OneTermGovernment
#nzpol

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Oli - ultracrepidarian @olimnz.bsky.social · 9h

Fill them with... red wine?

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Oli - ultracrepidarian @olimnz.bsky.social · 9h

I hope he drops Winston right in it as well.

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Reposted by Oli - ultracrepidarian

Nick Young @nickofnz.bsky.social · 12h

Lawyers for Climate Action has accused the Government of breaching international law by knowingly setting a target inconsistent with the global warming goal.

And NZ’s Climate minister admits the new methane target may breach global 1.5C goal
#nzpol #climatechange

Climate minister admits new target may breach global 1.5C goal

Climate Minister Simon Watts admitted the Government's new methane target may not be consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5C.

newsroom.co.nz

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Oli - ultracrepidarian @olimnz.bsky.social · 11h

Iykyk

4

Oli - ultracrepidarian @olimnz.bsky.social · 11h

Rocketing up: 3106 7mins later!

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Oli - ultracrepidarian @olimnz.bsky.social · 12h

It's the one thing I might consider using AI to generate a picture of.

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Oli - ultracrepidarian @olimnz.bsky.social · 12h

Just hit 40%

Am I not allowed to vote 20x? Oh, sorry.

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Oli - ultracrepidarian @olimnz.bsky.social · 12h

So true...

International Socialists Aotearoa @isoaotearoa.bsky.social · 13h

“We’re taught that the Beehive is where the important changes to society are made. Sceptical, some resort to conspiracy theories of the Illuminati or aliens to explain who holds the real power. There is a simpler explanation: power is held by the capitalist class”
#nzpol
iso.org.nz/2025/10/15/k...

K for Kleptocracy

When thinking of political decision making, images of politicians debating in the halls of parliament may come to mind. We’re taught by our schools, the media, and politicians themselves that the Beeh...

iso.org.nz

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Oli - ultracrepidarian @olimnz.bsky.social · 12h

JuCo going for a junket. She'll come back with a Tomahawk missile under each arm.

Media releases from NZ Parliamentary Parties @nzparlypartiesnews.bsky.social · 13h

New media release published on Scoop Parliament: Minister To US For Defence, Security Meetings

www.scoop.co.nz

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Oli - ultracrepidarian @olimnz.bsky.social · 12h

We had a free counselling service at work. It was massively underutilised. Maybe ask them how busy they are?

I have used both a counsellor and a psychiatrist - got much better help from the psychiatrist.

Good luck with getting the problems resolved soon!

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Oli - ultracrepidarian @olimnz.bsky.social · 12h

Suck on that, Bryce Wilkinson (and Luxon of course).

All that Covid $$$ support, was actually almost fiscally neutral and saved the country.
#nzpol

By boosting economic activity during the pandemic, LSAPs increased government tax revenues," he said. "This higher revenue almost entirely covered the direct losses from LSAPs, leaving consolidated crown debt virtually unchanged over the medium term."

He said RBNZ research showed the programme had also restored financial market confidence, then lowered long-term interest rates, which held down the exchange rate and supported exports.

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Oli - ultracrepidarian @olimnz.bsky.social · 12h

And "paper rounds" for the yoof.

Oli - ultracrepidarian @olimnz.bsky.social · 21h

Supermarket jobs you say?

3200 applicants for 270 jobs.

South Island's biggest Pak'nSave gets mixed reception on opening day

Amid the excitement of the opening of a new Pak'nSave, some Rolleston residents say they are facing increased noise, heavy traffic and a fall in home values.

www.rnz.co.nz

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Reposted by Oli - ultracrepidarian

jonathanmilne.bsky.social @jonathanmilne.bsky.social · 14h

Exclusive @newsroom.co.nz Local Elections Survey reveals who NZ elected, city by city, district by district – and what the 422 respondents stand for. Click on your council and councillors to find out how they'll vote on the big issues. newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/13/n...

Newsroom Local Elections Survey 2025

Exclusive survey reveals who NZ elected, who our communities elected – and what they stand for. By Jonathan Milne and Marc Daalder

newsroom.co.nz

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Reposted by Oli - ultracrepidarian

OwairakaAroha @owairakaaroha.bsky.social · 18h

Simeon Brown is like a lightly lobotomised Jacob Rees-Mogg. His continued presence in NZ politics is an absolute mystery.

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Oli - ultracrepidarian @olimnz.bsky.social · 19h

10/10 for presentation. Hope it tastes as good as it looks.

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