VUW cancelled a panel discussion on free speech due to concerns that some speakers would make students uncomfortable. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

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Snowflake Vic Uni students melt down at thought of heated debate on free speech

The cancellation of a scheduled April 29 panel discussion at VUW because “Some speakers would've made students uncomfortable” has Dr Grant Duncan asking whether NZ’s universities are failing to perform their duties as institutions of higher learning and dialogue.

28 April 2024

“Shame on me”: Grant signals a major sea-change on puberty blockers and hormone treatments for youth

Libertarian columnist Damien Grant comes out swinging against the medicalisation of gender for children in his recent opinion piece for (wait for it) Stuff. “That puberty blockers, hormone treatments and gender-affirming surgery are a mistake. That we are damaging and potentially sterilising children because of an ideology,” writes Grant. Needless to say, Stuff had to put a trigger warning at the top of the article.

29 April 2024

Is NZ’s least popular mayor right-wing or a write- off?

Tory Whanau, the Mayor of Wellington, currently holds the lowest approval rating of any mayor in New Zealand according to polling by Curia Research. University of Victoria’s Dr Bryce Edwards, tries to make the case Whanau is leaning right, but also suggests she appears, at times, “flaky and hollow”, “polarising”, “inauthentic” and “ineffective”. Naturally, Whanau has set her sights on ascending beyond Wellington’s mayoralty to national politics.

30 April 2024

NZ needs a ‘hard landing’ to cool down inflation – Claims and counter-claims arise

Experts are weighing in on whether the Reserve Bank needs to gently raise interest rates (‘soft landing’) or put through a much firmer interest rate increase (‘hard landing’). Economist Michael Ryan highlights how the latter has proven historically effective in countering inflation.

29 April 2024

Smart watches may be the same as smuggling cell phones into class, some worry as phone ban begins

Bans on cell phones in Kiwi school classrooms, which began to be adopted from the start of 2024, officially began on Monday April 29 - but, smart watches are not yet banned - leaving a grey area for individual schools to regulate.

29 April 2024

Despite a successful petition, Tauranga may be denied vote on its Māori ward for years

The new National-led government will soon require councils poll voters about the future of every Māori ward, or disestablish them outright. But Tauranga may be denied that chance until 2030. This is despite a popular petition with over 6,000 signatures in 2021 – well over the threshold needed to trigger a referendum– signalling residents' desire for a chance to weigh in on the ward’s establishment.

25 April 2024

Chinese flexing in Antarctica worries Western democracies

China has just completed building its third Antarctic base in a decade - directly south of Wellington. Pundits in Western countries fear China will dishonour the longstanding Antarctic Treaty, or even use its Southern Ocean bases during future wars.