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Nau mai, haere mai.
When is a “joke” not a joke? Sorry, I don’t have a punchline, but that’s the question swirling around the ACT Party’s “Victim of the Day” social media posts, which have depicted critics of its Regulatory Standards Bill as suffering from “Regulatory Standards Derangement Syndrome”.
It would be fair to say not everyone has seen the funny side, with at least two formal complaints over alleged breaches of the Cabinet Manual by ACT leader and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour. He denies any such breach and maintains he’s simply being “playful”.
But as Massey University’s Kevin Veale reminds us, humour (like beauty) is often in the eye of the beholder. Those targeted by the ACT campaign point to the potential for it to incite threats or violence – something Seymour himself has complained about in the past, too.
To some extent it is all political theatre, and perhaps ACT subscribes to the old showbiz adage that there’s no such thing as bad publicity. But maybe we should expect a higher standard of behaviour from our political actors when it comes to criticising others acting in good faith – or at least some better jokes.
And finally, a massive thank you to all who donated over the past few weeks. We are very close to hitting our target, helped by 550 individual donations from New Zealand readers (a 175% increase on last year). There’s still time to give, and it will all help support our not-for-profit journalism. Ngā mihi nui from all of us.
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Finlay Macdonald
New Zealand Editor
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Kevin Veale, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University
NZ Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour says his Victim of the Day posts are ‘a bit playful’. Yet not so long ago, he was demanding apologies for similar ‘jokes’.
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Paul Spoonley, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University
Census data has underpinned nearly every aspect of political decision-making and policy development for decades. The new system is a leap into the unknown.
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Vinuli Withanarachchie, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University; Chris Wilkins, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University; Marta Rychert, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University
Women are less likely than men to get a prescription for medicinal cannabis, and they tend not to disclose their use out of fear of societal rejection.
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Regina Scheyvens, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University; James Higham, Griffith University; Susanne Becken, Griffith University
‘Turbocharging’ tourism growth risks undoing past efforts to help NZ avoid the worst excesses of overtourism, which are now sparking protests overseas.
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Nick William Smith, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University; Carolyn Elizabeth Lister, Plant & Food Research Rangahau Ahumāra Kai
The latest entries in New Zealand’s food composition database reflect the nation’s growing ethnic diversity and rising demand for plant-based options and allergen-friendly foods.
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Ian Lovering, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Austerity sounds like it should be about governments cutting costs and spending less. But it’s more about who controls ever-expanding public spending – and who doesn’t.
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Lara Greaves, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Ella Pēpi Tarapa-Dewes, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Kiri West, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Larissa Renfrew, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Social licence and consent are central to trust in state data systems. Changes to the way census information is gathered make this especially important for Māori.
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Anna Friedlander, University of Waikato; Charlotte Greenhalgh, University of Waikato; Holly Thorpe, University of Waikato; Johanna Schmidt, University of Waikato
Some period trackers can import information from other apps and wearables, and data can be used by third parties, sometimes without app users’ consent.
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Brodie Fraser, University of Otago; Mary Buchanan, University of Otago
With few protections under the Residential Tenancy Act, LGBTIQ+ people in flatting situations face uncertainty and potential homelessness, according to new research.
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Shea Esterling, University of Canterbury; William Grant, University of Canterbury
About half of all New Zealanders can no longer see the Milky Way in winter due to light pollution from ever brighter cities and expanding satellite constellations.
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From our foreign editions
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Donald Rothwell, Australian National University
The US and Israel have adopted the most wide-ranging and robust interpretations of the right of self defence. Other nations may now follow their lead.
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Sanjoy Paul, University of Technology Sydney
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz would have potentially devastating flow-on effects for oil supplies and prices in Australia.
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Luke Munn, The University of Queensland
AI slop means faster and cheaper content, and the technical and financial logic of online platforms creates a race to the bottom.
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Elena Morgenthaler, Griffith University; Andrew Childs, Griffith University
Shutdowns like this have become a recurring feature of the dark web. They are usually not a significant turning point.
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Nakissa Jahanbani, Penn State
Tehran can utilize an army of proxy groups, intelligence operatives and cyberhackers as part of any retaliation for Israeli or US attacks.
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Lucyl Harrison, University of Hull
28 Years Later left my cinema theatre weeping. Take tissues.
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Brian Brivati, Kingston University
The world appears to be facing an unprecedented upending of the post-1945 international legal order.
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Amin Saikal, Victoria University
Iran is highly fragmented and doesn’t have a long tradition of democracy or a unified opposition movement. So what happens if the supreme leader is toppled?
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Jack L. Rozdilsky, York University, Canada
There are few guardrails in place to prevent a rogue president from misusing the military in domestic civilian affairs as Donald Trump seemingly manufactures false emergencies
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Jia B. Kangbai, Njala University
Sierra Leoneans are worried by the increasing number of mpox cases and deaths that have been recorded in 2025.
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University of Technology, Sydney
Sydney NSW, Australia
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Full Time
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Charles Darwin University
Darwin NT, Australia
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Contract
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Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
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Contract
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University of Sydney
Camperdown NSW, Australia
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Full Time
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2 May - 31 December 2025
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