Archive

Donald Trump is losing to himself

Posted 10:35am Sunday 10th July 2016 by Joel MacManus

Recent reporting on the financial and organisational state of the Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton campaigns show a historically unprecedented divide in resources and planning that could very well lead to a landslide election.  Hillary Clinton boasts 823 paid staff around the country, $42 Read more...

A Brit on Brexit

Posted 10:31am Sunday 10th July 2016 by Kirio Birks

The U.K. is set to dismember itself from the EU after a referendum which saw 51.9 percent of the public vote to leave.  The aftermath has been turbulent. The pound fell to its lowest point since 1985, and the global economy is tilting after US$ 3 trillion was wiped off world stock markets Read more...

New proctor supports Hyde Street, already student favourite

Posted 10:24am Sunday 10th July 2016 by Joe Higham

After his predecessor was in the job for a brief four months, Dave Scott was appointed as his replacement, a job he considers a “once in a lifetime opportunity.” Despite there being a host of similarities between his previous role in the police force and his new role, he told Critic that Read more...

OUSA Execrable | Issue 14

Posted 10:23am Sunday 10th July 2016 by Joe Higham

OUSA President Laura Harris will be away in the Chinese capital, Beijing, for three weeks from Saturday July 9, meaning she will miss the first three weeks of second semester. Harris was selected for a leadership scholarship by Otago University, which will take place at Beijing Normal University. Read more...

From an ABBA tribute band to opening for Sam Smith

Posted 10:20am Sunday 10th July 2016 by Hugh Baird

With Broods playing as part of the Reorientation festivities next Monday we thought we’d take the opportunity to sit down and chew the fat with Georgia Nott, who makes up one half of the brother sister duo, to talk ABBA tribute bands and life on the road!  You guys are down here for Read more...

France’s new generation ready to bring joy back to nation

Posted 11:15am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Sean Nugent

Paul Pogba and Antoine Greizmann headline a French squad full of youthful exuberance for the upcoming European Championships. As hosts, France will have the weight of expectation on their shoulders to win their first international tournament since 2000. A talented side, many onlookers see them as a Read more...

Leaders budget chat proves predictable

Posted 11:08am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Joel MacManus

Bill English promised that this year’s budget would be ‘predictable and boring’. As it turned out, that applied not only to the fiscal announcements, but to the traditional leaders remarks. Andrew Little stayed disciplined on his rhetoric, painting the government as ‘out of Read more...

Clark V. Woodhouse | Issue 13

Posted 11:00am Sunday 29th May 2016 by David Clark

David Clark On the one hand, it does seem odd that the ability to become our head of state is genetically determined, a privilege reserved for a single inbred family of German descent. On the other hand, constitutional monarchies like New Zealand are amongst the wealthiest and healthiest Read more...

Critic breakdown: Budget 2016

Posted 10:54am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Henry Napier

The government collects approximately $75 billion a year from income taxes, corporate taxes and GST.  The budget is the annual allocation of government funds to state services and initiatives. The allocation covers all government spending from social welfare to health. Spending breakdown: Read more...

Student finds $5 million in bank account, spends it all

Posted 10:44am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Charlotte Haselden

A 21-year-old student living in Australia went on a lavish shopping spree after mistakenly receiving an unlimited overdraft of nearly $5 million. Christine Jia Xin Lee, a Malaysian student living in Sydney, found Westpac bank had accidentally given her AUS$4.6 million which she spent over an Read more...

No good being TV’s Robin Hood

Posted 10:40am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Tom Kitchin

If you streamed the fight between boxing heavyweights Joseph Parker and Carlos Takam on Facebook last Saturday evening you’re a ‘lowlife shithead’ according to Dean Lonergan. The Duco events promoter and former rugby league player is seriously unhappy that the fight was Read more...

Escalating taxi rank violence causes DCC to get involved

Posted 10:37am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Joe Higham

Recent violence at Dunedin’s Octagon taxi rank has prompted the DCC to get involved in order to find a solution to the issue.  The taxi rank, which is located outside ‘10 Bar’, regularly has long lines until the early hours of the morning and runs parallel to the Read more...

DCC gets AC/DC (cars)

Posted 10:34am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Zahra Shahtahmasebi

A new initiative by the Dunedin City Council (DCC) is looking to add twenty electric vehicles to the council’s car fleet.  The motion was put forward by Councillor Kate Wilson, and the changes will take place within the next five years.  Staff figures determine that even though Read more...

Students vent anger at disruption caused by Dental School demolition

Posted 10:32am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Joe Higham

Otago University dental students voiced their outrage during a meeting last week after they were told they would have fewer clinics as a result of the ongoing planned demolition taking place within parts of the dental school.  One dental student attributed the cause of the inconvenience to Read more...

“...and my axe”

Posted 10:29am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Sally Wilkins

The thief responsible for stealing almost 100 exam papers from the University of Otago clocktower building last November has been denied a discharge without conviction.  The 23-year-old woman’s lawyer, Stuart Grieve QC, successfully argued for permanent name suppression due to her Read more...

OUSA Execrable | Issue 13

Posted 10:21am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Henry Napier

The OUSA executive has suffered a major breakdown in communications according to Administrative-Vice President Jarred Griffiths.  Last week Mr Griffiths released a statement saying communication between himself and President Laura Harris have broken down, following ongoing rumours of an Read more...

Students to break free of third-world living?

Posted 11:04am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Connor Fry

Nine months ago I pulled my bed out from the mildew and mould creeping along the walls, sent a few emails to my then landlord asking about fixing the leaking roof of questionable structural integrity and opened my window to help air what other damp belongings I had with me. For me dripping walls Read more...

A quick preview of Roland Garros

Posted 10:51am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Sean Nugent

The 115th edition of the French Open begins in Paris on Monday, signalling the start of the second tennis major of the year. The long-awaited tournament will be noteworthy for a number of reasons, none more so than being the first major since Maria Sharapova was banned for using performance Read more...

Cancer victim receives United States first penis transplant

Posted 10:46am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Hugh Baird

A United States man who had his penis removed due to cancer has received the nations first penis transplant at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Just last week Thomas Manning, a 64-year-old bank courier from Halifax, Massachusetts underwent the 15-hour surgery, which was made possible Read more...

Incriminating satellite images shed new light on MH17’s crash

Posted 10:44am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Jonathan Guildford

Incriminating new satellite images have been released, which would appear to confirm the exact time and location of the air defence system that was used to take down flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine on the 17th July 2014.  The satellite images were released by global intelligence agency, Read more...

Industry competition and journalism at stake in proposed giant media merger

Posted 10:40am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Joe Higham

Recently it has been confirmed that Australian and New Zealand media giants APN and Fairfax Media are in talks to merge, in a move that is subject to Commerce Commission approval. The two media outlets produce many newspapers, magazines and radio stations throughout both countries, including Read more...

NZ fisheries have caught 24.1 million more fish than they reported

Posted 10:36am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Joe Higham

A collaborative study has discovered that New Zealand fishery catches are 2.7 times more than previously reported. The study was conducted by Glenn Simmons from Auckland University, alongside various researchers at the University of Oxford and the University of British Columbia as well as Read more...

University of Otago animal research centre opposed by animal rights activists

Posted 10:33am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Anonymous Bird

On May 11 the University of Otago announced plans to build a $50 million animal research centre on campus.  The SPCA have actively opposed the plans, with the New Zealand chief executive explaining that animal testing causes unnecessary pain and suffering. He told the Otago Daily Times that Read more...

Police discover woman falsified abduction

Posted 10:30am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Joe Higham

A teenager who made an allegation to police claiming that two men in a parked vehicle attempted to abduct her has now been ousted as a liar following a thorough investigation into the claim. The 18 year old told police she was the victim of an abduction attempt at around 4.25pm on May 7 while she Read more...

MP believes hospital food steering in the wrong direction

Posted 10:27am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Tom Kitchin

Make sure you keep yourself healthy in Dunners this winter, because if you’re unlucky you might be sent to our glorious public hospital where you’ll be in for a treat when it comes to meal time. Some people have said it’s food you wouldn’t share to your pets, one person has Read more...

OUSA Execrable | Issue 12

Posted 10:22am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Henry Napier

The OUSA programme to provide free flu vaccinations to students will be offering a mere 150 shots to the 20,000 students enrolled at Otago University. OUSA has negotiated with Student Health Services to provide 150 free flu vaccinations to students for two hours on Thursday 26 of May, with a Read more...

Campus Watch turns up heat on fire safety in flats

Posted 10:18am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Henry Napier

Landlords should be responsible for ensuring working smoke alarms in student flats says Deputy Proctor Andrew Ferguson. The comments come following last week’s flat fire in the 6/60 flat on Castle Street where a fire begun early in the morning and continued to spread unbeknownst to the tenants Read more...

The Captain Cook Tavern is back, but not as students will remember

Posted 10:16am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Liam Brown

Even Dunedin’s sweet summer children who have not yet survived a winter will still have heard praise of the revered pub, which was forced to close in 2014 due to legal matters. However, other factors such as students favouring a cheap trip to the liquor store for a Scrumpy or a box of Read more...

The Healthy Homes Bill is Andrew Little’s ‘Cool Runnings’ moment

Posted 11:12am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Joel MacManus

Feel the rhythm! Feel the ride! Get on up, it’s bobsled time!.” The 1993 family sports comedy Cool Runnings (AKA the greatest movie ever made), tells the tale of a rag-tag group of failed Jamaican sprinters who team up to become their nation’s first Olympic bobsled team. With the Read more...

Kangaroos kick Kiwis’ winning streak to the curb

Posted 11:09am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Willy Chapman

There has been a feeling of disappointment from both sides of the ditch after last weekend’s annual ANZAC rugby league test match between the Kangaroos and Kiwis. Despite the Kangaroos coming away with the 16-0 win, critics have labeled both sides performances as underwhelming.   As Read more...

The Oklahoma City Thunder & Arsenal F.C.

Posted 11:05am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Sean Nugent

Every year seems to be a repeat of the last for both the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA and Arsenal in the Premier League. As the Thunder stare down the barrel of another playoff defeat, it makes one wonder whether they will ever get a better chance to win the NBA championship. Having made the NBA Read more...

North Korea seeking peace?

Posted 11:02am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Georgia Vosper

Kim Jong-Un has stated that North Korea will not be the first to use Nuclear Weapons. Jong-Un recently declared this at the National Workers’ Party congress, the first congress meeting in more than 35 years.  North Korea has said it will strengthen self-defensive nuclear weapons Read more...

Questions asked of Silver Fern Farms suitor

Posted 11:01am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Sally Wilkins

Research released by New Zealand First has questioned the viability of the proposed merger of Dunedin based Silver Fern Farms (SFF) and the “indebted” Chinese company Shanghai Maling. The merger comprises of a NZ$261m cash investment on behalf of Shanghai Maling in return for a 50 Read more...

Dunedin addresses listed in Panama Papers

Posted 10:58am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Henry Napier

The release of 240,000 names by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) following the Panama Papers leak, has left many New Zealanders perplexed as to how they were implicated despite having no involvement in so-called “foreign trusts”.  The online Read more...

Police officers breath easy after J-Day protest

Posted 10:56am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Sam Fraser-Baxter

Each year our national J-Day sees cannabis enthusiasts turn out to protest New Zealand’s prohibition of the drug.  Around 200 partook in J-Day in Dunedin’s Octagon which falls on the first weekend of May each year. This years events marked the 25-year anniversary since its Read more...

130 Dunedin activists protest ANZ’s $13.5 billion investments in fossil fuel

Posted 10:54am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Joe Higham

Approximately 130 people took part in a peaceful protest on Thursday May 12 against Australasian banking giant ANZ’s investments in the fossil fuel industry.  The protesters peacefully blockaded the entrances to the two ANZ banks on the corner of Hanover Street and George Street and Read more...

Young woman narrowly escapes abduction attempt

Posted 10:51am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Joe Higham

An 18 year old female, walking on Forth Street in North Dunedin at 4.25pm on 7th May was reportedly grabbed by a passenger in the back seat of a parked vehicle, in an attempt to abduct the young woman.  Despite the driver aiding the passenger in pulling her into the vehicle and also Read more...

Increased funding good news for Hep-C sufferers

Posted 10:49am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Henry Napier

Hepatitis-C suffers may be able to access currently unavailable, highly effective medicine in the near future following increased funding from the Government. Last week the Government announced an increase of $50 million to the PHARMAC—New Zealand’s drug buying agency. The Read more...

Why NZUSA sucks, & what we can do about it

Posted 10:39am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Sam McChesney

What do poop-flavoured lollipops, tits on a bull, and Matthew McConaughey’s shirts all have in common? They’re all slightly more useful than NZUSA. Last month, the annual chorus of boos aimed at the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations began, kicked off by Massey student Read more...

OUSA Execrable | Issue 11

Posted 10:36am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Joe Higham

Auckland University Students’ Association (AUSA) has given a notice of withdrawal to the New Zealand Union of Students’ Association (NZUSA).  The decision to give notice to withdraw from the organisation comes as a result of an AUSA review of NZUSA, which the AUSA Executive began Read more...

About as Likely as Kim Kardashian taking the Oval Office

Posted 11:13am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Sean Nugent

In arguably the greatest sporting upset in history, Leicester City have been crowned champions of the English Premier League after Tottenham Hotspur were held to a 2-2 draw by Chelsea, eliminating any chance of them catching the midland side. The 5000 to one rank outsiders were expected to be Read more...

Government to pump more coin into drugs

Posted 11:09am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Hugh Baird

Three weeks ahead of this year’s Budget announcement, Health Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman has announced an extra $39 million boost for national drug buying agency Pharmac.  Prime Minister John Key explained that it would boost Pharmac’s annual budget to $850 million a year. He Read more...

And the nominees are…

Posted 11:02am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Joel MacManus

The Indiana Primary last week gave the Republican Party one last chance to save themselves from having Donald Trump as their presidential nominee. If they could unite around one candidate, they could prevent him from getting to the magic number of 1237 delegates, and defeat him at a contested Read more...

#Zuckerberg2020

Posted 10:51am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Henry Napier

Facebook CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg may have signalled his intention to run for President of the United States sometime in the future. Facebook recently stated its proposed changes to the stock structure of the company, where a new class of non-voting shares would allow Zuckerberg to liquate Read more...

Offender still at large after unprovoked Octagon stabbing

Posted 10:48am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Joe Higham

A twenty-one year old male was stabbed in the early hours of Sunday morning near Dunedin’s Octagon, in an attack that has provoked on-going shock and worry among the local community.  The victim had received multiple stab wounds to his neck and back in a seemingly unprovoked attack, Read more...

More action needed to make New Zealand smokefree by 2025

Posted 10:44am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Joe Higham

In 2011, the New Zealand Government decided to set a goal to have New Zealand smokefree by 2025, which is categorised as having fewer than 5 percent of New Zealanders smoking by 2025. Currently that number stands at 15 percent. Tobacco kills approximately five thousand New Zealanders every year Read more...

Hundreds gather to protest appalling ‘slop’

Posted 10:41am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Anonymous Bird

Around 300 people gathered outside Dunedin Hospital on April 29 to highlight their dissatisfaction with the standard of Compass Group’s food for patients.  The protest was organised by the Real Meals Coalition, who have vociferously called on the Southern District Health Board to Read more...

Acting Proctor unwilling to act on harassment claims

Posted 10:38am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Henry Napier

Acting Proctor Andrew Ferguson will not act on the accusations of harassment made by social work student Chris Boyd, saying Mr Boyd was offered the opportunity to meet with the then-Proctor Dave Miller which he refused. Last week fourth year social work student Chris Boyd contacted Critic with Read more...

Asbestos discovered in University Dental School

Posted 10:36am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Joe Higham

Building material that could contain asbestos has been discovered in the ground floor of the Otago University Dental School on Thursday morning. Otago University exclusively told Critic on Thursday evening: “there is no risk to people in the building, but we are taking a cautious Read more...

Healthy homes in the house

Posted 10:31am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Hugh Baird

Labour's healthy homes bill, which is set to bring in new regulations for rental properties passed its first reading late last week. The bill, which was passed by just one vote would make it compulsory for all rental properties to have proper insulating, heating and ventilation.  The Read more...

Execrable | Issue 10

Posted 10:27am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Joe Higham

The week’s executive meeting began with OUSA finance officer Jesse Hall’s financial report for the academic year to date. Laura Harris concluded that the report was a “comprehensive overview” and Hall spoke of how it showed that OUSA are in a “solid financial Read more...

Breakdown of the NBA playoff chances

Posted 11:01am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Sean Nugent

Western Conference Golden State Warriors – 2/1 In an article I wrote about the Warriors earlier in the year I said “in sport you have to expect the unexpected.” Well, here we are. After a record breaking season where they escaped any major injury setbacks, it took less than a Read more...

Too much coffee with Andrew Little

Posted 10:55am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Joel MacManus

Andrew Little, current Leader of the Opposition stares at the gigantic mug of cappuccino in front of him, “Actually… Yeah, I think this is number five today”. I try to restrict it to two or three cups a day. Maybe four. In a recess week you’re meeting with a lot of Read more...

Tesla passes through town without a sound

Posted 10:52am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Georgia Vosper

The Tesla SP90D electric supercar was on show last week in Dunedin, showcasing the future in the luxury automotive industry.  Tesla Motor Company was co-founded by Kiwi Ian Wright and has been revolutionary with the introduction of sustainable cars around the world. The Model S, one of the Read more...

Government signs historic Climate Change agreement

Posted 10:48am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Henry Napier

The Government has recently signed a major climate change reduction agreement in Paris, which according to the Minister for Climate Change Issues Paula Bennett will include a multi-faceted approach to reducing carbon emissions. The Paris agreement, which was finalised in December 2015, was signed Read more...

Government’s inflated positivity over increase in university fees

Posted 10:45am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Tom Kitchin

Otago university has argued that the increase in fees is necessary because it will help control spiraling costs. In October last year, Otago chief financial officer Sharon van Turnhout said the university was under “significant financial pressure” and “providing an acceptable level Read more...

Otago top ranked scientific research university in New Zealand

Posted 10:43am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Anonymous Bird

The University of Otago has been ranked the top university in New Zealand for publishing high-quality scientific research papers, according to the Nature Publishing Group.  This follows on from last year, where the university was also ranked first, second in 2014, and first again in Read more...

Otago University’s contribution to the World Wars

Posted 10:39am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Joe Higham

A week on from the ANZAC day commemorations, many of the emotive anecdotes, moving speeches, and poignant minutes of silence may largely be forgotten for another 51 weeks. New Zealand played a sizeable and courageous part in the wars, but how much of a part did Otago University play in the largest Read more...

Hipsters boycott sold-out festival

Posted 10:36am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Sam McChesney

It was time once again for long hair, bandanas, rull koiwi senging eccents, weed smoke and Double Brown at Pine Hill last Saturday as local music festival Feastock celebrated its eighth year. Around 400 people attended the sold-out event, which featured 18 acts from Dunedin, Auckland, Read more...

What has NZUSA given OUSA?

Posted 10:32am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Joe Higham

Last October’s referendum saw the student body overwhelmingly vote for OUSA to remain members of the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA). Do OUSA need NZUSA or are they simply a hollow representative body? Linsey Higgins, NZUSA’s president, told Critic she Read more...

Campus Watch accuses student of being a “gang member”

Posted 10:30am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Henry Napier

Campus Watch has been accused of harassing and abusing a University of Otago student based on his appearance resembling that of a gang member. According to student Chris Boyd a Campus Watch officer approached him and proceeded to question his status as a University of Otago student saying he Read more...

Sevens side struggles in Singapore

Posted 11:47am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Willy Chapman

Singapore hosted the eighth round of the World Sevens Series last weekend, with New Zealand struggling to be at their best in an overall disappointing tournament. However despite losing three games, New Zealand coach Sir Gordon Tietjens is looking at the positives as he prepares his side for the Rio Read more...

Barcelona slide blows La Liga race wide open

Posted 11:00am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Sean Nugent

Barcelona suffered their third straight league defeat on Monday, allowing Atletico Madrid to move level on points with four games to go. Not only has Barcelona’s lean run seen Atletico catch them, but bitter rivals Real Madrid have also narrowed the gap to just one point. With such a thrilling Read more...

Cricketers of the year

Posted 10:56am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Sean Nugent

New Zealand cricketers Kane Williamson and Suzie Bates have been named the Leading Men’s Cricketer in the World and Leading Women’s Cricketer in the World by renowned cricketing almanac Wisden. Williamson became the first New Zealander to receive the honour when it was introduced in Read more...

Alarm bells: What ever happened in Burundi?

Posted 10:53am Sunday 24th April 2016 by George Elliott

It is almost a year since the small landlocked nation of Burundi, in the African Great Lakes region, burst into the world headlines. Experts and commentators feared a repeat of the 1994 ethnic genocide next door in Rwanda when between half a million and a million people were slaughtered. The current Read more...

Latest Poll: National Rises, Labour Fails BSNS103

Posted 10:50am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Joel MacManus

In the new One News-Colmar Brunton poll, Labour fell by two points to 28% while National rose three to a new high of 50%, and leader Andrew Little took a painful slide in the preferred Prime Minister rankings to 7%, coming in third behind Winston Peters. In an attempt to explain this, I refer to Read more...

Things not looking so peachy for Rouseff

Posted 10:46am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Hugh Baird

Brazil's President Dilma Rouseff faces impeachment following claims that she tampered with state funds to hide budget gaps ahead of her 2014 re-election.  Brazil’s lower house of Congress voted last Sunday to authorize the senate to open an impeachment trial against Rouseff. Read more...

Earthquake devastates Ecuador

Posted 10:44am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Henry Napier

At least 7,015 people have been injured following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Ecuador.  The Andean country has recorded up to 570 deaths and over 2,500 injured in the latest estimates from Ecuador’s Risk Management Office.  The earthquake struck on the coast of Ecuador, Read more...

200 dead and 100 abducted in Ethiopian Raids

Posted 10:42am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Hugh Baird

Over 200 hundred have been killed and over 100 children kidnapped by armed militants from South-Sudan in a cross border raid into Ethiopia.  Officials from Ethiopia have blamed the South Sudanese Murle tribesman for the deadly attacks which took place within some districts in the Gambela Read more...

Auckland University on the move

Posted 10:41am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Tom Kitchin

Auckland University are relocating. Well, to an extent. They’re not setting up shop in Dunedin just yet, but they have decided to sell their Tāmaki Innovation Campus, their campus farthest from the city centre, to a local property investment firm.  The role of the Tāmaki Read more...

Smoke-free Octagon effort heats up

Posted 10:39am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Henry Napier

The Octagon could become a smoke free area following support for a proposal to ban the activity from local businesses. Smokefree Otago has surveyed surround Dunedin businesses who recorded 73 percent of businesses wanting to ban smoking.  The proposal comes following a study conducted by the Read more...

Green Island Landfill fire “under control”

Posted 10:37am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Joe Higham

A fire that broke out at the Dunedin City Council’s Green Island Landfill has now been extinguished without causing any damage to nearby property.  The initial blaze began in the early hours of Monday morning, before being reported to the Fire Service and the DCC at 3.20am. Council Read more...

Otago researchers tripping (over their feet for psychedelic research)

Posted 10:31am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Sally Wilkins

Dunedin academics are part of an international resurgence into psychedelic drug research within a medicinal context.   “Psychedelics” are a class of drugs characterized by their mind-altering qualities and include LSD, psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and mescaline containing cacti. Read more...

Mental health counselling “pilot” under scrutiny

Posted 10:27am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Joe Higham

Critic has obtained information revealing a worrying situation in regard to the University’s handling of student’s mental health issues.  The counselling “pilot” scheme that the University of Otago has implemented recently has caused concern to some people, due to the Read more...

Hep C centre sufferers to lose access to lifesaving drugs

Posted 10:25am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Henry Napier

The closure of a Dunedin Hepatitis C resource centre may mean local patients will no longer be directed to overseas drug buying clubs to access necessary medicines. The local centre provides a range of services to patients who have contracted Hepatitis C, including facilitating access to overseas Read more...

Kiwis Begin To Take Flight In Super Rugby

Posted 11:03am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Willy Chapman

Not even half way through this year’s instalment of Super Rugby and New Zealand teams are strongly in the box seat. In what is turning out to be quite a lop-sided competition, New Zealand teams are dominating their overseas competitors as four Kiwi sides are on track to qualify for Read more...

Bollywood Meets Eden Gardens

Posted 10:55am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Sean Nugent

The IPL is back! Are you ready to parrrrtttyyy!!! Get ready for another few weeks of watching huge crowds of delirious fans go crazy as club bangers of 2012 blast across the stadium every time Chris Gayle hits a six. So please, don’t blush baby, as we preview the teams for this Read more...

Clark Eyes Top Job

Posted 10:48am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Joel MacManus

When Helen Clark announced her historic campaign for the United Nations Secretary-General last Monday, it was met with near universal acclaim from New Zealand media and political figures, who simply could not praise her enough, even if some of it was a little backhanded – Former opponent Don Read more...

Green Party: A Tale Of Two Leaders With Two Directions

Posted 10:40am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Henry Napier

The Green Party’s co-leadership structure provides the most accurate metaphor for the party itself. The Party has two leaders, Metiria Turei and James Shaw, each representative of two directions the party is taking going forward: The petty, outdated, overly-stringent projection of a moral high Read more...

Critic breakdown: Panama Papers

Posted 10:36am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Henry Napier

The Panama Papers are being called the biggest journalistic leak in history. The scandal has shed light on the tax-avoidance practices of some of the richest and most famous people in the world. Here’s what you need to know: The leak Two weeks ago 11.5 million files, or 2.6 terabytes, Read more...

Otago Hockey Aims To Strike At World Record

Posted 10:27am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Henry Napier

The Otago Hockey Club is attempting to break the record for the world’s largest hockey game. The record attempt, scheduled for Friday 15th, has docked over 250 registered participants, exceeding the previously held record of 134 players. According to Adam Walker, an organiser of the event, Read more...

Council Votes Against Making Homeless More Homeless

Posted 10:26am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Hugh Baird

Wellington councillors have voted against introducing bylaws that would put a ban on begging in the city.  The vote came after a report was released stating that begging in the nation’s capital was on the rise after many homeless had drifted from both Auckland and Read more...

Otago’s Hepatitis C Centre Has Funding Cut As Government Lacks Necessary Empathy

Posted 10:21am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Joe Higham

Dunedin Hepatitis C Resource Centre Otago has recently had its funding cut by central government, leaving them needing to seek new funding streams or close their doors entirely.  The reason given by the Government for their decision is that “The Ministry of Health has taken steps Read more...

Execrable | Issue 7

Posted 10:17am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Henry Napier

Two OUSA Executive officers who were not in Dunedin at the start of their tenure have not received their full honorarium payments. Both Administrative Vice-president Jarred Griffiths and Finance officer Jesse Hall have had payments withheld from January 1 to February 11. OUSA President Laura Read more...

Otago University enrolment numbers up for 2016

Posted 10:13am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Joseph Higham

The University Council Meeting that took place on Tuesday last week provided promising news of increases in both international enrolment numbers and first year domestic student numbers, resulting in the University of Otago meeting their enrolment target for 2016. The announcement marked the first Read more...

From Schoolyard To Eden Park

Posted 10:53am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Sean Nugent

It was just another lunch break at Mt Eden Normal Primary School in mid-2005. There were around seven or eight of us that would play some kind of sport all year round during lunchtime. Generally we would play cricket in the summer and rugby in the winter. At the time we had an abundance of quality Read more...

Universal Basic Income: Labour Attempts Blatant Pr Stunt, Fucks It Up

Posted 10:49am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Joel MacManus

A couple weeks ago the Labour Party’s ‘Future of Work Commission’ published a discussion paper on the possibility of instituting a Universal Basic Income. This interesting concept is popular among certain economic theorists involves paying every citizen aged 18 or older $11,000 a Read more...

Following The Karadzic Verdict, It’s Time For A Tribunal On Syria

Posted 10:48am Sunday 10th April 2016 by George Elliott

More than two decades after the deadly siege of Sarajevo and the massacre of some 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica, a United Nations tribunal in The Hague has convicted former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed during the 1992-1995 war in Read more...

“No Doubt” U.S Drone Strikes Killed Civilians

Posted 10:46am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Liam Brown

United States president Barack Obama confirmed suspicions last week that there has “no doubt” been civilian casualties of U.S. drone strikes. Speaking from a news conference at the nuclear security summit in Washington, Obama acknowledged the shortcomings of using drones to carry out Read more...

The Panama Papers Leak: The Secret Lives Of The Filthy Rich

Posted 10:43am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Sally Wilkins

Touted as the biggest confidential document leak in history, the release of “the Panama Papers” has rocked the world’s financial elite and strengthened calls for clampdowns and greater transparency on the tax haven system. The leak comprises 2.6 terrabytes of data Read more...

Eu Begins Deporting Refugees, Despite Plans Labeled “illegal”

Posted 10:41am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Joe Higham

On April 4, the Greek Police, along with the EU border agency Frontex, began the process of deporting almost all migrants and refugees from Greece to Turkey, thus removing them from the European Union.  The practicability of removing all migrants and refugees from Greece en masse has been Read more...

Green Party Calls For A Charge On Fresh Water

Posted 10:37am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Henry Napier

Opposition parties are calling for Government action on polluted fresh water following a report showing 61 percent of monitored water ways are ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’. A charge for water for farmers would help solve the growing pollution in New Zealand according to Green Party Read more...

Health Professors Rally For Sugar Tax

Posted 10:34am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Jessica Thompson

Several health experts around the country have proposed that sugary drinks such as coke, fanta and sprite be taxed to help combat New Zealand’s high rate of child obesity (fourth highest in the world), diabetes and heart disease. Over 70 health academics have voiced their opinions, Read more...

Arrest Causes Surge In Student Loan Repayments

Posted 10:32am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Joe Higham

The arrest of Ngatokotoru Puna, an overseas-based borrower who defaulted on his loans, at Auckland Airport in January has caused overseas borrowers to begin making repayments on their student loans, the Government says.  According to a Government press release, overseas borrowers repaid Read more...

Auckland Uni Facebook Post Leads To Racial Profile Debate

Posted 10:25am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Tom Kitchin

The issue of racial violence in our country’s biggest city is contentious, and it has been brought to light recently due to a number of attacks against people of Asian ethnicity in the city. This culminated in the publication of a post by a student on the Overheard @ University of Auckland Read more...

Fiesta Gets Feisty

Posted 10:21am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Henry Napier

Alley Cantina was trashed after closing early last Sunday sometime early in the morning. The local restaurant saw $900 worth of damage done to its outside area where chairs and plants were removed or destroyed. Mike Bamkier, the owner and operator of the long-standing restaurant, said the damage Read more...

Execrable | Issue 6

Posted 10:18am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Henry Napier

Last Monday the student executive met with members of the OUSA events team to debrief last years Craft Beer Festival and the worthiness of the festival moving forward.  The meeting began with President Laura Harris posing questions as to what the value was for OUSA running the festival, Read more...

Otago University Faces On-going Issue Of Declining Enrollment

Posted 10:14am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Joe Higham

Otago University saw a 2.2 percent decline in overall student enrollments in 2015, with 2016’s enrollment numbers set to be announced at a University Council Meeting on Tuesday afternoon.  With humanities and commerce departments feeling the brunt of the declining numbers over the Read more...

Clark V. Woodhouse

Posted 11:30am Sunday 3rd April 2016 by David Clark

David Clark Right-wing Governments always scare-monger and say that raising the minimum wage causes job losses.  History tells us otherwise.   In fact, I hazard that there will be a Nobel Prize up for grabs for the economist that can demonstrate the real-world nature of the Read more...

What The Fuck Is Going On In America?

Posted 11:16am Sunday 3rd April 2016 by Joel MacManus

The US presidential election is the longest, most confusing, infuriating experiment in the history of democracy. But at the same time, it is also far and away the most entertaining. Over the course of almost 20 months, candidates go from shaking hands in the cornfields of Iowa, to packed arenas Read more...