AUTHOR
J. R. Bruning
22 ARTICLES
J.R. Bruning is a sociologist (B.Bus.Agribusiness; MA Sociology(Res)) based in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. Bruning is a trustee of Physicians and Scientists for Global Responsibility (PSGRNZ). Her primary research focus is on the relationship between governance, policy, and the production of scientific and technical knowledge for public good. Other writing can be found on JRBruning.Substack.com and at TalkingRisk.NZ
Does New Zealand’s Mental Health Commission understand how powerful it is?
The Mental Health and Wellbeing (MHW) Commission have enormous powers of enquiry, but the evidence suggests that they are simply resorting to information gathering...
Can whistleblowers rely on the Protected Disclosures Act?
Why a minor decision may have major ramifications - & why we rely on the courage of a single judge. Whistleblowers hold a key, but...
Densification of 5G: Risk to health and safety outside scope in Govt consultation
What fundamentally increases your risk from telecommunications devices and infrastructure? Warning: This article may be a little strident for some. It’s a question most of us...
When Sciencing is all we need
No wonder public trust in government is in freefall. This week the Farmers Weekly in a poll asked readers ‘Should the government be showing more...
Will we be blindsided by one sided science on methane mitigation?
New Chief Science Advisor spruiks methane tech, but what about the ruminant microbiome? In New Zealand, the money flows for methane mitigation – not for...
Has New Zealand’s Attorney-General got too much power?
New Zealand’s Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins has secured the responsibility for six ministerial hats, rather than the conventional two, or perhaps three hats. I keep...
When the economic growth agency captures biotech regulation: ‘A serious question of science’
A remarkable situation has arisen in New Zealand. The agency tasked with economic growth, that controls the science funding budget, wants to have the power...
Should human rights be denied if a medical treatment only promises a marginal change in symptoms?
Public health always involves tricky, ethics-based issues. I believe that the Director General of Health Diane Sarfati has short-circuited her obligations in law, by failing...
When Parliament is misdirected – A case for regulatory failure?
The western world is witnessing a steady corruption of laws and processes, with governments ‘bending’ our institutions to serve the interests of powerful industries...
Budget, May 2025: New Zealand’s public health crisis cannot be arrested by prescribing vast quantities of drugs and vaccines.
In May 2025 the New Zealand budget will be released. I’ve asked the question, what is the Hon Minister Shane Reti doing to address a...
