The Ferguson interview

Written By: - Date published: 11:39 am, March 6th, 2015 - 51 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, Spying - Tags: , , , , , , ,

An extraordinary interview with former director of the GCSB Sir Bruce Ferguson on RNZ this morning:

GCSB in mass collection of Pacific data: Ferguson

A former director of the GCSB says there is mass collection of emails and communications in the Pacific, but the spy agency does not use material about New Zealanders collected inadvertently.

Ferguson just confirmed the claims made by Snowden / Hager / Fisher in yesterday’s Herald investigation. Claims that John Key preemptively and categorically denied. So now we know, the GCSB smokes but it claims it doesn’t inhale.

The audio of the interview is here. Any help transcribing it would be gratefully received, please post (with times indicated) in comments. (Audio of Key is here.)

In the mean time, here’s some of the reaction to the interview:

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51 comments on “The Ferguson interview ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. r0b 1
    6 March 2015 at 11:43 am

    At time of publication Twitter links are not loading automatically, probably a consequence of yesterday’s crash and hurried reboot. No doubt this will be fixed at some point…

    … and we’re back – thanks lprent!

  2. veutoviper 2
    6 March 2015 at 12:09 pm

    Test to see if this link works. If it does I will repost the others

    https://twitter.com/KimDotcom/status/573566990633172992

  3. Conal Tuohy 3
    6 March 2015 at 12:22 pm

    I love how everyone goes on about how the GCSB weren’t breaking the law if they didn’t spy on NZers. Did they break Samoan law? Did they break Tongan and Fijian laws? The question never even comes up. By that logic did Alain Mafart and Dominique Prieur break the law when they conspired to come to NZ to blow up the Rainbow Warrior?

    • idlegus 3.1
      6 March 2015 at 1:59 pm

      todays editorial in the ODT “There is nothing illegal about the GCSB’s work in relation to other countries. ”

      http://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/editorial/335368/question-spying

      • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1.1
        6 March 2015 at 2:02 pm

        Sure, they’re legal, just like when I install hidden cameras in your bedroom, I have to be a foreign spy to make it legal, and I won’t get arrested, no way.

        Well, if I am arrested I can’t be extradited. All Kim Dotcom needs to do is join the army and everything he does is legit.

    • weka 3.2
      6 March 2015 at 7:56 pm

      “Did they break Samoan law? Did they break Tongan and Fijian laws?”

      According to Ferguson we’re spying on Pacific nations for their own good, to keep them safe and secure.

      • barry 3.2.1
        7 March 2015 at 5:22 pm

        Of course some of the information might be useful to us and other 5eyes countries in negotiating fishing deals etc.

  4. mac1 4
    6 March 2015 at 12:25 pm

    So, Ferguson says it’s OK to inadvertently gather data on NZers but has controls on how it might view or use it.

    However, use of the link above led to a RNZ item which said this……..

    Privacy lawyer at Chen Palmer, James Dunne, said it was not illegal for the GCSB to incidentally pick up New Zealanders’ communications in the context of overseas spying.
    “Having got that information there are some real controls on what the GCSB can do with it.
    “But one of the things it is allowed to do with it is pass that information on to a public authority overseas.”

    Note the last sentence. GCSB may not use but can pass it on overseas.

    What’s to stop that ‘public authority overseas’ to then inform NZ authorities on information it has garnered from this inadvertent gathering and re-transmission overseas by GCSB and thereby ‘legitimising’ it??

    • RJL 4.1
      6 March 2015 at 12:44 pm

      …”But one of the things it is allowed to do with it is pass that information on to a public authority overseas.”

      Only since the 2013 changes to the GCSB Act. However, GCSB has supposedly passed all NZ data gathered in the Pacific onto the NSA since 2009. Any NZ data passed between 2009-2013 to the NSA was illegally passed.

      Also the information can now only be passed to an overseas public authority (i.e. the NSA) for the following reasons (Section 25.2):
      ” The purposes are—
      (a) preventing or detecting serious crime in New Zealand or any other country:
      (b) preventing or avoiding the loss of human life on the high seas:
      (c) preventing or responding to threats to human life in New Zealand or any other country:
      (d) identifying, preventing, or responding to threats or potential threats to the security or defence of New Zealand or any other country.”

      While some of those reasons are pretty vague, simply passing “all NZ citizen data gathered onto the NSA” without any specific cause or reason is clearly still totally illegal.

      • mac1 4.1.1
        6 March 2015 at 1:12 pm

        Thanks, RJL, for the clarification. The news item did not specify that some of the controls also includes reasons why it may be shared. As you say, they’re pretty vague.

  5. les 5
    6 March 2015 at 12:54 pm

    ‘But one of the things it is allowed to do with it is pass that information on to a public authority overseas.”…does that include China,Russia…or is only some defined overseas public authority?

    • mickysavage 5.1
      6 March 2015 at 12:57 pm

      Whoever the Director wants to give the information to.

    • RJL 5.2
      6 March 2015 at 1:09 pm

      The exact wording is:
      “any public authority (whether in New Zealand or overseas) that the Director thinks fit to receive the information.”

      You can read it here:
      http://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2003/0009/latest/DLM187855.html

      • Jones 5.2.1
        6 March 2015 at 1:22 pm

        So that could include a non-government organisation officially acting in a public capacity.

        • RJL 5.2.1.1
          6 March 2015 at 2:46 pm

          This act doesn’t define “public authority”.

          Presumably whatever the host country counts as a “public authority” is intended. So, could perhaps include private organisations contracted to perform public functions. For example, contractors working for consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton.

          The GCSB act doesn’t (and realistically couldn’t) constrain what the foreign “public authority” does with the information subsequently, anyway.

  6. Tom Jackson 6
    6 March 2015 at 12:59 pm

    What a gouty old fascist.

  7. BLiP 7
    6 March 2015 at 1:54 pm

    ‘

    Really, Bruce, “trust us” . . . why?

    What’s frustrating about this is that mass surveillance does very little to protect us. Edward Snowden has pointed out that such spying actually exposes us to more risk because authorities are constantly and massively increasing the size of the haystacks in which they believe there might be a needle. Dig a little deeper and it becomes apparent that the “full capture” method is of more benefit to the “private sector partners” and their sales targets rather than the citizens who are paying for it.

    Ferguson’s defence of GCSB’s mass spying on New Zealanders is chilling in its cavalier delivery: “by employing wholesale spying on our neighbours we are actually their benefactors. Also – TINA – but you can trust us”. Not fucking likely, mate, not when your rationale effectively amounts to the inversion of truth to justify the subversion of liberty in order to serve the system put in place to protect it.

    I’m struggling to make sense of Bruce Ferguson’s fishing analogy. Sure, when out netting, I gather all sorts of stuff that I throw away . . . but when out spying, the GCSB isolates the extraneous material and then sends it to NSA which stores it, because why else would the US want it? Does the GCSB also have the right to trawl through this data being stored at NSA on a later date if one of the New Zealanders who’s private information was previously captured subsequently becomes “of interest”?

    • Bill 7.1
      6 March 2015 at 2:21 pm

      Sheer madness!

      This isn’t at youBlip, but if you’re fishing, do you not first have to identify that which you want to throw away in order to know that you want to throw it away? Now, when we are talking information, how do you identify that information without, essentially, subjecting it to a degree of surveillance?

      That last question you asked. GCSB has access to Keyscore. And if they want to ‘Keyscore’ me or you (say), then all they have to do is request that Australia or the UK, Canada or US stoogies do the actual search and then pass results back. Depending on the results, the GCSB can then legally access info and act on it, on the grounds of what showed from the Keyscore searches they ‘outsourced’.

      • Colonial Rawshark 7.1.1
        6 March 2015 at 2:33 pm

        Now, when we are talking information, how do you identify that information without, essentially, subjecting it to a degree of surveillance?

        In the “Thin Thread” system that Bill Binney developed at the NSA, all extraneous data collected which did not fit “profiles of interest” would be automatically deleted without any human input or oversight, in order to preserve (US) citizens constitutional rights.

        Further, a system of “unique anonymisation” would protect a potential target’s privacy rights until a court warrant had been obtained after probable cause had been demonstrated.

        This was in the year 2000.

      • BLiP 7.1.2
        6 March 2015 at 3:17 pm

        ‘

        Thanks, Bill. Your comment explains something I was thinking about but couldn’t quite put into words. Basically, Barrack Obama, David Cameron, Stephen Harper, Tony Abbott and whatshisname have pulled off an organised conspiracy to pervert the course of justice by fabricating a legally impenetrable device to protect, promote and expand the criminal activities of their government. It beggars belief that the main opposition parties within “The Club” were not aware of what was being pulled off, yet have said nothing. And what of those “public servants” who have facilitated this offence against us? I’m guessing entry into that echelon requires careful pre-employment testing by Human Resources to ensure a strong bent towards sociopathy. “Trust us”? What. Ever.

        Welcome to the 21st century’s form of government in the “free world”.

        • mickysavage 7.1.2.1
          6 March 2015 at 8:01 pm

          Classic example is the Sydney Siege (http://thestandard.org.nz/the-sydney-siege-finishes/)

          Man Haron Monis was publishing on his Facebook page what he was thinking but the authorities were unable to even realise what was happening.

          The system (storing mass data) is good if you want to check out what an identified individual such as a political activist is doing but working out threats? It is a waste of time.

      • McFlock 7.1.3
        6 March 2015 at 3:54 pm

        that’s actually what I couldn’t get about the entire KDC wiretapping by GCSB: surely that was exactly what echelon was supposed to be for?

        So it looks for all the world like it’s not just big brother, but our particular big brother is incompetent, easily led by bigger boys, and more than a little petulant. Which is actually more dangerous than a competent, well-meaning but overbearing big brother, in my opinion.

        The GCSB seems to be the sort of big brother who’d store his older mates’ class A supply-quantity drugs in your backpack just because they told him the cops wouldn’t search you.

  8. Bill 8
    6 March 2015 at 2:11 pm

    These guys need all of their toys taken away.

    • Murray Rawshark 8.1
      8 March 2015 at 2:30 am

      +1
      Disestablish the agencies and have a full public discussion about what we need.

  9. dave brown 9
    6 March 2015 at 2:20 pm

    Sure its legal.
    Bourgeois law is for suckers who believe that law represents something other than the interests of the ruling class.
    Capitalism has its own higher law; private property, expropriation of value, even the falling rate of profit.
    This bourgeois law trumps the law for the suckers.
    Until the suckers begin to see they are being suckered.
    Then its all about the law of nature.

  10. D'Esterre 10
    6 March 2015 at 2:22 pm

    I heard the interview. Ferguson came across as a bumbling old fool who doesn’t know when to shut up. He obviously sees as unexceptionable the wholesale hoovering up of data, but didn’t actually mean to say so: Espiner tripped him up. That’s when he launched into all those hokey similes and the like.

    God, this whole GCSB business so reminds me of the worst excesses of the Stasi – just without the violence and knocks on the door in the night! Yet…

  11. Colonial Rawshark 11
    6 March 2015 at 2:23 pm

    A totalitarian state wants to know everything that everyone one of its citizens is doing, as they are doing it, while the citizens are permitted to know nothing about what the state is doing. This is so the state (or its corporate partners) can disrupt any citizens life at any time, and the citizens can do nothing in return.

    It is an utter power imbalance and that’s how people like Ferguson like it. They thrive on the privilege like it is a drug.

    That’s where we are headed. And it’s not democracy. It is the slow death of a civilisation able to progress, create and innovate. It is a realm where people feel that they are being watched at all times, and where the surveillance of the state can anticipate what you are going to do before you even do it, any idea or creativity that even begins forming, they are watching over you, ever ready to approve or disapprove.

  12. Sabine 12
    6 March 2015 at 2:59 pm

    the panopticon has come alive. Yei, feeling so much safer now.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panopticon

  13. aerobubble 13
    6 March 2015 at 3:57 pm

    Inappropriate questions brought up in parliament by MPs can harm National Security. Thats why large parties, who ae also likely to hold ministries that handle such infomation, when in govt, as opposition mps need to be inside the intelligence committee.

    How much easier would it be to have the whole debate behind doors. Yet for some unfathomable reason Key turned the inteeligence oversight committee into a bauble for Banks and Dunne, both thrown off for varying blunders.

    Now Little has exasperate the process more, the Greens, the most vocal opposition on state security have no way of knowing, and so ciuld stumble the debate into a security breach. And whose to blame,the PM who stacked his mate at the top, let big movies use spies to get dot com, dotcom who Key let into the country when he weakened the standards.

    So what a complete clusterfrack, no oversight, no competence at the top, no means to keep state secrets om being blurted out… ..key stone cops.

  14. Anne 14
    6 March 2015 at 4:37 pm

    Gary Moore put it in a nutshell the other day on The Panel ( I only listen when the guests are known to have a modicum of intelligence), he said:

    When a government takes our electronic communications… all our emails, phone calls etc. without telling us, it’s called National Security.

    But when someone takes the evidence which shows they have taken our communications without telling us, it’s called stealing.

    Sums it up nicely.

  15. weka 15
    6 March 2015 at 7:15 pm

    Audio http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/20169815/former-gcsb-director-unfazed-by-spy-revelations

    Transcript (needs checking),

    GE: and listening to that is the former Director of the GCSB, Sir Bruce Ferguson, good morning to you.

    BF: Good morning.

    GE: Have tens of thousands or even thousands of New Zealanders travelling in the Pacific had their personal data passed to the NSA?

    BF: Well I don’t think there is any need to worry about that. I think, ah, it’s been fairly well explained, and the legislation does allow for it, but I guess it’s the whole method of surveillance these days, it’s sort of a mass collection. To actually individualise that is mission impossible. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, well there’s two things about that. First off, even if GCSB were doing it, which they’re not, that is not investigating these people, ah, they don’t have the resources for it. Nor actually does the NSA.

    GE: ok, if we could just back up a bit, because if I think what you’ve just said is pretty interesting… are you saying then, are you agreeing and acknowledging that thousands or tens of thousands of NZers who’ve been travelling in the Pacific or been in the Pacific have had their personal information passed to the NSA?

    BF: data collection in that respect, if you’re going to try and individualise data collection, it is mission impossible. It’s sort of like whitebaiting and trying to catch one whitebait, you can’t do it, and within the net you’ll get inangas and all sorts of other things, so… it’s a mass collection, but the GCSB law and the way they’ve acted, certainly in my time and I’ve got one… I’m very convinced that they’re exactly the same now, they do not, willingly and intentionally spy on NZers.

    to 1:42

    • weka 15.1
      6 March 2015 at 7:30 pm

      GE: ok, but I repeat that question, because I think it’s important, whether inadvertantly or not, pick your analogies about eels or whatever, NZ’s personal information, NZers’ personal emails, communications of some sort have found their way to the NSA.

      BF: Well if you read the new Act, Guyon, that’s exactly what

      GE: I have read the new Act… (talking over each other)

      BF: that’s what it is then structured to allow for, there will from time to time be inadvertent collection, mass collection of these things, but the Act specifies that they cannot then use that information, they can’t, unless they’ve got specific reasons to use it against NZ they can’t use it.

      GE: ok, and I’ll go on to there and we have made some progress. So you’re saying that there is mass collection of NZ personal data that is transferred to the NSA?

      BF: I didn’t not say that, I said that if indeed that was happening, it may be mission impossible to try and bring out individuals within it, ah…

      GE: ok, I’m not trying to put words in your own mouth,

      BF: well I think you are,

      GE: well here’s your opportunity, free and fair, is this statement true? There is mass collection of NZer’s personal data that ends up in the hands of the NSA if they’re in countries like the Pacific. Is that true or false?

      BF: look, I’m not in a position to say that is actually true or false,

      GE: well you’re in a very good position with respect Sir Bruce, because you the head of the GCSB from 2006 to 2011.

      BF: yep, and the mass, I guess the mass collection, I come back to the point, you cannot these days just actually individually select people. If you’re going to, you put out a big net, you catch stuff, you throw out the stuff you don’t want, you discard it, you get rid of it, you eliminate it, and you keep the stuff you do want. That’s basically an analogy I’ll use, there is no other way round the collection of individual data.

      GE: ok, I think you’ve answered that question, so it is collected en masse, and then you filter out what you don’t want right?

      BF: that would be a normal way of all nations collecting intelligence.

      to 3:43

      • weka 15.1.1
        6 March 2015 at 7:55 pm

        GE: how would you… possibly… filter out those innocent NZers which would 99% be. How would that be done?

        BF: you simply don’t need the information. You might be targeting one individual amongst all that, he might be a money launderer, he might be a drug smuggler. Or she might be. So you’re after that individual amongst all the other mish mash trash etc, you just eliminate it.

        GE: but those people, who are the trash, those people have had their personal communications stored by the NSA. So while they may not be the target of any investigation right now, their information is there, and could be looked back at, right?

        BF: aaaahm, look, the other day I went to Countdown, I bought some ham. Yesterday I got an email from Countdown saying we’ve got more ham on sale. How does that happen? Did they collect my information and use it? That’s my personal information.

        GE: yes, but I tell you what, I’d be a lot more um interested and perhaps concerned if authorities in the NSA had my information than I would if my local supermarket had the information.

        BF: well I don’t think your concern is actually relevant. I’ve been to the NSA several times, they have huge other issues on their hands, they’re not the remote bit interested in what’s happening down here for 99.95% of whatever,

        GE: so why are we giving them mass communications from NZ citizens who are in the Pacific then?

        BF: all sorts of intelligence could be used, and I think it’s been well canvassed this week in the news. The South East Pacific is actually of quite a lot of interest to a lot of countries. Australia, NZ, United States, France, China, there’s a lot of activity going on there. We want to know what’s going on, to safeguard not only us, but the nations in the Pacific. We are actually a benefactor for them to try make certain that they are safe and secure. Ah, this is not some nefarious attack on the Pacific Islands, it’s actually helping them. And helping us, and helping our friends and allies… for the security there.

        GE: ok… and indeed it has been going on, monitoring for quite some time. We’ve all acknowledged that that has been happening for a long time. According to this information that’s come out this week, what changed was that in July of 2009, the documents say, we move to what’s called ‘full take’ collection. Can you explain to me, given that you were the head of the GCSB at that time, what that phrase means, what does ‘full take’ collection mean?

        BF: it basically means, as I was saying, the analogy of whitebaiting, you put a net in the water, you catch what comes into the net and you get rid of everything you don’t want which is probably almost all of it, and then you itemise it down. You might well be looking for someone like a drug smuggler, money launderers. In amongst all of that, that’s the target, the rest of it is just discarded.

        GE: so there is mass, that is mass surveillance then?

        BF: well that’s been admitted hasn’t it? That’s why the Act has been changed Guyon, to actually allow it to be absolutely transparent and legal.

        GE: ok, so we are getting somewhere. So what we have, after this conversation, we have mass surveillance of NZers in the Pacific, and then we are led to believe that somehow someone weeds out and destroys all the information that relates to innocent NZ citizens. Have I got that right?

        BF: well certainly any weeding out, NZers will not be targeted if there is no reason to be targeted. That is absolute in law right through my time, no NZer to my knowledge was targeted, exception I guess is people mumble mumble in my time, something Dotcom. But nobody was targeted illegally. It has to be done legally and I’m 100% confident that that is exactly what GCSB is doing right now. The Prime Minister is right, he’s been given assurances and I back those assurances up, certainly from my time. Nothing illegal is happening there.

        GE: well thank-you very much for joining us on Morning Report, we do really appreciate your time talking us through that. That is the former director of the GCSB, Sir Bruce Ferguson.

        to end (7:35).

        • mickysavage 15.1.1.1
          6 March 2015 at 8:03 pm

          Supreme deity bless/bestow benefits on you Weka. A resource worth preserving.

          • weka 15.1.1.1.1
            6 March 2015 at 8:10 pm

            Thanks 🙂

            The whole thing is extremely ripe for satire. Or desk/head banging.

            • miravox 15.1.1.1.1.1
              7 March 2015 at 10:17 am

              Great job Weka!
              “The whole thing is extremely ripe for satire. “

              Especially this bit, I reckon

              [NSA are] not the remote bit interested in what’s happening down here for 99.95% of whatever…

              …all sorts of intelligence could be used, and I think it’s been well canvassed this week in the news. The South East Pacific is actually of quite a lot of interest to a lot of countries.

              He seems to not know whether to play down the data collection or brag about how important it all is.

              • weka …
                7 March 2015 at 10:46 am

                I know, and we’re spying on them for their own good anyway!

                Re the contradiction, I couldn’t tell if he was just not well prepared, or if it was deliberate obfuscation. I tend to think the latter, because pretty much all of his replies were diversionary or answering without answering (the interview was twice as long as it needed to be).

                I like how we are all whitebait. And innocent NZers are mishmash trash. And how the security services of another nation state having all metadata on me because the NZ govt stole it and passed it on is the same as Countdown having my email address and shopping records because I’ve given them permission to have them. I think the ham example was perhaps the most disingenuous part of the interview, although saying it’s all legal is a close second.

                • r0b …
                  7 March 2015 at 5:42 pm

                  Fantastic work Weka. I’m happy to abandon my own half completed effort – thanks!

                  • weka …
                    7 March 2015 at 11:15 pm

                    Oops, I thought that might happen (only the other way, with me posting to find someone had already done it). Would it have helped if I had said I was doing it? I mentioned to Alaister below that maybe we need a system for crowdsourcing transcriptions and checking in so we don’t double up.

        • veutoviper 15.1.1.2
          7 March 2015 at 9:37 am

          Excellent work, weka!

          Scoop Editor, Alastair Thompson, has also now provided a full transcript on Scoop as part of his opinion on what Ferguson said and how it contradicts Key’s various statements over the past year or so. Well worth reading.

          http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1503/S00045/former-gcsb-director-admits-to-mass-surveillance-of-nzers.htm

          Their transcript is at the bottom of the article. I haven’t compared it with yours.

          • weka 15.1.1.2.1
            7 March 2015 at 10:46 am

            Cheers veuto. I think they left out all the ums and ahs 😉

          • alastair thompson 15.1.1.2.2
            7 March 2015 at 2:48 pm

            If I had seen that Weka it would have saved me quite a bit of time 🙂 That said the act of transcribing does get you inside the words. And in this case the forms of evasion and moments of clarity are quite intricate.

            • weka 15.1.1.2.2.1
              7 March 2015 at 11:13 pm

              Vice versa! Maybe next time we need a system for checking in with who is going to do the transcribing. I liked r0b’s crowdsourcing idea, but in the end I got in a flow and just did the whole thing. Like you I found the act of transcribing to really bring home what was being said.

  16. les 16
    6 March 2015 at 8:04 pm

    John Spy…’trust us…we know what we’re doing’….and voters buy it!

  17. ropata:rorschach 17
    7 March 2015 at 9:41 am

    Upload the interview to Youtube; you’ll get a free transcript out of it. It gets some words wrong but it catches everything (much like the GCSB)

    • veutoviper 17.1
      7 March 2015 at 10:54 am

      As well as the great work weka did providing a transcript at 15, 15,1 etc above, a full transcript is also available on Scoop as per the link I provided at 15.1.1.2 above.

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    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A Step–by–Step Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and third–party applications. So, let‘s dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. That‘s why they introduced the “Recently Deleted“ folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Here‘s how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the “Recents“ tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on “Edit“. Select “Show Recently Deleted“. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose “Recover“ to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Here‘s how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose “Erase All Content and Settings“. Follow the on–screen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose “Restore from iCloud Backup“ during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore Third–Party Apps (with Caution): ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    9 hours ago

  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    16 hours ago

  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    17 hours ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    Skeptical Science
    17 hours ago

  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    17 hours ago

  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    17 hours ago

  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    17 hours ago

  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    17 hours ago

  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    18 hours ago

  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    19 hours ago

  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    20 hours ago

  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    20 hours ago

  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    20 hours ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    20 hours ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    20 hours ago

  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    21 hours ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    24 hours ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    24 hours ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 day ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 mins ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
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  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
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