Oram on the budget and Treasury fantasies

Written By: - Date published: 7:09 am, May 25th, 2015 - 75 comments
Categories: budget 2015, debt / deficit, economy, national - Tags: , , ,

Extracts from Rod Oram’s piece in the SST as posted on Facebook:

No worries, it’ll all come right, the Budget assures us

Everything economic will come right by 2017, the government assures us in its latest budget. Businesses will enjoy higher commodity prices, moderate wage inflation, modest interest rates and a manageable dollar. Citizens will thrive on more jobs, low inflation, more spending and only moderate increases in house prices. And the government will benefit from higher tax revenues, enabling it to double new spending, increase its budget surpluses and cut taxes – just in time for the 2017 election.

This sunny view is based on Treasury’s economic forecasts accompanying the budget. Treasury believes serious shocks to the global and local economies over the past decade, and particularly over the past year, will fade quickly away. Dairy and oil prices will rise, inflation will resume and economies will motor on, whether in stagnant developed or slowing developing countries.

But what if the world is experiencing profound shifts? What if, for example, deflation is driven by structural causes such as ageing populations and rapid technological change?

This air of unworldly calm also pervades the budget itself, which the government has entitled “A plan that’s working”. Sure enough, there is a bit more money for health, education, police, corrections and other core services. But our population and inflation will both rise by 1.4 per cent in the year ahead, Treasury forecasts. So, the extra spending announced for core public services won’t cover rising costs and demand. So there’s no chance for real wage increases for teachers, nurses, doctors and other public servants.

So this budget, as the six before it, is a triumph of micro-management. The government has mastered the skill of switching small sums around to give the illusion of progress. What’s missing from it, and the six before, is any glimpse of the world we live in, let alone the political leadership we need to survive and thrive in it.

Nailed it.

75 comments on “Oram on the budget and Treasury fantasies ”

  1. Peter 1

    ….. I for one would like to see Mr Key give us his views on, say , a strategy for NZ ports …… addressing the short term concerns of focus groups appears to be his main focus

  2. Charles 2

    In the old days every “man woman and child” worried about the national (small n) deficit, children were given milk to drink at school, voters generally disliked the government, tariffs and tax were heavy, and you could live on a pension without fear of dying of hypothermia or resorting to catfood. No one knew what a dumpster might be. Electricity, water, and telephone services were owned by the government, there were trains carrying manufacturing materials. Trust in the police was high and essential services had professional shift staff, their officiers not much concerned for the cost of saving property and lives. Unemployment was non-existent, and pakeha liked to complain about “the maoris”. Banks opened special childrens accounts, accepted deposit for 1c or 2c and encouraged children to save. They didn’t advertise on black and white TV.

    Now children have fallen into poverty conditions, no one much cares about the National (capital N) deficit unless it’s implied they might have to contribute, it’s not fair and too expensive to supply children with food at school, voters love the government and it’s cult leaders, tarrifs and taxes are light, and you might not be able to live on a pension without resorting to dumpster diving. Electricity, water, and telephone services are privately owned and the train tracks got pulled up, so raw materials go by road on trucks. Trust in police is non-existent – unless you’re white, male and rich, or know someone who is – the officiers of essential services are concerned with profit and safety systems need volunteers and charity to keep running. When someone is lost at sea or in the bush, they’re blamed for the rest of us having to go look for them. Unemployment is high, and pakeha like to complain about “the maoris” – just before leaving for Australia. If you can find a bank teller in your town it’ll cost you. There aren’t 1c or 2c pieces anymore, but plenty of cheap debt, and banks advertise on colour TV that they “live in your world”.

    Can’t wait for 2017. Can’t wait for budget number seven.

    • Draco T Bastard 2.1

      In the old days every “man woman and child” worried about the national (small n) deficit, children were given milk to drink at school, voters generally disliked the government, tariffs and tax were heavy, and you could live on a pension without fear of dying of hypothermia or resorting to catfood.

      Which particular ‘old days’ are you talking about? It wasn’t until Muldoon brought in NZSuper in 1975 that the Old Age Pension was a liveable amount. Before then it was somewhat less.

      • Tracey 2.1.1

        Can you recall what the widow’s pension was?

        • joe90 2.1.1.1

          In 1970 the weekly widows rate was $13.75 with $10 for one dependent child, $11 for two dependent children and $1 for each additional dependent child.

          under SUMMARY OF RATES OF SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

          http://www3.stats.govt.nz/New_Zealand_Official_Yearbooks/1970/NZOYB_1970.html#idsect1_1_52751

          • Tracey 2.1.1.1.1

            Thanks Joe.

            A widow received the same amount as an unmarried superannunant…

            Key referred to his mum during his budget speech but left out how she was on the same as an over 65

            More when you factor in the children.

            WHY don’t Labour or the press know this stuff?

            • Tracey 2.1.1.1.1.1

              Invalids’—
              Unmarried person, 20 years or over 715 13.75
              Unmarried person under 20 years 611 11.75
              Married man with wife included 1,300 25.00
              Married woman 650 12.50

              We did have full employment in those days…

              • John

                Tracy says “We did have full employment in those days…”

                In 1970 we had a population of 2,811,000 and 1,215,000 people employed (43% employed).

                In 1970 we have a population of 4,500,000 and 2,355,000 people employed (52% employed).

                So in those days we had an extra 9% of the population (9% of todays population is 405,000 people ) who were not working.

                They just didn’t appear in the figures.

                • weka

                  There’s a difference between not-employed and unemployed. The 1970s stats would need to be broken down by gender and probably class to understand them.

                  Full employment = all people who need/want a job having one.

                  • John

                    That certainly wasn’t the case in 1970.

                    Solo mothers with babies didn’t even get a the DPB.

                    Then there were unofficial work for the dole schemes where if you showed you were capable of leaning on a shovel you could get a job with the falsely named “Ministry of Works”.

                    • Colonial Rawshark

                      That Ministry helped build this nation, you ungrateful shit head

                    • weka

                      “That certainly wasn’t the case in 1970.”

                      What wasn’t the case in 1970? Are you saying there weren’t enough jobs to go around?

                    • John

                      Let’s go back to your rose tinted 1970 employment levels.

                      If we did, today we’d have and extra 400,000 people out of work.

                      Duh.

                    • weka

                      You’re not making sense John. Is there a reason you can’t answer my question?

                    • joe90

                      Solo mothers with babies didn’t even get a the DPB

                      You’re right, in 1970 it was a family maintenance allowance.
                      /

                      A sole parent is paid at the rate of $10.00 a week for the first dependent child, increased by $1 a week for each additional dependent child.

                      http://www3.stats.govt.nz/New_Zealand_Official_Yearbooks/1970/NZOYB_1970.html

                    • tracey

                      John

                      stick to your knitting.

                    • tracey

                      “Solo mothers with babies didn’t even get a the DPB.”

                      Unless the father had died and then they got a widow’s allowance

                    • Draco T Bastard

                      Then there were unofficial work for the dole schemes…

                      LOL

                      You really are an idiot. Those works built our entire nation and if we’d left it to the capitalists we’d still be living in the 19th century.

                      Phones and power would only go to rich neighbourhoods and cost several times more. Poverty would be rampant with the middle class taking up maybe 10% of the population.

                      This is what capitalism does. Poverty and deprivation are systemic to it.

                    • John

                      In 1970 only 31,000 working age adults were on benefits.

                      Yet there were around 800,000 working age adults who were not working – two thirds as many as those who did have jobs.

                      And it was called full employment – yeah right.

                    • Rodel

                      “Leaning on a shovel”?
                      This kind of comment is usually made by someone who has never had a manual job in their life. Probably coasting on Daddy’s money.
                      Guarantee those who criticize road workers have never worked on road works…never had to.

                    • Ha! Reminded me of the local bodies candidate a couple of elections ago who put out a leaflet saying he was going to sort out all the council staff he saw leaning on their shovels every day all over the town. He looked a total prat when it was pointed out that the council hadn’t employed labourers for twenty years.

                    • John

                      Rodel – making grand assumptions when you are totally ignorant about a situation, does just one thing – displays how totally ignorant you are.

                    • Draco T Bastard

                      I was working a while back installing the new computers in the new ASB tower at the Viaduct. At the end of the day we’d all gathered at a single location with one person doing the finishing work for the day and the project manager observed, jokingly, that it was just like public works where only one person worked.

                      Thing is, that’s actually what happened and still happens. At the beginning of a day and at the end there may only be enough work for one or two people to do and the others are waiting on them to finish that before they can start their work. And this is what people saw on their way to and from work. They only saw the beginning and end of the day and nothing in between and so assumed that was all that happened with, of course, the help of the lies that the RWNJs spread.

                      Lies that you, John , in your ignorance, still believe.

                • tracey

                  You don’t seem to understand the figures and labels you are relying upon.

                • Wynston

                  Given that it was not common for married mothers to work then, it is not at all surprising that raw figures like you use do not tally!

              • dukeofurl

                Yes full employment, in every sense of the word, and not just Auckland was bi partisan government policy.
                People like Michael Lhaws parents could easily find jobs in Whanganui, and he didnt face high student loans on graduation.
                Not that he has ever see the advantages he got!
                House prices didnt rise too rapidly as the banks werent allowed to borrow overseas and rationed loans based on your lending history and a considerable deposit.

          • weka 2.1.1.1.2

            great link joe, thanks. I was looking for historical benefit rates the other day and couldn’t find them.

      • Grant 2.1.2

        I can’t speak to the amounts involved, but both sets of my very working class grandparents retired in the very early 1960’s at age 60, both lots owning their own homes outright and running reasonably good cars for the times. This despite the fact that they had plenty to say about how hard it was to survive the depression and war years. As I recall they lived simple restrained lifestyles but were short of nothing and always looked to be leading good lives. It wasn’t until their later old age in the late 70’s- early 80’s that inflation etc made them really start to feel the pinch and you could see things going down hill. Of course some of that may also have been a reduced ability to manage as they got towards the end of their lives.

      • Rjay 2.1.3

        It would have been those old days when women had to stay home and not allowed to work and there was no dpb.

    • SMILIN 2.2

      Nz political climatology explained should be the founding article going with the new flag least we forget
      Well said thanks

  3. Ad 3

    To me this has been the most perplexing thing about the response from the collective Opposition.

    They failed to portray any sense of looming crisis. Little’s throwaway line about “…more to New Zealand than milk and housing” was really the missed theme.
    By that I mean that Little went to business audiences, when I would have preferred him to preach to haybarns full of disillusioned and indebted farmers, or suburban halls full of the permanently renting. He needed to land on where the hurt is, and show it.

    I want to hear an alternative economic vision from Labour. It was great to hear Little give a few thoughts – and I appreciate they have to be a little sketchy at this time.
    But overall the opposition can surely see that Key is choking their remaining oxygen.

    Oram shows that there is still plenty of space to do this. Could someone from Labour give him a call?

  4. whateva next? 4

    Thankyou to Rod Oram for not letting reality slip by, under these master illusionists. My worry is that the majority of people and professionals I work alongside everyday seem to be enjoying John Key’s show, despite all the warnings and a few good men keeping their heads above the parapet.
    I wonder if Campbell had to go as those “sleepyheads” were actually hearing/responding to him.

  5. Steve Withers 5

    National, as a conservative party, is psychologically incapable of delivering what Oram wants it to deliver.

    National drives boldly into the future based on a mixture of discredited neo-liberal economic presumptions and an idealised view of past successes.

    Never mind the world doesn’t work the way they hope…and never worked as they imagine it.

    • Clean_power 5.1

      “Never mind the world doesn’t work the way they hope…and never worked as they imagine it” …. I’m sure you know what you are talking about, Mr Whiters.

    • Draco T Bastard 5.2

      National drives boldly into the future based on a mixture of discredited neo-liberal economic presumptions and an idealised view of past successes.

      National still believes in the aristocracy and are putting in place policies that will resurrect them and will turn the rest of us into serfs.

      • Clean_power 5.2.1

        “National still believes in the aristocracy and are putting in place policies that will resurrect them and will turn the rest of us into serfs.”

        Wow. Draco’s fantasies are even more unbelievable than Oram’s.

        • Draco T Bastard 5.2.1.1

          It’s not a fantasy – it’s what’s actually happening. That’s what privatisation is.

          • Clean_power 5.2.1.1.1

            Are you proposing the joy of socialism for NZ? Are you proposing we embrace such wonderful and successful system?

            • Stuart Munro 5.2.1.1.1.1

              We need only reverse the horrific and unsuccessful economic reforms that allowed a generation of unqualified ‘managers’ to enrich themselves at the public expense. NZ ran on Fabian socialism and was the envy of the world – now our young people travel – not for an OE, but to escape our shrinking economy and declining living standards.

            • Draco T Bastard 5.2.1.1.1.2

              Capitalism has presided over a decline in living standards in NZ over the last 30 years.

              In fact, when we look at our history it has been socialism pushing capitalism in the right direction that has built up the living standards that we have. In the 1970s that system was failing, no doubt about that, but we went in the wrong direction. Instead of focusing more on developing our economy and becoming more egalitarian we did the opposite by enriching the already rich and dismantling our economy.

              This resulted in the inevitable declining living standards that we have today and the increasing corruption that we see in our business people and politicians.

              • Clean_power

                You should tell that not-so-white lie to many Russians and Eastern Europeans, free now from the tyranny of communism and socialism. Wake up and smell the roses.

                • One Anonymous Bloke

                  Which lie? Living standards have most certainly declined over the last thirty years. In New Zealand, you know, that place that everyone except you is happy to discuss.

                  Just as everyone knows that the reason you’d rather talk shit about Eastern Europe instead is that you’re ideologically handicapped.

                • Draco T Bastard

                  The USSR was neither socialist nor communist the same way that, despite it’s name, the DPRK isn’t democratic.

                  A label doesn’t mean that the thing so labelled is what it says it is. You have to look to the actions and the actions of the USSR, China and the DPRK are capitalist. A few people at the top calling the shots and controlling everyone else through fear.

                  • Facetious

                    Socialism is a tragedy, a sad and terrible event for the people of the country concerned. God help NZ from getting the fatal disease.

                    • McFlock

                      lol nice one, facetious

                    • Colonial Rawshark

                      Socialism is a tragedy, a sad and terrible event for the people of the country concerned. God help NZ from getting the fatal disease.

                      NZ remains a socialist country at its core. If you don’t like it, you are free to move to the USA where things are so much “better.”

                    • Draco T Bastard

                      Yeah, that fatal disease that built NZ up and almost got round to eliminating poverty…

                      oh, wait…

                    • ropata

                      By your logic, Facetious and clean_power, Capitalism must equal Fascism? Because a social philosophy should always be taken to its most radical and egregious extreme?

                      I call this kind of argument “lying”

                    • One Anonymous Bloke

                      Ropata hits the nail on the head. These dishonest gimps can’t handle the truth.

                    • ropata

                      Facetious, by “socialist” do you mean those kind of countries that had

                      ~an economic theory that demands human sacrifice
                      ~impoverished masses and an untouchable elite
                      ~a police state with total surveillance capability
                      ~no independent media or dissidence
                      ~political propaganda saturation

                      because that is exactly where FJK is taking us

                • Mike S

                  You don’t seem to understand what socialism is. We live in a social democracy. Socialism doesn’t mean communism.

                • ropata

                  You mean Russia that is now ruled by oligarchs and a military dictator?
                  Or Ukraine that is on the verge of civil war?
                  Or Ceaucescu’s Romania?

                  Check your facts before spouting ignorant slogans.

            • Lloyd 5.2.1.1.1.3

              So you want neo-liberal success like Iraq or Russia – both places where the short, sharp , shock of selling off everything the state owned was applied more thoroughly than he Gnats have so far managed with New Zealand’s economy?
              Mixed economies where the state owns a significant part of the economy have been generally healthier for their citizens since the global financial melt-down.

  6. Tracey 6

    “The government has mastered the skill of switching small sums around to give the illusion of progress.”

    And when political journalists have no training or understanding of economics, maths or other related stuff, they can get away with it.

    Come Budget time SURELY the reporting needs to be done by journalists who understand the numbers, the economics etc?

    Audrey Young, John Armstrong etc are not, to my knowledge expert in the stuff required to critique.

    Fran O’Sullivan on the other hand spent her column helping people forget that Banks made a declaration that everything in the form was true and correct to the best of his belief BUT HAD NEVER READ IT, and so by her reasoning is entitled to taxayer funded compensation for the agregious wrongs done him with no part played it in by one Mr Banks.

    • ianmac 6.1

      Let alone the strange fact of 2 X $25,000 and another 3 X $25,000. Or that Mr Banks refuses to comment on those facts.
      It is probable that the Opposition has to be cautious about condemning the economy or just become another Opposition moan. Later in the year the reality of our economy will become clear. Of course English/Key will claim it is outside their control and we are doing so much better than World.

      • Tracey 6.1.1

        yes, but what about the media? Isn’t it their job to read the budget, read/listen to the things said about it by our politicians, analyse it and tell us what stands scrutiny or doesn’t.

        • tc 6.1.1.1

          Media in nz is there to prop up the bs and deception the NACT trot out regularly and keep the steeple dumbed down with celebrity home menu model makeover reality content.

          You only have to to look at the diversions they ran hard with during the recent northland by election and Campbell’s axing to see what their job really is.

    • Colonial Rawshark 6.2

      Come Budget time SURELY the reporting needs to be done by journalists who understand the numbers, the economics etc?

      It probably won’t help – they’ve all been taught a false framework of financialised economics. Like most of our politicians.

      Economics about the infrastructure, capability, capacity and direction of a nation – no one discusses that nowadays. I believe that is what Oram infers when he talks about the wider world that we actually live in and the things which are happening within it.

      Instead “economics” as it is understood by our political class and MSM has been reduced to book keeping and managing numbers.

      • Draco T Bastard 6.2.1

        Instead “economics” as it is understood by our political class and MSM has been reduced to book keeping and managing numbers.

        And profit. Can’t forget the profit. It can’t be economical if one of the new aristocracy isn’t making a profit.

        • Colonial Rawshark 6.2.1.1

          Yeah, and especially profit from ticket clipping on the essentials needed by society. That’s what capitalism has reduced itself to now.

      • dukeofurl 6.2.2

        We saw yesterday on the Standard, Hooton pontificate about Bill Englishes borrowing only being the ‘amount of the budget deficit- $500 or so mill, when the actual deficit on a cash basis is between $6.5 and $7 biilion, as shown by their loan program.

        All along the public is mislead about the government ‘household budget’ being near surplus when its nothing of the sort. The accrual accounting being a piece of smoke and mirrors.

        • Stuart Munro 6.2.2.1

          And Treasury – which Hooton praises extravagantly – are complicit in the lie.

      • Tracey 6.2.3

        it would help them to expose the lies being told about what is actually being done or not. Economic theory aside

  7. Sable 7

    And when the economic miracle National promises doesn’t occur it will all be someone else’s fault. Either the political left or space aliens….I’m sure the MSM can make something up as per usual…

  8. linda 8

    national will need to be forced to take responsibility for there mismanagement and there supporters will need to be made to pay

    • One Anonymous Bloke 8.1

      That sounds like something a National Party supporter would say. They’re all about getting “tough” on crime, which is one of the reasons we have close to the highest recidivism rate in the developed world.

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  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    1 day ago
  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago
  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A StepbyStep 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 thirdparty applications. So, lets dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. Thats 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. Heres 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. Heres how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose Erase All Content and Settings. Follow the onscreen 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 ThirdParty Apps (with Caution): ...
    1 day 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 ...
    2 days 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 ...
    2 days 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 ...
    2 days 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 ...
    2 days 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 ...
    2 days 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 ...
    2 days 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 ...
    2 days 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 ...
    2 days 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
    2 days 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 ...
    2 days 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 ...
    2 days 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, ...
    2 days 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, ...
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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 ...
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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 ...
    2 days 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
    2 days 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 ...
    3 days 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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 ...
    4 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 days ago

  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
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    5 days ago
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