Aloha means hello and goodbye

Written By: - Date published: 2:28 pm, April 29th, 2008 - 59 comments
Categories: national - Tags: , , ,

alohaStrangely, given the fact the National Party is doing so well in the polls and looks to be the favorite heading into the election, things seem to be coming apart for them. We’ve heard a few stories about tense caucus meetings and divisions but mostly only as rumour and, in an election year, that sort of rumour is often a matter of someone’s wishful thinking or a bit of wedge politics. Except this time it’s different. We’ve had information leaked to us from a source within the National Party about what John Key is doing over recess.

I don’t think the information we were given is that big a deal as we were simply told he’ll be shipping off to his new Hawaii holiday home on Thursday. While that’s probably not the best look when he’s claiming to speak on behalf of struggling middle New Zealand, it’s also not exactly a capital offense. What is interesting is that this confidential and potentially embarrassing information was provided from within the National party’s caucus, and apparently not just to us.

In an election year knowing that the leader of the opposition is unavailable can be very useful. If for example the Labour Party was interested in launching a major policy they would know that he would not be able to respond. Equally the leaker may have just decided it could be embarrassing for Key to be seen to be off cavorting in his Maui mansion when he’s whinged about the government forgetting about ordinary New Zealanders. Either way there is someone in National who has deliberately set out to disadvantage Key. Given the fact National is doing so bloody well at the moment that’s very strange indeed.

59 comments on “Aloha means hello and goodbye ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. ghostwhowalks 1
    29 April 2008 at 3:21 pm

    Was he also out of the country after New year when Hillary died?

    That was in addition to the time in Hawaii in August

  2. Steve Pierson 2
    29 April 2008 at 3:53 pm

    wow. we’ve been getting denial of service attacks since these last two posts went up. Sorry about the interruption of service. Lynn’s got it under control.

  3. Macky 3
    29 April 2008 at 3:55 pm

    what’s up with the site?

    it’s pretty rich of Key to complain that the government isn’t doing anything about rising prices when he’s jetting off to his million dollar bach in Hawaii.

  4. mike 4
    29 April 2008 at 3:55 pm

    This is outrageous. He should have his bloody passport confiscated and bank accounts turned over to the sallys. Whats next thats what I want to know..

  5. higherstandard 5
    29 April 2008 at 3:57 pm

    Ah the politics of envy.

  6. Steve Pierson 6
    29 April 2008 at 4:03 pm

    The post is about why this kind of information is being leaked.

    Clearly, inside National there is a desire to damage Key.

  7. r0b 7
    29 April 2008 at 4:04 pm

    Ah the politics of envy.

    I have a particular dislike of that phrase HS. It makes as much sense as saying of the other side “Ah the politics of greed.”

  8. all_your_base 8
    29 April 2008 at 4:07 pm

    mike and hs – you’re missing the point. As is made abundantly clear in the post, this is more about the leaks than the Maui mansion.

    Anyway, I love that he’s a jetsetter. I’m just hoping he got my email request for some duty free colby on the way home…

  9. higherstandard 9
    29 April 2008 at 4:07 pm

    Tough r0b that’s exactly what this post is about trying to portray Key as the uncaring rich prick.

  10. Steve Pierson 10
    29 April 2008 at 4:09 pm

    no, hs. the leak is about trying to portray Key as the uncaring rich prick. this post is about why there would be a leak.

  11. Matthew Pilott 11
    29 April 2008 at 4:10 pm

    Agreed r0b. It implies that everyone who believes in any form of collectivism/socialism is poor, envious of their betters, and believes in such a political system purely to punish those who have done well, as opposed to hoping that it can improve the lot of those who have not.

    So all HS saw here was that IrishBill is poor (at least relatively to Key), jealous of his Hawaiian hoilday house, and thought he would put up a post because he’s bitter about it. Nice.

  12. higherstandard 12
    29 April 2008 at 4:11 pm

    ayb

    IB makes the assumption that it is a leak but at the same time comments that.

    I don’t think the information we were given is that big a deal as we were simply told he’ll be shipping off to his new Hawaii holiday home on Thursday.

    What evidence do you have that the information is confidential and why is it potentially embarrasing ?

    I went to my holiday home last week all my staff knew I was there and I wasn’t embarrased at all.

  13. r0b 13
    29 April 2008 at 4:12 pm

    Tough r0b

    You are feeling feisty today HS! Too much coffee? Steve and a_y_b have carefully explained what didn’t need explaining (the original post is perfectly clear).

  14. higherstandard 14
    29 April 2008 at 4:15 pm

    MP

    No completely incorrect – my point which you have missed entirely is as per my comment that the point of this post is to utilise the politics of envy against Key.

  15. mike 15
    29 April 2008 at 4:16 pm

    “Clearly, inside National there is a desire to damage Key.”

    Or could it be thats a not as big a deal as you think – ie why keep it a secret.
    It also says a lot about how the party is travelling in election year. If there was strife as you say – he wouldn’t be going anywhere.

    I think the “mole” got you good this time SP

  16. mike 16
    29 April 2008 at 4:17 pm

    I mean IB

  17. higherstandard 17
    29 April 2008 at 4:18 pm

    r0b

    No more grouchy than feisty.

    After the excellent posts on GST and Child poverty earlier today the last couple have been disappointing.

  18. James Kearney 18
    29 April 2008 at 4:23 pm

    It’s because you don’t agree with them hs. Try to see it from other people’s perspective sometimes.

  19. IrishBill 19
    29 April 2008 at 4:32 pm

    HS, I don’t give a toss if Key is in Hawaii (although I suspect a lot of people would). What I find interesting is that someone within the Nat’s caucus would make a specific effort tell us this.

    Mike, Key is well known for taking time out from politics and he drops out of the game reasonably frequently.

    I think Key is safe for now because he has been dynamite for National in the polls. I also think there will be more than a few in the National party who are concerned he is locking them into too much of a Labour-lite position.

    To be honest I don’t know why someone would leak this information and without knowing what is going on in the National party caucus I guess I won’t ever know for sure but every way I look at it it seems like an attempted attack on Key from the inside. In my opinion that’s not particularly smart.

  20. rjs131 20
    29 April 2008 at 4:43 pm

    Well it is hardly the most insightful leak following news that he has brought a condo in Hawaii, that he wishes to take his family there during school holidays and parliamentary recess…

    I guess it just shows he isnt as hard working as the likes of Judith tizard, who i am sure nevers takes a day off or goes on holiday…..

  21. jafapete 21
    29 April 2008 at 4:45 pm

    If he’s so rich, why does he drink the cheap pinot noir at The Matterhorn then, that’s what I want to know?

    Seriously, too close to the election to roll a seemingly popular leader without a really good excuse. Nope, they’re locked into the Labour-lite and there’s nothing the neoliberals can do about it for the time being. There is some solace to be had when the polls come out.

  22. Billy 22
    29 April 2008 at 4:45 pm

    “I think Key is safe for now because he has been dynamite for National in the polls.”

    What startles me is that Key has been generally inept. It tells me that the voters have just had enough of Labour. I suspect that National would be enjoying this level of support with Britney Spears at the helm.

  23. Matthew Pilott 23
    29 April 2008 at 4:47 pm

    HS – that doesn’t add up when you look at the content of the post – you can’t claim that based upon your ‘general impression’ of the post either. I suppose (reaching here) you could draw a long bow and claim that while the post is putatively about dissent within the NP ranks, it’s actually a dog whistle against Key being rich – but that would be a long, long bow indeed.

  24. lprent 24
    29 April 2008 at 4:50 pm

    “what’s up with the site?”

    Not too sure. Just at present it looks like it simply ran out of memory. It’d run out of all RAM and swap space. I had to reboot from a command prompt. I’ve curtailed the number of processes available for the web server to prevent it happening again.

    It is incredibly active right now. I’m tailing the access_log and it is servicing requests continuously. I’ll look at client side caching. It seems to be sending too much out that should be cached at the client side. That defines what I’ll be doing tonight.

    Probably related to the new version of wordpress. I’ll analyse the logs after work.

    Lynn

  25. IrishBill 25
    29 April 2008 at 4:55 pm

    Billy, I don’t think his ineptness is necessarily a bad thing for National. It may simply be that it helps his everyman image in much the same way Bush’s gaffes helped him seem less “elite”.

    I don’t actually think that having his Hawaii holiday home made public will hurt him either because I don’t think Kiwi’s are particularly envious people. We like everyone to get a fair go sure, but my reaction when I heard about the Hawaii home was pretty much “good on him, I’d do the same if I could” and I reckon most Kiwis would feel like that.

    If he’s seen as having all of this and then wanting to take a fair go from others however, then he’s in trouble.

  26. lprent 26
    29 April 2008 at 5:12 pm

    Oh wow. Definitely something was hitting us. Just downloaded the logs. Yesterdays log was ~3MB. Todays log so far is 19.5MB.

    Now we see where it was coming from and what they were accessing. Question is if it was deliberate or someone had an out of control system doing something like trying to suck the entire site. Seen that before.

  27. Stazi 27
    29 April 2008 at 5:12 pm

    How strange that John Key would want to take his kids to Hawaii during their school holidays. He’s going to be pretty busy over the next few months so I guess he wants to spend a bit of quality time with them. Good that he finds time for his family as well as being a fairly high profile politician.

    Gee. Big conspiracy. Huge. This will shake the foundations of our political system to the core.

  28. infused 28
    29 April 2008 at 5:21 pm

    How about this. Tell us the source or shut the hell up. Otherwise you’re just talking spin as usual.

    IrishBill says: How about this: we keep our sources confidential in line with journalistic ethics and you take a week ban.

  29. r0b 29
    29 April 2008 at 5:32 pm

    How about this. Tell us the source or shut the hell up.

    Know anything about journalism infused? Didn’t think so.

    Incidentally, I think what The Standard is doing these days warrants the tag of “journalism”. Great work guys and gals, this place is going from strength to strength.

  30. Tane 30
    29 April 2008 at 5:40 pm

    Well, we’ll see if this one pans out 🙂

    As reliable as the leak appears you can never be 100% sure until it happens.

  31. higherstandard 31
    29 April 2008 at 5:43 pm

    IB

    I hope you are right and that NZers are maturing into as you put it a non envious people. It is a pity that this behaviour is not modelled by the current Minister of Finance.

  32. Phil 32
    29 April 2008 at 5:46 pm

    Ok, this one’s coming completely out of left field in my brain, so bear with me while I explain this – I’ll even type it slowly so you can all keep up.

    1) Someone in National – probably a few of them actually – keep a close eye on TheStandard to see what’s happening in the militant left of the blogosphere (know your enemy…)
    2) they see that you’re sending out questions to the leaders of political parties
    3) they conclude that it would not be a good look if John didn’t respond, or took a longer time to respond than the others

    End result; this person decides to be helpful, and let you know John’s not going to be checking his inbox while drinking Pina Colada in the sun.

    Unless you’re willing to quote from the email verbatim, I highly doubt the conspiratorial tone you suggest is really there at all

  33. higherstandard 33
    29 April 2008 at 5:49 pm

    Or alternatively Phil he’s just going on Holiday with the kids.

    I would be amazed if he gave a crap about responding to questions from The Standard.

  34. Scribe 34
    29 April 2008 at 6:01 pm

    hs,

    I would be amazed if he gave a crap about responding to questions from The Standard.

    Bu-bu-but, rOb said “this place is going from strength to strength”. Are you telling me it’s not the greatest blog in the history of the world?!

  35. lprent 35
    29 April 2008 at 6:24 pm

    It can’t be. Otherwise I wouldn’t have to analyze why it went down today, and how to stop it in the future. Somewhere, someone will be wearing the consequences of wasting my time today.

    Oh – you’re talking about the other side of the blog………

    Have to say they’re getting better. I’ve been reading old posts from last year looking at how to clean up the utf-8 junk. Their writing now is of a much higherstandard (with apologies to the holder of the name) now than it was them.

  36. r0b 36
    29 April 2008 at 6:30 pm

    It is a pity that this behaviour is not modelled by the current Minister of Finance.

    What’s that about not liking personal attacks HS?

    Bu-bu-but, rOb said “this place is going from strength to strength’. Are you telling me it’s not the greatest blog in the history of the world?!

    I’ll take a wild guess that it has more readers than your work Scribe.

    And no, it’s not the greatest blog in the history of the world, just the history of NZ. Non facetiously on the topic of great blogs, check out this excellent list:
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/09/blogs

  37. Higherstandard 37
    29 April 2008 at 6:49 pm

    Yes r0b

    I dislike the personal attacks which is why I pointed out Michael Cullen’s effort.

  38. darryl p 38
    29 April 2008 at 6:52 pm

    Let’s say it really is someone inside National that wants to hurt JK, and the most controversial thing they could come up with was to tell you that he’s going to Hawaii for a holiday, surely that’s not good news for Labour. As far as skeletons in closets go it’s not that sensational and a pretty uninteresting platform for attack.

  39. randal 39
    29 April 2008 at 6:54 pm

    probably having a strategy meeting with the lynch mob. hey you guys I thought this was a done deal!!!!!!!

  40. Scribe 40
    29 April 2008 at 7:00 pm

    rOb,

    I’ll take a wild guess that it has more readers than your work Scribe.

    Ouch, that hurt. You’ve sunk my battleship.

  41. mike 41
    29 April 2008 at 7:33 pm

    “I guess it just shows he isnt as hard working as the likes of Judith tizard”

    Anyone else catch the story on TV1 of the Labourites in their shiney new BMW Limo’s (theres a good look for Struggling NZ IB) Judith T gets out of her’s and can’t hear Guyons question cause she’s listening to her iPod. Oh dear

  42. randal 42
    29 April 2008 at 7:41 pm

    who gives a stuff about that little creep espiner and his creepy questions. he needs to go somewhere and get de-creeped

  43. lprent 43
    29 April 2008 at 9:18 pm

    Bugger. Had to fix the caching to use mime types because WordPress is generating css and js like .js.php. I had the caching by file extensions after I moved from IIS. Also some image directories moved.

    Anyway the server blew its little mind servicing high demand and sending files over and over again that it didn’t have to. Hopefully that is teh last upgrade problem.

    Wasted by own time. Time for a beer..

    Had the beer – now I’m watching web crawlers wandering slowly through every page on the site. That explains why I’m getting a change in the baseload. They have detected that the pages on the site have changed and are now busy reindexing it. There are a of a lot of them, googlebot is working around ?p=576, 1498, 832. I think about half of the load at present is crawlers. That fits with what I saw in the logs. The site is getting spidered.

    Lots of things to note for the next time I do updates.

  44. Patrick 44
    29 April 2008 at 11:01 pm

    Well done lprent, we appreciate it!

  45. j 45
    29 April 2008 at 11:05 pm

    “who gives a stuff about that little creep espiner and his creepy questions. he needs to go somewhere and get de-creeped”

    You guys should really stop shooting the messenger. It’s getting old real fast.

  46. randal 46
    29 April 2008 at 11:37 pm

    its all about character j and espiner exudes creep without even trying.got nothing to do with the message or getting old..its about being a creep..dont you get it?

  47. Ted 47
    30 April 2008 at 1:23 am

    I’m somewhat dubious as to whether this really was leaked by a National party MP as you have suggested, partly because the details of Key’s holiday have already been circulated beyond Caucus.

    My understanding is that Key revealed his intention to holiday in Hawaii when questioned by Ruth Laugesen regarding his purchase of an apartment in Hawaii. Key has often disclosed his holiday details in the past.

    Laugesen then consulted with other editorial staff at the SST and decided not to run the story. I don’t know if this was to protect Key’s privacy or because Laugesen wanted to hold off to get another story out of it. It leaked out of the SST newsroom and has been floating around since. This isn’t quite the scoop you’re making it out to be.

  48. Ted 48
    30 April 2008 at 1:36 am

    Also, a couple more things. IrishBill invoked journalistic ethics in refusing to reveal his source which was fair enough. I wouldn’t expect you guys to and agree it would be unethical to do so.

    However, identifying the source as being a National MP does raise some interesting ethical questions. Some people would say identifying the person as a National MP rather than a figure in the National party was unethical and I’m inclined to agree. It’s certainly nowhere near as bad as revealing a source but narrowing it down to one of 47 – despite an arguable public interest in revealing this – is a breach of the source’s trust unless permission to do so was given.

    It’s a minor point but I hope your reference to Key’s ‘Maui mansion’ was a facetious one. It’s been clearly identified that the property he purchased was an apartment, so it’s a little unfair to claim he will be off cavorting in a mansion.

  49. expat 49
    30 April 2008 at 7:31 am

    So Key has some cash and is going on holiday in Hawaii. Maybe he has earnedt a break..That’s unlike the glorious dear leader who fucks off overseas all the time on the tax payers chit?

    And the advent of modern technology means people can stay in touch from ‘overseas’

  50. j 50
    30 April 2008 at 8:26 am

    “its all about character j and espiner exudes creep without even trying.got nothing to do with the message or getting old..its about being a creep..dont you get it?”

    That’s the trouble with some people they operate on incorrect assumptions with no basis in reality. Keep up the good work though.
    Nice headline in the herald today wasn’t it. Maybe there’s another conspiracy theory in there. Enjoy ;>

  51. randal 51
    30 April 2008 at 8:38 am

    no it wasnt a nice headline in the herald today was it…its raining today isnt it. espiner is a creep isnt he. the nats are not going to win aren’t they..have a nice day wont you…bye bye

  52. higherstandard 52
    30 April 2008 at 8:41 am

    Actually Randal the sun’s out in Auckland at the moment – bizarre but true.

  53. randal 53
    30 April 2008 at 8:49 am

    isn’t it?

  54. Steve Pierson 54
    30 April 2008 at 9:55 am

    Interesting that Key missed his interview on Breakfast this morning. Yesterday, they were advertising he would be on (as he is every Wednesday) but they had English instead.

    English just repeated the same lines: the solution to every problem is lifting after-tax wages through tax cuts (implicitly, not wage rises).

  55. insider 55
    30 April 2008 at 10:31 am

    Steve

    It’s utterly uninteresting. According to the Herald Key is in Singapore. Think about the time differences…

  56. higherstandard 56
    1 May 2008 at 8:21 am

    As I said before the politics of envy

    http://brendensheehan.blogspot.com/2008/04/wheres-johnny.html

  57. r0b 57
    1 May 2008 at 9:32 am

    As always the politics of greed

    http://www.national.org.nz/Article.aspx?ArticleId=10097

    Oh and let’s not forget the New Zealand Sucks campaign

    http://www.national.org.nz/Article.aspx?ArticleID=12171

  58. James Kearney 58
    1 May 2008 at 9:48 am

    Brenden Sheehan is a right wing idiot and a liability to Labour- don’t assume he speaks for me or anyone else.

  59. Dancer 59
    2 May 2008 at 3:09 pm

    I like the idea of a holiday with the kids in Hawaii – except I can’t walk out the door without my workmates having to cover for me. Maybe that’s why some within National were feeling unhappy enough to drop the story? I see from Steve P that English covered for Key on BreakfastTV (and other regular slots too I suspect). Now English has his own young (and extensive) family – I bet he’d have liked some time off too….

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
    Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia.   Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Trade relationship with China remains strong
    “China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.   Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 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 days 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
    6 days 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
    7 days 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
    7 days 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
    7 days 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
    7 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
    7 days 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
    7 days 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-25T15:24:27+00:00