Andrew Little on Pike River

Written By: - Date published: 10:09 am, November 20th, 2015 - 54 comments
Categories: Andrew Little, class war, disaster, health and safety, workers' rights - Tags:

andrewlittle

I was at Pike River mine the morning after the explosion that claimed the lives of 29 men.

It was five years ago and I remember that day vividly.

There was an eerie sense of foreboding; our union organiser was in a state of shock, big tough men were in tears.

I spoke to old-time miners who had worked there in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

From the start they were saying the men wouldn’t come out alive, that the mine had to be sealed. They knew how bad the mine was. But for many the mine meant food on the table and a house, so they didn’t let on.

Health and safety matters enormously to me and it is something I’ve fought for my whole career, as a lawyer and in the unions. Going to work knowing that you will come home again is a basic human right, and one that too many New Zealanders still can’t take for granted.

Something like Pike River should never happen again. Unfortunately there are still those out there who don’t care enough, who don’t understand, who think it is OK to take shortcuts with their workers’ lives.

It’s why we must allow workers to speak out, to have representatives in companies arguing for the best health and safety rules.

Some of our corporates do it beautifully. There are others who could learn from them, and from the Pike River tragedy of five years ago today.

I’m there again tonight, for the commemorative service; remembering the 29.

54 comments on “Andrew Little on Pike River ”

  1. Anne 1

    What a difference between Andrew Little and John Key.

    One is remembering the terrible tragedy that is the Pike River mine and is there in person to do what he can for the victims and their families.

    The other is lording it on the global stage big noting himself and… not a thought for the misery and pain he and his government have inflicted upon so many NZers – in his/their personal quest for fame and fortune.

    • Lanthanide 1.1

      The right-wing perspective is that this government hasn’t inflicted misery and pain on anyone – those people have chosen to inflict it on themselves.

    • Rosie 1.2

      +1 Anne

    • upnorth 1.3

      that’s a silly comment – if Little was PM he would have international duties – grandstanding comment by you. The article about Little’s reflection not the PM day to day role.

      I could if I had the energy find numerous times PM was overseas when a special event was held back in NZ.

      My thoughts on Pike family god bless

      • Anne 1.3.1

        Nope. Nothing silly about at all. Little would not be grandstanding and playing the overgrown school boy oaf – ooheee everybody look at me, I’m Obama’s bestest friend. Little is way more mature than Key could ever be.

        My comment was a general observation and went beyond the current geographical location of them both, but I doubt you could stretch your brain to accommodate such cerebral gymnastics.

  2. Lanthanide 2

    ACC is for the first time sharing their workplace accident information with Worksafe (the successors to OSH).

    There are quite a few companies in the country who should be very worried about this information sharing – they’re going to have to up their game (significantly). They’re going to find themselves under very close scrutiny from Worksafe inspectors and are likely to be on the receiving end of many notices to improve and/or fines.

    • Rosie 2.1

      Interesting. I would have assumed ACC would have always shared workplace accident info with Worksafe and formerly the Dept of Labour – it would make sense to. Patterns of injury could be established and affected companies targeted for training and monitoring.

      I hope this new arrangement brings results.

      • Lanthanide 2.1.1

        I am certain that it will bring results. Expect newspaper headlines next year, I think.

        • Pat 2.1.1.1

          …expect renewed pressure from certain quarters on the govt to remove ACC exclusivity me thinks

        • Sacha 2.1.1.2

          I expect it may cause pressure on workers of bad companies not to report accidents to ACC. ‘Here, have some cash under the table to get treated privately.’

  3. Rosie 3

    I’m enjoying what Andrew Little is saying of late: The speech at the conference, his reaction to the Paris attacks and this response to the 5th memorial day for the PIke 29. Every year it is so affecting because of the injustice and ongoing grief.

    I’m just a little confused about this sentence though:

    “I spoke to old-time miners who had worked there in the ‘70s and ‘80s.”

    Pike River wasn’t built till towards the end of the first decade of the 2000’s. Perhaps those miners he spoke to had worked at other west coast mines and that’s what he was referring to?

    • Lanthanide 3.1

      I am assuming he means other mines on the West Coast since the 70’s and 80’s.

      My father and his brother grew up on the West Coast in Greymouth. They said that when they were kids, they often saw Mines Rescue personnel walking around town – in their heavy breathing gear and protective equipment. Simply walking around town was training for them – you needed to be incredibly fit to do the job.

      They both said that after the first explosions at the mine, they should have sent the mines rescue teams in. That’s what they’re trained to do. Instead we had an idiot country cop in charge who thought he was doing everyone a favour by refusing entry.

      • Rosie 3.1.1

        I can imagine Mines Rescue personnel became less visible in mining communities in recent decades as the roles of the mines inspectors diminished and less emphasis was placed upon safety. Perhaps, I’m only assuming.

        It’s interesting your father and brother said the Pike River mine should have been entered by rescue crew immediately after the explosion. I’ve read about that view before and indeed it has happened at other mines in the past, like Strongman mine.

        Is it something about the methane burning itself out in the initial explosion before it has a chance to build up again?

        That mine was one disaster after another, even at the end when it blew, the men were abandoned.

        • Lanthanide 3.1.1.1

          Yes, it’s exactly that when an explosion has occurred, its due to the concentration of gasses. Assuming all gas in the mine has exploded, and the rate of gas buildup has not changed (sometimes an explosion can cause a rockfall which could let more gas buildup again etc), there’s is a window of opportunity ranging from hours to days until the gas will build up to the unsafe level, during which the explosive gas hazard is minimal.

          There are of course still other huge hazards in a mine that has undergone an explosion, so it’s hardly ‘safe’, but the single biggest risk is substantially smaller.

          • Rosie 3.1.1.1.1

            Thanks for clarifying.

            Given all the ways in which the victims and the grieving families have been let down right from the day the mine opened, we really do have a duty to do so much more for them.

            • tracey 3.1.1.1.1.1

              We were in Greymouth the evening of one of the big announcements around pike river opening. The suits were ruddy with beer and backslapping. Seems a long time ago now. Mr Brownlie lauding it up but happy to leave wilkinson later as scapegoat.

        • weston 3.1.1.2

          abandoned three times and finaly after years abandoned permanently .pity the poor souls who still work in mines apparently mine rescue exists in name only.mine rescue aside nz abounds with keen cavers ever willing to undertake missions into the bowels of the earth did anyone call for volunteers ? Since the main shaft was carved through rock described by the engineers as eight times harder than concrete i imagine that most of that tunnel will still be ther e in a thousand years from now .society is becoming ever more risk averse and new worksafe rules will only accelerate that. Stop and wonder where wed be if noone was willing to risk there life for another anymore and would be penalized hugly by the law if they did so .The whole pike river thing makes me feel sick to the stomach and is one of the biggest indictments against the present national government.

      • greywarshark 3.1.2

        I think the cops were under orders from seat warmers in head office. They seem to take control of disaster areas to be run according to their own plans and systems.

        • Grindlebottom 3.1.2.1

          I hope we never see the like of that cop running things after any other comparable workplace disaster. He was so completely out of his depth it was excruciating to watch and to listen to him. He visibly just added to the stress & confusion of the families.

          • tracey 3.1.2.1.1

            Put in an awful.position… guided by peter whitall… a man of dubious character

            • Grindlebottom 3.1.2.1.1.1

              Tracey at the very best, he didn’t have the communication skills to handle the role he was given. Seriously deficient. They should’ve used someone else.

      • tracey 3.1.3

        My partner’s granddad was the dynamite guy on the Denniston Plateau.

      • Once was Tim 3.1.4

        You are EXACTLY right @Lanth. Although Cowan isn’t exactly an “idiot country cop” having been a detective in the Wgtn big smoke among other things, he certainly was out of his depth.
        And as I understand it, there were people with experience and expertise that were prepared, and did want to go in ASAP after the explosion and at least get an idea of whether proceeding further was viable.

        I never thought I’d be agreeing with you – although I’ll get over it :p

        • Lanthanide 3.1.4.1

          Was quoting the Australian journalist that came over and asked that question in a press conference, although he didn’t say “idiot”. He quickly flew back to Oz, but obviously this reporter knew enough to call a spade a spade, while the NZ media were too busy filling their column inches to attempt to hold those in charge to account.

  4. greywarshark 4

    I hate the bangs and explosions and sparks of Guy Fawkes and fireworks even when they are set pieces for some august occasion. If people can afford to spend inordinate amounts of money on momentary effects I think that all fireworks should have a 10% impost on them that goes to the Pike River compassionate trust.

    That would bring in money to them from people who obviously can afford to assist these people who have suffered from the very explosions that others desire to experience. It would make sure that the Pike River community’s shock, sorrow and future needs are not pushed under the carpet now the initial crocodile tears have dried.

    How about that Mr Little and Labour for an innovative idea. Better still is ban the bloody sale of these bloody fire, injury and noise makers, to the morons who want them. Then the wealthy operators paying for entertainment with fireworks can find the extra for Pike River. Then everybody would be advantaged.
    edited

    • Rosie 4.1

      Hmm, not sure about that idea greyrawshark. Maybe a bit kind of you know, inappropriate? Insensitive?

      Perhaps instead the $10 million the government plans on spending on a walkway over the Paparoa ranges and close to the mine could be spent on getting the men out of the mine?

      Even though the nat govt have the power and will to change anything, eg, sack a democratically elected board, ECAN, with the ultimate goal of assisting private profit because those pesky people on the board were all uppity about irrigation and getting in the way of profit, but when it comes to getting the men out of the mine they won’t.
      JK said just the other day Solid Energy said they can’t do it and he accepts that. If he really cared he would over ride that. Some of the families have been advised by overseas experts that it can be done. Anna Osbourne mentioned that in a meeting on the doco Women of Pike River. It’s interesting what the government cares about and doesn’t.

      That should be hugely insulting to the families of the Pike 29.

      And yes. Just go ahead and ban the public sale of fireworks. Anyone. Doesn’t matter whose in government. Just do it. For the sake of an overstretched volunteer fire service, for the sake of injured and traumatised animals, for the sake of protecting property and native bush, and the for the sake of a peaceful evening.

      • greywarshark 4.1.1

        You are right Rosie it is insensitive. That’s why it just might appeal to the armour-plated denizens of National. Don’t expect reasonable policy of a caring thoughtful nature from them. Or are you still? Might I say you are a little naive?

        It would be a good way to slide in the memory of a real tragedy and a travesty of policy by RW politicians and their fellow-travelling civil servants. If they were sensitive it would never have happened, then if remnants of sensitivity remained, more would have been done post-explosion.

        So stuff sensitivity, go for something that will produce money to help the bereaved, the injured, and the people in the area. That’s the direct, uncompromising way to think Rosie. Times will not get easier, so needs are to get stronger and more pushy.

        • Rosie 4.1.1.1

          Lols. I don’t for one moment “expect reasonable policy of a caring thoughtful nature from them”.

          Like I said, they can start by getting the men out of the mine. Some of the families have come to a place of acceptance that their loved ones will remain where they died. Others haven’t.

          If it can be done, and apparently it can, it’s morally wrong that we leave them there.

  5. OSH 5

    Yet, while Kate Wilkinson resigned in response to Pike River, Andrew Little still has former Ministers of Labour, Dyson & Mallard, in his Caucus. Both held the role while the Pike River situation was developing. AFAIK, neither has ever fronted on this issue.

  6. Tony Braun 6

    Fine words but where was he – and his union- when the guys were going into danger every day? They paid their dues but Little wasn’t there then to support them.
    And they had a safety officer. What was he doing?
    This was a massive failure of unions in Labour’s heartland.
    The families got more from John Key and the insurance companies than they ever did from Andrew Little’s Union.
    Shame on them. They failed their members.

    • mickysavage 6.1

      It was the union’s fault? You are joking …

    • Bullshit. PRC were vehemently anti-union and did everything they could to keep the EPMU out. When the site was finally unionised, PRC did everything it could to minimise union influence on the site. And they bribed workers and contractors with bonuses to leave safety hazards unreported.

      Realistically, there wasn’t much more the union could do, though I bet they wish they could have done more. In the last 5 years, the EPMU has spent nearly a million bucks supporting the families. They were the only party at the enquiry whose legal costs were not covered. Get that? Even the man responsible for killing the 29 had his lawyers paid for, but not the organisation that represented the workers.

      Ask West Coasters about the union. Ask the families. The truth is that the EPMU has the support of that community, then and now.

    • Sacha 6.3

      “And they had a safety officer”

      – who lost his own son in the explosion, you prick.

    • tracey 6.4

      You are an ignoramus. One who has probably applauded every erosion of union influence in the last 40 years… You obviously never read the report of the RC or you would know EXACTLY who was at fault…

      • Anne 6.4.1

        Right wing nutjobs don’t read reports tracey. They don’t read anything. Too hard on the brain. Best to live in ignorant bliss.

        Btw, he has an appropriate surname. All Braun brawn and no brain.

      • Rosie 6.4.2

        Thats what I was thinking, that he actually detests unions but blaming them is a damn fine line to exploit. As a Key fan he will take the opportunity where he can, flawed as it is, but that is no matter to him in his efforts to defend key

  7. Tony Braun 7

    So where was he? What did he do for them? Where were the protests? The demands for improved conditions?
    Easy enough for him to answer. There must be a swag of emails and letters.
    This was his big job. How well he did it will tell the country how fit he is to be PM.
    Or is he just another windbag?

    [For a new commentator you entered into troll mode really quickly. You clearly do not know what you are talking about. First warning – MS]

    • Rosie 7.1

      Hi Tony. In Rebecca McFie’s book, Tragedy at Pike River Mine she suggests the EPMU could have done more (pg. 180) however, and most importantly, the union was not welcome on site.

      Workers are, or were at that time, legally allowed to strike if they deem their health and safety to be at risk, had informed management but no action taken on the issue(s). This happened on one occasion. There was a walk out over a lack of mine vehicles available for evacuations in the event of an emergency.

      The union organiser at the time (not the same one as at the time of the explosion) supported the walk out only to be blasted the HR guy who not only threatened to sue the union but demanded that the organiser to instruct the men to get back to work. He rightly refused to do that.
      Men were discouraged from joining the EPMU for fear of harassment from the management. The EPMU wasn’t represented on the internal H&S committee and Peter Whittall is on record for being anti union and not wanting their presence in the mine.

      In such a situation you have a real power imbalance going on. Going in guns blazing was never going to work, it would only shut down any line of communication between the organiser and the workers and management.

      The responsibility for H&S lay with the company, not with the union. Had there been a proactive H&S culture and a professional management in place at the mine the EPMU may have been able to assist more and work to their true capacity.

      Your comment at 6 that the families got more from John Key than the union was offensive in the extreme. I don’t think you understand how betrayed they feel by him personally.

    • Rosemary McDonald 7.2

      And while you’re busy praising the wonderful support willingly given by “John Key and the insurance companies”, why don’t you listen…yes LISTEN to Bernie Monk speaking at yesterday’s commemoration?

      http://i.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/west-coast/74223836/fifth-anniversary-of-pike-river-disaster-commemorated

      He says he had to deal with EIGHT different Ministers….

      He says he’s ashamed.

      HE is ashamed!

      FFS….you blind supporters of Key you be hanging your heads.

      • Rosie 7.2.1

        Agreed Rosemary. That was a disgraceful comment by Tony Braun. He is trying (and failing) to defend the indefensible.

        I wonder what he thinks about John Key’s supportive chat with Cameron Slater when Slater felt sorry for himself after he received backlash for his “feral” comment about the death of Judd Hall and JK referred to the mother, also grieving for another son lost to Pike River, as “that women who always f*cking screams at me in meetings”. That is downright abusive language and deeply disrespectful. I wonder what Tony Braun thinks is helpful about that.

        I’m pretty sure that Tony Braun has no idea what has been going on for the last five years or what happened in the time leading up to the explosion.

    • Grindlebottom 7.3

      Well, I did come across this item when googling to find out what union any Pike River miners belonged to. BTW, whose site is this? Anyone know? I couldn’t see any “about” link on it.

      http://nzagainstthecurrent.blogspot.co.nz/2014/12/how-andrew-little-failed-pike-river.html

      I don’t think National was solely responsible for the piss poor state of OSH and Health and Safety legislation either, to be fair. The underfunding of the Mines Inspectorate and disorganised state of OSH was inherited I believe.

      Still, Labour strongly supports Corporate Manslaughter provisions which we do need.

      • Karen 7.3.1

        I can’t remember the name of the guy that wrote it but I came across the same article when I was trying to find out more about Little at the time of the leadership elections. I asked much the same question as you and was told that it was written by a guy who had been looking for reasons to attack Little since their time at Victoria University. More of a personal vendetta than an accurate analysis of the role of the EPMU..

        I recommend you read the excellent ” Tragedy at Pike River” (if you haven’t already) for a better analysis of those responsible the deaths at for Pike River. In fact, I think every NZer should read it.

      • tracey 7.3.2

        Did you the report of the Inquiry?

        Labour dropped the ball but National hd it in the bushes and put up signs pointing in a different direction.

        • Grindlebottom 7.3.2.1

          Yes, I did read the RC report, Tracey. I read it as soon as it came out. It was a while ago now. I also read a preceding internal review report commissioned by the DoL into its own performance which I thought was a classic whitewash, praised its commitment to an overload of meaningless management bullshit and checklists and exonerated itself from its obvious inadequacies in the Mines Inspection area.

  8. Tony Braun 8

    So you are all telling me Andrew Little was cowed, excluded, intimidated, defeated, by people like Peter whatever his name was.
    This is the man who wants to be PM?
    Come on.
    This was the biggest issue for the unions in the last few years and where was the union? Where was Andrew Little?
    MIA.

    • Rosie 8.1

      “Peter whatever his name was”.

      It is Peter Whitall. If you knew even the basics about Pike River you would know that at least.
      You also have no understanding of how unions work. It’s not the job of the secretary to get personally involved with specific sites, that’s what the organsier’s for. And if you had read te reo putake’s comment you would see how much involvement EPMU has had in supporting the families.
      You also forget that there were many contractors working in that mine and the mine was not strongly unionised. As it’s already been pointed out several times the union wasn’t welcome and the men were discouraged from joining the union. How can you represent when you don’t have members? It is the members that are the “union”. Unions work from the bottom up, not top down. The power base is with the membership.

      You’re kind of embarrassing yourself here Tony. You sound like you comment on the stuff website.

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    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
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    7 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
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  • Trustee tax change welcomed
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  • Minister’s Ramadan message
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  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
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  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
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