Competition lapdog a cert to approve newspaper monopoly

Written By: - Date published: 7:43 am, May 14th, 2016 - 43 comments
Categories: capitalism, Media - Tags: , , , , , ,

The Dirty Digger

The Dirty Digger

The Commerce Commission has repeatedly proved it is more lapdog than competition watchdog, and you can safely bet it will stay true to form to approve the proposed merger of Fairfax Media NZ and NZME, leaving us essentially with one owner of all newspapers in this country.

NZME owner, APN News & Media, in which Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp recently acquired a 15% stake, and Fairfax Media announced this week they are in exclusive discussions to merge their New Zealand assets by the end of this year. NZME assets include The New Zealand Herald, a swathe of regional papers plus extensive radio networks, including ZB,.

APN confirmed it will first spin off NZME as a separate listed company, giving APN shareholders one share per existing share in the demerged business, while also raising A$182 million of new capital. News Corp, APN’s largest shareholder, said it will participate in the capital raising.

Every major newspaper in this country, barring the independent Otago Daily Times and the Gisborne Herald, is owned by NZME and Fairfax. As well, they own Stuff.co.nz and NZHerald.co.nz, two of the country’s most widely used news websites.

“My view is that the Commerce Commission will approve it,” veteran analyst, media commentator and Managing Director of Milford Asset Management, Brian Gaynor, told The Standard.

“Everyone says it will concentrate the newspaper market, but that’s not the issue these days. Newspapers are being hammered by digital, and I would argue it will make the market more competitive because it will allow newspapers to survive a little bit longer than they would otherwise.”

The commission has a inglorious history of approving duopolies and monopolies, just last month rubber stamping the takeover of Caltex by Z Energy, where despite Z increasing its market share to over half, the commission ruled the takeover would not substantially reduce competition.

Gaynor said that decision surprised him.

In 2001, the commission allowed the grocery market to be cut from three players to two when Progressive was allowed to by Woolworths NZ from Hong Kong-based Dairy Farm Group.

Progressive was later bought by Woolworths Australia (Woolworths NZ was a separate, independent entity at the time, albeit with the same brand) with the commission declaring NZ was an open market where any potential new player could set up.

When The Warehouse Group declared an interest to enter the grocery market in 2006, both Woolworths Australia and Foodstuffs each snaffled up a 10 percent stake in the discounter and stymied its entry. After much procrastination, the commission did block takeover bids by both companies but by then neither needed to as they had killed off The Warehouse’s grocery aspirations.

In 2000, after initially declining the takeover of Turoa Skifield by Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, on the ground that it meant effectively only one skifield operator in the North Island (the South Island skifields were deemed a different market), the commission backed down and applied the ‘public interest” rule – that benefits outweighed detriments despite a substantial lessening of competition. That is the rule likely to be used to approve the newspapers proposed merger.

Benefits promised, such as skiers being able to ski between the two fields never eventuated and were never followed up by the commission and today ski lift prices are outrageously high.

Gaynor said that initially he thought there was no way the commission will approve the newspaper merger, but when he did the numbers on the advertising market, he said newspapers only have a small share of a very fragmented market.

“This won’t lessen competition because newspapers don’t dominate the media market – in fact they are tiny part of it these days. It may allow them to survive.”

“The newspaper market is buggered anyway. I wouldn’t expect we will have any daily newspapers in ten year’s time.”

Gaynor accepted a merger would result in even fewer journalists being employed, when for example the separate Fairfax and NZME press gallery teams are shrunk to one.

“It will definitely reduce traditional print journalism, but it does open the opportunity for digital journalism, which should be able to jump into the space.”

“I think it will actually keep more jobs in journalism. If you don’t have the merger, you will see the demise of the daily newspaper a lot quicker. This allows the company, if it is allowed to proceed, to stand for longer. It creates more jobs over the next 10-15 years – I’m not sure in the longer run.”

He said New Zealand’s small population meant it would be more difficult for an operator such as The Guardian, which has set up in Australia, from publishing here.

“I’m an optimist. I think someone will find a space somewhere digitally to create an outlet that will deliver some rational, unbiased content.”

He noted the costs of setting up a digital news operation were much less than setting up a newspaper.

Given the hollowing out of newsrooms and, driven by their website, newspapers’ focus on titillation and celebrities, it is a moot point whether contracting from a duopoly to a monopoly will matter.

Papers have always been a mixed blessing. Nearly always they have been controlled by bastard barons, whose purpose owning them was to promulgate views in favour of money and to influence politics so politicians who support such views are elected.

The beauty of newspapers of old for the barons, was that not only did they achieve those goals, but their classified were “Rivers of Gold”, as the Fairfax papers were dubbed, making piles of profits for their owners via classified. Those classifieds have gone now to digital sites such as Trademe.

The Dirty Digger, Rupert Murdoch, not only owns such scurrilous rags as The Sun, one of the world’s biggest circulation papers, and the disgraced and now defunct News of the World, but also worthwhile mastheads such as The Sunday Times, The Times, The Australian and The Wall Street Journal, my last employer in the industry.

The one almost saving grace about the Dirty Digger, as the name suggests, is that he loved digging dirt, and news generally. He knows news sells papers. That’s why he supported President Barack Obama for President, not because he liked his politics, but because his election would result in more news stories. He will certainly support Donald Trump.

Murdoch is infamous for coming unannounced into newsrooms to micromanage the day’s edition, telling editors which story they should lead with and where a pic should be placed on the page.

Despite all the loathsome things about newspapers, because of the bias of their owners and their unwarranted intrusion into people’s lives, I also love them and am addicted to them.

The sheer diversity of information you glean even from today’s pale parody of newspapers in their prime, is an everyday wonder. And even The Sun still gets some great scoops such as exposing Rusian athletes dope cheating.

Journalists tend to be curious people who try to get to the bottom of things, with most having a leaning towards society’s little guys, and therefore have a natural and understandable inclination to the Left, rather than the views of the papers’ owners. (I always found it difficult to comprehend how any self-respecting journalist could support the guys on top of the pile).

Whatever people say about the digital age of information, it is hard to see websites filling the void left by newspapers.

It is really only fully employed journalists who have the wherewithal, resources and inclination to delve into the deeply buried ills and wrong-doings of society. Bloggers would never have exposed the Watergate affair – it takes a powerful paper with huge, committed resources and a deterimined editor to carry such stories off. As was shown in the recent award film Spotlight about The Boston Globe exposing the systematic cover-up of priests buggering boys in Boston by the Catholic Church, it take huge commitment and will by a paper to pull off such a difficult story.

The full extent of the current big story, the Panama Papers, with over 11.5 documents to cover, is not going to be properly exposed by amateurs.

TV in this country has fed off newspapers. Evening bulletins invariably are populated by stories broken by newspapers.

Almost uniquely in the Western World, New Zealand effectively has no public broadcaster because TVNZ has been mandated by the government to make profits as its first imperative. That means it must chase ratings so the will and the resources to break stories have been greatly diminished.

Radio NZ does a good job with the few resources it has been given, but it has been starved of money under this government, with no increase in funding for nine years – equivalent to an 11.5% real cut.

So as journalists and resources are cut more and more from our three traditional sources of news gathering, politicians and villains will increasingly get away with more and people will be less informed. It may be a case of God Defend New Zealand because the journalists left won’t be able to.

(Simon Louisson formerly worked for The Wall Street Journal, NZPA, Reuters, The Jerusalem Post and was most recently a political and media adviser to the Green Party)

43 comments on “Competition lapdog a cert to approve newspaper monopoly ”

  1. Ad 1

    “Whatever people say about the digital age of information, it is hard to see websites filling the void left by newspapers.”

    Have the occasional moments of nobility really been worth it?

    For the once-a-couple-of-years breakthrough exposing something bad, newspapers are 70% advertising, 20% recycling of media releases, and 9% weather and sport. They are banal, demeaning, and almost always on the side of the oppressors.

    Young people are paying less and less attention to the news. That’s not necessarily their fault. Perhaps they are right. Perhaps they are choosing to distract their minds from the oppressions of the world, and instead engaging in a truth that they alone control and engage in.

    Undoubtedly, the reason the left decry the decline of newspapers is because it signals a new decline in the singular “town hall”, in which there really is a public sphere, in which politics and policy still matter.

    No one who has found themselves on the pen-end of a reporter or editor will weep. Righteous truth is usually their code for license to humiliate and debase at will. Reporters can remain “free” all they like.

    This proposed merger is mere lifeboat commerce, finally hitting these shores when it’s long since hit every other. Good riddance. If politics is to reassert itself as important to generations who have long switched off the news, it will need to figure out ways to do so without the NZHerald. Goodbye to them, and good riddance.

    • Bill 1.1

      Baby and bath water Ad. I’ve no problem with individual newspaper titles disappearing. But journalism? Granted, the media industry has been kind of garroting journalism for some years and serving up pap. An army of Nicky Hager types might be nice ,but you know…

      Public subsidies for newsprint might work. It worked in the past for the US where, before the age of advertising, there was a plethora of newspapers that weren’t bound by commercial imperatives. The result was a screed of openly bias and informative news sources.

      • Ad 1.1.1

        Nicky Hagar is a rare person, who only needs us to buy his books to get his investigations out.
        He doesn’t need Mr Murdoch.

        • Ralf Crown 1.1.1.1

          The problem is that people like Murdoch and Key are good at finding ways to silence him, they can make good use of fores as police and courts, threaten him, harass him and smear him. His family is also a target to warn others not to follow his example. Most investigating journalists have now bee silenced in New Zealand.

          • Ad 1.1.1.1.1

            That’s a question of funding, principally, not a question of M&A.

            The series Newsroom and The Wire were good pointers on where old news gathering is going.

    • greywarshark 1.2

      Ad and she’ll be right, go with the flow, you can’t fight it so roll over and get your tummy tickled. Your theme BAU.

      • Ad 1.2.1

        You sound like an old person.
        ‘Mock The Week’ does a better job of the truth than NZHerald’s Mr Armstrong ever did.

    • Ralf Crown 1.3

      I think you are wrong, but the real problem with the fast forming media cartels is that they select, and in detail steer, the content towards what the owner want the public to know. The cartel, not only the media but also the other commercial operation they support, filter the news so people are indoctrinated in their opinion. The balance is the digital media as thestqandard.org. What we must see is that also the digital media form cartels as a counterweight to the cartel in the paper media. Another factor is how the defamation rules and other laws effect publishing. We can see this in the treatment of Nicky Hagar or Vince Siemer. The establishment is trying to use the full force of the justice system to silence any competition, not only buying it up. The solution is one – that all web media support each other, each web paper always carry links to all other web paper. The other solution is the emergence of web media located overseas and run by expat kiwis resident in other countries, which the New Zealand courts justice system can not raid and suppress. Another angle is using anonymising software as TOR and Tails to publish. The paper cartels will never find out who the people behind the publication are and can not shut down the operation or threaten the people behind it. Such an operation can also ignore all New Zealand court decisions to silence them. One example is the new web paper The Kiwi Herald on wordpress. It is apparently published in the US by US residents, and cannot be attacked by the New Zealand establishment and silenced. Unite, or die.

      • Ad 1.3.1

        That idea of all web news outlets linking to each other has been going on for a while, except that engines do it for you. A really good example is the aggregator Reddit, where you can tool it very highly to your own interests. Plus go toe to toe with experts in the dialogue sections.

  2. AmaKiwi 2

    Simon, thank you for an excellent post and summation of the industry.

  3. Lanthanide 3

    ““My view is that the Commerce Commission will approve it,” veteran analyst, media commentator and Managing Director of Milford Asset Management told The Standard.”

    Still incorrectly stating that interviewees are talking to a computer server.
    http://thestandard.org.nz/the-link-between-tax-havens-criminals-and-the-amoral-rich/#comment-1171156

    • Bill 3.1

      Do you have a workable alternative that isn’t clunky or silly sounding? The first time I saw it I thought ‘hang on’…for the same reasons as you But then, he’s using reporting conventions that other authors don’t have to use because we ain’t doing reporting…at least not interview based reporting. Me or I (in the place of ‘ts’) possibly just doesn’t work.

      • Et Tu Brute 3.1.1

        The writer is writing an article which will appear exclusively on The Standard therefore it seems conventional to say “When asked by The Standard…”. A volunteer could write for a community newsletter and say “When asked by this newsletter…”. It could also be read as a short form of “When asked [on behalf of ] The Standard.” It doesn’t reflect ownership. Naturally ‘The Standard’, ‘The NZ Herald’, ‘Radio NZ’ etc… are not persons which can ask, have opinions or say anything.

      • Ralf Crown 3.1.2

        A workable alternative is that webmedia form a counterweight cartel and always link to each other, to support expat kiwi publishing which can not be silenced, and to use anonymous publishing with TOR and Tails. Esse non videri, to act without being seen. The “enemy” you cannot see – you cannot attack and kill. Long live the webmedia cartel.

    • Simon Louisson 3.2

      Build a bridge and get over it

      • Lanthanide 3.2.1

        I just think there should be one rule for everyone.

        It seems very hypocritical that moderators would punish commenter’s for referring to something published by ‘The Standard’ as if it were a human, and yet author(s) get to use that same phrase as they see fit.

        • fender 3.2.1.1

          Unless you still have a bee in your bonnet over an historical ban I can’t see why you keep banging on about this.

          It’s like you’re trying to tell an author what to write 😉

          • Lanthanide 3.2.1.1.1

            1. I’ve never been banned from the Standard
            2. In the comment I linked to, Lynn pretty much said it was up to commenters to point out the rules for use of the term “The Standard”, hence I’m doing my job
            3. I’m not telling the author what to write (ie, what subject to write about). I’m pointing out that their usage of the term “The Standard” goes against established protocol on this site. The author is completely free to ignore my comment – as in fact they so far have been doing.

  4. roy 4

    Stuff behind a paywall. What rubbish. It’s hard enough to go there as it is.

  5. tc 5

    ‘TV in this country has fed off newspapers’ because it’s lacked any journalist resourcing at the required levels to generate its own for a long time in this country now.

    Public broadcasting is a necessity unless we want to end up being rolled into the oz outposts of global messaging empires.

    Thanks Simon, excellent as always.

  6. Bill 6

    There’s a presentation on-line given by a US scientist on global warming. At some point he pulled out the figures for denialists in the US and pointed out that the surge in their numbers dovetailed with the denialist, idiot Murdoch, gobbling up US media outlets.

    Now sure, sometimes things just happen.

    On a separate point. Although I rarely scan an actual newspaper these days, I’m well aware that on-line perusing is much more blinkered. In a very real sense, nothing ‘catches the eye’. ‘Most Read’, ‘Most Popular’ sidebars don’t really play that role. And further links to articles associated with the one being read serve a different purpose again.

    Not unconnected with that point is an ‘old school meets new school’ idea I had the other week – to have a jotter handy when on-line due to often having multiple tabs open, possibly read something, then a couple of days later realise it’s lost forever.

    Unlike the case of newspapers, magazines or books, I lack the ‘landmarks’ necessary to find my way back to a place I’ve only been to the once. (‘History’ links require remembering what the link refers to and so, for me, are fairly hopeless).

    Now I’m going to be told that people have been doing that for years (paper prompts for electronic navigation) and what the hell have I been thinking for all of this time? 😉

    • One Anonymous Bloke 6.1

      Hold the ctrl key down and press ‘d’ to bookmark something, although I’m not quite sure that’s what you meant.

      Then figure out how to organise your bookmarks 🙂

      • Bill 6.1.1

        🙂 I knows how to bookmark. But then I look at a list of links that mean nothing because there isn’t really any indication of what sits behind the bookmarked url. And the bookmark might be to the homepage of the site rather than the actual page. And what site was it again? And was it under category A or category B. Or did I drop it into… And I’ve no memory prompts along the way.

        Compared with.

        Know how when you flick through a magazine or do any kind of paper based search, and you can find something by association? Like, you know that what you’re looking for is somewhere just before that picture you’ve flicked past…or you remember making that doodle just before moving the thing you really want to find to…? Found it! And also, unlike web sites, you know pretty quickly…within a few secs…. whether you’re in the right magazine or not…or in the right pile of papers…and god help any ‘helpful’ soul who might tidy or catalogue what’s already a perfectly functioning system.

        The web and computers are like an imposed alzheimer type thing to me.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 6.1.1.1

          You can edit the title for each bookmark.

          So if you wanted you could use some sort of catalogue/numbering system to organise them by subject, or whatever. This also applies to ctrl+s – the ‘save as’ option.

          Hence the ‘politics’ folder on my hard drive 🙂

          • weka 6.1.1.1.1

            I’m using Firefox and its bookmarking system is pretty antiquated (I should look for a specific application I suppose). I do use the ‘ctrl +bookmark all tabs’ option from the contextual menu quite a lot, which prompts loading them in a folder that I have to name. I can then search manually or by keyword and keywords are for both the file name and the URL (and description I assume but I don’t use that). It works, and Bill it does use similar kinds of brain stuff in terms of cues to remember what I am looking for, but I do sometimes have to open a lot of links to find what I want. You’d think by now someone would have designed a better system (yes, that’s a prompt for someone to point me to the right app).

  7. Draco T Bastard 7

    Whatever people say about the digital age of information, it is hard to see websites filling the void left by newspapers.

    It is really only fully employed journalists who have the wherewithal, resources and inclination to delve into the deeply buried ills and wrong-doings of society.

    I’ve considered that it would be like thus:

    The government would set up the servers that the journalists publish upon, provide all the financial and legal support that the journalists need to operate but not have any say in what the journalists report on.

    Although there would be editors to catch spelling mistake/grammar and make suggestions on sentence structure they too would not have a say in what the journalists, either working independently or in a group, report on.

    This should give us an entirely independent news.

    The problem comes in the form of the government cutting funding but a UBI might even be able to deal with that.

    • Ralf Crown 7.1

      The real problem is that the government does not want that to happen. They want a media they can control, there is an invisible alliance between the paper cartel and polarities. The government would love to be able to shut down every independent media in the world, just look how they skillfully eliminated almost every independent investigating journalist already. Funding is not needed, or wanted, because funding means control. Who pays the piper…… Digital webmedia is the solution, all web media need to join hands and link to each other.

  8. Once was Tim 8

    I live in hope that when we eventually get a decent gubbamint again, it’ll have an interest in restoring our democracy and sovereign rights by whatever means necessary, and free us all from corporate hegemony. Be that through anti-trust measures (a la AT&T), giving the Commerce Commission some strict guidlines, decent constitutional legislation, restoration of a public sphere and 4th Estate (not just news and current affairs, but arts and culture too), proper funding of the Ombudsman’s Office, etc., etc
    Despite the waffle, this government isn’t actually that interested in small business either (unless they’re mates) – a bit like Turnbull’s latest policies/budget. Some are slowly beginning to wake up to that ……. slowly
    Strangely enough, so far the only person I can see that places any sort of priority on it all is Winnie.

  9. Richardrawshark 9

    Fk em,, sooner Newspapers die the better, it’s like watching a cancer patient die.

    As for paywall they won’t survive that.

    It’s the digital age they either adapt or die, There is a good gap for an independent well managed site in NZ giving news and current events articles, the better the web site the more visits the more advertising. Either News papers sharpen up to their web presence or die off and smart web programs and digital information changes.

    As for the reporters in this country from our daily media sources, the sooner their influence goes the better.

    • Ad 9.1

      Or at least, once paywalls are common here, that there is an elite class of information-rich individuals with the means and patience to get through the paywalls every day, and everyone else can just figure out who gets the rose this week.

      i.e. like now, but a bit moreso.

    • joe90 9.2

      Fk em,, sooner Newspapers die the better, it’s like watching a cancer patient die.

      The Bachelor, footy scores and press releases, I can hardly fucking wait.
      //

      According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, here is how the total American job numbers looked 15 years ago, and today:

      2000: 65,900 news reporters, and 128,600 public relations people

      2015: 45,800 news reporters, and 218,000 public relations people

      So 15 years ago, there were two PR people for every reporter in the country. Now there are 4.8 PR people for every reporter.

      https://muckrack.com/daily/2016/04/14/america-now-has-nearly-5-pr-people-for-every-reporter-double-the-rate-from-a-decade-ago/

      • Macro 9.2.1

        This from The erstwhile Frank Macskasy makes an interesting comparison.

        Budget data showing increases to the Prime Minister’s Department makes for sobering reading.

        Michael Cullen’s last budget, 2008/09, allocated $25,470,000 to Vote Prime Minister and Cabinet.
        In the same 2008/2009 Budget, Radio NZ was allocated $31,718,000 through NZ on Air, an increase of $2,644,000 (approx 8%) from the previous year.
        In National’s first Budget, 2009/10, Vote Prime Minister and Cabinet was allocated $33,021,000 – an increase of $7,551,000 – or just under 25%!
        In the same 2009/2010 Budget, Radio NZ’s allocation went up by $98,000 to $31,816,000 – not even a 1% increase.

        For the first time, the Prime Minister’s Departmental budget exceeded that of Radio NZ. Furthermore;

        Since 2009/10, Radio NZ’s allocation has stayed the same; $31,816,000.
        By contrast, the amounts allocated to the Prime Minister’s Department has increased, and in the 2015/16 Budget was allocated $49,298,000 – an increase of $24,476,000 since 2008 and a near-doubling of John Key’s department and Cabinet expenditure since Michael Cullen’s last budget, seven years ago.
        In the 2015/16 Budget, Radio NZ was allocated $31,816,000 – a nil increase.

        Framed another way, a news media organisation – dedicated to informing the public about government activities – has had no increase in resourcing since John Key’s administration came to power in late 2008.

        By contrast, the Prime Minister’s Department – dedicated to promoting the power of the Government and more specifically, pursuing National’s political agenda – has had a doubling of taxpayer funding.

        My Bold.
        And we wonder why that man-child remains as PM?

      • Robertina 9.2.2

        NZ public relations versus print journo numbers:

        https://figure.nz/chart/a1QVwmkdtuOdPyTo

        https://figure.nz/chart/3SsArOPL7rncDToA

    • Robertina 9.3

      Wow, that’s a sophisticated take you’ve got there Richard: ‘let em die!
      As analysis it’s right up there with what you said in January about a female journalist:

      ”Hope next time said sports personality meets her she finds out how her big mouth has consequences. Yeah I mean she gets a right old smack to the head.”

      BTW there’s no sharper or more adaptable web presence than the Guardian and it is bleeding along with all the other media outlets.

      • Richardrawshark 9.3.1

        Didn’t know I was analysing anything, more like making a tongue in cheek remark with a tinge of how a feel about the state of things.
        Excuse me if I bleed or get emotional about blatant disrespect like certain said female journalist attacking someone using the paper to make her personal feeling known. Said person ridiculed like that. I got emotional, i’m no MP, i’m just a person, with feelings sometimes triggered with outrage at crap like Frans.

        If you think that makes me someone to stalk like you just did, go for your life. My take is if you don’t want criticism Robertina don’t slag people of in the National newspaper using a pretence of elder journalist with respect to get away with it.

        and what I said was wrong, I din’t need you to hunt my herald alias down, find one of my posts and tie it to my standard non de plume…shady.

        • Robertina 9.3.1.1

          You’ve lost me . . . what’s your herald alias and how am I tying it to your non de plume? You made the comment here on The Standard.

          Having thought about it, it’s not your fault that those kind of comments are tolerated at The Standard, and I am sorry I raised it as it really is pointless.
          I notice those kind of comments, and have also been cursed with a good memory.

          While newspapers are not and never will be perfect, the public life they help foster lifts us a little bit higher than the kind of careless and frequently misogynist internet commentary that this glorious freewheeling digital revolution has engendered, so I suppose that was the somewhat tenuous justification for highlighting your previous comment, but as I say I regret doing so.

  10. Robertina 10

    A few points:

    – It might be worthwhile for someone who writes for The Standard to interview Paul Tolich, E Tu’s national media organiser, whose PR yesterday said:
    ”……plummeting revenues for news media of news aggregators such as Google and Facebook.
    “They are getting free content. This can’t continue because no-one gets free content. You can’t have a situation where people are free-loading.”

    Some intellectual engagement with what is, as Tolich points out, an idea whose time has come (taking on big boys of FB and Google) would be nice. Otherwise we’re only hearing the view of a widget-minded investment analyst.

    – Journalism still has high union membership. Maybe it’s wishful thinking but if a merger goes ahead I don’t think the journo job losses will be that high (there are lots of other jobs affected too though). E Tu has a tough job ahead.

    – If there’s one thing the Fairfax experiment shows, it’s that mastheads (individual titles like Southland Times, Sunday Star Times) do still matter.
    NZME. is the dominant player in the potential merger and retains the kinds of news execs who played no part in the Fairfax experiment. It will be interesting to see if they try to rebuild the mastheads, and the role of a paywall in that.

    – People forget reader numbers are growing bigger than ever, even while revenues plummet, and these businesses are still profitable (Fairfax – $70m profit last year).

    -Implying the Guardian is some kind of panacea (if only they could set up in NZ etc) is wrong. Has Gaynor checked out the recent publicity about the Guardian’s financial woes?

    – Gaynor says this creates opportunities for digital journalism but there are ample editorial opportunities in digital now, but few can make digital journalism pay because (as Gaynor has pointed out) aggregators have attracted the advertising revenue.

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1605/S00176/meetings-for-e-t-media-members-over-planned-media-merger.htm
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/05/13/guardian-exiles-former-editor-rusbridger-over-financial-problems/

  11. Stuart Munro 11

    This is the inevitable result of the anti-competitive practices of monlithic news providers: they have destroyed their market. TV news is doing the same – neither 3 nor One are worth a moment of my time.

    Monopolistic corporations do not innovate, they are not entrepreneurial, and they hate quality and public service passionately.

    It is a transition period for media – great threat but also great opportunity. Friend of mine did her PhD on quality in journalism – the paper she worked with grew its circulation by 70%. Murdoch isn’t beating a path to her door though. She’s gone off the grid – self-sufficient organic gardening.

    Corporations do not like expertise – it interferes with the power games and career paths of the psychopaths. They’d rather lose their shirts.

  12. Rae 12

    While we don’t need a slew of journalists to cover the “man bites dog” stories, we definitely need investigative journalism, the sort of stuff that got Teina Pora out of prison, and we need political analysis and commentary. The first is probably the least important of them.

    • Richardrawshark 12.1

      That’s right Rae, we need the forth estate to be honest, they seem to have lost their place in the media world and turned into all things for all people.

      It’s such a important part of democracy that the monopoly that is being created is rather more IMHO important an issue than many take it as.

      I cannot help their business model but if it’s not working they need to change or fade with time like other failed businesses.

      Their certainly is a void in the current market for an outlet that calls it as it should be. Criticizes when they should and approves just the same.
      _ Robertina, did io say that here? oh, 🙂 I said it on the Herald as well, Fran upset me that day, I remember reading a tirade from her in the Herald. Must have pressed my button IDNK.

      was bad form by me tho, to tell the truth we had a struggle for a long time getting my bi-polar meds right I only just found one that worked, i’m a little more laid back and less depressed now.

  13. linda 13

    i don’t even think TV broadcasting let alone news papers have a future lets face it we get all news we want via Google all programing we want bbc rt you name it tvnz is next after the papers you just don’t need all that broadcasting infrastructure
    they will go the same way as dvd rental shops gone.
    at its core media is a distribution business. they were the gate keepers of information that monopoly and controlled access to the viewer has well and truly been blown away

  14. So, a perfect time to mention that Scoop has just kicked off the 2016 fundraising / membership drive

    Locally owned independent news has never been more important and Scoop’s publishing model and in-house journalism ensures that local organisations and a broad range of views areavailable. In addition Scoop has that and positively no stories about the B******r.

    I’ve recently taken on a trustee role with the Scoop Foundation for Public Interest Journalism and am happy to answer any questions about the Foundation or this fundraising / membership building round. There is a summary of some recent news in the links to the PledgeMe site above.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Misremembering Justinian’s Taxes.
    Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I - Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
    56 mins ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 hours ago
  • Bishop scores headlines with crackdown on unwelcome tenants – but Peters scores, too, as tub-thump...
    Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 hours ago
  • Will it make the boat go faster?
    Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    6 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    8 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    11 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    22 hours ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – 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. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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 ...
    1 day 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 ...
    1 day 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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 ...
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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 ...
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days 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
    4 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
    6 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
    7 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
    20 hours 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 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. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity
    This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti.  Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-19T03:18:58+00:00