Cut the crap

Written By: - Date published: 2:28 pm, November 26th, 2014 - 182 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, accountability, john key - Tags: , , ,

Andrew Little invokes the phrase that is going to forever haunt our lying, denying and obfuscating PM.

 


lprent: While we are at it. Here is the youtube of Andrew Little in parliament at question time. Very good. Maybe we accidently have an all-rounder? I may have to revise my opinion about his public speaking.

H/T Lee Paterson


Little in General debate today. On fire…

182 comments on “Cut the crap ”

  1. Anne 1

    It’s high time Labour cut the pc crap they have been indulging in for years and start to get down to the nitty gritty. Thank God for Andrew Little. For the first time in ages the left has real hope!

    • Treetop 1.1

      The Labour Party is in good heart.

    • Chooky 1.2

      +100 Anne…the softly softly approach did not work ….but Little is turning into a master speaker!…

      • Anne 1.2.1

        The best of it Chooky, a good many of us have been pleading with them for years to “cut the crap” (we may not have put it in those words) ), but they ignored us as if we were a bunch of mentally challenged neanderthals who knewed nuttin.

        Slight exaggeration of course – but only slight. 😉

      • Tom 1.2.2

        Bloody Hell……… Just watched General Debate Part 1 …………
        Good on ya Andrew …….. All this talk of Labour being National Light……… Maybe we can have a strong Labour Party that is prepared to stand up against the Money Men and not push this ponzi scheme economics that is meant to be so great. (chase your tail and screw the planet) Its time to tag team with the Greens and bring down this house of cards (credit cards ha ha )

        • Tracey 1.2.2.1

          Policy determines where they sit on the spectrum.

          Am pleased to see passion back on the Left.

  2. Bill 2

    Thank fuck. Refreshing is what that is.

  3. cogito 3

    Cut the crap is spot on as NZ’s Prime Schmuck is full of it.

  4. Michael 4

    Little’s speech was one of the best I’ve heard in a while.

    • karol 4.1

      YEP. He called out John Key for his money trader ethics, in a fiery speech. And he asked who int he National Party was going to stand up and show some ethics.

    • Chris 4.2

      About time opposition MPs started to show outrage. They’ve been too bloody tame for a long time now and is one of the reasons Key and his mates get away with so much.

      • AmaKiwi 4.2.1

        It is “inappropriate” and “unacceptable” for the government to . . .

        Good riddance to those two words.

        If anyone makes bumper stickers I’ll buy a hundred that say, “cut the crap.” My LEC will have no trouble selling them.

    • Macro 4.3

      That speech by Little was highly impressive. Yes! This is exactly what is required! Completely justified outrage at the complete lack of ethics and any sense of honesty displayed by the National “administration” – infested by corruption and sleaze.

  5. karol 8

    Andrew Little on fire in the General Debate – takes it to Key.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdagV6dqfUo

  6. Tom Gould 9

    Telling Key to ‘man up’ and to ‘cut the crap’ is precisely what many of us have been yearning to hear from a Labour leader for years. This guy Andrew is looking like a winner, and it’s only been a week. The famous Key formula, borrowed from Dick Nixon, and beloved by his cronies, and the media, is not working anymore. How long before Joyce and English and Bennett realise the main chance is before them? How long can they hide their political Ponzi scheme before it goes bust?

    • b waghorn 9.1

      Wouldn’t mind betting you could ad add Collins to your list of plotters.

      [lprent: fixed typo. ]

  7. Key is so dense that he just not see a problem that’s right in front of his nose.
    He will go down as one of our worst PM’s for sure.

  8. Treetop 11

    Key has taken the title off Muldoon when it comes to using confidential information to discredit an MP (Moyle 1976 ) in order to take them out of the running for PM. It does not make it OK that classified information was then declassified in order to release it (re Goff mistakenly being briefed by Tucker).

    Tucker is silent because he does not want to land the PM in it. Tucker may also have some guilt that he did not stand up to Key when it came to dealing with the hench men in the PMs office targeting Goff and Slater being the conduit. Had Tucker made the claim in a court, Tucker would now be facing a perjury charge.

    Findlayson (now the minister of the SIS) could intervene and lacks the back bone to do so.

    Well done to Little, Norman and Peters for exposing the rot in the PMs office. Either way Key has fallen short because of what he has condoned. I also find it hard to believe that the involvement the SIS had with the PMs office that they did not keep very accurate records of anyone acting on the behalf of the PM when it came to an MP because of the SIS needing to be neutral. The SIS investigated themselves, this is why a Royal Commission of Inquiry is needed.

    Those who care enough to see through Key I say this to them.

    “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing.”

    • AmaKiwi 11.1

      What makes you think this is the one and only time Tucker did something like this for Key/Nats?

      • Murray Rawshark 11.1.1

        I don’t. Squirrels always favour Tories. They must have tastier nuts or something. There will be more, and it will come to light. Our country is in a real mess.

      • Treetop 11.1.2

        Until there is a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Tucker misleading and being partisan to the government of the day, Tucker will get away with his dirty politics which goes on/has gone on in the PMs office.

        As for the Inspector General (Gwyn) exposing the crap, she cannot even get the deleted emails from Edes computer. Kitteridge (SIS Director) has stated that Gwyn can go into the SIS at any time and look at anything.

        A 10 hour raid on Hager and all IT records have been seized and will be forensically examined and Edes computer still sitting in the PM’s office with what I expect to be compelling evidence (because of what was deleted) to me this is contemptible.

  9. weka 12

    Where did Little first say ‘cut the crap’?

    Almost as good as just saying’s “Just Tell the Fucking Truth” 😉

    • Treetop 12.1

      Stop lying to NZ would also do it.

      • Tracey 12.1.1

        Cut the crap is better cos it can be used by any mp in the house whenever Key opens his mouth.

        • Dialey 12.1.1.1

          Also “cut the crap Key ” is nice alliteration, rolls off the tongue easily and repeatably

        • Treetop 12.1.1.2

          My comment was to “Just Tell the F**king Truth”

          Cut the crap is hard to beat. It would make a good mantra as well, maybe the Labour caucus could meditate to it in the house.

        • Clemgeopin 12.1.1.3

          From now on, he could be known as CTC John.

      • alwyn 12.1.2

        He must have been checking Speaker’s rulings before he spoke.
        You certainly aren’t allowed to accuse someone of lying and you wouldn’t get away with weka’s suggestion of fucking either. Both would get an immediate demand to withdraw and apologise, which rather slows down the rhetoric.
        Crap has clearly not been ruled out.

        • weka 12.1.2.1

          I didn’t suggest that just saying’s aphorism be used in parliament.

          • alwyn 12.1.2.1.1

            Actually I prefer your original version. It’s just a shame that our MPs have got so prissy.
            You used to be able to say someone was a liar I believe.
            Then in 2007 it was banned completely. Pity. It would be a fair description of just about every member of the house I would think.
            However they got soft and we got this as a Speaker’s Ruling.

            “The use of the word “liar” is absolutely forbidden in the House when it
            relates to current members. The same protection does not exist for those
            outside the House.
            2007, Vol. 637, p. 7348. Robertson (Assistant Speaker). ”

            @lprent. Are most comments still going into moderation or is it just me or something I am saying?

            • Tracey 12.1.2.1.1.1

              Comments seem to be randomly going into moderation. Some of mine do. Some dont.

              • lprent

                It is some kind of conflict on some of the plugins contending over a record with locks.

                Problem is that I think there are several and I can’t figure out which. I am out of time to be able to look at it again tonight.

            • weka 12.1.2.1.1.2

              Probably an interesting anthropoligical history to be written there alwyn.

          • Tracey 12.1.2.1.2

            Alwyn just stating the obvious. It seems a better option that addressing the constant lies or stupidity of the PM?

            Running into parliament to correct the record as Tv3 catch him in another lie.

        • North 12.1.2.2

          So you’re surrendering are you Alwyn ?

          {RL: We don’t like these kind of ‘pwned’ comments. They contribute nothing and start flames.]

      • Zolan 12.1.3

        How about, “Be Adequate!” 😛

    • karol 12.2

      In his question to Key in question 2. Key answered a question gleefully attacking the Labour Party. Little’s next question was, “When is the PM going to cut the crap?”

      “Why doesn’t he just cut the crap and apologise for running a smear machine out of his office?

  10. emergency mike 13

    Damn, pretty impressed with Little today. Goff, Shearer, and Cunliffe all tried the measured, reasoned approach against Key, trying to show restraint against getting too fired up. Cunliffe did the best of those three, but had to deal with one too many unfair obstacles, (e.g. the Labour Party).

    But Little’s clearly going for a new approach. F*ck restraint, just call a spade a spade. I like it.

    • ankerawshark 13.1

      I love “cut the crap”. Because it is not just about whether something is a lie (which people can deny and debate). Its denting Key’s image. “cut the crap” implies the person is lying, stupid, wasting time, full of it. It is a reasonably subtle form of ridicule and It is the sort of thing that will (hopefully) stick. When people are watching Key on the tele, hopefully this will go through their minds every time he opens his mouth.

      Also its not too offensive or rude (like Key’s a f…ing liar) would be. So its palatable to the masses.

      Andrew Little, you have been hiding your light under a bushell. Glad you have surfaced and that I voted for you.

      • AmaKiwi 13.1.1

        “Cut the crap” works for a numerous issues and situations: SIS additional powers, budget/deficits, beneficiary bashing, TPP, Christchurch rebuild, advantages for employers over workers, highways of national disgrace, selling the environment . . . the list is endless.

    • Murray Rawshark 13.2

      Yeah, it makes a change and it’s about time. When Key is asked a serious question, he just acts like a clown and speakers let him get away with it. If Labour can get this right, all they’ll need is decent policies and some notion of how to cooperate with the left.

  11. Jenny Kirk 14

    What a huge relief to have a Leader who tells it as it is !

  12. aerobubble 15

    Its about legacy and integrity. That Slater-Eed-Tucker were all of the belief that John Key could not win re-election, needed their help. The astonishing thing is Key is standing by all of them. Returns Slaters calls, keepin Eed on, and Tucker remaining at liberty.

    Key was Tuckers minister, Eed was working for the National party which Key leads, Slater called Eeds with Key consent, Eed working in the office of PM. All ated to benefit Key.

    National got into power in part by smearing the Clark government over such things as shower pressure. It seems remarkable they want to keep Key on and get smear as the return of Muldoon and the infamy of Nixon.

    Key will hold out while the knifes are drawn, Key will rush to put Collins into Cabinet, since she damaged and the dirt is available to hand, before the knives get too sharp and Key is rolled.

    Its about integrity and legacy, Nationals new clothes and whether they will wear them.

  13. mac1 16

    Yes, Little was full of fire and passion- straight, direct and straight to the heart in today’s general debate. Straight to the heart of the matter, straight to the dead heart of the National and straight to the true heart of Labour.

    And Robertson following was also very strong- powerful and fluent, and seemingly unscripted.

    Go, Labour!

  14. ianmac 17

    Winston asked a curious question of the PM, “Did he know that Slater published the SIS report 8 days ago?” ???

    Andrew on fire! No one is asleep for this one!

    • Tracey 17.1

      Did slater publish it 8 days ago?

    • karol 17.2

      Gwyn is threatening to set police on Goff for his early release of the report.

      NRT says:

      The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security is now threatening John Key’s victim with prosecution:
      […]
      Presumably such a prosecution would be under section 29 Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Act 1996, which prohibits the unapproved publication of IGIS reports. But it is difficult to see how such a prosecution could possibly succeed, because the report was approved for release. While it was discussed with the media before the IGIS made her announcement, a press embargo is a PR measure, not a security one. Any court with a proper respect for the right of freedom of expression affirmed in the BORA would find that. The IGIS doesn’t have a leg to stand on. Instead, by attempting to bully a victim of the SIS (and an MP), all she has done is bring her office – and the whole idea that it is an effective check and balance on SIS behaviour – into disrepute. And if they’re going to try and bully Members of Parliament – their ultimate bosses – I’m happy to see both the IGIS,and the spies she supposedly “oversees”, shut down permanently.

      And why was the Gwyn Report (and others) set for release the same day as Little was announcing his line up?

      Is the threat to convict Goff another instance of the politicisation of the SIS?

      • Tracey 17.2.1

        So Goff is the one who broke the embargo?

        • karol 17.2.1.1

          Apparently he admitted leaking some of it on RNZ this morning.

          As stated by Key in Question Time today.

          It’s the same question and transcript where Peters claims Slater leaked the report 8 days ago.

          • Tracey 17.2.1.1.1

            Thanks.

            Well you could say it diverted any negative commentary on the new labour lineup.

          • RedLogix 17.2.1.1.2

            No I just listened to the appalling interview with Espiner here:

            http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/20158687/phil-goff-sticks-to-calls-for-pm-to-resign

            Espiner tries desperately to draw some kind of absurd equivalence between Goff giving a ‘heads up’ about the report one day before it’s release – and the Slater debacle. It’s truly disgusting and I don’t use that phrase lightly.

            Goff showed the report to nobody except the Party Leader and Whip who needed to know. So no actual leak of the report.

            However clearly everyone in the media knew Goff had the report and were asking him for interviews. Goff repeatedly stated he could not give an interview until after the report was released. But it was perfectly legitimate for Goff (who is the injured party here after all) to make the general point that it exonerated him and confirmed his version of events.

            That is not a leak. Espiner is being a complete shitbag.

            • Tracey 17.2.1.1.2.1

              So, that leaves us wondering who did… With Key this afternoon lying about his recent contact with slater, and when confronted by tv3 with evidence he and slater texted over the report running into parliament to tell the truth…

              • ScottGN

                It’s amazing isn’t it? He out and out lied to that question from Megan Woods. How many times now has he had to come scurrying back to The House to make a correction in order to avoid the Privileges Committee?

                  • ScottGN

                    I counted 7.

                  • Anne

                    Labour leader Andrew Little said the development was “disturbing” and that Key must now be drawn into a review by the Inspector General of Intelligence and Security over whether her report had been discussed before its release.

                    “He [the Prime Minister] was asked a very straightforward question about it in Parliament that required a yes or no answer. The answer was yes and he said no. He has misled New Zealand,” Little said.

                    “What we know is John Key has said something in Parliament which we now know is wrong. This is a disturbing development at a time when the Prime Minister’s office is in question for its lack of integrity and ethics,” Little said.

                    “It shows that we have a prime minister who has no ethical bottom lines at all, no integrity, no moral fibre. He carried on as if there is no difference. This is disturbing. New Zealanders should be worried”.

                    Little said that he expected Key to “co-operate fully with the inspector general”

                    Oh the glorious irony.

                    Btw, this came form a Herald link but when I went to link it this passage had gone!
                    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11364989

            • North 17.2.1.1.2.2

              Prosecute Goff. ?……go right ahead……it’s hardly John Banks or Sergeant Schultz fucking over ‘homeland security’ at ChCh airport. Coupla grand fine. Were he not well equipped to handle the monetary impost after a lifetime of ummh…….good wedge, I’d contribute……just keeps the filth of Johnty Key on the front page. And since the overall victim was Goff in all of this I suspect most people would go “What the fuck…..???”

              Given Key’s focus on ‘the leak’ in Parliament today I wonder whether Boy Guyon’s and Girly Susie’s persistent efforts to make ‘the leak’ the central issue on RNZ Monday or Tuesday morning akshully reflects prior knowledge that ‘the leak’ would be the tack Mr Gauche was going to pursue in a day or so.

              Would make them both arseholes of course but I’m not persuaded that my nostrils lie. We live in a very small pond.

              CUT THE CRAP !!!

              • RedLogix

                NRT makes the very pertinent point that:

                Presumably such a prosecution would be under section 29 Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Act 1996, which prohibits the unapproved publication of IGIS reports.

                But it is difficult to see how such a prosecution could possibly succeed, because the report was approved for release. While it was discussed with the media before the IGIS made her announcement, a press embargo is a PR measure, not a security one.

                Any court with a proper respect for the right of freedom of expression affirmed in the BORA would find that. The IGIS doesn’t have a leg to stand on.

            • KPC 17.2.1.1.2.3

              Heard the same interview this morning and was almost made sick by Espiner’s attack on Phil Goff. Even later today Jane Clifton said that Goffs’ admission before the embargo lifted were that of a relieved and happy person, who had been exonerated. Not someone who wanted to muddy the waters (so to speak).

      • Tony T 17.2.2

        gooooood question

    • DoublePlusGood 17.3

      Well, if you look at the back of some of the videos, I think Jami-Lee Ross is asleep for some of it.

  15. Zolan 18

    All the MSM has to do is show this for their own salcious entertainment purposes, and more than a few NZers will be saying “too right!” — regardless of the reporter’s editorial spin.

  16. RedLogix 19

    The underlying reason why this incident, while in one sense superficially trifling, is important – is that is almost certainly part of a much larger pattern of malfeasance.

    This cannot be the only instance of this happening. On several prior occasions I’ve speculated that the teflon in Key’s name has to be due to more than good luck. And I’m not the only one to have had this suspicion. As evidenced by the way both Russel and Little are going for the jugular on this – in the expectation that the pressure will shake something else from the tree.

    Because it will only take one more allegation of something similar – and Key will have to resign. Now consider who might be sitting on such a hand grenade. Who else but “Mr Regular Wee Chats Slater” is who. Hence the absurdist apology given to Slater earlier this week. Hence David Fisher’s masterclass in sardonic report on a meeting between Carrick and Odgers. Hence Winston’s remarkable interjection re Slater leaking the report 8 days earlier.

    And might explain this from the ever sly John Armstrong:

    For starters, no political party likes to yield even a millimetre to its opponents. But the worry was that an apology would amount to an admission of guilt and only intensify Opposition calls for a further inquiry.

    Pay attention to the details – something unexpected may turn up.

    • Tracey 19.1

      Interesting points redl… Very thought provoking

    • weka 19.2

      +1 RL

      It’s a tipping point and the pressure needs to be kept on.

      • Tracey 19.2.1

        Problem is john armstrong seems to think it is someone elses job

        • weka 19.2.1.1

          I was thinking of Little and Norman etc. Plus everyone who’s speaking on this. Bugger the likes of Armstrong.

          • Tracey 19.2.1.1.1

            the media is the conduit. Most voters will never hear or see Littles utterances today or yesterday.

            • karol 19.2.1.1.1.1

              Clips from Little’s speech yesterday, calling Key’s government the dirtiest, filthiest, whatever, int he history of NZ politics, made the TV3 evening news. And it was repeated with the hourly news on RNZ.

              I suspect Little’s “cut the crap” question will make the evening news tonight – he is getting cut through, even though, I suspect the release of the various reports this week were meant to bury Little’s start as leader of Labour in the House.

              • weka

                Don’t normall watch the 6pm news. Is TV1 or TV3 the better bet tonight?

                • karol

                  Sorry – only just seen your question, weka. I went for 3 News as Gower had tweeted about cut the crap.

                  If you get plus 1 channels, I’d go for that. headline item was Ferguson, then came Dirty Politics – began with Key’s correction in the House.

                  Key’s personal explanation:

                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxyuEuVtFHQ

                  Then Gower on Little’s cut the crap – said Little has had a very good start to the leadership and has defied expectations.

                  The clip of Key trying to say Labour run black ops, just referred to Goff’s leak of the SIS report.

                  Key had actually run through various attempts by Labour to attack him/Nats, beginning with someone giving a false name and recording English at a conference, plus Williams’ attempt to get some dirt on key as a money trader – hardly anything like the smear machine the Nats have been running,.

              • Bob

                Go and ask most people next week, at the end of the year etc no most people do not give a toss what happens in the house. It looks like children arguing most of the time which is what this looks like. The majority of people will get tired of this very quickly do not try and read much into this.

                • RedLogix

                  Oh look the “I’m not interested defense” again.

                  Many of the big moments in political history start out as minor things in the Beltway – some get legs, some don’t. We’ve yet to see how this one plays.

                  I don’t think that on it’s own this will bring Key down – but it does have all the makings of an irreversible step along the way.

                  Because everyone knows Key has made an utter doofus of himself, he’s painted himself thoroughly into a corner where he cannot do the obvious and plain thing – and apologise.

                  Worse still his defense has been to insist that black is white, and then cover that up with one absurd red herring after another. In one sense it’s a masterly display of derailment, in another, every adult in the room can see what is happening. A Prime Minister who has gotten away with one form of deception after another for six years – has finally jumped the shark.

                  He’ll keep on going with sheer momentum for a while, but I suspect we’ll see this as the tipping point.

                  • Anne

                    …but I suspect we’ll see this as the tipping point.

                    Yes, even if he manages to get away with it once again he will know now that fourth term is a mirage, so he’ll be planning his exit to Hawaii sometime with in the next two years.

                  • weka

                    yep. If this is Key’s downfall, either now or further down the slope, it’s not middle NZ that will make it happen. It’s political players, journos, the people in power doing their jobs properly and the commentariat that will provide the push.

                  • Bob

                    Sorry do not buy it. Labour and the Greens will probably bite down and this which will go no where and they will go around in circles thinking they have something really major when in fact they don’t.

                    Everyone else will move on yet Labour and the Greens will still try and go back to this. Winston Peters has not said much that shows what a big deal this really is as this is his bread and butter.

                    As you said we have yet to see how this plays out yet 75% of people here think this is the biggest most important thing in the world, hardly. Lower taxes will beat dirty politics every day of the week!

                    • mickysavage

                      Bob you are reinforcing the “Im not interested defence” that RL mentioned.

                      You are falling into a trap. The Press corp hunt as a pack. During the campaign after dirty politics broke they realised that Key was lying to them. There was then a series of press interviews where Key realised they realised that Key was lying to them and they realised that Key realised that they realised Key was lying to them. It was always going to end in tears.

                      We are now seeing evidence of this.

                    • Anne

                      Good one mickysavage. That’ll keep Bob busy for the rest of the night unraveling all the realisations and what each of them means. By the morning he should be able to reply.

            • weka 19.2.1.1.1.2

              “the media is the conduit. Most voters will never hear or see Littles utterances today or yesterday.”

              Armstrong isn’t the media 😉

              In other words, which media are getting it right?

              • Tracey

                Fair comment. Herald has circulation of nearly half a million tho.

                Karol, I saw the clip on tv3 too, kept waiting for gower to finish with, ” Hager was right”… But so far no one in the fourth estate has the courage.

                • weka

                  When we are at a tipping point like this I think the best strategy is to keep the pressure on proactively. Criticism of the media has its place, but at this point I see the most important thing as mass support behind Little and Norman and anyone else who has institutional power and is applying it ie the journos who are doing the right things.

                  Who else at the Herald is getting it right? What’s happening in the comments sections of Armstrong’s articles?

    • ianmac 19.3

      You never know for sure with Winston but the Slater 8 days ago is strange. It raises the question of just which day was the report actually handed over to the Government. Yesterday? Last week? Mmmm.

      • ScottGN 19.3.1

        I think all relevant parties have had the report since last week ianmac.

      • Anne 19.3.2

        Sounds like he knows something about the “contact with Slater” a week or so ago that forced Key to return to the House just before the tea break and make a personal statement.

      • Murray Rawshark 19.3.3

        I’ve given up waiting for Winston to ever come up with anything significant. It usually seems to be nothing but hot air.

  17. Chooky 20

    Thanks for that…What a great speech from Andrew Little!….wow next Prime minister of New Zealand!

    …and it may happen sooner rather than later , because John Key is thoroughly disgraced

  18. Andrea 21

    And – thank you David Cunliffe for recommending Andrew Little.

  19. Anne 22

    Yes, and any suggestion David Cunliffe was just in the political game for himself has been scuttled.

  20. Penny Bright 23

    FYI folks.

    ______________________________________________________________________________________

    26 November 2014

    Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security
    Cheryl Gwyn

    ‘Open Letter’ to Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Cheryl Gwyn: What is the procedure for laying charges against the (former) Director of the SIS and Prime Minister for breaching the NZ SIS Act 1969?

    Dear Inspector-General,

    I have spent some hours studying your “Report into the release of information by the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service in July and August 2011”, and am deeply disappointed that you have, in my considered opinion, effectively ignored the herd of mammoth elephants in the room, namely the role of the party political, highly partisan Office of the Prime Minister.

    You may recall that I sent you an email on 12 September 2014, asking:

    “This is a formal request for you to please ensure that your current “in-depth and robust inquiry” into claims Security Intelligence Service (SIS) information was used for political purposes covers the underpinning role of the Office of the Prime Minister. (if it does not already do so).”

    You chose not to so do, thus. in my considered opinion, your above-mentioned Report has not dealt with the underpinning problem, and does not provide recommendations that will solve the underpinning problem.

    Which is – that the politically partisan Office of the Prime Minister, whose role is that of covering the Prime Minister in his role as Leader of the National Party is not itself covered by statute, regulation, protocols or procedures, and is effectively, ‘out of control’.

    However, I believe that your Report, does provide clear evidence which proves that the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service Act 1969 s. 4AA Political neutrality of New Zealand Security Intelligence Service, has, in my considered opinion, been clearly breached:

    http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1969/0024/latest/DLM391813.html

    4AA Political neutrality of New Zealand Security Intelligence Service

    (1)The Director must take all reasonable steps to ensure that—
    (a)the activities of the Security Intelligence Service are limited to those that are relevant to the discharge of its functions:

    (b)the Security Intelligence Service is kept free from any influence or consideration that is not relevant to its functions:

    (c)the Security Intelligence Service does not take any action for the purpose of furthering or harming the interests of any political party.

    (2)The Minister may not direct the Security Intelligence Service to institute the surveillance of any person or entity or any class of person or entity within New Zealand.

    (3)The Director must consult regularly with the Leader of the Opposition for the purpose of keeping him or her informed about matters relating to security.

    (4)Subsection (2) prevails over section 4(1).

    Section 4AA: inserted, on 1 September 1999, by section 4 of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service Amendment Act (No 2) 1999 (1999 No 91).

    ______________________________________________________________________________________

    What are the ‘offences and penalties’ for alleged breaches of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service Act 1969?

    I want charges to be laid against :

    A) John Key, in his (then) capacity as Prime Minister responsible for the SIS, and Leader of the National Party, thus responsible for his Office of the Prime Minister.

    B) Warren Tucker, former Director of the SIS.

    Please advise me of the process to be followed, and to whom I should make this request for such charges to be laid.

    Yours sincerely,

    Penny Bright
    ‘Anti-corruption whistle-blower / Public Watchdog’
    …………………

  21. Hopefully it marks a definite end to the Stockholm Syndrome of the Goff and Mumblefuck era: “We need to be just like them but fluffier, sweeter and stickier”.

  22. vto 25

    absolutely brilliant

    little has in spades what goff shearer and cunliffe had in thimbles

    you can feel the honest passion.

    key is being exposed

    go man go

  23. Ben Adam 26

    When Andrew said ‘cut the crap’ it applies not only to Key to stop talking utter #%&t, but also an admonition to his National party caucus members to cut Key off as their leader because Key has been arrogant and coming across as nothing but a dirty stinky crap himself! I think English is eagerly waiting to get rid of this contemptuous money trader masquerading as an innocent honest PM!

    • ankerawshark 26.1

      BEn A @ 26. Yes I think that is very smart of Andrew Little. He is sowing the seeds of dissension in the mind of the National MP’s. Splitting them.

  24. Manuka AOR 27

    Fantastic! NZ has a real Opposition once again.

    Bit of a miracle – There really is Hope for the future for Aotearoa. Best thing that’s happened in a long, long time.

  25. whateva next? 28

    Absolutely cutting through the crap, Andrew Little…and as for trying to focus on Phil Goff now, well hadn’t he waited long enough to hear what he already knew, and for crying out loud, at least he has admitted it, unlike Peter Dunne and the Kitteridge report, which Key didn’t seem that fussed about at the time? Credit to Goff for not lying I say.

  26. dad4justice 29

    John Key and that insane Whaleoil text each other. Both of these filthy mongrels should be in a prison cell. What a sick country New Zealand has become!

    • whateva next? 29.1

      …and Key goes running back to parliament to “correct” his response to question “have you had contact with whaleblubber?”….after speaking with Crosby Textor no doubt, and if Labour ever tried to “correct” what hey had earlier stated, in the same day, imagine the fall out from that!!!!!!!
      Misunderstood the question AGAIN? Still cannot believe his flippant, arrogant response to Smith’s escape. Play it again John

      • dad4justice 29.1.1

        Key has been caught out lying big time. His relationship with the insane fat mental Whaleblubber should be his downfall but New Zealanders are happy with corrupt politicians eh suckers!

  27. repateet 30

    He’s told to cut the crap on a day where he has to come back and correct the fact that he’d been talking crap? Is that some sort of record?

  28. meconism 31

    Has anyone asked Mr Key if he has read the IGIS report ? Because he may not have. You know he does have form on this.

    • GregJ 31.1

      The Prime Minister’s Office may have read it, and Mr Key can’t recall receiving it, Cameron Slater’s friend probably has and Bronagh’s husband has probably glanced at it. Max & Stephie Key’s father was unavailable for comment. 😈

    • karol 31.2

      He has quoted from specific parts of the report in The House.

  29. Ad 32

    Now, I watch a bit of UFC.
    This felt like Werdum v Emelienko.

    Werdum has learnt a huge amount over recent years.
    Whereas Emelienko was just straight genius, for over a decade.
    Werdum would not have been in his class just two years ago.

    Werdum got hit real hard, but choked Emelienko out pretty unexpectedly.

    I love the viscera and fight of Little. EPMU brung him up right. The left haven’t have that kind of fight for decades – maybe we haven’t seen this kind of brawler since Semple.

    LIttle is fully stepping Key out here.
    And Key actually said he’s looking forward to the debates.
    Key no longer has to deal with a light-heavyweight moving up a class.

    Little is the heavyweight he promised us he would be.
    But he will need to keep up this work rate, with consistent big TV hits, to really take the belt off this astonishing master.

    • Ad 32.1

      Key has now admitted he text-exchanged with Slater about the Gwyn Report.
      This is a sizable self-inflicted injury on Key.

      TV 1 and 3 will now amplify this all week.

      Not a great start term.
      Still, if Brown can recover, anyone can…

        • lprent 32.1.1.1

          Ah that would be that slightly left of centre guy. You notice that he isn’t on our feed?

          I have no particular idea who he is. His site seemed ‘odd’ when I looked at earlier in the year. So I asked and didn’t get a particularly favourable response. So I left him off.

          He felt like an attention seeker rather than being really interested in either politics or blogging. It usually doesn’t work out. When I later heard that Cameron was mentoring him, I just smiled and waited for the inevitable betrayal and ‘scoop’.

          From what I have seen of his work, I suspect that Cameron was looking at a mirror… It was exactly the kind of crap Cameron would get up to in the early days. But I doubt it had anything more to do with Labour than this guy mouthing off.

          • BM 32.1.1.1.1

            Do you think this story may have legs?
            Dirty politics, labour pointing the finger, but they’re doing it as well.

            Media likes nothing better than some one getting hoisted by their own petard.
            ————————————————
            Seem to be always going into moderation, also noticed none of my posts over the last day or so are showing up in the search.
            More db issues?

            • lprent 32.1.1.1.1.1

              Nah. I thought he was likely to be a dingbat. I think that Cameron got suckered by a blabbermouth.

              Of all the people I’d least expect a dirty politics thing from in Labour, Annette King would be at the top of my list. I have simply never seen her do it. She just does real nitty gritty clean leverage politics. I think that any journo would laugh their socks off at the suggestion.

              If she was was involved at all, it would have been because it was already general knowledge in parliament and the gallery. ie a blabbermouth trying to be a player. I have seen a few of the boring fools before. Like Cameron.,.

            • lprent 32.1.1.1.1.2

              There appears to be a plugin conflict. I know what the problem is, but can’t isolate it. It is kind of hard when the site is running hot and the only time it happens is when it is running hot with comments, and I can’t afford the after midnight sleepless nights except on weekends or for emergencies. Most comments don’t hit it, but we tend to get 4 or 5 at a time.

              I suspect we will have to limp to the weekend with it.

              • RedLogix

                Doing my best to keep up Lynn. It doesn’t seem to hit logged in members like myself or DtB. And some users get hit harder than others. That’s the only pattern I can see so far.

              • BM

                That’s a bit of a pisser, trying to debug someone elses code sucks arse.

                • lprent

                  In this case, it looks like a combination of many people’s code.

                  But I do that a lot at work as well. Even on Greenfield projects you have to lean on a lot of libraries.

                  • BM

                    Yeah, that seems to be part and parcel of software development, without 3rd party libraries I doubt most projects would ever get completed.

                    From experience, support and documentation are my two biggies when it comes to choosing 3rd party libraries.

                    Nothing more annoying than getting let down by others code.

                    • lprent

                      I usually just check for actively solved solutions on the net and what the issues were. Tells me almost everything I usually need to know. Open source helps a lot. I only use closed source for some very specialized application needs like game level rendering. It has been a bit weird heading back into legacy code on windows and looking at absurbities like the Microsoft descriptions of cabwiz for a windows mobile. A bit short on useful docs….

            • Weepus beard 32.1.1.1.1.3

              That’s cute. You troll the site 24/7 then complain your comments are auto-moderated. That’s the kind of arrogance John Key would be proud of.

          • Draco T Bastard 32.1.1.1.2

            That slightly left of centre dick is about as left of centre as I am right of centre.

          • karol 32.1.1.1.3

            Dim Post’s analysis of the Forman leak and his Slater connections:

            Slater claims Forman is in cahoots with Labour, but especially with Annette King.

            danylmc concludes:

            What the hell is going on? I don’t know. But based on the premise that everything Slater says is a lie, my guess is that Slater had Forman leak the details of his text conversation with Key, and that this ‘falling out’ is a sham to make Forman look like a slightly less obvious sock-puppet of Slater’s.

          • Murray Rawshark 32.1.1.1.4

            He’s an ex Real Estate agent who says he does something with IT and has expertise in property investment. Doesn’t seem like an obvious Labour person, going from his LinkedIn profile.

  30. Tim 33

    He’s doing well already. At the very least we’ve got someone who can vent a bit of our anger for us.

  31. Clemgeopin 34

    47% of people voted for Key/National just eight weeks ago. Now I doubt if even half of those have any respect and trust left for John Key any more! He has disgraced himself and his party. It is all down hill from here for him no matter how much spin and crap he may try to spread. He has been exposed. Only complete sycophants, crooks and fools will not see that.

  32. TheContrarian 35

    Little was awesome.

    Goff never fired up, Shearer was too dozy, Cunliffe was…well, Cunliffe but Little could well swing me back to Labour

    • Lanthanide 35.1

      I still feel like Cunliffe was hamstrung by caucus, and ridiculous smears that stuck (Donghua Liu, and the out-of-context “sorry for being a man”). Only getting ~1 year to prepare for the job because of fuck-up Shearer being the ultimate liability, of course.

  33. Anne 36

    Good to hear it TC.

  34. Ad 37

    Let’s call this a bad week for Key. Granted.

    But let no one be under any illusion that Key is anything but total king of caucus, standing astride all. He dominates his party with reach, power, and precision. All those who got recent promotions owe him total fealty.

    National’s legislative agenda – such as it is – has the complete assurance of the majority.

    His massive majority of supporters know which side their bread is buttered, and donate as if their interests were at stake.

    Polls will remain meaningless to him.

    His staff are entirely expendable – by definition they serve at the pleasure.

    He will come back with a big series of openings over 12 months:
    – The LA Premier of Lord of the Rings, and further deals
    – The commencement of construction of the National Convention Centre
    – The great Gallipoli nationalist surge
    – Wrapped in the flag contest
    – The start of Auckland’s City Rail Link
    – Further stages of the Christchurch Rebuild
    – The early completion of Waterview SH20 tunnel
    – More Treaty of Waitangi settlements

    Key is undisputed champ for a reason – because he is top of the game, none have really touched him, and he has won and won again for his supporters and donors. Good shot Little, but you need to up your work rate in the ring week after week.

    • cogito 37.1

      “He dominates his party with reach, power, and precision. All those who got recent promotions owe him total fealty”.

      Every bit the dictator…. or DIC for short.

  35. Atiawa 38

    Big thank you to the affiliated unions of the NZ Labour Party for delivering us Andrew .

    Stand Tall.
    .

  36. Paul 39

    Fearfax .
    ‘Key misled parliament.’
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/63570264/John-Key-misled-Parliament

    Are his corporate sponsors losing their confidence in Key?

    • ScottGN 39.1

      Great work from Megan Woods with this question. She has managed to pull the rug out from Key on one his main counter-attack lines over the Gwynn Report (Goff leaking, Labour is just as bad etc) and get him to mislead The House. I think she’s starting to really find her feet in Parliament.

    • Weepus beard 39.2

      “It shows that we have a prime minister who has no ethical bottom lines at all, no integrity, no moral fibre. He carried on as if there is no difference. This is disturbing. New Zealanders should be worried”.

      – Andrew Little

      Bloody hell, that is some serious language there. Go Andrew Little!

      Also, I’m stunned that Key would still converse with Slater. Seems like political suicide to me.

  37. Sanctuary 40

    Watched the general debate speech.

    One word sprung to mind.

    YAY!!!!!

  38. ankerawshark 41

    Just wondering where Audrey YOung and Claire Trevitt are in all the of this/??

    The Chief Political Editor and the Deputy Political Editor of The NZ Herald???? Couldn’t find anything they have written to date about the report and about Little really owning it in parliament. Perhaps they only report what they like, little Audrey’s article on Bronagh and the panda’s in China.

    Psst, by the way Audrey was in the house yesterday. I saw her.

  39. karol 42

    Brook Sabin has tweeted a (redacted) copy of the leaked Slater text that resulted in catching Key out in misleading the House.

    • Murray Rawshark 42.1

      Only a moran would want Slugboy on their side. He makes a total mess of anything he tries. Key is showing the ultimate in hubris and narcissism by still communicating with him. He really does think he’s made of teflon.

  40. Tom Gould 43

    Are others sick and tired of Corin Dann covering up for Key every night on One News, or is it just me? They get away with it by claiming they get complaints from both sides. A bit Key’s defence of his running covert ‘black-ops’ out of his office that ‘they all do it’? Tonight’s herculean effort was to set up Goff to take the fall for the whole sleazy Tory mess, which really should be worth an award of some sort.

  41. Redzone 44

    On fire Little!

    At last some passion and conviction, and taking the fight.
    Already Little is showing he is the master of the of the one liner . Loved “2 doors down Ede” that will stick as will CTC. Some of the best oratory skills witnessed in the house for ages.

    Folks you are witnessing the start of the comeback.

  42. Clemgeopin 45

    STUFF: KEY ADMITS HE MISLED PARLIAMENT ABOUT CONTACT WITH SLATER!

    Prime Minister John Key has acknowledged he misled Parliament earlier today about his contact with WhaleOil blogger Cameron Slater.

    This evening Key was forced to return to the debating chamber to make a personal statement admitting he had given an incorrect answer to Labour MP Megan Woods during Question Time today.

    Woods had asked the prime minister whether he had had any contact with Slater about the reports into then-Justice Minister Judith Collins’ supposed attempts to undermine former Serious Fraud Office boss Adam Feeley, or the report of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) into information from the SIS.

    At the time, Key said no.

    This evening, during the second reading of the Parole Amendment Bill, Key made a statement acknowledging the statement was wrong. He claimed that he believed Woods was only talking about one of the reports, when in fact she had asked about both.

    “On Monday the 24th of November I received an unsolicited text message from Mr Slater with a reference to the IGIS report. There was a very short exchange where I briefly acknowledged that text message.”

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/63570264/John-Key-misled-Parliament

    Meagan Wood’s Q 4 Today in parliament:
    http://www.inthehouse.co.nz/video/34994

  43. venezia 46

    Clemgeopin…Lets get this correct. Less than 30% of NZers eligible to vote actually cast their vote for John Key’s National Party.

  44. RedLogix 47

    Interesting in Stuff:

    But hours after questions about his statements were submitted, a spokeswoman released what she said was Key’s text conversation with Slater.

    The exchange sees Slater claim that a journalist, the name of whom has been withheld, “gave it away to me…Goff leaked the SIS report”.

    Key replied: “It’s a joke isn’t it. They will attack Jason [presumably Ede] for talking to u and they break the confidentiality agreement. Classic lab [Labour Party].

    Slater: “Yup…I’m very angry over it…Goff is the one who leaked oravida stuff too.”

    And then Slater writes: “They still have standard bloggers on staff”.

    The prime minister replied to Slater: “Hopefully it will all come out in time”.

    The conversation ended with Slater saying: “I wish they would hurry up…they played the real dirty politics…even tried to kill me…I have evidence of.”

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/63570264/PM-reveals-Slater-texts

    Goff has denied categorically giving anyone an actual copy of the report – other than the Leader and Whip. So here is Slater insinuating that it was ‘given away to me’. by a journo. A very ambiguous statement that could be read in a number of ways.

    And then there is the “They still have standard bloggers on staff” line. Presumably Lynn might want to say something about this.

    If nothing else there must be more than a few serious people in this country, legal and civil service, who must be getting pretty concerned about the Prime Minister’s very cosy relationship with the slug.

    • Weepus beard 47.1

      C’mon. Out with it. Who here at The Standard attempted a hit on Slater?

      Also, I cannot believe our prime minister says “u” in text messages.

      It’s been quite a day.

    • McFlock 47.2

      lol

      so the guy who claimed an sis source gave hime something when it was ede is claiming a journo gave him something that the journo claimed came from goff?

      And who tried to kill slater other than “ferals” and cantabs?

  45. North 48

    The media are a strange, facile, largely meagrely intelligent, overpaid, cafe society bunch. Sluts for ‘celebrity’. In themselves or in the ‘star’ a nod from whom on the way into the building in the morning makes their day. Have a good friend been involved in the media (TV) for decades.

    Possessed he is with the imperative of ‘balance’. Which actually means – everything’s got to end up 50/50. Regardless of anything. 50/50 is ‘balance’. If that means weighing-in to distort a reality, then so be it. That is their earnest aspiration. These people are the guardians of ‘balance’, which is 50/50. You can see how thus John Key is not a practised liar who virtually always goes unchallenged, rather he is a master of his game.

    Of course they’re always accommodating of their betters, the narcissistic, the brazen, the ‘looked-after’ outliers like Hosking and Henry. In which case, out of respect for the company ‘asset’ and the need for that uplifting morning nod from the ‘star’, 60/40 even 70/30 quite naturally becomes 50/50.

    Very sad that our democracy is inevitably badly impacted by this strange, facile, largely meagrely intelligent, overpaid, cafe society bunch.

  46. Lloyd 49

    Remember how “Nanny State” was the phrase that put the nail in Helen’s government? “Crap Government” could be just the phrase to get rid of Donkey.

    • NZJester 49.1

      How dare you.
      Crap can be recycled and made useful such as being made to produce power by extracting methane gas from it or turned into fertiliser to help crops grow.
      What can this current National government be recycled into to make something useful of it?
      You are tainting the usefulness of crap by associating it with National!

  47. Clemgeopin 50

    Damien O’Connor ‏@DamienOConnorMP 2h2 hours ago
    “Key misled Parliament. Key denied twice texting Slater about report
    STAND DOWN KEY”

    Clarabelle ‏@AucklandIsland 2h2 hours ago
    “Why r Slater, Key and Collins texting after N Hagers book?
    Is it defiance/arrogance or both?”

    Damien O’Connor ‏@DamienOConnorMP 2h2 hours ago
    @AucklandIsland
    “BOTH”

    • alwyn 50.1

      Well Damien has obviously made his peace with the Union side of the Labour Party organisation now that Little is the leader.
      I wonder whether he gets on with Grant?
      Damien was of course the man who complained about the “self serving unionists and the gaggle of gays”.
      That was when the list was chosen in 2011 and

      “Labour yesterday handed former president Andrew Little, who heads the powerful EPMU (New Zealand’s biggest private sector union) a certain seat in Parliament, and has given other union-backed candidates winnable slots in its party list for the November 26 election.

      Little this morning rejected O’Connor’s claims, while Robert Martin, chairman of the Gay Business Association of Christchurch, said the comments were inappropriate and ”redneck”.”

  48. logie97 51

    Just a thought, but how come Slater has Joky Hen’s cell phone number and is able to text him?

  49. NZJester 52

    Actually I wonder if it would be good for Goff to be taken to court and them have John Key called to answer questions about his texts to Slater on the same report as well. I would love for John Key to have to say something in court under oath that if later found to be false would allow him to be prosecuted for perjury.

    I get a feeling that Mr Slater is stating to seriously loose the plot.
    I could see someone on the right putting a hit out to shut him up for what he knows about what is going on behind their back room doors with all the secret deals, but no one in Labour or on the left for that matter gives a shit about if he lives or dies so he has no worries about anyone on the Left putting a hit out on him.

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    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
    2 days 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
    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 ...
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  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
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