Daily Review 22/11/2018

Written By: - Date published: 5:22 pm, November 22nd, 2018 - 76 comments
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Daily review is also your post.

This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Don’t forget to be kind to each other …

76 comments on “Daily Review 22/11/2018 ”

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  1. mickysavage 1
    22 November 2018 at 5:23 pm

    So fellow dropkicks who has been paid lately?

    • Andre 1.1
      22 November 2018 at 5:32 pm

      I can assure you, micky, that I get paid exactly what I’m worth. Every single day. But since I’ve been called a RWNJ here, maybe that accounts for it.

      • mickysavage 1.1.1
        22 November 2018 at 5:36 pm

        You have not lived until you have been called a RWNJ! I seem to recall I was called this once …

      • Ad 1.1.2
        22 November 2018 at 7:53 pm

        I get it plenty as well.

        Put it down to living in Titirangi or something.

        • Andre 1.1.2.1
          22 November 2018 at 7:57 pm

          Didn’t we get slammed as the “Titirangi elites” or something like that, too?

          • mauī 1.1.2.1.1
            22 November 2018 at 8:57 pm

            Yes, that was in response to Sanctuary’s story of quaffing large amounts of liquor with no regard to animals or the climate in some posh, conceited Earl of Auckland establishment no doubt.

          • Ad 1.1.2.1.2
            22 November 2018 at 8:58 pm

            We Titirangi elites provide most of the content to this site.
            Productive elites at least.

            • Macro 1.1.2.1.2.1
              22 November 2018 at 9:08 pm

              I had a place in Daffodil Street – does that count?

              • Draco T Bastard …
                22 November 2018 at 9:10 pm

                I think I knew someone who had a place in Daffodil Street at one point.

              • Andre …
                22 November 2018 at 9:11 pm

                A realtor is definitely going to call that Titirangi. So yeah, you’re “elite” too. Or ex-elite, anyway.

                • Macro …
                  22 November 2018 at 9:17 pm

                  ohhh Cool! 🙂

                  • mickysavage …
                    22 November 2018 at 9:41 pm

                    Hail fellow westie! I am in the South TItirangi peninsular …

                    • Macro …
                      22 November 2018 at 9:54 pm

                      My daughter was a pupil at the Titirangi Steiner school and I taught there for a while – They had their fair last weekend – I was intending to go up for the event but had other things to do unfortunately. I’m hoping to make it next year.
                      The two years I taught there were the best 2 years teaching I ever experienced. The students have all gone on to be do amazing things – including doctor, engineer, management, drama school, and an elected member of council (not in Auckland)

                    • mickysavage []
                      22 November 2018 at 10:04 pm

                      My daughter went there for a short while but elected to go mainstream. I have had a lot to do with families who are involved there. Some of my best friends out here are greens!

                    • Macro …
                      22 November 2018 at 10:54 pm

                      Yes we made a good few friends through the school and still in touch. One of the strengths I think is the involvement of parents. My daughter is dyslexic, and (both of us being teachers) we knew there was no way she would cope in main stream. She was not reading at all when she started at the age of 10, but within 3 months she was reading (remedial eurythmy was extremely helpful here because it helped with left brain right brain development). Within 6 months of starting at Titirangi she had read the first book of Harry Potter .

                • Anne …
                  22 November 2018 at 9:23 pm

                  I grew up on the western slopes of Mt Albert and now live close to Devonport. Does that count as an “elite”? 😎

                  • Macro …
                    22 November 2018 at 9:47 pm

                    mmmm close…
                    I served in Navy for 15 years so lived in Devonport and Bayswater. I had an office while serving in HMNZS Tamaki which was literally on the top of the cliffs between Narrow Neck and Cheltenham – the view was absolutely stunning.

                    • Anne …
                      22 November 2018 at 10:19 pm

                      Not far from where I live. Did you know in the 1990s Nick Smith tried to sell off that priceless piece of land to an upmarket property developer. The anger from one end of the isthmus through to the other – and elsewhere – was massive. He was taken to court and lost and proceeded to have a right royal paddy. And now the land is there for everyone to enjoy in perpetuity.

                    • Macro …
                      22 November 2018 at 10:34 pm

                      Yes I did – It was always being eyed up to be sold off for the elite even back in the 80’s. The place has a huge military history and there are huge tunnels and underground rooms all over the place. I was there when Halley’s Comet was to be seen, and one night I was on duty and doing my rounds in the middle of the night when the comet went over. Very memorable. The other place I had to visit after midnight was the comms section on the top of Mt Vic. Not so bad when it was a fine night – but walking round there at 1am with a howling Nor Easter – I can think of better things to do. lol

    • Cinny 1.2
      22 November 2018 at 6:19 pm

      DJ to be here maybe? lmao…standby….

    • Red Blooded One 1.3
      22 November 2018 at 7:05 pm

      Am mortified that this dropkick is my MP. Would you like an introduction when you are holidaying up this way. He’s rarely seen outside of Keri Keri I believe.

    • adam 1.4
      22 November 2018 at 7:41 pm

      Where do I sign up especially if it to troll that idiot – no wait – bugger it, I’ll do it for free.

      This song seems to fit him quite well

    • Macro 1.5
      22 November 2018 at 9:16 pm

      I hope that they are signed up members of the Union, and are at least getting a living wage. Maybe we should all go on strike in support of better penal rates and overtime for those who have to do the night-time shifts.

    • Incognito 1.6
      22 November 2018 at 9:32 pm

      I tried to be an altruist but nowadays I strictly work pro bono.

    • millsy 1.7
      22 November 2018 at 9:42 pm

      I wish. I could use some extra cash too.

  2. Visubversa 2
    22 November 2018 at 5:26 pm

    By my last count, they owe me for 55 years.

  3. patricia bremner 3
    22 November 2018 at 5:48 pm

    Paid… someone got paid? Out of who’s pocket?

  4. The Fairy Godmother 4
    22 November 2018 at 5:52 pm

    How do I sign up. Do you need my ID number

  5. Fireblade 5
    22 November 2018 at 6:09 pm

    Ronald Matthew King. MP for Northland, Beef Farmer and former Police Officer. Best mates with drop kick Mike Sabin.

  6. joe90 6
    22 November 2018 at 6:28 pm

    Bugger.

    Harry is not doing well at the moment but his doctor is adjusting some of his treatment to try to correct things. #IStandWithHarry— Harry Leslie Smith (@Harryslaststand) November 22, 2018

    • DJ Ward 8.1
      22 November 2018 at 8:13 pm

      If the Green Party let people build some hydro dams it wouldn’t be an issue.

      Analysis of the scenario of closing Huntly so we have no fossil fuel use shows you need at least 1,000 MW of Hydro and Geothermal. 2000 MW if you convert to EV without the cars being active storage in the network. Solar and Wind are variable and can’t reliably provide for peak use. Solar is great for at location daytime Buisiness, while wind is great for offsetting Hydro so it acts like a battery charger.

      If you wish to have no fossil fuel use, Hydro and Geothermal must be built on a large scale.

      The other alternative is massive battery systems that store renewables like wind for peak use.

      I didn’t get payed for that wisdom, damn.

      • Draco T Bastard 8.1.1
        22 November 2018 at 9:57 pm

        If the Green Party let people build some hydro dams it wouldn’t be an issue.

        Where would you build them when there’s no suitable rivers left to build them on if we want to keep our tourism going? And there’s already none left in Te Ika a Māui.

        Would be better off going for the Greens idea of developing our silicon deposits and making solar panels. Throw in a few offshore wind turbines scattered around the coast line (Major benefit in that they would act as a reef and become fish breeding grounds that will never be commercially fished) and we’d easily be able to replace Huntly.

        I didn’t get payed for that wisdom

        You don’t have any wisdom to get paid for.

        • DJ Ward 8.1.1.1
          22 November 2018 at 10:09 pm

          Solar doesn’t work at night and the wind doesn’t always blow.

          So yes you can create the same supply but you cannot cover Peak demand which we already struggle with.

          I could pick out hundreds of sites for smaller dams and no tourist ever goes anywhere near them. Especially low flow for peak load use.

          You didn’t comment on Geothermal which is viable in most of NZ with deep bores. Creating extremely important stable base load.

          Who said tourists don’t want to visit dams?

          Hoover dam?

          The dam hidden away at the Army camp is magnificent. I would visit that if it was open. The Rangipo station, built into the mountain surge chamber is unforgettable.

          • Pat 8.1.1.1.1
            22 November 2018 at 10:15 pm

            renewable powered pumped hydro for security and wind , solar , geo and hydro for baseload

            • DJ Ward 8.1.1.1.1.1
              22 November 2018 at 10:25 pm

              Yes building high output dams (head height) with wind pumping the water back to the top is an option. I think Norway has built one.

              That’s similar to massive battery banks charged with wind to cover peak load.

          • Draco T Bastard 8.1.1.1.2
            23 November 2018 at 3:09 am

            Solar doesn’t work at night and the wind doesn’t always blow.

            But on average they work all the time.

            So yes you can create the same supply but you cannot cover Peak demand which we already struggle with.

            Peak demand would be covered by hydro.

            I could pick out hundreds of sites for smaller dams and no tourist ever goes anywhere near them.

            Yeah, you probably couldn’t.

            And while New Zealand has many rivers that are still in a relatively pristine state, most of those are on the conservation estate and consequently few are in the North Island.

            You don’t always need a dam either.

            You didn’t comment on Geothermal which is viable in most of NZ with deep bores. Creating extremely important stable base load.

            There’s limits to geothermal as well. Excess use does drain the water from the water table.

            That said, research into the water that comes up from it could result in efficient resources extraction. It’s estimated that some 500 tonnes of lithium is washed down the Waikato River from one power station.

            Who said tourists don’t want to visit dams?

            The tourists who all fail to stop and look at our fine dams?

            I’ve been to a few dams all across New Zealand. And the reality is that once you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all.

      • Graeme 8.1.2
        22 November 2018 at 10:02 pm

        There’s been virtually no new generation built in the last 20 years,but demand has increased. This need to be addressed. the obvious contenders are more geothermal in the North Island and along Alpine Fault. I doubt there much significant hydro that can be developed, we’ve done all the achievable projects years ago. But increasing electricity demand will make Tiwai’s future interesting. Wind is mired in the RMA, with a huge project at the windiest place in NZ, Kaiwera, bogged down, and this is in the middle of nowhere. But that’s about as far form the demand as you can get, like Manapouri.

        So that leaves LOTS of geothermal in the Central NI as the alternative. Get going guys. Something has to be done quickly, ’cause we’ve done nothing for a long time, to solve our dependance on gas fired generation to keep the NI going.

        Tonight’s oops looks like No Gas+ not much hydro + HVDC outage for maintenance + things go to shit on restart = fucking close to brown outs in NI at dinner time.

        • Draco T Bastard 8.1.2.1
          22 November 2018 at 10:06 pm

          Something has to be done quickly, ’cause we’ve done nothing for a long time, to solve our dependance on gas fired generation to keep the NI going.

          Very little has been done towards that goal since Think Big. Everyone complained about how much it cost rather than recognising that it was the only thing available to us and then stopped doing it hoping that the free-market would fix it.

          • DJ Ward 8.1.2.1.1
            22 November 2018 at 10:19 pm

            The free market wants scarcity to increase prices.
            Some wind has been created but profitability is low at present.

            Privatising the electricity network was a mistake when it didn’t include developement obligations.

            When EV gets going NZ will experience major problems.

            • Graeme 8.1.2.1.1.1
              22 November 2018 at 11:26 pm

              “When EV gets going NZ will experience major problems.”

              Market forces will say “ta ta Tewai”

              There’s also geothermal on West Coast and Central NI

              • Draco T Bastard …
                23 November 2018 at 3:12 am

                Market forces will say “ta ta Tewai”

                Market forces should already have done so. The amount that Rio Tinto is paying is far below what the rest of the nation would pay if that power was fed into the national grid.

  9. Ed 9
    22 November 2018 at 7:20 pm

    “To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize”
    Voltaire

    The first in a series .
    People and things we are not allowed to criticise.

    The events of 9/11

    https://www.newsweek.com/cia-and-saudi-arabia-conspired-keep-911-details-secret-new-book-says-1091935

    • Ed 9.1
      22 November 2018 at 7:24 pm

      Coming up soon
      #2 The Ukrainian maidan coup leaders

    • marty mars 9.2
      22 November 2018 at 8:09 pm

      People criticise it all the time. You do, others do, plenty of press and websites. No one is executed or disappeared – everyone just keeps talkingand criticising the official explanation about it so wtf are you on about?

      • McFlock 9.2.1
        22 November 2018 at 10:20 pm

        Apparently, being called a moron is censorship of the worst order.

        Trouble is, I’m actually kind of interested in some of the t-crossing i-dotting details of those events. The newsweek article is sort of interesting. Did the US security services get caught with their pants down, or did the players get played? Might be an interesting footnote to history.

        But then it gets lumped in with the “ohmagerd, gravity works consistenly, it must be a controlled demolition” crowd.

        BTW the video needs to be updated after that Iranian building caught fire and collapsed recently.

  10. joe90 10
    22 November 2018 at 7:31 pm

    heh

    RT @s_w_a_m_: Best #Brexit cartoon ever! pic.twitter.com/Q1ftWCsCQj. Anyone know who the cartoonist is?— Global Cartoons (@globalcartoons) November 14, 2018

    .@roweafr's latest cartoon. For more: https://t.co/vCIdUM1Lbb #Brexit pic.twitter.com/yINgCtFTty— Financial Review (@FinancialReview) November 15, 2018

    • ianmac 11.1
      22 November 2018 at 8:50 pm

      Magnificent Joe. And I sort of understood the principle. Wow. Tomorrow???
      A major shift in production of Energy? Wow again!
      “The ion age of flight
      The ionic wind that powers the plane is generated by electroaerodynamics. An electric field ionizes atoms and molecules in the ambient fluid – such as nitrogen molecules in air – and then accelerates them by Coulomb force. The accelerated ions then couple their momentum with other neutral atoms or molecules they collide with, and this gives rise to the ionic wind.”

    • Draco T Bastard 11.2
      22 November 2018 at 9:03 pm

      It’s practical only if it’s more efficient. In other words, uses less power to achieve the same speed/height while lifting the same mass.

      How much power did that little plane of his use compared to sticking a couple of electric motors on it?
      Is there any way that he can see to make it all more efficient?

      • joe90 11.2.1
        22 November 2018 at 9:12 pm

        The Nature link in the article goes to the full paper

        • Draco T Bastard 11.2.1.1
          22 November 2018 at 9:47 pm

          Thanks.

          At 2.56% efficiency I don’t see this ever working.

          • Draco T Bastard 11.2.1.1.1
            22 November 2018 at 10:03 pm

            I just imagined this flying through some clouds…

            Yeah, it didn’t end happily.

          • Graeme 11.2.1.1.2
            22 November 2018 at 10:30 pm

            “At 2.56% efficiency”

            That’s about where jet engines where with Whittle”s first running engine. There’s potential there.

            • Draco T Bastard 11.2.1.1.2.1
              23 November 2018 at 12:36 am

              Power Jets

              Power Jets W.2/700: Improved version of W.2/500 with important changes to the compressor impeller, diffuser and blower casing. Finally attained Whittle’s aim of 80% efficiency at a pressure ratio of 4:1.

              That’s the W2 but even the WU seems to have had far better efficiency than that.

              And the reason why I don’t see this ever working is because I see noway to actually improve it. It’s a wire exciting air around it that’s then dragged backwards by an opposite charge. The only way to improve it is to try and excite more air with the same power flow and I just don’t see that happening without an increase in mechanical structure that will decrease efficiency through increased drag.

    • DJ Ward 11.3
      22 November 2018 at 9:48 pm

      Great toy.
      The reality is the losses will be to great as far too many electrons will be lost without doing work, in regards to providing work.

      This idea has a long history with on table floating devices often portrayed as stated in the video as anti gravity devices. Well researched as a dead end including in the zero point energy field.

      However I do give this guy top marks for what he has achieved.

      Braco T Bastards comment is a good one.

      Electric motors can get to 95% efficient then blades will have an efficiency as well. I doubt this system could match that. The area of reactive wings look huge so frictions an issue. Also speed of the vehicle will be limited by the gas flow speed. Energy will be lost as energising atoms increases their temperature. Lastly this is similar to a fan pointed at a sail on a boat.

      The real hope is just as in energy multiplying heat pumps, electricity based jet engines can be made to work.

      Also this should not be confused with Ion engines. Which are presently the best in space, spaceship engines.

  12. Pete 12
    22 November 2018 at 8:15 pm

    Northland MP Matt King gets to feature. Fancy that.

    He’s the MP who has to go around grizzling about the lack of infrastructure in the region and making big nosies about nothing being done to improve things.

    The arrogant sod probably can’t count the number of years his party has had the MPs in Northland and been the Government.

    His picture, pure and simple, is a parody.

  13. marty mars 13
    22 November 2018 at 8:24 pm

    We get plenty of this in comments on this site. Always makes me laugh.

    Karen Watson probably refers to herself as an “expat” but, in reality, she is a British immigrant living in France.

    Watson, an immigrant, hates immigrants and longs for the days when immigrants like her didn’t move to rural areas of France like the one where she lives as an immigrant…

    The same Twitter user, Otto English, went on to explain Watson’s views.

    “Karen is a product of BRITISH exceptionalism. The sort of thinking where English people are never foreigners and immigrants are brown. Is it her fault? No. It’s been fed to her and reinforced,” he said.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12164538

  14. marty mars 14
    22 November 2018 at 8:35 pm

    Truth stranger than fiction.

    Facebook admitted on Wednesday that a top executive hired a public relations firm to attack George Soros and undermine critics by publicizing their association with the billionaire Jewish philanthropist.

    https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/nov/21/facebook-admits-definers-pr-george-soros-critics-sandberg-zuckerberg

    • joe90 14.1
      22 November 2018 at 8:48 pm

      Zuckerberg’s only concern is his bottom line.

      The seeds of Zuckerberg’s corporate strategy—act first, apologize later—were also evident in those early days. Back in 2003, after a massive backlash to Facemash, a sophomore Zuck explained in an e-mail to The Crimson why he was taking down the site. “I understood that some parts were still a little sketchy and I wanted some more time to think about whether or not this was really appropriate to release to the Harvard community,” he wrote, shortly before he was called before Harvard’s administrative board and accused of violating data security, copyrights, and individual privacy. “Issues about violating people’s privacy don’t seem to be surmountable,” he continued. “I’m not willing to risk insulting anyone.” At around the same time, according to chat logs that have since surfaced, Zuckerberg told a friend over instant messenger that he had over 4,000 e-mails, pictures, and addresses of people who had signed up for an early version of thefacebook.com. When the friend asked how Zuckerberg got that information, he replied: “people just submitted it; i don’t know why; they ‘trust me’; dumb fucks.”

      https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/11/mark-zuckerberg-has-never-cared-about-your-privacy

  15. Morrissey 15
    22 November 2018 at 8:44 pm

    Meanwhile, at Kiwiblog, posters are trashing Jamal Khashoggi
    and loudly endorsing Trump’s support for Murdermostfoul bin Salman

    https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2018/11/translating_trump.html/comment-page-1#comment-2363759

    • Draco T Bastard 15.1
      22 November 2018 at 9:08 pm

      Can’t say that I’m surprised. Authoritarians always side with their leaders and will defend any and all atrocious behaviour done by them.

    • Pete 15.2
      22 November 2018 at 10:09 pm

      Jamal Khashoggi is a bastard. He split his blood on their precious carpet. I hope they send the cleaning bill to his estate.

      (Just pretending to be a Kiwiblogger.)

  16. ianmac 16
    22 November 2018 at 9:03 pm

    Was this discussed today?
    “The case of Czech drug-smuggler Karel Sroubek is expected to be back with Immigration New Zealand on time tomorrow, his lawyer has confirmed…..
    …Wicks was hopeful of a response from Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway within a week.

    He declined to comment on the findings by INZ contained in the file or what the outcome could be.”
    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12164449

  17. Draco T Bastard 17
    22 November 2018 at 9:07 pm

    Sperm whale found dead with 13 pounds of plastic in its stomach

    A dead sperm whale that washed ashore in eastern Indonesia had consumed a horrifying collection of plastic trash, including 115 drinking cups, 25 plastic bags, plastic bottles, two flip-flops and a bag containing more than 1,000 pieces of string.

    In all, the plastic contents of the whale’s stomach weighed 13.2 pound (six kilograms).

    “Although we have not been able to deduce the cause of death, the facts that we see are truly awful,” Dwi Suprati, a marine conservation coordinator at World Wildlife Fund Indonesia told the Associated Press.

    And that is why we need to do something about plastic use and recycling. This stuff shouldn’t be in the seas at all.

    Also, I’m wondering if the flip-flps came with the wearer.

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    Stuck In The Middle With You: As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • A clear warning
    The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...
    Buzz  from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example.  This shows National down ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Listening To The Traffic.
    It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 days ago

  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago

  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago

  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago

  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    5 days ago

  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
    Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago

  • Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...
    Buzz from the Beehive   Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago

  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago

  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Pharmac Chair appointed
    Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.  “Every day, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.    “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
    Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service.  It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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