What the hell? Mahuta introduces 130 pages of changes to three waters after it passes.
“There are a significant number of amendments to that prior bill – changing the definition of stormwater which takes all road water networks out of stormwater; significant strengthening around some of the Māori elements along with expectations around the Treaty and the commitments of the CEOs [of the water entities]; the provision for charging for water services; and a significant sway of regulatory or compliance amendments,” Watts said.
Craig H you mustn't give PS insider information like that away.
Ministers do everything in their portfolios. PM does everything as well as driving trucks to restock supermarket shelves in times of shortage such as in the times of lockdown with Covid plus the actual physical shelf stocking. At least she was blamed for shortages at the time. .
Ministers are responsible for ensuring legislation passed through the house does not have '130 pages of amendments' required to a bill that 'just passed'. It's sloppy lawmaking. But heh the entire history of Mahuta's stewardship of 3 Waters has been 'sloppy', at best.
I am sure with your vast experience of working in the PCO's office etc and looking at the passage of bills through the house you will be well placed to comment on the stewardship of the Three Waters Bills through the House: not.
The Herald had to provide balance of some sort despite probably rather not having to by quoting
'A Government spokeswoman said the next bill “adds to the Waters Services Entities Act by setting out the detailed functions and powers of the entities. These amendments are largely technical and administrative in nature.
“The scale of this reform programme is significant and complex. Because of this, it requires separate Bills to deal with different matters.
“At the end of the whole parliamentary process, the legislation will be brought back together to stand up the Water Services Entities to provide drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services to New Zealand by 1 July 2024,” the spokeswoman said.
She said the Government had signalled there would be multiple bills, publicly and to the select committee.'
I think the RMA was divided into several Bills to assist passage through the house, or it was a large environmental bill that went through at the time.
The best and main point is though do we want the best legislation or not? I would be thinking the 'best' and what better time to achieve this than when the Bills are still 'live'.
On the Herald itself and its coverage Bryan Gould comments here
'With news coverage as biased as this from our leading newspaper, what chance do we have of operating an effective and working democracy?'
I class The Herald as one of the screechers like Mike Hosking.
Back in the day I used to get The Herald and it followed me on subscription to various places in NZ. It used to have a reputation as being a bit behind the eight ball, a little bit old fashioned 'Granny' being the nickname, but has changed to being strident and screechy. I got it as my 'local' to get local news/doings/real estate. At the time I got it on sub no-one really got it for the quality of its political analysis.
It is a pity that in trying to expand its national political coverage it has opted to be less than what is needed as a functioning member of the Fourth Estate.
“The scale of this reform programme is significant and complex. Because of this, it requires separate Bills to deal with different matters."
Except that this latest bill did much more than that. It was "mainly (be) a series of amendments to the second bill.". Why are such amendments due so soon after the original legislation was passed? Why could those 'amendments' not have been included in the original legislation?
The Minister has managed the 3waters program poorly, and this, more than any media coverage, has contributed to the significant public distaste for 3waters.
Watts agreed that the fact there would be multiple bills is nothing new – however, he said the Government had not been transparent about the fact this bill, the third bill in the Three Waters reform process, would mainly be a series of amendments to the second bill. [my italics]
From a cursory look at the Bill, it would seem that Watts was indeed politicking and grandstanding (aka making up shit), as suspected.
Of course he was politicking. Doesn't change a thing.
"There are a significant number of amendments to that prior bill – changing the definition of stormwater which takes all road water networks out of stormwater; significant strengthening around some of the Māori elements along with expectations around the Treaty and the commitments of the CEOs [of the water entities]; the provision for charging for water services; and a significant sway of regulatory or compliance amendments,” Watts said.
The "detailed functions and powers of the entities" should have been in the original Water Services Entities Act.
A matter of opinion. Amendments are natural part of Bills, just look at how many other amendments are in this new Bill. Three Waters reforms were always going to comprise several Bills. Watts is spinning a narrative rather than doing his job as SC member and MP, which is so typical of Nat MPs: whinge & whine but offer nothing much of substance. I can see the appeal to you because you simply are anti-Three Waters no matter what and your comments are self-serving without substance.
Interesting. Can you think of a bill that introduced amendments to an Act passed just hours before? Of course there will be plenty of examples in which a Bill was changed days before being passed into law (including a notable example recently by this same Minister). But just hours after?
Actually Td I am not sure that you are onto a point at all.
In my summation of what can happen when bills go through I think the Minister has been blessed with a good department that is following the changes made, worked out if they have implications for clauses passed or to come and they have put forward amendments on the way through. Bear in mind that this was a very complex Bill, quite confusing with amdts/counteramdts and being part of an omnibus set of legislation.
You are buying into the idea that this is
a) unusual
b) worthy of condemnation
from the statement of a new Nat MP (2 years in) who has no prior, ie in terms of previous work, legislative drafting experience, and no in house parliamentary experience in legal drafting.
He may have been on the select committee but does not seem to have kept his eyes open and absorbed what is going on. I would have thought that a member of the select cttee would have been well aware of the Dept'l workload, the huge amount of work put in by PCO & dept'l staff and of the changes that had gone though to make this workload.
(bearing in mind that select cttee members and dept'l staff usually get to be on close terms because of the work they do together.)
I actually think he would have done better to have congratulated the select cttee on the work they had done, commented that it is not done yet and work awaits if he needed to say anything at all.
Saying stuff like this just shows him to be a bit of a 'cock', dick, dork (take your pick, excuse the French). People who know how things work will be saying just that while those who don't know how things work will be saying 'shock, horror did you hear what he said….?'
He is just grandstanding or politicking as Incognito has said.
"and they have put forward amendments on the way through."
A sound legislative process would be one in which said amendments were made to the legislation as that legislation passed through the various stages of the house. Not hours after it passed into law.
Bear in mind that this was a very complex Bill, quite confusing with amdts/counteramdts and being part of an omnibus set of legislation."
Yes and I would argue that places an even greater responsibility on those responsible for the legislation to get it right.
"You are buying into the idea that this is
a) unusual
b) worthy of condemnation"
Assuming by 'this' you mean making changes to a law within hours of it passing:
a) I would expect it is highly unusual, otherwise there would be a pattern of very poor practice. But I will wait for any other examples to be provided.
b) It is certainly worthy of criticism. The entire passage of the 3Waters proposal has been tardy. Just three examples are the infantile advertising that had to be cut short, the deception around the opt out, and the potentially 'constitutionally damaging' attempt to entrench public ownership. I could give plenty more examples, and almost all will fall at the feet of the Minister. This is just the latest example.
I know that this idea of 'sloppiness' is your opinion and you are entitled to it.
Hopefully though it has not been formed by the likes of the article that Anker linked to from the Herald. The article mentioned a Nat MP that they had obviously asked to comment on the 'shock, horror' expose about the amendments.
Simon Watts came into parliament in 2020 and therefore has no experince in shepherding legislation through the house from early stages to enactment. If say the Herald has got someone on the Nats side who had experience in legislation of the size and complexity of the Three Waters legislation then perhaps there would have been a point.
But as it is we have commentary breathlessly quoted from the Herald from a person who has had no relevant experience. There is no measure to say if 130 pages is more than usual, less than usual or about average.
As you have always listene to what I have to say even though we mostly would disagree, I can only give you my experiences from the departmental side and the Ministers office advisory side of two pieces of legislation where I did have some sort of experience at the stage where Three Waters is now..
Of course in many Govt depts our whole whole work lives are spent looking at legislation, amendments, writing technical policy etc about the legislation. Mine mostly was.
Anyway back to what happens that could cause 130 pages of amendments
1 the draft legislation would have come itoot parliament via PCO/legal departmental officers often many months before
2 clause are drafted to work within each other and with other parts of the bill.
3 after it has been introduced, referred to select committees, come back into the house, changed at various stages some of these clause don't work within themselves or with each other as well as they had before. This is even with the best legislative brains in the business looking at it. PCO are the best legal drafting brains.
4 the reason for this is usually time pressures.
5 once the legislation goes back to the department then the best subject matter experts will have a look and say well even though it is well drafted it will have ramifications for this section or that section and these will need to have changes made.
6 the worst case scenario is that a section is amended somewhere and that further down the track we find that a whole part of an act cannot actually work.
7 Of course everybody is working like beavers to make sure this doesn't happen, huge long hours are worked both at PCO level and departmental level. With legislation going through it was not unusual for PCO/Minister's offices and departmental legal and subject matter experts to work all day & night with minimal breaks. Having meetings at 11.00pm etc to discuss wording being surprised at one of these meetings to suddenly have the PM appear, concerned about a clause.
8 Suggestions for amendments can come from other MPs with legal drafting experience and from members of the select committees from all sides of the house.
9 This all takes time
10 So it gets enacted, and remembering there was a giant mix-up because of the entrenchment clauses lodged by Eugenie Sage.
11 So something final comes back to the department and subject matter experts look at the final product…….there may be unexpected clashes etc with other parts of bills to come, with existing legislation etc etc.
12 they will bring these to the attention of the Minister. When we did this we usually advised if we could live with the unexpected or not. If not what was the urgency in getting it fixed? Would a fix be controversial?
13 In this case because there are still parts to come and because some are urgent and some are 'well we may as well clarify while we can' they would have all gone up.
14 In our department just days after legislation had been enacted we would be starting a file series to cover amendments to it that may arise in the future. Depending how urgent and the legislative programmes these might get in the following year or in ten years time by which case they would be joined by 50 or so other proposed amendments.
So I don't think you can say that this is sloppy, in fact it is usual
As I have said you have your opinion about Hon Mahuta's handling.
Bearing mind the hugely complex bill, treading new ground I think as a Minister shepherding legislation through she is easily on a par with Minister's who have dealt with similar legislation.
In common parlance I think she 'is across' her portfolio, she would probably be able to give a commentary on some of the minutiae at the drop of a hat.
I know the two Ministers I worked for (Nat/Lab) were able to converse at length on various aspects on legislation they had got through the House. One even gave a speech on it without notes on a complicated piece of legislation from the portfolio!
Sorry for the length and again for being harsh about your opinion.
Hi S. I’ve only just seen this reply, and I really do appreciate the care you’ve taken in your response.
My view on the media is simply that editorial is the place for expressing opinion, and all other reporting should be presenting facts, without fear or favour. But I’m a dinosaur, and I have learned from personal experience that what sells is what gets printed in most cases.
Ha ha imagine how happy we would be with our media printing facts and editorials or guest comments providing the opinion.
Mind you NZ Herald has always been a bit Nat oriented per editorial stance…what seems to have changed is that the articles seem to reflect this and do not present an all sides view.
And to be simple we need all the sides so we can have good opinions, whatever they may be.
Happy New Year to you too TD……looking forward to seeing your opinions as we go forward.
Indeed, that has long been my assessment of her too Robert. She is vastly under-rated but it is to be expected since she is Maori and has a moko. Something else that is underrated is the high level of racism that exists in NZ – not that the offenders ever admit to it.
"Clearly a conscientious perfectionist". That's your best line yet. Pure gold. Passed that on to a few people here and they still haven't stopped laughing!
The folk you list are more sneerers than laughers, so I'm guessing Jester's crowd are either patients in an institution, or stoned; the sort of people who would laugh at length at a piece of string wriggling.
None were farmers that I know of. A couple of plumbers, an electrician, a builder, a lawyer, a few retail workers and some uni students. Just average people.
Yes I'm sure there were some Nat voters among them as roughly 37% of people vote Nats?
And ironically, nearly half of them were Maori (or partly). So I don't think they would be anti Maori.
But it's funny how you play the race card saying 'anti Maori people' (just like those that argue Efeso lost to Brown because of his colour, nothing to do with the fact they wanted change or thought Brown would get more done).
That Bill was introduced on 8 Dec and had its First Reading on 13 Dec. Why the whinge about it on pretty much the last day before people go on holiday? Who’s playing political games here?
Note how Granny Herald (organ of the colonial settler regime) reports every political story through a National Party lens. They could have gone to the source and asked Mahuta herself.
Tsk tsk tsk, electric car are the greenest thing for environmentally minded personz and peoplez in the parts of the world were we refuse to mine or drill because mining and drilling destroys the the environment and pollution is for poor countries, not us civilized western first world countries.. Now tell the anxious consuming masses that they should buy another battery driven gadget, replace that barely one year old communication device, get that government money for that E-car, and feel 100% green and clean and it keeps the economy going and it brings in GST and sales taxes. Woot Woot. Feel good. Feel Green. Feel Clean in your 50+ Grand vehicle. After all, what else is to life then spending money on shit no one actually needs.
Hard to find a more nauseating sight than 400 or so stupid yanks in a room all clapping like seals but there it was ….again !! just like the 'Juan Guido ' episode with Donald Trump presiding where exactly the same wierd scenes played out .
Those 400 yanks from 'both sides of the isle ' who ordinarily cant agree on anything !! yet have no trouble voting for endless war .This year its apparently more than a trillion dollars for its military not including what its spending in Ukraine .
Funniest moment is where one of the senators declares "
they're gonna track down an find out who wasnt clapping "!!!You couldnt make it up !!Ikiest moment is where zelensky kisses Nancy !! eeewww !!
Perhaps if u had half a clue of the actual subject roblogic and an appreciation of what was actually available to inform you on MSM you'd think differently but i see youre content just to go with the mob ie Zelensky is "churchilian "the Ukrainians are winning and if you dont clap its the end of the world as we know it etc etc etc …whateva ..the world will spin for a few more revolutions yet hopefully
Your reply is completely out of context to my original comment roblogic it was specifically about a room full of supposedly intelligent and very important people in AMERICA who were clapping " like seals" in other words because everybody else was clapping .The thing looked like a movie because thats exactly what it was the movie directors were 'setting the scene ' they were selling a war !
Tucker Carlson just exposed a few parts of the action afaik the only news anchor in MSM to do so and i take my hat off to him for doing so .
incidentally i could find you a hundred links detailing Ukrainian transgressions of human rights but i suggest you find them yourself war is hell on both sides of the conflict .
Now comes the claim that you can't expect to literally believe the words that come out of Carlson's mouth. And that assertion is not coming from Carlson's critics. It's being made by a federal judge in the Southern District of New York and by Fox News's own lawyers in defending Carlson against accusations of slander. It worked, by the way.
Just read U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil's opinion, leaning heavily on the arguments of Fox's lawyers: The "'general tenor' of the show should then inform a viewer that [Carlson] is not 'stating actual facts' about the topics he discusses and is instead engaging in 'exaggeration' and 'non-literal commentary.' "
Yeah i noticed that back when the story first came out , its a weird scene to be sure its America !! But just because Tucker appears to fuck up in this case does'nt negate his input to news for all time it just reemphasizes what we have always known ie caveat emptor .
American isolationism may have reached its zenith on 1940, when a group of Congress members and influential private citizens, headed by already-famed aviator Charles A. Lindbergh, formed the America First Committee (AFC) with the specific goal of preventing America from becoming involved in World War II then being waged in Europe and Asia.
When the AFC first convened on September 4, 1940, Lindbergh told the gathering that while isolationism did not mean walling off America from contact with the rest of the world, “it does mean that the future of America will not be tied to these eternal wars in Europe. It means that American boys will not be sent across the ocean to die so that England or Germany or France or Spain may dominate the other nations.”
“An independent American destiny means, on the one hand, that our soldiers will not have to fight everybody in the world who prefers some other system of life to ours. On the other hand, it means that we will fight anybody and everybody who attempts to interfere with our hemisphere,”
And if you follow Peter Zeihan, you will have heard his detailed argument that this same isolationist spirit has been gradually re-asserting itself in the US since the end of the Cold War. Obviously events like Iraq and Afghanistan ran counter to this narrative, but the undercurrent has been growing steadily. It perhaps had it's most recent and visible manifestation, in Biden's precipitous and disastrously handled withdrawal from Afghanistan, and quite likely played into Poots equally disastrous miscalculation that NATO would not care too much about Ukraine.
Carlson is giving modern voice to this very American sentiment – why should they pay in blood and treasure for wars being fought on the other side of the planet? But then reality came to visit:
After growing to over 800,000 members, the AFC disbanded on December 11, 1941, less than a week after the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In its final press release, the Committee stated that while its efforts might have prevented it, the Pearl Harbor attack made it the duty of all Americans to support the war effort to defeat Nazism and the Axis powers.
His mind and heart changed, Lindbergh flew more than 50 combat missions in the Pacific theater as a civilian, and after the war, traveled throughout Europe helping with the U.S. military rebuild and revitalize the continent.
Both Lindbergh and Carlson are best understood in the light of this very old pattern of American thinking, born of their fight for independence from colonial empires, and fostered by a geography that literally isolates them by two oceans and grants them the option to decouple economically from much of the rest of the world if they so needed to.
But events always prove the basis of this thinking to be wrong – deluded at worst. Lindbergh to his credit changed his mind; it remains to be seen what Carlson's future holds.
There is another aspect, Tucker Carlson is in synch with the notion of a white race religion, heritage and cultural order, one that he sees Putin as part of. Even to the point of dismissing any priority to a collective defence of democratic nations. Which is only a few steps away from acceptance of doing bad things to secure domestic political victory for the GOP.
Japan attacking US homeland (50 state) territory crossed even the isolationists redline (and Hitler declared war on the USA afterwards), and of course they were in full support of a containment of Soviet communism, in defence of private ownership etc.
Well yes. Carlson is a social conservative as is much of Russian society. But it is possible to be anti-woke and yet anti-imperialist at the same time and this war is going to leave him exposed on the wrong side of history.
I think this is because Carlson represents an essentially backward looking conservatism; that lacking a positive vision for the future, clings instead to a selectively rosy view of the past. He is far from alone in this.
You reckon ? Imo the exact opposite is true , like a good deal of the information coming out of this war , casualty figures for example the line about a lie going right around the world before the truth has got its boots on has never been more apt .
Jeepers seems like not a very good fit comparing Lindbergh and Carlson red i mean Carlson just comes across to me as a salesman he's just selling fox news to the world and undoubtedly making huge money in the process i dunno how much he makes but i remember hearing that that lunatic Maddow was making 30mil annually for the four years she peddled the Russiagate hoax .
To me Tucker Carlson steps away from the 'official narrative ' just long enough for me to notice additionally he interviews people the rest of MSM considers persona non grata . I think thats a good thing .
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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. ...
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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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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? ...
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 → ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – 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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
Open access notablesIce 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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket 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 ...
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 ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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). ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
Responding to the long-awaited release of judges’ special allowances, including free air travel and hotels for spouses, generous sabbaticals, and access to limousines, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Alex Murphy said: “In what world does your employer ...
Analysis - The United States has unveiled plans to boost the weapons trade with Australia and the UK, on the same day that Winston Peters is expected to sketch NZ's position on AUKUS. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Carson, Professor of Political Communication, Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University Since Australia’s First Nations Voice to Parliament referendum in October 2023, diverse commentaries have sought to explain why it failed. But what does an analysis of media ...
Lawyers representing two iwi as well as the Māori Women’s Welfare League on Wednesday asked the Court of Appeal to overturn last week’s High Court decision on the Waitangi Tribunal’s decision to summons Children’s Minister Karen Chhour. The Tribunal is currently investigating the Government’s decision to repeal section 7AA of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will introduce legislation to ban deepfake pornography and provide more funding for the eSafety Commission to pilot age-assurance technologies. The contribution of internet sites to gender-based violence was one major issue ...
Average ordinary time hourly earnings, as measured by the Quarterly Employment Survey (QES), increased 5.2 percent in the year to the March 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. Annual wage cost inflation, as measured by the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dimitrios Salampasis, FinTech Capability Lead | Senior Lecturer, Emerging Technologies and FinTech, Swinburne University of Technology Clem Onojeghuo/Unsplash In the digital era, the job market is increasingly becoming a minefield – demanding and difficult to navigate. According to the Australian Bureau ...
As of the March 2024 quarter, we can now look back on 20 years of data related to youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET), as collected by the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS), according to figures released by Stats NZ today. "The ...
Thousands of workers attended public events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch today to celebrate International Workers’ Day (May Day), but union representatives are urging caution and vigilance over the Government’s blatantly "anti-worker" ...
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in the March 2024 quarter, compared with 4.0 percent in the previous quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. ...
The PSA is warning the Government that the sensitive information of New Zealanders held by various agencies will fall into the wrong hands if the latest round of proposed cuts goes ahead. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Talitha Best, Professor of Psychology, CQUniversity Australia Victoria Rodriguez/Unsplash How do sugar rushes work? – W.H, age nine, from Canberra What a terrific question W.H! Let’s explore this, starting with some of the basics. What is sugar? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karinna Saxby, Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne MART PRODUCTION/Pexels Increasing income support could help keep women and children safe according to new work demonstrating strong links between financial insecurity and domestic violence. ...
ANALYSIS:By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark A Gregory, Associate Professor, School of Engineering, RMIT University The telecommunications industry faces a major shakeup following the release of the post-incident report on last November’s 12-hour Optus outage. Telecommunications companies will have to share more information with customers during future ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoa’s booksellers. This week: Eden Denyer, bookseller at Unity Books Auckland.Weirdest question/request you’ve had on the shop floorA mother came in looking for anything we might have on Alaskan bison as that was her little boy’s ...
NZCTU Economist Craig Renney said new data released by Statistics New Zealand shows the need for Government to act now, with unemployment rising from 3.4% to 4.3%. ...
The outpouring of anger over Maiki Sherman’s hyperbolic presentation of this week’s ‘nightmare’ poll is itself an overreaction, argues Stewart Sowman-Lund. Politicians love nothing more than to pretend they don’t care about polls. This week, deputy prime minister Winston Peters said he didn’t give a “rat’s derriere” about a TVNZ ...
Asia Pacific Report Ngāti Kahungunu in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay region has become the first indigenous Māori iwi (tribe) to sign a resolution calling for a “ceasefire in Palestine”, reports Te Ao Māori News. Reporter Te Aniwaniwa Paterson talked to Te Otāne Huata, who has been organising peace rallies ...
By Dale Luma in Port Moresby “We want grants and not concessional loans,” is the crisp message from Papua New Guinea businesses directly affected by the Black Wednesday looting four months ago. The businesses, which lost millions after the January 10 rioting and looting, say they need grants as part ...
Happy May Day. Join a union. Q: What’s worse than a staff break room where the only place to sit and have a cup of tea is on a teetering stack of old pornography magazines? A: Your boss replacing the magazine stacks with chairs that are “heartily encrusted with ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Former opposition leader Matthew Wale has been announced as the second prime ministerial candidate ahead of the election in Solomon Islands tomorrow. He will face off against former foreign affairs minister Jeremiah Manele, who was announced by the Coalition for National Unity and Transformation ...
We get but one birthday a year – why not make it last as long as possible by scheduling as many meals with friends and family as you can? This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. How do you celebrate your birthday? Do you celebrate at ...
A Koi Tū discussion paper released today proposes sweeping changes to New Zealand’s media industry. The principal’s key author, Gavin Ellis, explains how journalists have a key role to play in making others value their role in society. This is an abridged version of a piece first published on knightlyviews.com ...
The Government’s spending cuts are again targeting support for Māori with proposed reform of the agency charged with advising on Māori wellbeing and development. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Douglas, Honorary Senior Lecturer, UNSW Aviation., UNSW Sydney The history of budget jet airlines in Australia is a long road littered with broken dreams. New entrants have consistently struggled to get a foothold. Low-cost carrier Bonza has just become the industry’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rosalind Dixon, Director, Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, UNSW Sydney Australia is finally having a sustained conversation about violence against women and what we can do about it. It is more than time. Australian women and girls continue to experience ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne stockfour/Shutterstock Preliminary bulk billing data released this week shows a 2.1% rise in bulk billing up to March. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Schulz, Senior Lecturer, University of Adelaide Australia is once again grappling with how we can stop gendered violence in our country. Protests over the weekend show there is enormous community anger over the number of women who are dying and National ...
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https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/three-waters-nanaia-mahuta-introduces-130-pages-of-changes-to-a-law-hours-after-passing-it/23EV4NZJ4RC37L3HSKOYDNH5FE/
What the hell? Mahuta introduces 130 pages of changes to three waters after it passes.
“There are a significant number of amendments to that prior bill – changing the definition of stormwater which takes all road water networks out of stormwater; significant strengthening around some of the Māori elements along with expectations around the Treaty and the commitments of the CEOs [of the water entities]; the provision for charging for water services; and a significant sway of regulatory or compliance amendments,” Watts said.
Fine-tuning. Clearly a conscientious perfectionist, intent on forging the very best bill possible.
Good on her.
Nanaia Muhuta is an intelligent, hard-working, sincere person, perfectly suited to the role she has been assigned.
‘Fine tuning’? After all the time she’s had to write this legislation? I don’t think so.
I have my doubts that the Minister actually personally drafted the legislation…
Craig H you mustn't give PS insider information like that away.
Ministers do everything in their portfolios. PM does everything as well as driving trucks to restock supermarket shelves in times of shortage such as in the times of lockdown with Covid plus the actual physical shelf stocking. At least she was blamed for shortages at the time. .
Ministers are responsible for ensuring legislation passed through the house does not have '130 pages of amendments' required to a bill that 'just passed'. It's sloppy lawmaking. But heh the entire history of Mahuta's stewardship of 3 Waters has been 'sloppy', at best.
I am sure with your vast experience of working in the PCO's office etc and looking at the passage of bills through the house you will be well placed to comment on the stewardship of the Three Waters Bills through the House: not.
The Herald had to provide balance of some sort despite probably rather not having to by quoting
'A Government spokeswoman said the next bill “adds to the Waters Services Entities Act by setting out the detailed functions and powers of the entities. These amendments are largely technical and administrative in nature.
“The scale of this reform programme is significant and complex. Because of this, it requires separate Bills to deal with different matters.
“At the end of the whole parliamentary process, the legislation will be brought back together to stand up the Water Services Entities to provide drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services to New Zealand by 1 July 2024,” the spokeswoman said.
She said the Government had signalled there would be multiple bills, publicly and to the select committee.'
I think the RMA was divided into several Bills to assist passage through the house, or it was a large environmental bill that went through at the time.
The best and main point is though do we want the best legislation or not? I would be thinking the 'best' and what better time to achieve this than when the Bills are still 'live'.
On the Herald itself and its coverage Bryan Gould comments here
https://bryangould.com/theherald-a-joke/
He concludes:
'With news coverage as biased as this from our leading newspaper, what chance do we have of operating an effective and working democracy?'
I class The Herald as one of the screechers like Mike Hosking.
Back in the day I used to get The Herald and it followed me on subscription to various places in NZ. It used to have a reputation as being a bit behind the eight ball, a little bit old fashioned 'Granny' being the nickname, but has changed to being strident and screechy. I got it as my 'local' to get local news/doings/real estate. At the time I got it on sub no-one really got it for the quality of its political analysis.
It is a pity that in trying to expand its national political coverage it has opted to be less than what is needed as a functioning member of the Fourth Estate.
“The scale of this reform programme is significant and complex. Because of this, it requires separate Bills to deal with different matters."
Except that this latest bill did much more than that. It was "mainly (be) a series of amendments to the second bill.". Why are such amendments due so soon after the original legislation was passed? Why could those 'amendments' not have been included in the original legislation?
The Minister has managed the 3waters program poorly, and this, more than any media coverage, has contributed to the significant public distaste for 3waters.
From a cursory look at the Bill, it would seem that Watts was indeed politicking and grandstanding (aka making up shit), as suspected.
https://legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2022/0210/latest/whole.html#LMS794055
As a member of the responsible Select Committee he was probably also complaining that he’s in over his head because these Bills are hugely complex.
Of course he was politicking. Doesn't change a thing.
"There are a significant number of amendments to that prior bill – changing the definition of stormwater which takes all road water networks out of stormwater; significant strengthening around some of the Māori elements along with expectations around the Treaty and the commitments of the CEOs [of the water entities]; the provision for charging for water services; and a significant sway of regulatory or compliance amendments,” Watts said.
The "detailed functions and powers of the entities" should have been in the original Water Services Entities Act.
A matter of opinion. Amendments are natural part of Bills, just look at how many other amendments are in this new Bill. Three Waters reforms were always going to comprise several Bills. Watts is spinning a narrative rather than doing his job as SC member and MP, which is so typical of Nat MPs: whinge & whine but offer nothing much of substance. I can see the appeal to you because you simply are anti-Three Waters no matter what and your comments are self-serving without substance.
"Amendments are natural part of Bills…"
Interesting. Can you think of a bill that introduced amendments to an Act passed just hours before? Of course there will be plenty of examples in which a Bill was changed days before being passed into law (including a notable example recently by this same Minister). But just hours after?
Actually Td I am not sure that you are onto a point at all.
In my summation of what can happen when bills go through I think the Minister has been blessed with a good department that is following the changes made, worked out if they have implications for clauses passed or to come and they have put forward amendments on the way through. Bear in mind that this was a very complex Bill, quite confusing with amdts/counteramdts and being part of an omnibus set of legislation.
You are buying into the idea that this is
a) unusual
b) worthy of condemnation
from the statement of a new Nat MP (2 years in) who has no prior, ie in terms of previous work, legislative drafting experience, and no in house parliamentary experience in legal drafting.
He may have been on the select committee but does not seem to have kept his eyes open and absorbed what is going on. I would have thought that a member of the select cttee would have been well aware of the Dept'l workload, the huge amount of work put in by PCO & dept'l staff and of the changes that had gone though to make this workload.
(bearing in mind that select cttee members and dept'l staff usually get to be on close terms because of the work they do together.)
I actually think he would have done better to have congratulated the select cttee on the work they had done, commented that it is not done yet and work awaits if he needed to say anything at all.
Saying stuff like this just shows him to be a bit of a 'cock', dick, dork (take your pick, excuse the French). People who know how things work will be saying just that while those who don't know how things work will be saying 'shock, horror did you hear what he said….?'
He is just grandstanding or politicking as Incognito has said.
"and they have put forward amendments on the way through."
A sound legislative process would be one in which said amendments were made to the legislation as that legislation passed through the various stages of the house. Not hours after it passed into law.
Bear in mind that this was a very complex Bill, quite confusing with amdts/counteramdts and being part of an omnibus set of legislation."
Yes and I would argue that places an even greater responsibility on those responsible for the legislation to get it right.
"You are buying into the idea that this is
a) unusual
b) worthy of condemnation"
Assuming by 'this' you mean making changes to a law within hours of it passing:
a) I would expect it is highly unusual, otherwise there would be a pattern of very poor practice. But I will wait for any other examples to be provided.
b) It is certainly worthy of criticism. The entire passage of the 3Waters proposal has been tardy. Just three examples are the infantile advertising that had to be cut short, the deception around the opt out, and the potentially 'constitutionally damaging' attempt to entrench public ownership. I could give plenty more examples, and almost all will fall at the feet of the Minister. This is just the latest example.
TD my response at 3.40pm 25/12/22 was harsh.
I know that this idea of 'sloppiness' is your opinion and you are entitled to it.
Hopefully though it has not been formed by the likes of the article that Anker linked to from the Herald. The article mentioned a Nat MP that they had obviously asked to comment on the 'shock, horror' expose about the amendments.
Simon Watts came into parliament in 2020 and therefore has no experince in shepherding legislation through the house from early stages to enactment. If say the Herald has got someone on the Nats side who had experience in legislation of the size and complexity of the Three Waters legislation then perhaps there would have been a point.
But as it is we have commentary breathlessly quoted from the Herald from a person who has had no relevant experience. There is no measure to say if 130 pages is more than usual, less than usual or about average.
As you have always listene to what I have to say even though we mostly would disagree, I can only give you my experiences from the departmental side and the Ministers office advisory side of two pieces of legislation where I did have some sort of experience at the stage where Three Waters is now..
Of course in many Govt depts our whole whole work lives are spent looking at legislation, amendments, writing technical policy etc about the legislation. Mine mostly was.
Anyway back to what happens that could cause 130 pages of amendments
1 the draft legislation would have come itoot parliament via PCO/legal departmental officers often many months before
2 clause are drafted to work within each other and with other parts of the bill.
3 after it has been introduced, referred to select committees, come back into the house, changed at various stages some of these clause don't work within themselves or with each other as well as they had before. This is even with the best legislative brains in the business looking at it. PCO are the best legal drafting brains.
4 the reason for this is usually time pressures.
5 once the legislation goes back to the department then the best subject matter experts will have a look and say well even though it is well drafted it will have ramifications for this section or that section and these will need to have changes made.
6 the worst case scenario is that a section is amended somewhere and that further down the track we find that a whole part of an act cannot actually work.
7 Of course everybody is working like beavers to make sure this doesn't happen, huge long hours are worked both at PCO level and departmental level. With legislation going through it was not unusual for PCO/Minister's offices and departmental legal and subject matter experts to work all day & night with minimal breaks. Having meetings at 11.00pm etc to discuss wording being surprised at one of these meetings to suddenly have the PM appear, concerned about a clause.
8 Suggestions for amendments can come from other MPs with legal drafting experience and from members of the select committees from all sides of the house.
9 This all takes time
10 So it gets enacted, and remembering there was a giant mix-up because of the entrenchment clauses lodged by Eugenie Sage.
11 So something final comes back to the department and subject matter experts look at the final product…….there may be unexpected clashes etc with other parts of bills to come, with existing legislation etc etc.
12 they will bring these to the attention of the Minister. When we did this we usually advised if we could live with the unexpected or not. If not what was the urgency in getting it fixed? Would a fix be controversial?
13 In this case because there are still parts to come and because some are urgent and some are 'well we may as well clarify while we can' they would have all gone up.
14 In our department just days after legislation had been enacted we would be starting a file series to cover amendments to it that may arise in the future. Depending how urgent and the legislative programmes these might get in the following year or in ten years time by which case they would be joined by 50 or so other proposed amendments.
So I don't think you can say that this is sloppy, in fact it is usual
As I have said you have your opinion about Hon Mahuta's handling.
Bearing mind the hugely complex bill, treading new ground I think as a Minister shepherding legislation through she is easily on a par with Minister's who have dealt with similar legislation.
In common parlance I think she 'is across' her portfolio, she would probably be able to give a commentary on some of the minutiae at the drop of a hat.
I know the two Ministers I worked for (Nat/Lab) were able to converse at length on various aspects on legislation they had got through the House. One even gave a speech on it without notes on a complicated piece of legislation from the portfolio!
Sorry for the length and again for being harsh about your opinion.
Hi S. I’ve only just seen this reply, and I really do appreciate the care you’ve taken in your response.
My view on the media is simply that editorial is the place for expressing opinion, and all other reporting should be presenting facts, without fear or favour. But I’m a dinosaur, and I have learned from personal experience that what sells is what gets printed in most cases.
Have a thoroughly good new year.
Well I'm joining you in dinosaur land.
Ha ha imagine how happy we would be with our media printing facts and editorials or guest comments providing the opinion.
Mind you NZ Herald has always been a bit Nat oriented per editorial stance…what seems to have changed is that the articles seem to reflect this and do not present an all sides view.
And to be simple we need all the sides so we can have good opinions, whatever they may be.
Happy New Year to you too TD……looking forward to seeing your opinions as we go forward.
Indeed, that has long been my assessment of her too Robert. She is vastly under-rated but it is to be expected since she is Maori and has a moko. Something else that is underrated is the high level of racism that exists in NZ – not that the offenders ever admit to it.
"Clearly a conscientious perfectionist". That's your best line yet. Pure gold. Passed that on to a few people here and they still haven't stopped laughing!
Why?
Is it funny to some people? What kind of people would these be?
Nat voters
Anti Maori people ie prejudiced people?
People who drive tractors with silly signs on them?
We are waiting in anticipation
The folk you list are more sneerers than laughers, so I'm guessing Jester's crowd are either patients in an institution, or stoned; the sort of people who would laugh at length at a piece of string wriggling.
Goodness what a way with words Robert, love it
None were farmers that I know of. A couple of plumbers, an electrician, a builder, a lawyer, a few retail workers and some uni students. Just average people.
So no anti Maori people and no Nat voters?
Though I prefer to think of these contacts of yours as those who wouwith strange senses of humour.
The people I know laugh at things that are really funny like the jokes in Christmas crackers.
Yes I'm sure there were some Nat voters among them as roughly 37% of people vote Nats?
And ironically, nearly half of them were Maori (or partly). So I don't think they would be anti Maori.
But it's funny how you play the race card saying 'anti Maori people' (just like those that argue Efeso lost to Brown because of his colour, nothing to do with the fact they wanted change or thought Brown would get more done).
That Bill was introduced on 8 Dec and had its First Reading on 13 Dec. Why the whinge about it on pretty much the last day before people go on holiday? Who’s playing political games here?
Note how Granny Herald (organ of the colonial settler regime) reports every political story through a National Party lens. They could have gone to the source and asked Mahuta herself.
Twats
And it has not gone unnoticed by Bryan Gould
https://bryangould.com/theherald-a-joke/
Mayor Brown is boosting staff morale.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/130848666/auckland-council-staff-report-mayor-wayne-brown-over-upsetting-comments-in-the-workplace
They make it sound like the first time he has done a job like this, so needs to be instructed.
Perhaps a reminder of his people skills would suffice?
This may be as good as they get, it seems.
It explains his rather bloated team of minders to keep him out of trouble aka don’t give interviews, dodge questions, and engage with staff in lifts.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-government/130719437/auckland-mayor-wayne-brown-pays-four-staff-250k-a-year–as-did-his-predecessor
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-mayor-wayne-brown-earmarks-415k-to-matthew-hooton-and-key-advisors-after-pledge-to-slash-council-salaries/B6AO72ETCVCKNKVVHK75GLBKLY/
Enjoy watching this on your cell phone or Ipad.
Tsk tsk tsk, electric car are the greenest thing for environmentally minded personz and peoplez in the parts of the world were we refuse to mine or drill because mining and drilling destroys the the environment and pollution is for poor countries, not us civilized western first world countries.. Now tell the anxious consuming masses that they should buy another battery driven gadget, replace that barely one year old communication device, get that government money for that E-car, and feel 100% green and clean and it keeps the economy going and it brings in GST and sales taxes. Woot Woot. Feel good. Feel Green. Feel Clean in your 50+ Grand vehicle. After all, what else is to life then spending money on shit no one actually needs.
Hear, hear.
Hard to find a more nauseating sight than 400 or so stupid yanks in a room all clapping like seals but there it was ….again !! just like the 'Juan Guido ' episode with Donald Trump presiding where exactly the same wierd scenes played out .
Those 400 yanks from 'both sides of the isle ' who ordinarily cant agree on anything !! yet have no trouble voting for endless war .This year its apparently more than a trillion dollars for its military not including what its spending in Ukraine .
Funniest moment is where one of the senators declares "
they're gonna track down an find out who wasnt clapping "!!!You couldnt make it up !!Ikiest moment is where zelensky kisses Nancy !! eeewww !!
Tucker nails it
Hard to find a more nauseating sight than a clip of Tucker Carlson 🤮
I couldnt watch him every night but like i said he nails it here and for MSM he quite often does imo
[Please, fix your user name – Incognito]
Mod note
Done
True ‘dat Roblogic and so consistently wrong as well.
You may as well just go baaaa baa baaa shanreagh
lol, says the Fox News viewer
Perhaps if u had half a clue of the actual subject roblogic and an appreciation of what was actually available to inform you on MSM you'd think differently but i see youre content just to go with the mob ie Zelensky is "churchilian "the Ukrainians are winning and if you dont clap its the end of the world as we know it etc etc etc …whateva ..the world will spin for a few more revolutions yet hopefully
War crimes in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine – Wikipedia
Russia accused of war crimes cover-up by razing Ukraine theatre
etc., etc.
Your reply is completely out of context to my original comment roblogic it was specifically about a room full of supposedly intelligent and very important people in AMERICA who were clapping " like seals" in other words because everybody else was clapping .The thing looked like a movie because thats exactly what it was the movie directors were 'setting the scene ' they were selling a war !
Tucker Carlson just exposed a few parts of the action afaik the only news anchor in MSM to do so and i take my hat off to him for doing so .
incidentally i could find you a hundred links detailing Ukrainian transgressions of human rights but i suggest you find them yourself war is hell on both sides of the conflict .
You Literally Can't Believe The Facts Tucker Carlson Tells You. So Say Fox's Lawyers
Not believing facts etc
Yeah i noticed that back when the story first came out , its a weird scene to be sure its America !! But just because Tucker appears to fuck up in this case does'nt negate his input to news for all time it just reemphasizes what we have always known ie caveat emptor .
Easy.
The nauseatingly sinister sight of a white nationalist proclaiming a prominent Jewish politician as having "declared war against Christianity"
A close second is you and your ilk lapping up Carlson's blood libel.
Why dont you just accuse Tucker of being " anti semetic ' joe ? or is that phrase a bit too jaded ,even for you ?
Tucker Carlson has some historic parallels with Charles Lindbergh, another very high profile figure in American history.
Lindbergh was the figurehead of American isolationism in the early 1940's:
And if you follow Peter Zeihan, you will have heard his detailed argument that this same isolationist spirit has been gradually re-asserting itself in the US since the end of the Cold War. Obviously events like Iraq and Afghanistan ran counter to this narrative, but the undercurrent has been growing steadily. It perhaps had it's most recent and visible manifestation, in Biden's precipitous and disastrously handled withdrawal from Afghanistan, and quite likely played into Poots equally disastrous miscalculation that NATO would not care too much about Ukraine.
Carlson is giving modern voice to this very American sentiment – why should they pay in blood and treasure for wars being fought on the other side of the planet? But then reality came to visit:
Both Lindbergh and Carlson are best understood in the light of this very old pattern of American thinking, born of their fight for independence from colonial empires, and fostered by a geography that literally isolates them by two oceans and grants them the option to decouple economically from much of the rest of the world if they so needed to.
But events always prove the basis of this thinking to be wrong – deluded at worst. Lindbergh to his credit changed his mind; it remains to be seen what Carlson's future holds.
There is another aspect, Tucker Carlson is in synch with the notion of a white race religion, heritage and cultural order, one that he sees Putin as part of. Even to the point of dismissing any priority to a collective defence of democratic nations. Which is only a few steps away from acceptance of doing bad things to secure domestic political victory for the GOP.
Japan attacking US homeland (50 state) territory crossed even the isolationists redline (and Hitler declared war on the USA afterwards), and of course they were in full support of a containment of Soviet communism, in defence of private ownership etc.
Well yes. Carlson is a social conservative as is much of Russian society. But it is possible to be anti-woke and yet anti-imperialist at the same time and this war is going to leave him exposed on the wrong side of history.
I think this is because Carlson represents an essentially backward looking conservatism; that lacking a positive vision for the future, clings instead to a selectively rosy view of the past. He is far from alone in this.
" the wrong side of history "
You reckon ? Imo the exact opposite is true , like a good deal of the information coming out of this war , casualty figures for example the line about a lie going right around the world before the truth has got its boots on has never been more apt .
Jeepers seems like not a very good fit comparing Lindbergh and Carlson red i mean Carlson just comes across to me as a salesman he's just selling fox news to the world and undoubtedly making huge money in the process i dunno how much he makes but i remember hearing that that lunatic Maddow was making 30mil annually for the four years she peddled the Russiagate hoax .
To me Tucker Carlson steps away from the 'official narrative ' just long enough for me to notice additionally he interviews people the rest of MSM considers persona non grata . I think thats a good thing .