Dear Greenpeace – difficult cases make bad law

Written By: - Date published: 12:06 pm, July 15th, 2014 - 55 comments
Categories: blogs, climate change, democracy under attack, disaster, global warming, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags: ,

“Difficult cases make bad law” is an old saying I first heard in Law School. The essence is that a case with difficult facts may cause the decision maker to prefer to side with the party who invokes sympathy, rather than the party who may have law and important principles on their side.

I mentioned this saying when I posted previously that I thought Cameron Slater had an arguable case when he complained about a ruling that his website did not qualify as “news media” because no matter how slanted and twisted his site is it does report news, at least of sorts.

Just to make things exquisitely clear I believe that Slater’s treatment of Matt Blomfield has been appalling and I trust that the laws of New Zealand will be enforced without favour and Slater will face the full consequences of what he has done.  But adherence to the rule of law means that you comply with the decisions that don’t go the way you think they should.

This is why Greenpeace’s recent proposals are also causing me problems.

Greenpeace have set this really neat website up called Climate Voter Website which allows individuals to sign up to keep track of parties policies on climate change.  I have signed up myself as the issue is important.  The site aims to “empower climate concerned citizens to use their vote in the September 2014 election to make a difference for the good of present and future generations.”

So far so good.  But the Electoral Commission considers that the website constitutes an “election advertisement” and is therefore subject to a number of legal requirements.  In the Commission’s view Greenpeace should apply for third party registration if it is going to spend more than $12,300 and there is a cap of $308,000 that it can spend during the campaign.  Proceedings are contemplated by Greenpeace seeking a declaration that the website does not breach legal requirements.  The matter is obviously of importance.

Is the site an election advertisement?

Section 3A of the Electoral Act 1993 contains this definition:

3A  Meaning of election advertisement
(1)  In this Act, election advertisement—
(a)  means an advertisement in any medium that may reasonably be regarded as encouraging or persuading voters to do either or both of the following:
(i)  to vote, or not to vote, for a type of candidate described or indicated by reference to views or positions that are, or are not, held or taken (whether or not the name of the candidate is stated):
(ii)  to vote, or not to vote, for a type of party described or indicated by reference to views or positions that are, or are not, held or taken (whether or not the name of the party is stated) …

(2)  None of the following are election advertisements:

(c)  the editorial content of …
(iii)  a publication on a news media Internet site …
(e)  any publication on the Internet, or other electronic medium, of personal political views by an individual who does not make or receive a payment in respect of the publication of those views.

On the face of it the Greenpeace site is trying to persuade voters to vote for parties that will do something about climate change.  How utterly rational and desirable is that?  But persuading voters to support the types of parties that are protective of the environment would appear to qualify under section  3A(1)(a)(2) of the Act in that there will be support expressed in the website a particular type of party, the environmentally protective and sustainable sort.

Do the exceptions apply?  Is the Greenpeace site a news media internet site?

Well possibly.  It is a site that contains information and a description of views although the Electoral Act does not contain a definition of what “news medium” is.

The Evidence Act 2006 does however.  In section 68 “News Medium” is defined as “a medium for the dissemination to the public or a section of the public of news and observations on news”.

But how bizarre is this?  The decision in Cameron Slater’s case which depends on the definition of “news medium” will be of important precedence value to Greenpeace.  Slater is relying on his site being “news media” so that he can protect what he claims is a Journalist’s source.  Greenpeace is hoping that its site is “news media” so that it does not have to register as a third party.  If Slater succeeds then Greenpeace’s claim will be stronger.

Slater has a further problem in that he has to fit within the definition of a “journalist”.  I would be interested if he is “a person who in the normal course of that person’s work may be given information by an informant in the expectation that the information may be published in a news medium”.  If he is currently being paid to do his work then some sort of transparency would be good.

Of course this is not the end of the case for Slater.  The Court can still waive privilege if it believes this to be in the public interest.

As for Greenpeace although my political instincts prefer they do not have to register I wonder about the precedent effect.  Its site does at face value appear to have a different emphasis to Slater’s.  One is high quality and wanting to detail political views of each of the parties.  The other is a cess pit of innuendo and attacks and smears.  It does not feel right that the creator of one should need to be registered and the other is protected but the differences in the emphasis may demand this result.

And to take the argument to its logical extent what if a front organisation set up a comparable website supporting climate denialist parties or parties that believe in chemtrails or that Elvis is still alive and well and living amongst us?  Would we want some transparency about who was behind these sites?

Rather than have different rules for different organisations I prefer that all such websites operate under the same rules.  They should have the backers formally displayed, which the Greenpeace site does, and have a cap on their expenditure.  With the cap at $308,000 I cannot imagine any progressive organisation being impeded in what they want to achieve.

55 comments on “Dear Greenpeace – difficult cases make bad law ”

  1. lprent 1

    I’m with Idiot/Savant on this.

    I think that they clearly should. I really don’t think that the Act leaves them a lot of wiggle room. The intent of the act is pretty clear.

    But again there is that rather irritating use of “news media internet site”. This is an advocacy group, but because they use a bit of cheap bandwidth they can call themselves news media? Surely it is the other way around in this act. You have to show yourself to be news media who have a internet site?

    The term is probably a bit more specific than “news medium”

    • Jackal 1.1

      Climate Voter isn’t a news service per se and they aren’t promoting any specific type of party.

      Climate Voter isn’t giving any precedence to one policy over another to cause people to vote, or not to vote for a particular type of party.

      You could argue that some party’s have better climate change policy than others, but that’s not what Climate Voter is doing.

      That’s why the Electoral Act doesn’t apply.

      • lprent 1.1.1

        I agree about the news media internet site biit.

        Clearly the electoral commission doesn’t think so within the Act.

        Nor do I for that matter. Nor I suspect would any lawyer or justice reading that legislation.

        To push a particular course of action at a policy level and then to grade political parties with differing policies is to do exactly what that section of the Act was seeking to constrain.

        You could use your argument to say that asset stripper companies during an election throwing millions of dollars behind the idea that the government should sell all schools don’t have to be controlled using your argument.

        • Jackal 1.1.1.1

          Hypothetically speaking, do all political parties have asset stripping legislation?

          • lprent 1.1.1.1.1

            Yes and no. Most of them will sell some stuff if the price is right. But almost every party apart from Act have things that they won’t sell.

            • Jackal 1.1.1.1.1.1

              The answer is clearly no 1prent. Therefore an organisation or person who was receiving or making payment for an asset stripping campaign that targeted people to vote for or against one type of political party would normally be covered by the Act.

              However I think the main area where Idiot/Savant, the Electoral Commission and your argument is a bit weak is that Climate Voter isn’t being biased in favour of any particular policy or type of party. They’re giving equal attention to all responses, which to my knowledge aren’t graded? Another area where the argument against Climate Voter isn’t consistent with the Act is that they aren’t making or receiving a payment in respect of the publication of views.

              Neither is Bryan Bruce’s Survey Of Political Parties On Child Well-Being Issues or the New Zealand Aged Care Association when they question exactly where political party’s stand on issues they’re concerned with:

              We asked each Political Party to indicate their commitment to four key policy areas we believe are essential to ensure that access to quality care will continue to be delivered in future.

              You cannot honestly be arguing that if politician’s actually respond to that question it would mean ACA’s website becomes an election advertisement and requires a promoter statement etc? That’s about as ridiculous as it gets.

              Unless you can show that section 3A(2) (b)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi) and (e) of the Act somehow doesn’t apply, that would mean the information contained on these and the Climate Voter website aren’t election advertisements under the current law.

              Isn’t it amusing how the Electoral Commission has used a tweet by the Act party saying; “Climate change is an issue that won’t be solved by sabotaging our economy” to try and say Climate Voter is trying to persuade voters to vote or not vote for a particular type of party.

              I guess they just don’t understand how twitter or embedded comments work? It would be a bit silly if the Electoral Commission expected every tweet to have a promoter statement, or that those tweets couldn’t be shared or that politicians should not be allowed to tweet a response to a question. Because that’s what we are really talking about here, the severe curtailing of our freedom of speech and democracy in general.

        • I think the climate voter case is really interesting. While I don’t object at all to them having to carry a promoter statement, I think it’s actually really bad if a spending limit applies to a “loudspeaker” site like Climate Voter, that while it asks a certain type of question, repeats the answers of politicians verbatim and in context, with no editorialising.

          This may be a case of a simple blind-spot in the law, as Climate Voter is really neither an issues-based promotional site in the traditional sense, (ie. it assumes the climate is important to its audience’s vote, but it never editorialises or characterising politicians points of view) nor is it exactly a news service.

          Hell, if Twitter charged microtransactions, you could run afoul of the electoral law for just retweeting anything political. I shudder at the thought of what could happen if we do have some sort of social media in the future that requires transactions to function.

  2. karol 2

    Greenpeace is wanting it both ways, in order to appeal to MOR Kiwis – be both a political advocate, while not wearing a POLITICS tag.

    It seems to me it would be easy enough for them as a well organised outfit, to have an authorisation notice on the site.

  3. shorts 3

    I don’t understand why Greenpeace doesn’t just comply with the Electoral Commissions request – its not a onerous process is it?

    • Cancerman 3.1

      Now I may be wrong but wouldn’t this have an effect on their tax/charitable status which has been an issue for them?

      • lprent 3.1.1

        Why? They are no longer a charity at present by a previous ruling, and it is on appeal.

        Leaves them free to do whatever they want.

        Since their basis for the appeal to the supreme court is that they are an advocacy charity seeking better conservation measures, then this fits exactly into what they are doing. But of course Greenpeace isn’t the only organisation in the Climate Votes. So I’d expect that would be the reason.

        Oh I see, you’re channelling some well known legal nitwits…

        • Jenny 3.1.1.1

          It is my understanding that it is in their international charter that Greenpeace are not to be “political”. That is Greenpeace cannot become a political party or support a political party.I take this to mean that by their own international charter Greenpeace New Zealand are bound to be strictly non-sectarian and non-partisan.

          Overseas this charter to be non-partisan has been defined more narrowly than here.

          Greenpeace New Zealand is a bit of an outlier doing a number of things that have pushed the envelope on a number of local initiatives. The strategic alliance brokered by Mike Smith between Greenpeace New Zealand and Te Whanau a Apanui to defeat Petrobras was something unique for Greenpeace in the world.

          And it proved to be a winner. I think it is an initiative that Greenpeace International could and should emulate.

          But for the purposes of Climate Voter I think Greenpeace are adhering to their charter to be politically non-partisan. If the National Government miraculously started announcing radical policies to reduce green house gasses (or even just moderate ones) they would get the proper amount of coverage and reportage for such an initiative from Climate Voter. This is where the legal challenge against Greenpeace falls down, in claiming that in hosting Climate Voter they are being partisan,

          It is the complainants who are being partisan in trying to stop this issue to be raised.

          And National are not the only party that are interested in doing this as shown from the last election.

          Something had to be done.

          And thank goodness, this time someone is trying to do something about it.

          The snake that swallowed the elephant in the room

          You know what really strikes me about climate change in the election? It’s the absence. It is as if climate change is nearly completely absent from the campaign. When climate change does pop up, it’s portrayed in simplistic soundbites.

          Nick Smith (National) says anthropogenic climate change is real and complex and ‘wicked’. But promises more moderating, balancing and delaying of the NZETS.

          Labour says anthropogenic climate change is real and we will fiddle with some NZETS details for agriculture slightly earlier than National as farmers don’t vote for us anyway.

          The Greens say anthropogenic climate change is real and we have a detailed wonk-friendly exposition on our website, but for this election we are running with “jobs, kids, rivers”

          Simon Johnson at Hot Topic

          In my opinion climate change and the lack of action against it, as as an issue at least as important as inequality.

          Climate Change is an issue that Labour and National don’t want raised, because their policies are very similar. Last Sunday on the TV3 panel Jeanette Fitzsimmons complained that she would struggle to fit a piece of tissue paper between Labour and National over climate change, a fact that Labour in particular don’t want examined by the electorate.

          In the last elections the Green Party deliberately shied away from raising climate on the grounds that they didn’t want to be seen as extremists. Time has moved on, this time round the Green Party has publicly officially dumped this policy. With Green Party leader Russell Norman formally announcing that climate change will be an election issue.

          Climate Politics in the NZ election of 2011

          “The snake has swallowed the elephant in the room”

          You know what really strikes me about climate change in the election? It’s the absence. It is as if climate change is nearly completely absent from the campaign. When climate change does pop up, it’s portrayed in simplistic soundbites.

          Nick Smith (National) says anthropogenic climate change is real and complex and ‘wicked’. But promises more moderating, balancing and delaying of the NZETS.

          Labour says anthropogenic climate change is real and we will fiddle with some NZETS details for agriculture slightly earlier than National as farmers don’t vote for us anyway.

          The Greens say anthropogenic climate change is real and we have a detailed wonk-friendly exposition on our website, but for this election we are running with “jobs, kids, rivers”

          http://hot-topic.co.nz/call-the-cops-neville-chamberlain-only-went-to-munich-once/

          Simon Johnson at Hot Topic

          • lprent 3.1.1.1.1

            That may be the intent. However I suspect that the Electoral Commission and courts will look at the effect rather than the intent.

            • Jackal 3.1.1.1.1.1

              The intent of the Climate Voter campaign is to raise awareness about climate change issues as they relate to our political process. The effect will be to raise awareness about each party’s political position on climate change. It’s the position of each political party that will determine how people vote, not the Climate Voter campaign itself.

              It’s doubtful that a judge will ignore the fact that Climate Voter has been entirely unbiased in the way they present information (which is already freely available online) and determine that the campaign is an election advertisement.

              A judge will also hopefully have a better understanding of how the internet works and won’t have a vested interest in determining whether they have jurisdiction over such matters.

              Jenny

              Last Sunday on the TV3 panel Jeanette Fitzsimmons complained that she would struggle to fit a piece of tissue paper between Labour and National over climate change, a fact that Labour in particular don’t want examined by the electorate.

              I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there Jenny.

  4. McFlock 4

    we-ell they could play silly buggers and just phrase it as illustrating different party policies on climate change, and if someone wants to vote against the environment then that’s the voter’s choice.

    But if they twitch a bit too far then they’ll get pinged, so it would seem to be easiest to just put the damned statement on and register a cross-organisational group to handle the website.

  5. red blooded 5

    This issue was discussed at high levels in my (education) union some years ago. We were also publicising party policies, and did provide some commentary. We had always identified ourselves in advertisements etc – we signed up as a 3rd party. It was borderline – none of our material explicitly promoted a particular party, but we were a legitimate pressure group and it just made sense to be open about it.

  6. Ad 6

    Why don’t they just say “Vote for the Green Party”?
    It’s dishonest as it is. Just front up.

    Otherwise it’s all getting very Exclusive Brethren redux.

    • Draco T Bastard 6.1

      The Green Party isn’t the only one with green policies.

      • Tracey 6.1.1

        But of the existing parties they are the one who had some first, and the move from there to today from all parties is why MMP is crucial, and why the right hates MMP

      • Granted, but it’s the only one with a substantial set of Green policies or with any bankable credibility on Green issues.

    • Macro 6.2

      If you consider that the existing ETS and the targets for GHG emission set by the current government are sufficient then you can still say “yes” to taking action on Climate Change and vote accordingly. The advertisement has not asked you to vote for any political party – but it has asked you to consider the issue.

      • Jackal 6.2.1

        You can’t just ask people to consider environmental issues these days Macro, because the policy wonks will freak right out!

  7. Richard@Down South 7

    I wonder how the law would treat it if it was a .com site hosted in the US

    • lprent 7.1

      Not really differently. It is who is responsible that makes the difference. If they are here then they are responsible.

  8. RJL 8

    You are not looking at this issue like Greenpeace; you have to remember what Greenpeace et al are trying to achieve and take into account that they are not afraid to break the law to make a point.

    For Section 3A ii) of the Electoral Act to apply the High Court will need to conclude that no reasonable person could possibly vote for National (say) on the basis of their climate policy.

    The Electoral Commission have apparently already concluded this, also receiving a High Court judgement that states this sounds like a total and utter win for Greenpeace et al.

    • Jenny 8.1

      “For Section 3A ii) of the Electoral Act to apply the High Court will need to conclude that no reasonable person could possibly vote for National (say) on the basis of their climate policy.”

      Absolutely right RJL

      The government are on a hiding to nothing on this. By taking this action, (no matter who is the mover) it is a huge admission that the government are doing nothing about climate change.

      And are therefore vulnerable on this issue.

      (If only the opposition parties would lose their fear of the fossil fuel lobby and really start to take advantage of this government vulnerability.)

      Good on Greenpeace for mounting a legal challenge against them raising this issue.

  9. Macro 9

    Firstly – It is not just Greenpeace that are involved in the Climate Voter Website. The other environmental organisations are Generation Zero, Forest and Bird, Oxfam, as far as I can recall. All of whom are fiercely apolitical – although their aims may appear to support left wing ideals more than right at the moment.
    Secondly the aim of the website is to promote the consideration of Climate Change as an issue for the election. It simply asks people to give due consideration to this issue when they cast their vote. Does that constitute saying vote a. or b. – don’t vote c? Which it appears is where the the Electoral law would be compromised.
    For instance a person could well claim that they wished to take the issue of climate change as a priority and vote National – after all there is such a thing as an ETS and National have stated “Targets” for emission reductions. Whether or not these are sufficient is up to the consideration of each individual.

    • Tracey 9.1

      Then using the word vote, or the phrase vote for, may have been a mistake.

      Getting the site quite alot of publicity this way…

      • Macro 9.1.1

        I don’t see that using the word “vote” or even “vote for .. ” as used is a problem at all. They are not advocating any particular party or parties. They are just saying

        “Being a Climate Voter means you care about climate change and you want all political parties to do something about it. It means you want real action on climate change and you’re prepared to use your vote to get it. It says you support strategies to rapidly phase out fossil fuels and grow New Zealand’s clean energy and low-carbon potential.

        Climate Voter is a non-partisan initiative powered by an alliance of New Zealand organisations. It aims to empower climate concerned citizens to use their vote in the September 2014 election to make a difference for the good of present and future generations.”

        They are not advocating any party here, they want ALL parties to work on climate change.

        They ask all people who are concerned about Climate Change to think and say they want to vote on this issue in the Election.

      • Macro 9.1.2

        Yes it is getting more attention, numbers increased by 2000 over the past day. 🙂
        But it was NOT the Climate Voter group who initiated this – their request to the Court for clarification is in response to the Electoral Commission who say that the campaign counts as an “election advertisement”, and is therefore subject to rules around wording of communications and spending restrictions.

  10. Steve Wrathall 10

    Greenpeace, Generation Zero, Forest and Bird, Oxfam pretending they’re not political. Isn’t it adorable?

    • RJL 10.1

      What is more adorable is DPF (and perhaps yourself) arguing that National’s climate policies are neither credible nor effective policies.

    • Draco T Bastard 10.2

      ^^^ Steve Wrathall pretending that he’s actually got a point. Isn’t it adorable?

      • Jenny 10.2.1

        It is said that Trotsky once said licking a postage stamp is political. I think that International Greenpeace International has been a bit prissy about not getting involved in politics. Good on Greenpeace NZ for getting their hands dirty.

    • Totally political, but absolutely not partisan, and absolutely not electioneering. They’re not advocating any particular solutions, just informing voters on an issue that many of us are passionate about- tell me, if you had a few right-wing organisations band together to say, ask parties questions about tax policy, and they never commented on the answers to said questions, would it really be fair for anything spent on that to come out of their spending caps?

      I don’t think it would be.

  11. Jackal 11

    Funny how the Electoral Commission is going all ballistic at Climate Voter for raising people’s awareness about climate change, while they did bugger all to nothing about Owen Glen committing the offence of bribery on national TV when he said he would donate at least $100 million to the government if National and Act won the 2011 election. As bad as that boldfaced bribery was, the conman hasn’t even fronted with the cash.

  12. Sable 12

    Since when were the so called laws in this country applied fairly and evenly, give me a break….

    A broken justice system in an increasingly dirty and corrupt country…

    • mickysavage 12.1

      I am not worried at the proposal that Greenpeace should register. Registration means that they have an address on the site, file an application for third party registration and keep under the $308k cap.

      I would prefer that the same sorts of rules applied to everyone.

      • Jackal 12.1.1

        Really? You would prefer that anonymous bloggers had to provide an address to be able to publish anything political?

        • Andrew Geddis 12.1.1.1

          Bloggers are exempt from the defintion of “election advertisement” – see s.3A(2)(e).

          • Jenny 12.1.1.1.1

            The Streisand effect

            Hello Dolly!

          • Jackal 12.1.1.1.2

            You will note that mickysavage’s comment was concerned with “everyone” not just how the Act currently applies. I was pointing out one reason why the Act shouldn’t apply to everyone.

            • mickysavage 12.1.1.1.2.1

              I agree that us humble unpaid bloggers should enjoy an exemption.

          • Jenny 12.1.1.1.3

            You make some good points Andrew.

            I have just read you post on pundit.

            http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/ive-made-a-huge-tiny-mistake

            I started reading with a skeptical eye, but I have to agree, the hypothetical example you gave of a group of rich business men funding a campaign around the TPP makes some sense.

            I was reminded of the very real $multi-million dollar campaign by wealthy businessmen and headed by ex-telecom chair Peter Shirtcliff against MPP which was very nearly successful.

            I will take your thoughts on board.

            P.S. I was heartened to hear that your vote will be influence by which party has the best policies on climate change.

            FYI So far the only political party to officially endorse the Climate Voter campaign is the Mana Party. Hone Harawira the Mana Leader is the only party leader to have officially congratulated Greenpeace for this initiative and has urged all Mana members to sign it.

            http://mana.net.nz/2014/07/protecting-papatuanuku-a-priority-for-mana-harawira/

          • lprent 12.1.1.1.4

            I know. However that is for what we write. If you look at the junk that we have strewn on this site from the unauthorised Climate Vote advertising banner to my amused satirical images on the right, I prefer to be paranoid, cautious, and have a catch-all notice at the bottom of every page.

            Not having to waste time to argue with the electoral commission or do a Cam Slater and/or spend my life in court makes that authorisation notice seem like the easier option. Especially since my name and address are all over the DNS records anyway.

            • Jackal 12.1.1.1.4.1

              Not to dismiss the Climate Voter’s very good argument that its websites aren’t “election advertisements”, but you seem to be ignoring the fact that the campaign is raising even more awareness by taking the issue to the high court. I somehow doubt the same situation would apply to The Standard.

              • lprent

                Yep. But the question is if the exorbitant QC fees are cheaper than a advertising campaign?

                Based on my previous exposure to them, then I suspect that much cheaper public awareness campaigns are possible within the period before the election (because that is an issue that is likely to take many years to resolve in court).

  13. Jackal 13

    Further reading:

    27 June 2014 – Letter to Electoral Commission requesting an opinion on Climate Voter
    http://www.climatevoter.org.nz/documents/To_Electoral_Commission_re_Climate_Voter.pdf

    2 July 2014 Letter of response from the Electoral Commission
    http://www.climatevoter.org.nz/documents/287_Advisory_Opinion_-Greenpeace-_climate_voter_website.pdf

    14 July 2014 – Climate Voter response to the Electoral Commission
    http://www.climatevoter.org.nz/documents/Letter_to_Electoral_Commission_14_07_14.pdf

  14. Draco T Bastard 14

    After some thought on this, I’ve decided that I agree with Andrew Geddis.

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  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    9 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    9 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    9 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    11 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    11 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    14 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
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