Dear John Armstrong

Written By: - Date published: 6:45 pm, June 26th, 2014 - 82 comments
Categories: david cunliffe, democracy under attack, john key, labour, Media, national, newspapers - Tags:

Dear John

I read your column this morning in the New Zealand Herald and I must admit that I was surprised.  Yesterday’s revelation that Donghua Liu had confirmed  that he never actually bought a bottle of wine for $100,000 at a Labour Party fundraiser and that most if not all of the donations he made were not actually to the Labour Party I thought was significant and damning news.  But your only reference to this in your article was to the letter that Cunliffe signed 11 years ago and suggested that his supposed mistake about this was significant.  You did not mention John Key’s much more significant mistake about who Donghua Liu actually donated money to and how much and I thought this would be considered important because it was an attempted unjustified smear by the Prime Minister on the Leader of the opposition.

I personally do not blame Mr Liu for what has occurred.  He is obviously an energetic businessman who has sought to engage with the powers that be in his new country of New Zealand and clearly his english is poor.

But something extraordinary has gone on here.  Someone has taken a written statement from him and then leaked out information that was clearly wrong.  Then your paper received leaks of this information and printed the rumours apparently without even seeing the statement.  And after you received the statement your paper then reinforced the message while allowing Labour little chance to respond.  And even after doubts were raised about the nature and veracity of the donations this your paper has tried to reinforce the perception that Labour had received a donation by the use of headlines such as this one:

herald article liu donation confirmed

The basic problem John is that it looks like National has played the Herald like a puppet on this issue.  Even worse it seems that the Herald has been complicit in the manufacturing of a scandal that with the benefit of hindsight has no substance.

Is this what politics has sunk to?  Winning by smearing using baseless innuendo where the result is more important than the truth?  And don’t you think it is clear that the Herald has been used to peddle what essentially is a lie?

But you then chose to use your column to suggest that John Key had it all over David Cunliffe in Parliament yesterday.  I watched a replay and thought that the opposite occurred.  You were right to say that Cunliffe and Key threw different statistics at each other.  But you could have said that Cunliffe was talking about the median wage, Key talked about the average wage, and the median wage is a much more effective measurement of what is happening with the poor because every time a rich person gets a huge wage increase the average wage goes up but the median wage does not.  Instead of this you presented this as a victory for Key using your perception of body language.

I am sorry if you feel that lefties keep beating up on you and the Herald.  It is just that many of us campaign actively and there is nothing worse than talking to someone who may otherwise be a supporter but they are affected by rumour and innuendo reinforced by the articles your paper publishes.  There are not many of them but this election will be very close and every vote will count.

So how about it?  How about the Herald reports on the background to the manufacturing of an attack on Labour, reports more news and has less gushing homilies on how great John Key and National are?

82 comments on “Dear John Armstrong ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. blue leopard 1
    26 June 2014 at 7:08 pm

    Armstrong is in love with Mr Key,

    I hate to think of the despair that poor Mr Armstrong will be filled with when he is unceremoniously dumped once he is no longer of any use.

  2. Saarbo 2
    26 June 2014 at 7:38 pm

    Hear, hear.

  3. DS 3
    26 June 2014 at 7:39 pm

    Dear John,

    You are a shameless Tory hack.

    Yours Sincerely,

    -DS.

    • Tom Gould 3.1
      27 June 2014 at 8:47 am

      Let’s not forget Tim Murphy. John Roughan. Shayne Currie. The National Herald dream team. And Rachel and Cameron too?

  4. Tom Jackson 4
    26 June 2014 at 7:40 pm

    Why bother trying to reason with the Herald? They’ve declared their side and should be treated accordingly.

  5. swordfish 5
    26 June 2014 at 7:51 pm

    All Power and No Responsibility.

    Influential agenda-setters like Armstrong need to be thoroughly Shamed into doing the right thing.
    He needs to know that his reputation’s at stake. Same goes for a number of other journos who haven’t exactly covered themselves in glory over the last 2 weeks.

    • Draco T Bastard 5.1
      26 June 2014 at 9:24 pm

      Those without a conscience don’t feel shame.

      • Colonial Viper 5.1.1
        26 June 2014 at 10:36 pm

        In fact they peer upon those with a conscience, those whose morals and principles hold them back, as being weaker and foolish, mere prey to the predator.

  6. Karl Sinclair 6
    26 June 2014 at 8:02 pm

    Alternative Media and Monitory Democracy
    How odd Mr Armstrong does not want to write an update on the Key Liu bow without an arrow smear campaign.
    It’s great to see The Standard countering the mainstream media and its associated government spin machines and there overabundance of fake news.
    However, are we not just small sparks of illumination in the infinite vacuum of corporate/government driven media?
    How best to harness these sparks, bring together a consistent ‘flow or Flux’ of content that evolves and grows stronger like the sun? That gains coverage to new audiences illuminates them, gives people counter arguments (or if you like a counter education).

    The problem we face maybe one off illumination. Like the moon, if it didn’t spin at all, then eventually it would show its far side (dark side) to the Earth while moving around our planet in orbit. How do you get to this audience?

    What sites like The Standard are performing can be described by termed by the author John Keanes who wrote the book “The Life and Death of Democracy” as MONITORY DEMOCRACY. This Monitory democracy might provide the illumination?

    Keane provides a succinct summary statement about MONITORY DEMOCRACY in the introductory chapter of his book (2009; chapter titled “Bad Moons, Little Dreams”):

    “[T]he years since 1945 have seen the invention of about a hundred different types of power-monitoring devices that never before existed within the world of democracy. These watchdog and guide-dog and barking-dog inventions are changing both the political geography and the political dynamics of many democracies, which no longer bear much resemblance to textbook models of representative democracy, which supposed that citizens’ needs are best championed through elected parliamentary representatives chosen by political parties.

    From the perspective of this book, the emerging historical form of ‘monitory’ democracy is a ‘post-Westminster’ form of democracy in which power-monitoring and power-controlling devices have begun to extend sideways and downwards through the whole political order. They penetrate the corridors of government and occupy the nooks and crannies of civil society, and in so doing they greatly complicate, and sometimes wrong-foot, the lives of politicians, parties, legislatures and governments.

    These extra-parliamentary power-monitoring institutions include — to mention at random just a few — public integrity commissions, judicial activism, local courts, workplace tribunals, consensus conferences, parliaments for minorities, public interest litigation, citizens’ juries, citizens’ assemblies, independent public inquiries, think-tanks, experts’ reports, participatory budgeting, vigils, ‘blogging’ and other novel forms of media scrutiny.” (p. 14; online here and here)

    http://twotheories.blogspot.in/2012/03/praise-for-monitory-democracy-concept.html
    Another example of this Media Monitory Democracy is given by

    Media Lens
    http://medialens.org/index.php/about-us/what-is-our-objective.html
    “Quote: Our aim is to raise awareness of the systemic failure of the corporate media to report the world honestly and accurately. We encourage readers to challenge the journalists, editors and media managers who set news agendas that traditionally reflect elite interests. Any improved performance resulting from this public pressure, while important, is always likely to be marginal. So we also hope to encourage the creation of non-corporate media – good examples are Democracy Now!, The Real News Network and ZNet – that offer genuine alternatives to the corporate mainstream.”

    The question then, is how do you bring together these sparks of light, to create a sun that is cohesive, will illuminate people (I am not saying persuade) as to what is really going on rather than just hiding the dark side of the moon. How do you produce and coordinate alternative news that can reach the hundreds of thousands of voters who could potentially change this election. With all these opposition parties etc shouting something different, maybe its time to get a clear message together that is, No to National.

    The Standard and other sites are doing this. I Just wonder though, are we not preaching to the converted. How do you cross the void to greater audiences. What mechanisims in terms of Monitory Decmocracy can be used?

    Another Quote from Media Lens:

    “When corporations own the news and advertisers ‘sponsor’ the shows, journalists know they are above all answerable to the company managers and allied interests who pay their salaries. The mere public, especially voices of dissent, can be treated with indifference, even contempt. Journalists have power without responsibility, and they know it.”

    http://www.medialens.org/index.php/alerts/alert-archive/2014/766-the-great-white-nope.html

    If this is the status quo in NZ, we are in trouble, particularly when it seeps into TVNZ and RNZ

    The Standard, Mickey Savage, keep the lights shinning please. Cover Mr Armstrong in garlic, expose to the light, then saute.

    “Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one–the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts,…Your affectionate uncle, Screwtape.”

    “It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out.”

    C.S. Lewis,The Screwtape Letters

    • mickysavage 6.1
      26 June 2014 at 9:05 pm

      Thanks Karl for your comments. I like the phrase “Monitory democracy” it has a real resonance to it.

      And you are right it is a matter of preserving our democracy and trying to present an alternative, non corporate view of the world.

      If you want a cogent description of the effect of social media on the MSM I can recommend Jim Parkers post at http://failedestate.com/stuck-inside-of-mobile/

      In particular this passage:

      “What is starting to dawn on traditional media executives now is that digital advertising dollars are shrinking both in absolute and relative terms. The advertisers won’t pay print rates for digital. But not only that – the money being spent on digital ads is overwhelmingly going to Google and Facebook, not the old intermediaries.

      The fact is the “audience” is not passively consuming the SMH or The Australian as it once did. Instead, they are on their phones, actively engaging with Twitter or Facebook feeds and sharing and riffing on what they see. And, naturally enough, the advertisers will go where the audiences are.

      Stepping back from it all, media companies for 15 years have mistaken the information revolution as purely a technological change. We were switching platforms, so that just meant shifting the journalism from print to desktop to tablet.

      But this revolution is as much a cultural one. The media has been disintermediated, which means a journalist’s role shifts from institutionalised “Voice of God” handing down tablets of stone to freelance curator and explainer, working with the community to do what journalism has always done – to get to the truth of things.

      The mistake people make out of all this is to conclude that the destruction of the media’s business model destroys journalism. In fact, it merely destroys an institutionalised and industrialised concept of journalism formed in the 20th century.”

      • Tracey 6.1.1
        27 June 2014 at 8:41 am

        we already have a monEtory democracy. 😉

        Fascinating how quickly the right harnessed blogging for propaganda purposes.

  7. jaymam 7
    26 June 2014 at 8:04 pm

    Dear NZ Herald,
    Please make your website subscrber-only, so that nobody will read it any more. We have plenty of blogs to get news from, and we can even post messages on those blogs whether we agree or disagree with them.

    • weka 7.1
      26 June 2014 at 8:57 pm

      lol, nice one jaymam. Bring on the paywall!

    • Jenny 7.2
      26 June 2014 at 10:21 pm

      LOL

    • The Pink Postman. 7.3
      27 June 2014 at 2:00 pm

      Well my wife and I accepted a free ‘couple of weeks Herald. We both agree that it is most likely the worst morning newspaper we have ever had.. My East -End London born wife is just waiting for the phone call asking her if she has enjoyed the paper and if she wants to buy it. Oh dear !!
      that poor sap has no idea what he is in for.

  8. Tautoko Viper 8
    26 June 2014 at 8:24 pm

    Great column, MickeySavage.
    The challenge to John Armstrong and the Herald is for them to examine their consciences and ADMIT to themselves that their role as the Fourth Estate is to report the truth to the citizens and that they have fallen short.

    Is it right for the Fourth Estate, upholders of the truth, to allow themselves to
    become complicit in deliberate acts of misrepresentation of the facts (which appears to be the case in their continued handling of the Donghua Liu Labour donations- for which there is NO confirmed evidence).

    Assuming that they were sucked in by whoever supplied the “evidence”, the Herald and John have had the opportunity to clarify the actual evidence but instead have chosen to save their own faces instead of highlighting the fact that Labour have been accused without solid evidence and that the PM had propagated these rumours.

    I say SHAME!

    • weka 8.1
      26 June 2014 at 9:03 pm

      Shame is right.

      I think we need to consider the possibility that Armstrong has no shame. Key certainly doesn’t as a general rule. If Armstrong has no shame, then what next?

  9. Mike the Savage One 9
    26 June 2014 at 8:35 pm

    “But something extraordinary has gone on here. Someone has taken a written statement from him and then leaked out information that was clearly wrong. Then your paper received leaks of this information and printed the rumours apparently without even seeing the statement.”

    I am afraid this is a flawed comment and post and does not deliver much argument.

    This is not about “leaked” documents, it is about blatant intentional manipulation and mischievous lying and worse. It is something John Key knew about for weeks, so he cannot be excused out of this equation, and the fact is, it was based on FALSE, MADE UP, INCORRECT, information, that was then spread throughout the whole mainstream media!

    John Armstrong may have some responsibility, but given his past recored, where he has been wrong at many times, but also correct at other times, perhaps he was MISLEAD, and relied on false info, that was “fed” to him and others?

    So do not make this a vendetta against one journalist, it is the WHOLE JOURNALISTIC PROFESSION in New Zealand that must take heed, that must rethink, that must reconsider, that have a DUTY, to be honest, fact based, reliable and BALANCED.

    We have NOT got much of the latter, so while the MSM are so dependent on advertising, and also public “appeal”, perhaps this is a totally timely reminder, that MONEY and INFLUENCE should NEVER be allowed to set the tone in reporting, and analysing what goes on. Otherwise we may as well abolish democracy, be honest about it, and let the PLUTOCRATS run the show here.

    So, dear MEDIA, we are WAITING and WATCHING, to see whether you finally get the message.

    • mickysavage 9.1
      26 June 2014 at 9:11 pm

      Well …

      1. I agree that a story should not have been written without a copy of the statement. The fact that it was speaks volumes.
      2. It seems almost inevitable that the person who supplied the Herald with the info about what was in the statement also supplied it to Key.
      3. The Herald broke it. Key amplified it.
      4. The Herald continued the story when the statement was provided to it even though the contents of the statement were clearly nonsensical.
      5. You criticise me but I get the impression you are agreeing with my post.
      • Linz 9.1.1
        26 June 2014 at 9:48 pm

        Below is a transcript of the interview with Tim Murphy the day after the Donghua Liu story broke in the Herald on Sunday. “New Zealand Herald stands by its story” From Morning Report on 23 Jun 2014. Murphy was obviously feeling very cocky about it and let it be known they didn’t bother to check any facts:

        Labour issued a statement yesterday rejecting claims about donations from Donghua Liu published in the Herald on Sunday newspaper saying it hasn’t found any record of them and challenging anyone with evidence to put it into the public domain. The paper reported on Sunday that the millionaire businessman donated more than a hundred and fifty thousand dollars to Labour including a hundred thousand dollar bottle of wine signed by former prime minister Helen Clark at a Hawkes Bay fundraising event. The paper’s followed up this morning with comments from former Labour Party minister Rick Barker . The New Zealand Herald editor is Tim Murphy. Good morning.
        Good morning, Susie.

        Do you stand by your story?

        Well, what’s not to stand by? Donghua Liu made this claim, he signed it, we have the document, now whether he is correct is yet to be seen, but he certainly – this was an affidavit or a statement that people have been talking about, seeking, we found it, verified that it was from him, that he made those statements so we published them.

        Now, you are saying it’s a statement or an affidavit; which one is it?

        Ah, It’s a statement, sorry, people have been talking about it all week and it’s some signed statement.

        And the difference between the two is what in meaning?

        Immaterial in some ways. One’s for obviously in front of a solicitor or someone like that but ah this is..

        Is a statement no less reliable ultimately?

        Well, no, we’ve done it over that he wrote this and he’s made those claims.

        The timing of this. You got this signed statement and it’s signed the third of May, We’re getting on for the end of June now Why are you running it now?

        Well, because this issue’s been boiling all week. Ah and there’ve been talk of this statement ummm

        But why’s this not got into the public domain sooner?

        Well, because we obtained it on Saturday. We obtained it on Saturday, contacted the Labour Party as they say, and published Sunday. That was something that we’d been seeking ummm we had a statement on Friday for Saturday from Donhua Liu himself which he wouldn’t discuss numbers. This is not from him direct umm and ahh it that took til Saturday to get it.

        So hang on a minute, if you got this statement just in the last few days, why has Donhua Liu been making these statements and getting them signed and getting this all sorted out some weeks before?

        Well, that’s for him, but our understanding is …

        So where did you get it from? Did you get it directly from him?

        No. And we’re not going into where we got it from obviously but the, er, his reaction was in writing this I understand was in light of the Maurice Williamson affair and Labour’s claims immediately after that, that he put pen to paper, signed it, and I don’t, we don’t know where he submitted that to, or whether he did so, but um, that’s the provenance of it.

        To just try to clarify some of the dates in this statement then, Labour have said they have no record of the fund raiser on the 3rd of June, the way it’s written down is 3 slash 6. Is it the other way round? Is it the sixth of March?

        We don’t know and that’s something that they’re going to check today. We asked them yesterday whether they had somebody to check that reverse date, but we don’t know so we’re looking into that and it’s one of many things still in this statement, still to be picked over and inquired into.
        …..
        I’ll continue on another post.

        • Linz 9.1.1.1
          26 June 2014 at 9:51 pm

          Continuing:
          Why have you not though shown this statement to Labour?

          For that reason, really. There’s still more to be done and there are issues of sensitivity around it for us. All these things don’t get passed over and we’ve sort of received a bit of an ultimatum from Labour saying Just provide it to us, but that’s not the way it works in these things. I imagine it will come out but it’s a matter of us working through some of them first.

        • mickysavage 9.1.1.2
          26 June 2014 at 9:54 pm

          Cheeky beggars. The data from the photo clearly showed it was June 3, and it seems that it was not a Labour fundraiser at all …

          • jaymam 9.1.1.2.1
            26 June 2014 at 10:57 pm

            The Herald photo of the wine bottle did have a date stamp 2007/6/3 which was cropped off by the Herald, who also cropped off the person on the left who was “unknown”. The Herald have typed the date 03 June 2007 into the metadata. The camera date may be wrong. There were no Labour fundraisers on 3 June 2007, but there was one on 30 June 2007 at the Old Sofrana House in Britomart. Here is the interior of Old Sofrana House now, after extensive alterations.
            http://i62.tinypic.com/21cbj8j.jpg
            There are brick arches in much of the building. The Herald photo also has arches in the background.
            I still think that Rick Barker or the Herald would know the details of the photo and where it was taken.

            • Kiwiri 9.1.1.2.1.1
              27 June 2014 at 8:33 am

              There is also another person who will be able to give details about the photo – the guy whose image was initially published and then subsequently very quickly cropped out.

    • Tracey 9.2
      27 June 2014 at 8:47 am

      i thought ms suggested armstrong had been used and misled. If he has written a retraction, apology or deeper analysis, and it has been refused, he should resign and sell his unpublished story to the heralds competitors.

      That is what courage looks like. That is what ethics look like. Ethics are easy to have but damned hard to live by. Heroes arent just peolle who run into burning houses, they are people who stand up tall and say “enough” even when there are personal consequences.

      This starts with armstrong and is rightly pointed in his direction. He has more power than you give him credit

  10. fisiani 10
    26 June 2014 at 8:49 pm

    [deleted]

    [lprent: Find and read my previous note. ]

    • Weepu's beard 10.1
      26 June 2014 at 9:11 pm

      Just ban him. He’s a troll according to the rules and by any definition for that matter.

      [lprent: Generally F does play by the rules. (S)he also responds to warnings. That is why (s)he gets the consideration when (s)he screws up and gets my gentler warnings. Past performance on the site plays some part in sentencing. ]

  11. David Shand 11
    26 June 2014 at 9:11 pm

    He is just a National Party cheer leader – a clear pattern over a long time.

  12. Blue 12
    26 June 2014 at 9:20 pm

    Why bother with Armstrong? He really couldn’t be stuffed any further up John Key’s arse.

  13. Visubversaviper 13
    26 June 2014 at 9:59 pm

    Is his mouth all screwed up because he had left his teeth at home, or because it has spent too much time affixed to Jonkey’s butt?

  14. hoom 14
    26 June 2014 at 10:23 pm

    Johns resignation may be in order

  15. Ed 15
    26 June 2014 at 10:31 pm

    I still want to know why National have only shown $20,000 donation from Liu in their returns when John Key said it was hundreds of thousands. And why won’t National release the letters MPs wrote supporting Liu’s citizenship application?

    • NZ Femme 15.1
      27 June 2014 at 1:15 am

      The OIA requests for the Banks and Williamson letters are currently with the Ombudsman’s Office. In some ways, if they do take their time, providing they’re released prior to the election, it might not be such a bad thing. Particularly if they don’t paint things in a good light. A bit of mud on National and Acts faces wouldn’t go astray a bit closer to the election. Not that the two (ex)politicians are around anymore.

  16. Stuart Munro 16
    26 June 2014 at 10:37 pm

    I really think the focus on Armstrong is inappropriate – yes, he’s a vile lazy prejudiced incompetent hack, but the Herald has throngs of editors and colleagues to remind him of journalistic ethics and bring him to a reasonable facsimile of his senses – this it has failed to do.

    Armstrong’s failure is of personal professionalism, but the Herald’s is the more serious: commercially motivated institutional failure. This institution needs to be regulated. Ultimately the degeneration of MSM is a proof that the neo-liberal model of foreign institutional ownership is inadequate. Foreign media institutions are insufficiently attentive to the professional responsibilities, and should incur an additional tax to support local professional media. The parasitic Faifax/Murdoch model is failing our democracy, it is appropriate to act to prevent our democracy failing with it.

    • Colonial Viper 16.1
      26 June 2014 at 11:23 pm

      The NZ Herald has good people and not so good people associated with it but your point is sound: as an institution its a fucking rat ship of courtiers to the 1%.

  18. Jrobin 18
    27 June 2014 at 12:55 am

    It would be interesting to know if any of the regular more fair minded writers do feel ashamed. Just saw smarmy mr Roughan of creepy psychophantic bio grovel. Reading the excerpt though was v dull but hardly appealing to average kiwi bloke. 2.4 million for a section! Oh now we can see why you have so much compassion for the poor, Mr Key. And how upset John was at the thought of losing because of the GCSB. Oh thanks that is a good hint? Lets get back to reminding him of this sore point. He obviously thought his days were numbered but didn’t factor in general amnesia and indfference. Guilty secrets maybe……..interesting.

    • xtasy 18.1
      27 June 2014 at 2:09 am

      Most of us feel ashamed about what goes on, but there is only so much most of us can do. We must be understanding and keep up the fight, thanks, best of wishes.

  19. Peter 19
    27 June 2014 at 6:12 am

    You are on to it! Both sides of the political spectrum deserve so much more from The Herald. Most of their regular writers fail miserably when it comes to honest political debate.

  20. phillip ure 20
    27 June 2014 at 6:21 am

    the herald this morn has published a whining/self-justifying editorial..

    ..with not a hint of any apologies..

    ..and probably penned by roughan..

    ..(just before he popped off to the launch of his hagiography on key..)

  21. North 21
    27 June 2014 at 6:26 am

    Wow…….such commitment to fearsome journalism at the Herald this morning……so noble !

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11282539

    More aptly should read “Cries of bias will not stop bias……sorry, reporting……and anyway, we don’t give a fuck. We can and we will. That’s how we roll……(over). So fuck off !”

    I don’t have the time so could someone who does please list the falsehoods and false equivalencies the Herald invokes in this pious editorial confirming its award to itself of the Pulitzer Prize.

    • Colonial Viper 21.1
      27 June 2014 at 6:52 am

      The NZ Herald has fucked up in a very simple way in terms of basic journalism standards.

      It wrote up as facts which it did not cross-check, from sources that it did not carefully examine, and portrayed matters in a way which played fast and loose with the truth. It cast in printed word as fact without underscoring how uncertain many of the matters it was relating actually were.

      And now it is paying the price and I am sure that it will continue to pay the price both in terms of circulation and more importantly, credibility.

      • Tracey 21.1.1
        27 June 2014 at 8:52 am

        Didnt it only publish part of the statement ot not show the whole statement to labour before going to print? Pretty sure that is a breach, unless you are the Truth

  22. North 22
    27 June 2014 at 6:36 am

    Put the Herald in pre-Mandela South Africa. Starting around Verwoed times and moving through. No prizes for guessing in whose favour the Herald would apply its ‘stellar’ journalism. None either for being able to guess to a word its pompous justification of no journalism at all.

  23. Grumpy 23
    27 June 2014 at 6:58 am

    [deleted]

    [lprent: I see you haven’t responded to my note on http://thestandard.org.nz/reverse-ferret-bites-pm-on-arse/#comment-838047. Bad idea. Banned 3 months. ]

    [lprent: Apologies. OAB pointed to the comment that I missed. Ban rescinded. ]

    • phillip ure 23.1
      27 June 2014 at 7:05 am

      rudman @ the herald..is like campbell @ tv3..

      ..surrounded by ‘establishment-lickspittles’…

    • North 23.2
      27 June 2014 at 7:38 am

      Predictably a patently facile false equivalency there Grumpy. ‘Opinion’ expressed by Rudman. Based on fact as to the chronology but expressed as opinion. The Herald flew into this bullshit calling it ‘Fact’. Plain and simple – ‘Fact’. To restore any sort of balance Rudman’s opinion would need to be a screeching, scandalised denunciation of National’s access for cash scams and its overall corruption. Mention too of The BLiP List. It was not.

  24. Saarbo 24
    27 June 2014 at 7:40 am

    Touched a nerve at NZH. Refer to todays editorial.

  25. politikiwi 25
    27 June 2014 at 8:04 am

    I see there’s an anonymous editorial on the NZH website this morning, responding to the criticisms of bias:
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11282539

    Completely ignores the issues, in my view.

    • Tracey 25.1
      27 June 2014 at 9:00 am

      john roughan is confused, he thought his last name was armstrong and thought everyone was dissing his great literat tome on the greatest living leader of the free world.

    • politikiwi 25.2
      27 June 2014 at 9:22 am

      The commentators on the NZH column are giving them a right spanking, too, which is good to see.

  26. Sable 26
    27 June 2014 at 8:59 am

    The MSM are not to be trusted. There are so many examples of misrepresentation of the truth they are legion. Time for legal reform and tougher penalties for media outlets that do not objectively report news stories.

  27. Observer (Tokoroa) 27
    27 June 2014 at 9:09 am

    Watching “The Herald” mutilate itself is not pretty. They could simply state that their political columnists and reporters exist to further the cause of Mr John Key, using any low standards to do that.

    A true mission statement like that would be at least a truthful step forward for their Rag.

    Each day the Herald printing press runs currently, it reinforces the well known and easily proven fact that reporters and columnists tend to be the true low life of all careers.

    The Herald political collection is unrelenting poison masquerading as garbage.

  28. Barnsley Bill 28
    27 June 2014 at 9:28 am

    I think you guys might be calling time on this a bit early. And I am frankly astonished that the author is not keeping his head down.
    Steven Ching has spoken at last and the links to the author, his legal practice, DC and Raymond Huo are very interesting.
    More to come no doubt as the pressure increases.

    [lprent: If you want to raise something then provide links.

    Ok he is probably talking about this stupidity at Kiwiblog. Apparently saying that you are involved with the Chinese community and work / associate with other Labour activists is a crime now according the hypocritical fuckwit Farrar. Needless to say he seems to believe that being Nationals pollster, having permanent card access to the 9th floor, and apparently largely making his living either off National means that he can be regarded as being a independent commentator. But working for a suburban law firm with a labour leaning associate does not.

    I’m tired of your silliness. If you want to say something then say it rather than pissing me off looking for it. 3 month ban. ]

    • One Anonymous Bloke 28.1
      27 June 2014 at 9:57 am

      “More to come”.

      More of what? So far you’ve got a bunch of lies that Key and the Herald are backing away from as fast as their slimy monopods can crawl.

      • Kiwiri 28.1.1
        27 June 2014 at 10:06 am

        A heads up for the next round of smears? (And how many more to go before Sep 20?)
        Let’s guess – this upcoming one will be aimed at people associated with the Labour Leader?
        And the Auckland paper now known as the NZ Disgraced will run the story for their corporate patrons and the National Party?

        Meanwhile, Labour’s Capital Gains Tax is gaining support.

        • Wonderpup 28.1.1.1
          27 June 2014 at 10:13 am

          There was a claim that there would be a revelation from the right about the left each week for the 13 weeks until the election.

          If that was a serious strategy, I hope its being re-thought, as even my lumpen mates are starting to dislike the ‘gotcha’ b.s. They are even questioning the practicality of owning owls. Who knows, they may even vote!

        • One Anonymous Bloke 28.1.1.2
          27 June 2014 at 10:16 am

          A heads up indeed.

          An unhealthy obsession with things,
          Connected to old Mr. Ching,
          From ten years ago,
          Are signs don’t you know,
          Of desperation and kitchen sink flings.

          • Kiwiri 28.1.1.2.1
            27 June 2014 at 10:23 am

            The initial poorly fact-checked story was … what?
            Now, it is about … erm ahh …

            In relation to the NZ Disgraced and National Government rubbish, I say to Progressive Voters – be pissed off, be very very pissed off and make that clear on Sep 20th.

            • One Anonymous Bloke 28.1.1.2.1.1
              27 June 2014 at 10:28 am

              Attacking a 73 year old man over things that happened in 2004. After all, grieving families are fair game.

              • Kiwiri …
                27 June 2014 at 10:44 am

                My suggestion to Cunliffe, Moira and the team would be to set up a small ‘Smear Response Unit’ to manage the ongoing drip-feeding nonsense.

                Cunliffe, Labour MPs and candidates should be fired up even more by these attempts to march on and campaign hard.

                • Kiwiri …
                  27 June 2014 at 11:22 am

                  After pointing out this link, I will sanitise my mouse:

                  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11281832

                  “The Herald can now reveal that the Auckland businessman [Steven Ching], who organised dinners where guests donated $1000 to sit beside former Prime Minister Helen Clark, approached the office of David Cunliffe about Liu’s residency bid.”

                  • lprent …
                    27 June 2014 at 11:32 am

                    And Steven Ching has denied it. I can’t find the statement and it appears that the Herald hasn’t published it

                    http://dimpost.wordpress.com/2014/06/27/the-difference-2/

                    But failing that, the sum total of the Liu story is that we have a newspaper with right-wing editorial sympathies who published a false smear story about a left-wing political party fed to them by the government in the immediate run-up to the election. And it’s still ongoing. Yesterday they published a story about a former Labour Party fundraiser called Steven Ching, linking him with Liu and Labour. Ching issued a statement disputing all of the allegations and adding that the Herald never even bothered to contact him to check their story. At this point in the train-wreck you’d think they’d be a little more cautious.

                    Oh I hadn’t red my email from last night…

                    26/6/2014
                    To whom it may concern:
                    From: Steven Ching
                    1. Today (June 26,2014) the NZ Herald’s report regarding me was incorrect. The Journalist Jared Savage didn’t consult with me before making the story. I don’t know who had made Mr.Liu to buy the wine and book for Labour Party. I reserve my right to sue the NZ Herald.
                    2. To my best knowledge I didn’t took Mr.Liu to Labour New Lynn Office seeking support for his immigration case. It’s better to ask Mr.Henry Mao of MMW Consulting (group) who was his agent in NZ to clarify this matter. He may know who had helped Mr.Liu to donate funds to Labour Party.
                    3. After 2005 I was no longer a candidate for Labour, So It’s better to ask Mr.Raymond Huo or Ms.Susan Zhu to understand any details of Chinese community fundraising function.
                    4. In April,2007 I was invited to attend a fundraising party as a guest only. I was no longer an organizer for Labour to raise any funds after 2005 election.

                    • blue leopard …
                      27 June 2014 at 11:43 am

                      Accuracy is important for sound democracy, however it would seem fair to say that accuracy is not relevant when perception is considered the all important factor.

                      Ranking perceptions over everything else has got nothing to do with sound democratic process – in fact it is a massive attack on democracy.

                      Hey that reminds me of a headline the papers ran a few years back….wasn’t that the Herald? Was it an attack on democracy going on back then or was it simply another attack on Labour?

                    • Kiwiri …
                      27 June 2014 at 11:50 am

                      In this crucial three-month lead up to the General Election,
                      NZ Herald should re-brand itself with a slight modification of a logo it had used to now appropriately display:

                      “Attacking Democracy”

    • One Anonymous Bloke 28.2
      27 June 2014 at 10:32 am

      Ah, now I get it: it’s time to play the race card.

  29. Russell Belding 29
    27 June 2014 at 9:40 am

    Hello MickySavage … You do not call John Armstrong nasty names. Well done. You set a fair tone on your complaint to John A. You have a point. The Herald in its desire to be on the leading edge of breaking stories did not perform fact-checking and truth-checking in some instances. This is a flaw many have. The staff for David C. fell into this when they failed to find records of Liu’s interactions with the Labour team.

    [lprent: Possibly because there weren’t any? After all Mr Liu can only remember donations/sales on a single date and that appears to the Hawkes Bay Charity Wine Auction on the 3rd of June 2007 and nothing to do with Labour, and a single event the Hawkes Bay Rowing Club which again has nothing to do with Labour. ]

    You ask “Is this what politics has sunk to? Winning by smearing using baseless innuendo where the result is more important than the truth?” Pose this question to Trevor Mallard about his lecturing Judith Collins and see if Trevor has usual smart-arse replies.

    [lprent: Relevance to this post? ]

    Then you ask “And don’t you think it is clear that the Herald has been used to peddle what essentially is a lie?” Do you really want an answer to this silly question?

    [lprent: Yes we do. ]

    The best clue to your feelings is your comment “But you then chose to use your column to suggest that John Key had it all over David Cunliffe in Parliament yesterday.” In so many settings JK has demonstrated he has qualities DC may never have unless DC becomes more questioning and demanding of the performance of his team members.

    [lprent: An assertion without bothering to explain why. ]

    [lprent: A polite troll, but a astroturfing troll none the less. Improve your comments to something intelligent and accurate because the next one I see with so many stupidities will cause you to be banned. Read the policy. This is your warning. ]

    • Russell Belding 29.1
      27 June 2014 at 10:47 am

      So Lprent, you do not like my post because it is does not conform to your political tastes. I am not a troll of any sort. I am discussing issues raised by “MickySavage”. I will read you policy. I read it, and at the top are comment indicating this site is tolerant of robust debate which includes assertion making, such as your comment about my “stupidities”.

      “We encourage robust debate and we’re tolerant of dissenting views. But this site run for reasonably rational debate between dissenting viewpoints and we intend to keep it operating that way.

      What we’re not prepared to accept are pointless personal attacks, or tone or language that has the effect of excluding others….”

      [lprent: You are selectively quoting the policy (did you get past the first paragraph?). Read the other sections especially about moderators whose job it is to moderate the debate an in particular to prevent silly flamewars.

      I really couldn’t give a pigs arse about your opinion. I seldom agree with anyone here, so why should you be any different. But I’m interested in your behaviour. You made several assertions as if they were fact rather than your opinion. You didn’t link to any kind of backing for them.

      I pointed a couple of them out to you with an alternate opinion in exactly the same style as you used, with no links and confident assertions. I note that you didn’t deal with those objections. You went straight from confident assertions to pathetic whining about how you are some kind of a victim. Not a good start. About the only thing you have done right so far is to not personally attack the author.

      That style of assertion comment causes stupid flamewars that I wind up having to moderate and expend effort over. I prefer to catch lazy newcomers and to educate them first. Personally I don’t think that you are capable or ready for debate here. I’d suggest that you read some of the comments in OpenMike to get a feeling for what is required.

      But you are welcome to try to reach and acceptable standard. Just be aware that I will be watching and judging if you are contributing to the debate or if your behaviours are just being a nuisance. ]

  30. Brian 30
    27 June 2014 at 9:45 am

    Armstrong has become little more than a joke. Whatever credibility he had as a political commentator he has squandered in the last few months with his monocled witch hunt of DC.

    He looks like Victor Meldrew – without the humour.

  31. ianmac 31
    27 June 2014 at 9:57 am

    My comment to today’s Editorial (paraphrased) outlines that if I sent a letter to the Herald outlining some illicit activities carried out by John Key in a secret place, would they print it ? They could say that they asked Mr Key for comment but he would totally deny that it ever happened. But the Herald would republish the story and include a photo of a frowning John Key and alongside a photo of a well known celebrity. Aha!
    Does Mr Editor think they would print this?

    Doubt that they would print my letter because some might think it might be true.

  32. jjtam 32
    27 June 2014 at 10:00 am

    And what if it turns out that Liu did meet Cunliffe at the New Lynn office?

    It is very interesting that afaik Cunliffe hasn’t come out and said that he has never met with Liu.

    And the Herald ripped Williamson to shreds over his links to Liu, so claiming bias is simply laughable.

    • lprent 32.1
      27 June 2014 at 10:45 am

      FFS: I have ‘met’ Liu. At least I can remember being in the same large room as him once. I remember his face (not from the Herald photo, but from one in DomPost). And I’m totally antisocial. Politicians spend a lot of time in large rooms with a lot of people that they don’t remember.

      What are you? Twelve. You appear to still have the mind of child.

      And the Herald ripped Williamson to shreds over his links to Liu, so claiming bias is simply laughable.

      The difference between this one and the Williamson one is that the Herald appears to have done no checking or seeking of proof of their allegations on this story apart from what the National party has provided. The Williamson story had a lot of proof of him contacting the police and exactly what was said. This story has a confirmed 11 year old standard form style letter from an electorate office asking immigration for a timeline.

      You really are mindless fool if you think the two are in anyway comparable…..

    • Kiwiri 32.2
      27 June 2014 at 10:53 am

      If the Herald would like some more Lius (in addition to Bill, Donghua, Paul …) to fuel the story, I can find a few. No charge for accompanying statements, but no affidavits please.

    • Tracey 32.3
      27 June 2014 at 12:08 pm

      ?..pointed out that williamson tried to interfere in an active police investigation into two seperate domestic assaults allegedly committed by mr liu. Mr liu was not in mr williamsons electorate and later pleaded guilty.

      When you leave facts out and just leave in your baseless supposition, you look worse than stupid.

  33. Tautoko Viper 33
    27 June 2014 at 10:43 am

    Russell Belding has made the same mistake as others; false equivalents.
    Judith Collins was deliberately not upfront about her actions on a taxpayer funded trip on events which benefitted a company of which her husband is a director. This is not equivalent to forgetting about an 11 year old letter asking for a timeframe on an application.
    A deliberate false story “on the way to the airport’, etc with continuing changes) is not the same as a genuine lack of recall of an insignificant event.
    This lack of critical thinking seems to be a prerequisite for those who support the current government because they swallow the misinformation dished out to them via the compliant media without doing any research to analyse the actual evidence.

    Russell’s statement “In so many settings JK has demonstrated he has qualities DC may never have unless DC becomes more questioning and demanding of the performance of his team members. ” should have a satire warning.

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    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    2 days ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    5 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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