Establishment appointed Council protects Establishment

Written By: - Date published: 5:21 pm, February 11th, 2016 - 39 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, accountability, democracy under attack, elections, local government, same old national - Tags:

So National’s appointed ECan (undermining democracy since 2010) has decided that leading business man Hugh Fletcher & Chief Justice Sian Elias shouldn’t be fined for their cows sh!ting in a lake.

Surprise, surprise.

It’s bad enough their maximum fine is $750 – hardly enough to make a large dairy farmer sweat – but for them not to bother applying it is pretty criminal.

Fish & Game says: “ECan’s rules clearly state that cattle should not be standing in lakes, and if it happens then there’s got to be consequences.”

But ECan can only go on about a lack of evidence of faecal matter in the water, just next to the lake.

Well it hardly sits in pats in the water, does it?  But from the pictures, the amount of cattle standing there for the amount of time they’ll have been there… well if you look at a field of cows and get your average time shitting, statistics will tell you the rest…

ECAN was suspended in 2010 and replaced with appointed commissioners. It appeared an opportunity for a resource grab – the regional council manages valuable resources including water and soils, and National argued it allowed “better” decision-making around access to water for the valuable dairy industry.

In 2016 Canterbury will get a little bit of flawed democracy for their regional council.  Christchurch will still have too limited a say.

And if this is what the Government’s appointments do to protect Canterbury’s water and environment… well the restoration of full democracy is still urgent.

39 comments on “Establishment appointed Council protects Establishment ”

  1. Sacha 1

    From news coverage I’ve read, ECan has *never* prosecuted a farmer for violating our waterways like this. Gutless pricks.

  2. Ad 2

    On the other hand, 20,000 protesters, zero arrests. Not a bad start.

  3. Gerald 3

    British PM Ted Heath (Tory) commented on the “unacceptable face of capitalism” , this sort of practice is now the unacceptable face of not only farming but also the lack of actions of our regulator bodies.

  4. Graeme Stanley 4

    Is this why The National Government stole Democracy in Canterbury to protect The Chief Justice of New Zealand.? Doesn,t she stand up for All New Zealanders?

    • Bunji 4.1

      I think National stole democracy more to look after dairy farmers, but those appointed by the powerful tend to side with the powerful. Often sub-conscious, but people know which side their bread is buttered on. Best to have them appointed by the people and answerable to the people…

  5. Ian 5

    common sense decision from ecan. Any pollution from a small number of cattle in a large lake for a short period of time is not an issue. The Avon ,Heathcote and tributaries within Christchurch city that are heavily contaminated with raw human sewerage and heavy metals is a national disgrace. Lianne Dalziel is the head honcho of an organisation responsible for the worst pollution in Canterbury. And she got democratically elected to the job.

    • weston 5.1

      reckon …my sympathies are with the cattle in this instance gotta agree about the avon also being as ive heard it said a number of times over the years how beautifull it is wtf ? ive seen more attractive drains

    • John Shears 5.2

      @Ian
      Raw human sewage contaminating the Avon & Heathcote rivers and tributaries will be leaking from the sewerage reticulation systems in Christchurch that have still not been repaired after the earthquakes
      across the city since September 2010, nearly 6 years ago if , as I take it , you are suggesting that this is an ongoing pollution problem.
      BTW Lianne Dalziel only became Mayor in 2013 and inherited the problems that Gerry Brownlee and his lot failed to make good.

      This has no connection to the wilful release of a herd of cattle into a lake next to a camping ground. Common sense from Ecan ? give me a break.

    • vto 5.3

      Wrong ian. Get the facts before you spout off.

      The current state of the city’s rivers is nearly entirely due to earthquake damage to city infrastructure.

      The remaining non-eq pollution was, prior to the eq’s, in a mode of improvement. Pollution has been improving for a long time and was not too far off being swimmable again.

      Once the eq matters are attended to shortly, the river will race back to its improving track, on the way to swimmable.

      In contrast, all rural rivers have declined over the same period and are predicted to get much worse.

      Lift your game and stop dumping your shit in the public estate. No respect.

  6. Brendon Harre -Left wing Liberal 6

    Oh FFS all you apologists. The law is clear. No stock in waterways. The evidence is irrefutable. Photos of stock in a waterway. The consequence is clear, a fine up to $750. This should have been the result.

    It shouldn’t have been a biggy. Hugh Fletcher and Justice Elias should have apologised for allowing their stock to wander into a waterway, built a fence to prevent it happening again (which I think they are doing) and paid the fine.

    It is this sort non application of the rule of law that is dropping us down the corruption ranks. We have lost the moral fortitude to do the right thing.

    • John Shears 6.1

      +1

    • weka 6.2

      “The law is clear. No stock in waterways”

      Anyone got a link to the regulations? Because in the SI it’s normal for large stations to not have fenced waterways. I assume this is true for Canterbury too.

      • Ian 6.2.1

        The law is an ass. Fencing off all waterways is ridiculous.Stocking rates in most hill country and high country are very low and contribute very little to nitrate levels in rivers. Nitrate Leaching from leguminous weeds on crown land is more of a problem.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 6.2.1.1

          [citation needed]

          • weka 6.2.1.1.1

            “Fencing off all waterways is ridiculous”

            That’s an opinion. I tend to agree with it to an extent. New dairy conversions should automatically have to fence, that’s a no-brainer and can be built into the commerical model. If they can’t afford it then the conversion shouldn’t happen. Existing dairy farms likewise but with a prompt timeframe.

            High country stations I think should be assessed on a case by case basis because in some places the stock to land ration is low and isn’t causing a problem. That’s also going to depend on the size of the water, its flow etc. It would be better for the government in those cases to encourage stations to not just fence but to landcare restoration eg yes you have to fence off this waterway, but instead of fencing off that one as well it’s recommended that you instead plant a riparian strip on this one.

            I think there are probably small farm and lifestyle block cases where mandatory fencing is not necessarily the best option either. A single horse with access to a creek is not necessarily a problem.

            “Stocking rates in most hill country and high country are very low”

            For the most part that’s self-evident to anyone who spends time there. It would be good for the regional councils to develop guidelines around stocking and impact for different catchments and kinds of land. The issue around overstocking won’t go away with fencing waterways, it would be good to deal with it at the same time as protecting water.

            “and contribute very little to nitrate levels in rivers.”

            That’s been generally true in the past, although I think climate change and changes in river flows means it should be relooked at. We know that low stocked farms have been far less of a problem for water ways because we’ve been doing it for 150 years and those rivers and creeks were generally ok (there’s a caveat on that, which is that conventional old school farming still has negative impacts on the land, but over a much longer time frame. But that’s a different kete of ika).

            We should be looking at high country stations distinctly from dairy farms. In addition to cow shit in water, there are other issues like the increase in phosphate use, whether farms are doing annual burn offs etc. If we want to get this right, as opposed to just making townies feel better by not seeing animals in water, then let’s look at what the actual problems are and then teh solutions.

            “Nitrate Leaching from leguminous weeds on crown land is more of a problem.”

            No idea if that’s true, but a citation for that would be useful.

        • framu 6.2.1.2

          “The law is an ass”

          then change it – dont flout it and expect a free pass from the regulatory body

          the fact remains – the cows arent allowed in the lake regardless of whether they are shitting or pissing or just standing there

          for farmers to moan about how they should be more respected cause “back bone of the economy” then turn around and expect to be able to flout the very rules they operate under is hypocrisy

          • weka 6.2.1.2.1

            “the cows arent allowed in the lake”

            Do you know that for a fact?

            “for farmers to moan about how they should be more respected cause “back bone of the economy” then turn around and expect to be able to flout the very rules they operate under is hypocrisy”

            Yep. And likewise, townies who visit the country for their holidays but don’t otherwise pay attention to what is going on are being hypocrites everytime they eat dairy or meat or buy Icebreaker and then get up in arms when they see a few cows standing in a river. There are complexities to this that are being missed from the debate in the past few weeks. It’s not helpful to lump all types of farming or farmers into the same criticism.

            • framu 6.2.1.2.1.1

              on RNZ they asked the same question at the time – according to media interview with ecan rep the cows are 100% not allowed in that waterway

              and yep – townies (esp meat eaters) who dont bother to know about farming and complain are hypocrites too

              im not lumping all farmers or farming types together beyond one simple thing – that you abide by the regs and work to change them – you dont flout them then expect a free pass as a right – as a farmer or anyone else

              if the by-law is no cows full stop – what then are the complexities?

              • weka

                Ok thanks framu. I wasn’t sure if it was that clear. RNZ also carried the story a few weeks ago about cows in the Matukituki river near Mt Aspiring National Park. There have been stock in that valley for over a hundred years, just like most other big river flat systems in the South Island. There was a hue and a cry because the cattle where standing in water. That’s not where the problems is*, the problem is the big industrial dairy conversions happening elsewhere.

                *there are plenty of other problems with conventional high country farming. We need to get our targets right.

                im not lumping all farmers or farming types together beyond one simple thing – that you abide by the regs and work to change them – you dont flout them then expect a free pass as a right – as a farmer or anyone else

                I agree, although some of the recommended regulations I see on ts are not workable and not even the best thing. And regional councils are still largely bowing down to Fed Farmers so the regs we have already aren’t necessarily the best thing either. I’m curious what the regs actually say in that instance (the lake), because elsewhere they’re not that cut and dried afaik. NZers have sat by and let 2 decades of intensification happen on our backyards and getting upset about a few non-dairy cattle in a lake to me demonstrates that we still haven’t taken responsibility for this. Yes many farmers are doing fucked up things. But the regulatory powers are democratically elected, so what’s up with that?

              • weka


                ECan’s Land and Water Regional Plan allows stock access to lakes, rivers and wetlands, but only under strict conditions. One of them is that cattle can not stand in a lake.

                http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/76285690/cattle-caught-in-canterburys-lake-taylor-belong-to-chief-justice-dame-sian-elias

                Complexity.

                • weka

                  I don’t have time to read the whole relevant bit but here’s a snip from ECan’s regional plan. I suspect that many people don’t realise how little protection there is for waterways in statute. Then there’s the issue of how regional council staff interpret the regulations.

                  Stock Exclusion
                  5.68 The use and disturbance of the bed (including the banks) of a lake, river or a wetland by stock and any associated discharge to water is a permitted activity, provided the following conditions are met:

                  1.The use or disturbance of the bed (including the banks) of a lake, river or wetland and any associated discharge to water is not categorised as a non-complying activity under Rule 5.70 or a prohibited activity under Rule 5.71; and

                  2.The use or disturbance of the bed (including the banks) of a lake or river and any associated discharge to water is at a stock crossing point that is:

                  (a) not more than 20 m wide; and

                  (b) perpendicular to the direction of water flow, except where this is impracticable
                  owing to the natural contours of the riverbed or adjoining land; and

                  (c) aligns with a constructed track or raceway on either side of the crossing point; or

                  3.The use or disturbance of the bed (including the banks) of a lake or river and any associated discharge to water that is not at a permanent stock crossing point does not result in:

                  (a) pugging or de-vegetation that exposes bare earth in the bed (including the banks) of a lake or river; or

                  (b) a conspicuous change in colour or clarity of the water, outside the Mixing Zone; or

                  (c) cattle standing in any lake; and

                  4.The disturbance of a wetland does not result in a conspicuous change in colour or clarity of water, or pugging or de-vegetation that exposes bare earth.

                  http://ecan.govt.nz/our-responsibilities/regional-plans/lwrp/Pages/plan-decisions-version.aspx

                  • Sacha

                    yes, that’s crystal clear:

                    “does not result in … cattle standing in any lake”

                    • weka

                      standing vs walking? The cows can talk to the edge of the lake and drink, but not put their feet in it? How would that work?

                      I think you have to read the regulation in the whole, not as a single point. eg

                      “The use or disturbance of the bed… of a lake or river… does not result in:
                      … cattle standing in any lake; and”

                      That to me suggests that the lake bed is ok to have cattle on it. If not, the regulation is a nonsense. I’d guess that farmers think so and that regional council staff feel they have some lattitude in how to enforce. I’d also guess that the regulations were deliberately written to allow that. Otherwise it would say “no cattle can stand or walk in any lake”. Clearly that’s not the intention.

                      I’m not saying this is right. I’m saying that the public debate on this is not really in line with what is happening in reality with regional councils. Nor the reality of high country farming. Besides, it’s still the wrong target.

                      edit, to give another example, what’s the legal definition of ‘pugging’? How many hoof marks and how deep constitute pugging vs normal wear and tear on the land?

                    • Sacha

                      I read the primary distinction as being walking through a lake to an access point on the other side vs being in the lake without intent to proceed to another point. These cattle were going nowhere.

                    • weka

                      That might be true (hard to tell from the photo, and it could be that cattle are moving from one end of the farm to the other going past the lake), and I’m sure farmers bend the rules on that all the time.

                      My main point is that from what I can tell regional council bylaws are somewhat flexible and this is part of why we have the problems we do. The other big part is of course that regional council staff are loathe to piss of farmers too much.

                      And still the wrong target.

        • Draco T Bastard 6.2.1.3

          The law is an ass. Fencing off all waterways is ridiculous.

          No it’s not because that’s what needs to happen.

          I suppose that you’d probably want this to happen instead?

          Stocking rates in most hill country and high country are very low and contribute very little to nitrate levels in rivers. Nitrate Leaching from leguminous weeds on crown land is more of a problem.

          BS

    • Sacha 6.3

      “built a fence to prevent it happening again”

      They already have a fence. They deliberately opened the gate and let their stock into the lake, repeatedly. ECAN are simply refusing to apply their own rules to any farmer in this situation. Useless fools.

      Cows will always relieve themselves when they stand in water. That’s the basis for regulating against them having access. Sure, there needs to be better distinction between the impacts of high-country and lowland stocking rates, which is proposed in the forthcoming national water law changes.

  7. Scott M 7

    Time for a private prosecution…

  8. katipo 8

    One would think the local MP for the past 8 years as someone who owns a few farms and who happened to have been the environment minister from 2012-2014 would have a lot to say on the subject…..Amy????……..crickets… oh well she is probably too busy working on reforming the RMA or attending sharholder meetings of the asset sales funded, Central Plains Irrigation Scheme.

  9. vto 9

    Personally I have given up on Canterbury’s rivers. And the plains themselves.

    It has merely become a vast industrial estate. May as well all be paved over with concrete.

    Used to be that working in the outdoors was wonderful and natural – not now.

  10. DoublePlusGood 10

    No problem with the maximum fine being $750 as long as it is per violation – there’s, by my count, 33 cows in that photo, so 33 x 750 = $24750. That seems like a good start.
    Start throwing around $20k in fines on a regular basis, and there won’t be any more limnologist bovines.

  11. savenz 11

    +100

    No shit hitting the fan for Natz cronies!

    • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 11.1

      I have never heard Sian Elias called a Nat crony before. She’s an horrific lefty.

  12. Smilin 12

    The insane hypocrisy that this govt gets away with just makes me wonder why in the hell we aren’t all marching on this govt to remove them
    Every step that has been taking to try and look after this country has been destroyed pretty much by this govt in the last 8 yrs
    This profit money garbage we get from these fuckers in Natcorp is all lies
    We are being run by a fascist and we know the answer to that, or do we ?

  13. Smilin 13

    The insane hypocrisy that this govt gets away with just makes me wonder why in the hell we aren’t all marching on this govt to remove them
    Every step that has been taking to try and look after this country has been destroyed pretty much by this govt in the last 8 yrs
    This profit money garbage we get from these fuckers in Natcorp is all lies
    We are being run by a fascist and we know the answer to that, or do we ?

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    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
    3 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
    8 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
    10 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
    24 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
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    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
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