Get ready for the spin

Written By: - Date published: 7:24 am, June 14th, 2009 - 64 comments
Categories: john key, mt albert, spin - Tags:

63% to 17%. That’s not a defeat. That’s a slaughter. An utter humiliation for the Tories.

How will the Tories and their fanboys (Armstrong, Ralston, Laws, Farrar etc) spin it?

Pretty obvious:

  • It was Lee’s fault for the gaffes.
  • It was Worth’s fault for the past fortnight.
  • Mt Albert people are dole-bludging darkies (see Kiwiblog threads)
  • The turn-out was low, so it doesn’t count.
  • It’s Labour’s fault for trying to hard to win.
  • It’s the media’s fault.
  • It doesn’t even matter.

The one thing it can’t be is Key’s fault. He’s the only asset National has. He’s the one person who needs to be protected above all.

  • Don’t mention that it was his policies that Mt Albert voted against.
  • Don’t vote mention that Key chose Lee personally.
  • Don’t mention that the Tories poured huge resources into winning.
  • Don’t mention that Key seriously expected to win until it went sour.

The spin won’t work. Even the best spin doctor can’t repair some injuries.

64 comments on “Get ready for the spin ”

  1. Red Rosa 1

    Following the kiwblog threads is a bit like watching, in awed horror, some primeval monster rising from a slimy lake to look round for some fresh victims.

    This creature, cleverly portrayed as the sensitive, caring National Party, has been in temporary hibernation.

    But beware, it is stirring itself again. And the results will not be pretty.

  2. Agreed.

    National had its ass whipped yesterday.

    And Key not showing is so poor, although Melissa deserves credit for fronting to concede. I thought that the Labour crowd’s treatment of her was most civilised, something the Wingnuts would not understand.

    The other spin they have been running is that Shearer is a right winger. 20 years of humanitarian work is ignored in favour of something that he wrote 20 years ago in the context of trying to stop the massacre of innocent women and children.

    • Anita 2.1

      There are plenty of right-wingers involved in humanitarian work.

      • mickysavage 2.1.1

        Anita

        Interesting comment and I do not doubt there are humanitarian right wingers. I am suggesting that having humanitarian tendencies will make you favourably consider helping those less fortunate than you which will make you incline to the left. There is not a perfect correlation but there is one.

        You only have to read a few kiwiblog posts where they decry dole bludgers and insist on their tax being minimised to realise that there is a dominant belief amongst the right that it should be every man for themself.

        • The Baron 2.1.1.1

          Tarring with a pretty thick brush there Micky…

          I think plenty of right-wing people, like myself, care a hell of a lot about those less fortunate than us. I would say that the majority of the right in parliament are like that too.

          The big difference is in the methods that the right and the left see as necessary to deliver to those less fortunate. Its an old saying, and hardly mine, but that difference is that the right focus on making a bigger “cake”, whereas the left tend to focus predominanty on slicing the current “cake” up.

          Its very simplistic to write off right wing people as being uncaring asses; just like it is very simplistic to write off left wing people as wooly headed redistributors. I tire of that crap just as much on Kiwiblog as I do here. But I guess the crass generalisation and demonisation of ones opponents is an old classic warrior mentality, huh.

          • Pascal's bookie 2.1.1.1.1

            Ummm, doesn’t this:

            Its an old saying, and hardly mine, but that difference is that the right focus on making a bigger “cake’, whereas the left tend to focus predominanty on slicing the current “cake’ up.

            amount to saying that the left are a bunch of wooly headed redistributors?

            I may be misunderstanding, but the first quote seems to be saying what you think the truth is, and the second what you think is simplistic nonsense. Or do you think, as I do that the first quote is also simplistic nonsense?

          • The Baron 2.1.1.1.2

            Fair comment, though the first quote wasn’t meant to be inflamatory.

            Merely a reflection that most (no, not all) left thinking tends to predominantly concern the division of wealth rather than the creation of more wealth as the best way to care about those less fortunate.

            The point was that the majority of people are after the same things – just differ in how to achieve them. I don’t think that that is too outrageous a point.

          • Pascal's bookie 2.1.1.1.3

            Oh heavens no. That’s not an unfair point at all, it’s one I agree with.

            A good part of the reason the left like redistribution is because they think it is the best way to grow the pie over the long term. It’s not just a social justice issue, though it is that too.

            In my view the reason governments, as opposed to individuals, should pay attention to those socio-economic justice issues, is that if they ignore them it leads, in the long view, to severe social unrest. Which is bad for growth, economic well being, and pie consumption. Not to mention all the crime, riots, and revolutionary pitchfork waving.

            Individuals should pay attention to them for other reasons, in this view.

          • lprent 2.1.1.1.4

            ….the right focus on making a bigger “cake’, whereas the left tend to focus predominanty on slicing the current “cake’ up.

            Wrong. You missed a key word. “short-term”.

            The left concentrates on building the cake in the long-term, whereas the right tries to extract more in the short-term, effectively foreclosing the future.

            The clearest examples show in relative support for education (the right approach is to support ‘our’ children whereas the left support ‘all’ children) and preventative health (the right always cuts it). In both cases the effect is too long-term for the average moron of the rights ROI. However it pays massive dividends over time in developing people infrastructure. That then increases growth.

            So far I see the Nats dismantling long-term programmes because they lack the imagination to see the future benefits for all.

          • Draco T Bastard 2.1.1.1.5

            making a bigger “cake’,

            How do you make the world bigger?

    • mike 2.2

      “And Key not showing is so poor”

      Key is on holiday. But apparently passed on his best to Shearer who he see’s as good centre right presence in Parliament

      • felix 2.2.1

        Holiday plans are really important. You set your dates 6 months in advance. You don’t fuck with holiday plans for some silly little by-election that you don’t even care about.

        I guess Mt Albert was never very important to him then.

        Oh hang on, up until a month ago it was hugely important to him. He personally sent his best “rising star” to win it for the nats. He couldn’t stop talking about how awesome it was gonna be.

        Oh well.

        • Pascal's bookie 2.2.1.1

          Yep it was pretty stupid of Key to schedule the by-election for when he was on holiday.

          Imagine if Lee had won. He would’ve missed out on reflecting in the glory.

  3. Anita 3

    * By-elections always swing against the government, this is completely expected

  4. gobsmacked 4

    If it was all about Lee, the voters had a simple alternative.

    There were two other candidates from the government coalition, one low profile but competent (Judy Turner) and one high profile, and to be fair, an energetic campaigner (Boscawen).

    The voters rejected them too.

  5. Craig Glen Eden 5

    I have just read Rolstons piece. Yep he worked real hard to put that together. Rolstons summary Lee was terrible, Labour was always going to to win.

    Funny Bill that was not what you said a few weeks ago.

    Political commentator/ journalist, my arse! Rolston is a sick joke.

    Spin it how you like Shearer has a CV that most in the world could only dream of.

    Lee comes from a profession full of people with a steadily declining level of intelligence.

    Shearer 63% Labour Lee 17% National

    Enough said really!

  6. Redbaiter 6

    Tories- pffft.

    How detached from reality can you Progressives get???

    If there ever was a real Tory in National they might amount to something.

    • felix 6.1

      Redbaiter, I have this theory that Mt Albert is almost entirely populated by criminals, dole bludgers, drug addicts and union low-lifes who’ve never done a day’s work so naturally they voted for Shearer but everyone I say this to tells me I’m a moron. What should I do?

    • Pascal's bookie 6.2

      We mock the tories we have bait, not the tories you wish we had.

      If there ever was a real Tory in National they might amount to something.

      But of course.

      Instead of merely leading a govt, the Nat’s could take your advice and reset their electoral sights on hoping to get their deposits back.

      How detached from reality can you Progressives get???

      We are clearly out of your league in this respect, granted.

  7. See Granny Herald’s editorial today, warning National to rein in Hide and his agenda for local government. The grandees of the National Party will not admit openly that they are concerned about the Mt. Albert result, but you can be certain that they understand that they face a political problem that is far greater than Ms Lee’s handling and gaffes. The government is not yet badly damaged, but its lustre is significantly tarnished by this result and other recent gaffes.

  8. Redbaiter 8

    “See Granny Herald’s editorial today, warning National to rein in Hide and his agenda for local government.”

    That’s right. More scum left wing media pretending to objectivity whilst completely unable to think outside the left wing paradigm.

    Come the revolution, there’ll be some corrupt bastards from the Herald decorating a few lamp posts.

    • QoT 8.1

      More scum left wing media pretending to objectivity whilst completely unable to think outside the left wing paradigm.

      With your permission, Red, I’ll be using this comment to keep me warm on cold Wellington nights, until that noted Commie agitator Garth George’s next column is out.

  9. Red Rosa 9

    As a non-Aucklander, but one who wishes the city well and recognizes its crucial part in the NZ economy, I think the SuperCity idea is long overdue.

    Auckland simply does not need 8 TLAs, with all the associated costs, overlap and competition among them.

    But for this to be rammed through as a vehicle for privatization, and cover for looting of the various public assets, is something else again.

    My recipe would be an Auckland Council of 12 (14 at most), elected from wards of roughly equal size, on top of 30 odd properly resourced community boards for genuine democratic representation at local level.

    If these boards got full-scale staffing support, they could channel grass roots messages upwards in a structured manner. This will be vital for real democracy in the bigger city setup. Also the boards will provide a good source of aspiring Council candidates.

    Any good, Aucklanders?

    • It is a good start Red Rosa.

      The main problem is that there needs to be a genuine discussion on what form Auckland should take with its citizens and the nats are not doing this. They are ramming it down our throats. The 8 members at large is a right wing gerrymander and privatisation of public assets looms as a distinct possibility.

      The process should be slowed down.

      I thought that a start would be to get the computer systems integrated and run various services including libraries, rates billing, and rubbish collection on a regional basis with the rest to follow gradually.

      Instead of this we are having what looks like a deeply flawed model being rammed down our necks.

      The Government ought to realise that its support is shallow and issues like this can easily dissipate this.

      • The Baron 9.1.1

        Again, too simplistic Micky.

        The rationale behind the large seats is to reduce the “pork barrell” tendencies of local ward representatives – people who are there to think on a regional basis.

        I share your concern that running for such positions will be difficult – they will need to be big campaigns, and the sheer number of contenders in such an election may make many voters just go for the first name on the list.

        (As an aside, any ballots for these roles should be printed on a randomised basis, rather than alphabetical. I remember reading (no link sorry) that having a surname that started with A increased yout chances of election by about 30%.)

        But this idea that it is all a rightwing gerrymander is a bit hysterical. Some supporting evidence:
        – ARC councillors are elected on large (not as large as this, but still) franchises, based on current TLA boundaries. And yet plenty of people from the left have been successfully elected.
        – Labour seems to do alright on a nationwide basis, don’t they? 3/4 since I started voting is a pretty good record!

        I trust the voters of Auckland to be able to select a candidate that matches their interests appropriately. Given that other large candidate models seem to work fine, I reject the idea that this will lead to a plethora of Remmers businessmen. Plus, such seats may enforce a regional focus, which is sorely required.

        • The Baron 9.1.1.1

          Pity i can’t retract this. Thoroughly off topic. My apologies.

          [lprent: thats ok. It is deliberate topic drift ie threadnapping that we frown on) ]

  10. coolas 10

    Here’s hoping Key doesn’t get the message from Mt Albert & continues his dangerous alliance with Hide and Act. Rodney has way too much power in proportion to his support, and he’s abusing his position as Minister of Local Government to make radical changes. Like his performance in Dancing with the Stars he’s a flat foot and will fall over sooner or later taking Key with him. Bring it on!

  11. IrishBill 11

    It seems the spin is more like “by-election? What by-election? But look! Over there! new dirt on Worth’s second accuser!”

    • felix 11.1

      Today’s kbr winner (so far) is chrisw76 with this little gem:

      I must admit that I have been very surprised that we have been obsessed with what frankly was a pissant by-election in Mt. Albert, when a far more interesting democratic election has been taking place in Iran.

      I wonder when he realised he was wrong to be obsessed? Probably around 6:30 last night.

  12. Zaphod Beeblebrox 12

    Red Rosa
    Your thoughts make sense, I thought most people had agreed with your exact model.
    For some reason the lure of a power grab on behalf of their mates seems to have got the better of the ‘Remeura gang’.
    Thr rest of NZ will be hoping that they will not next.

  13. Jared 13

    Interesting, Labour increased its % of the vote by 3.8% from 59.29% of the vote to 63.09% and this is apparently a “slaughter”. Labour was always expected to win regardless of the candidate it ran. You can spin it however you want, but looking at the results paints a different picture. The Greens managed to up their proportion of the votes from 5.94% to 12.09%, a big leap, probably down to the fact they ran Norman than anything else, although you could attribute this as a changing perception of Green values. Likewise with Act coming in with 4.72% of the vote, up from 4.09%, again, probably down to Act running a higher profile candidate, but possibly down to a shift in voter values. Lee’s decrease is far more dramatic with a decrease of 11.71% from the 2008 election, though I wouldn’t put that solely down to anti national sentiment, more her campaign failure. I would also hasten to extrapolate the Mt Albert polling as indicative of voter opinion nationwide considering the relatively lower voter turnout (2/3rds of those in 2008), though I will reserve that for the next opinion poll.

    • gobsmacked 13.1

      Jared, FYI:

      Mt Albert Party Vote 2002

      Labour 52.09%

      National 13.10%

      Greens 10.68%

      And if it was all about Lee, why did voters not pick another right-of-centre candidate? There were several to choose from.

    • lprent 13.2

      Always interesting looking at numbers in percentages. It is the easiest known way to lie with numbers.

  14. Just to note the sudden fascination with the Iranian elections on the part of Mr Farrar, and Mr Slater’s endorsement of Bill Ralston as the only pundit worth quoting on, pretty much, anything.

    Ms Lee’s meltdown, Mr. Shearer’s overwhelming victory, and the general chaos surrounding Mr Key’s leadership do seem to have upset National’s blog vanguard.

    I wonder what policy announcement is in preparation to divert attention from National’s disastrous last few weeks. Party Central in Auckland fell very, very flat. The cycleway has all the hallmarks of an albatross – Key’s Cycleway to Nowhere looks like an election slogan in a year or so. I expect the Great Porcine Pandemic to become a major focus as Mr Ryall is given the role of ‘Diverter-in-Chief’.

  15. Ianmac 15

    But it is Great to have the wisdom of Tony Ryall. After all in the space of a few weeks he managed single-handedly to set up systems to manage the flu threat. (Of course some lefty idiots suggest that it was a system established by the Health Dep under Labour watch. Huh. Why do they think the Minister of Health is given such good air time?)
    Sure the cost of the extra efforts will have to come from somewhere. Scalpel?

  16. Greg 16

    “How will the Tories and their fanboys (Armstrong, Ralston, Laws, Farrar etc) spin it?

    Pretty obvious:

    * It was Lee’s fault for the gaffes.
    * It was Worth’s fault for the past fortnight.
    * Mt Albert people are dole-bludging darkies (see Kiwiblog threads)
    * The turn-out was low, so it doesn’t count.
    * It’s Labour’s fault for trying to hard to win.
    * It’s the media’s fault.
    * It doesn’t even matter.”

    Exactly right. While these may have had an impact around the edges one factor ensured it was always going to be a landslide for Labour. Waterview. However, obviously the rest of the country isn’t so caught up in this. Mt Albert did not vote against National’s policies. They voted against one policy. To state this is a trend for the rest of New Zealand is misleading, Waterview ensured this buy election (pun intended) was always going to severely buck the trend.

    • gobsmacked 16.1

      Greg

      “To state this is a trend for the rest of New Zealand is misleading”

      New Zealand, perhaps. But not Auckland (which, for better or worse, has a huge influence on the election, under MMP).

      The well-attended (and unhappy) public meetings on the Super-City suggest this is about much more than Mt Albert. National/ACT will ignore that at their peril.

    • lprent 16.2

      Wrong. Most of the electorate don’t care one way or another about SH20 personally. It was the attitude by the self-entitlement attitude by the NACT government that pissed them off.

      However it is an electorate that doesn’t take kindly to fuckwits trying to push them around. The super-city proposal by NACT was far more of a factor than the Waterview connection.

      • Ianmac 16.2.1

        Tis true those of us in the deep south do not really care about SH20 either. But what interests me is the actions of the Key Govt. Consistent? On message? Honest? Confident? Does John Key get muddled because of the conflicting advice from his minders? Is he therefore sure of his own mind?

  17. gobsmacked 17

    Spin update: Jonathan Coleman (Cabinet Minister, and Melissa Lee’s minder), speaking on TVNZ’s Q & A this morning, described the by-election as a “sideshow”. In fact, he said it twice, so it wasn’t a slip of the tongue.

    So that’s National’s view of people voting in an election: it’s a sideshow.

    Which begs the question: why has a Cabinet Minister, on his sizeable salary, paid from our taxes, been wasting so much time on a sideshow?

    Why didn’t he stay in Wellington?

  18. So Bored 18

    Wow, that woke me up, what a result, should put the fear of God into Jonkey and crew, beware a slighted Westie and a piised off Polynesian. Rodders and Melissa sure know how to wind these people up. Should be fun to watch the next general election, this encourages me to snooze off and to dream of polling day 2011 as Henderson and Manakau block vote Jonkeys donkeys out, sweet dreams foor me, nightmares for the Nats.

  19. exbrethren 19

    Good to see United Future get 8th place. Dunne will be gone next election. With Worth gone as well ACT might struggle in Epsom and the MP will need to do something to justify their presence as well.

    The future looks bright.

    • felix 19.1

      Getting rid of Dunne largely depends on the left voters in Ohariu getting their shit together and playing on the same team.

      Dunne won it in 2008 with a total of 12,303.
      The combined Labour/Green vote? 13,692.

      Green voters in Ohariu cast 2,665 votes for Gareth Hughes – all of them wasted (the votes I mean).

      MMP, Greens. Learn it.

      edit: There were 3488 party votes for the Greens in Ohariu. This means that there are 823 Green voters in the electorate who understand MMP – surely that’s enough of you to educate the others?

      • Jasper 19.1.1

        8th most marginal seat.

        Chauvel had 1004 votes less than Dunne – if Hughes voters had gone Chauvel, Dunne Future would be gone.

        It’s highly likely that in 2011, Dunne will get a list placing on National, as he does what’s best for his pay packet.
        Losing Ohariu to Chauvel ensures the end of Dunne Future. Can’t see Dunne laying down without having a backup plan.

        A lot of Labour party voters gave their electorate to Shanks, as they thought she would more likely win. How wrong they were.
        Chauvel for 2011. Gets rid of Dunne Future, but Dunne will most likely pop up on the National list. Guarantee it.

  20. Greg 20

    “Wrong. Most of the electorate don’t care one way or another about SH20 personally. It was the attitude by the self-entitlement attitude by the NACT government that pissed them off.

    However it is an electorate that doesn’t take kindly to fuckwits trying to push them around. The super-city proposal by NACT was far more of a factor than the Waterview connection.”

    Don’t confuse your opinions with those of the electorate as a whole. Those of us who live inside the beltway care about the electoral finance act, the Auckland supercity and the like. Most of the general public do not. They identify much more with a policy that will have a direct impact on their lives, Ie Waterview. Those of us who are politically inclined keep forgetting this.

    Also, I don’t see what impact Mt Albert has on Dunne’s chances of survival (not that I’m his biggest fan). The only voters that matter to Dunne’s survival are those in Ohariu-Belmont, not those in Mt Albert.

    • felix 20.1

      I think you’re overlooking the fact that the supercity is a local issue in Mt Albert.

  21. dw 21

    at the risk of being called out for link-whoring I thought I’d point out just how far from true the “Mt Albert people are dole-bludging darkies” line is:
    http://theatavism.blogspot.com/2009/06/who-voted-today.html

  22. Redbaiter 22

    “Mt Albert people are dole-bludging darkies’

    Maybe you can link to this line on Kiwiblog so that I know it isn’t just another cowardly false allegation and smear.

    So far I’ve only read it on The Standard.

    • felix 22.1

      Is someone trying to smear you, baiter?

      What are they trying to do – make you look like a blinkered, unhinged idiot with extreme f@scist views and no grip on reality?

      The cowardly scum.

  23. Redbaiter 23

    “Members and front organizations must continually embarrass, discredit and degrade our critics. When obstructionists become too irritating, label them as fascist, or Na*i or insane …. The association will, after enough repetition, become “fact” in the public mind.”

    –Com*un*st Party, Mosc*w Central Committee 1943

    That aside, I guess you approve entirely of cowardly false allegations as long as in your tiny mind, the person who is maligned disagrees with your extreme left politics.

    I mean, that gives you open slather for any kind of denigration, personal attack, and going back in history not all that far, the right to sic the secret police on them and haul them off to the gul*g. Right?

    Always the same. Scratch the skin of a leftist, and underneath lurks the drooling totalitarian beast. So repellent.

    If the person who wrote the subject slur cannot point the subject phrase out on Kiwiblog they should apologise, for otherwise it is nothing but a cowardly lie.

    • Zetetic 23.1

      Christ, Redbaiter. You’re a PC little cry baby aren’t you? Do you need a hug? I can hear you sniffling from here.

      • Redbaiter 23.1.1

        I merely seek to protect the democratic right to hold alternative veiwpoints. Just because someone might not agree with socialism should not make them automatically subject to ridicule and smears and false allegations.

        You might approve of lies directed at blogs that hold different political viewpoints. I don’t and if I observed a similar lie about The Standard I would complain of that as well.

        (I do not actually mind traditional leftists too much, its Progressives I despise)

        • felix 23.1.1.1

          Yep, you get ridiculed because you might not agree with socialism.

          And Jeffrey Dahmer is thought poorly of for his table manners.

    • lprent 23.2

      Actually when I first read the quote I was thinking that it was obviously from one of the wingnut totalitarian groups in the States. You know the ones – libertarians or religionists who say that the state should not interfere with their right to abuse people. However it simply came from a totalitarian regime that used different labels and similar tactics.

      But I suppose extremists left, right, religious, capitalist, worker, etc etc all tend to go together in my mind after a while. Same with all extreme sales pitches, and other self-righteous indignation.

      Incidentally, the quote describes exactly your initial behaviour on this site. Looked like there is simply a name shift. Except I got annoyed and removed a lot of the language to auto-moderation.

      As far as I’m aware, we’ve never had to ban you off the site as we have with others. You might have opinions that people here find crazy. But at least yoiu can articulate the arguments.

  24. TV3 tonight: the National view of Mt Albert – the Coleman version: it’s all Ms Lee’s fault and Mr Key is busy (so couldn’t make time to be there last night). Political analysis gives way to blaming the individual.

    National does not forgive failure easily. And it’s no-one else’s fault – not her minders (Coleman included), not the experienced cadres of the party, not he who chose her.

    Ms Lee faces a career on the far distant, colder benches in parliament.

    • lprent 24.1

      She was a green MP. All of this was foreseeable by any competent party.

      Hell we (the LEC) knew that Shearer or Bates or whomever got picked wouldn’t know the ropes. So there was a lot of support planned both directly to the candidate and to the campaign. Because it was a by-election we could get the best people. Something that the party participated in with enthusiasm.

      It did help the Shearer listens to what people say and naturally has a diplomatic demeanor

  25. Maggie 25

    Rules of the John Key “Learn to Swim” Club:

    1. Choose young, attractive female non-swimmer who looks good in a bikini. Alert the media for photo ops.
    2.Throw her in the deep end
    3. Hurl large rocks at her head (the rocks can be labelled Waterview motorway, Auckland Super City, Worth Sex Scandal for purposes of identification)
    4. When she is bleeding and going down for the third time suddenly remember you need a holiday
    5. Skulk away and don’t look back. Avoid the media

  26. Greg 26

    Your missing my point Felix. The pro’s and con’s of a different kind of local governance simply does not excite the majority of New Zealanders. A motorway through their backyard will though

    • felix 26.1

      I’m not sure how familiar you are with the geography of suburban Auckland, but the amount of people directly affected by the new motorway is pretty small relative to the Mt Albert electorate. Lynn is right, it’s the attitude of the govt in pushing this stuff through that grates people more than the substance of the changes themselves.

      The motorway issue serves as a metaphor for the supercity issue – Auckland is getting bulldozed into it whether they like it or not. The two issues are forever linked in the minds of Aucklanders thanks to Key and Hide.

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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
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    3 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

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