Go well Ashley Bloomfield

Written By: - Date published: 8:28 am, April 10th, 2022 - 31 comments
Categories: david clark, health, jacinda ardern, public services, republic, uncategorized - Tags:

With a sense of regret for many of us Ashley Bloomfield announced his pending resignation as Director General of Health.

Some of us, probably most of the country, think Ash should be honoured for his contribution to Aotearoa and for seeing us through Covid.

There is a diversity of views.  Some think that Ash has been the leader of a World Government sponsored attempt to inject us all with chips to allow us all to be controlled.  Some seemed to be cheering for him to fail for political advantage.  Most of us are grateful although a few have bought the grumpy cool ade that National has been splashing around and think things are terrible.

If you think about the position the country is in, the sustained attacks that he has been subject to and the intense calm he always displayed his performance has been remarkable.

Who can forget the initial claims that the MIQ system was leaking like a sieve and the repeated questions about why everyone was not tested on day 11?  MIQ held the virus at bay until it was overwhelmed by Omicron.

Or the claims that PPE distribution was a disaster. While it may not have been pristine the good workers at our health coal face have coped.

Or the repeated claims that we should be allowed to use Rat Tests from the start.  Looking back the centralised testing and result gathering was the best thing that we could do.

Or the claims that the vaccine rollout was a disaster.  With world beating figures and a health system that has withstood the pressure of Omicron reality would beg to differ.

If you want to read all of the attacks rolled into one check out this Mike Hosking column.  And question if he occupies the same reality as the rest of us.

This passage is that dripping with negativity it faces the prospect of internally combusting:

Has he done a good job? I’m not sure how much of what he did was him versus what the government made him do. How much of a puppet was he for an inexperienced government that clung to the public service for dear life because they couldn’t make a decision for themselves?

What I do know is we made him a bigger deal than he should have been. Saint Ashley came about because too many got sucked in by his calm demeanour and those mad days when we literally got freaked out by the fear-mongering, the teddies in the window, the team of 5 million bollocks and the “be kind” mantra.

Nothing but relentless negativity.  It is almost as if Hosking is wanting the system to fail just so the Government can be embarrassed.

The opposition has also engaged in relentless negativity.  As an example there was an earlier attack on New Zealand offering humanitarian aid to a UN worker in Fiji. There was more recent occasions where Bishop accused Bloomfield of misleading the public over testing capability and over the supposed requisitioning of RAT tests.  To highlight National’s sensitivity over Bloomfield there was the occasion where they asked who had invited Bloomfield to a T20 cricket game.

Labour’s support for Bloomfield was mostly excellent, apart from this effort by David Clark to throw him under the bus.  Clark’s subsequent demotion had a sense of karma about it.

Although having said that there is this really weird piece written by Barry Soper who subsequently announced he was also going to spend more time with his family.  His column is Hootenish in its ability to pour unsourced bile into every sentence.

As a staunch Republican I oppose the use of knighthoods even for people who have made significant contributions to the country.  In Ashley Bloomfield’s case I am willing to make an exception.

31 comments on “Go well Ashley Bloomfield ”

  1. Robert Guyton 1

    There is a concerted, co-ordinated on-line attack being made upon Bloomfield's reputation. The parliament-grounds occupiers and their hangers-on have mobilised as armchair freedom-fighters. Their work can be seen also in the rapid increase in hateful comments about Jacinda Ardern across social media. This is not an inconsequential development, imo.

  2. Ad 2

    Credit where credit is due, he did a good job.

    Since 95% of Cabinet decisions follow advice from officials, such key officials are the primary guiding power of our politics.

    Because they hold this power we need more scrutiny of them, not less. With the dissolution of DHBs we will see one major area for leadership accountability gone.

    Most, like say Geoff Dangerfield, can now only lead lives of quiet satisfaction, when they know they are responsible for such monuments as SH1 to Warkworth including the toll road, the entire Waikato expressway system, the Canterbury network rebuild, and the like.

    Others deep in the past like Roderick Deane shift from Treasury to head of all electricity, and from there to Fletchers and banking. He was the guy who corporatised most of the state from the inside.

    There are the occasional hit-men like our own bureaucratic napoleon Brian Roche who head whole entities like NZPost, then go further into full structural rebuilds.

    Others like Sir Peter Gluckman manage to reinvent themselves into futures thinkers.

    There is not a single Minister below Minister of Finance I can think of who has weilded more than any major Departmental head. Apart maybe Jim Anderton.

  3. Reality 3

    The public quickly recognised Ashley Bloomfield was simply a thoroughly very genuine, capable, calm, intelligent, admirable human being and they responded to those qualities which are not often seen on tv from people in the public eye. We knew he was working very long hours on our behalf and were grateful. We knew he cared deeply about how NZ was coping with Covid. We saw his quiet humour. He was never rude or impatient. Oh that there were more like him.

    • Heather Grimwood 3.1

      To Reality at 3 : No-one could have expressed Ashley Bloomfield's qualities and success better. Thank you. His sincere genuine nature was there for all to see, as was the occasional weariness in recent times.

      Consider too the disgusting flak that goes on in the background. He and his family deserve the early retirement he has chosen.

      • Anne 3.1.1

        QFT Heather Greenwood. Reality has cemented in reality.

        I admit to shedding a tear when I heard Bloomfield was going. A very intelligent, competent and unassuming person. A gentleman and a scholar. That is the problem for the likes of the narcissistic Hosking and Soper. They know they can never come within coo-ee of his status among the vast bulk of the population. Take for example this comment from Hosking:

        Saint Ashley came about because too many got sucked in by his calm demeanour and those mad days when we literally got freaked out by the fear-mongering, the teddies in the window, the team of 5 million bollocks and the “be kind” mantra.

        Hatred, bitterness, jealousy and venom all rolled into one.

        Not even the delightful teddies in the window that kept so many thousands of children excited and happy and put smiles on more than a few adult faces was free from his latest rant. Soper was no better. Fact-free conspiracy theories abounded in all their idiotic glory in his contribution.

  4. RedLogix 4

    While I expressed some dissent from the globalised Big Pharma driven narrative – I have never thought Bloomfield was doing anything other than his very best in an incredibly difficult situation. Few public servants have won our respect for their authentic dedication to public service as he has.

    Well done and best wishes with his future plans.

  5. Dennis Frank 5

    Yeah a knighthood is the appropriate move & Ardern ought to make it happen in the QB honours window. The Hosking rant is worthless. Clueless dork syndrome.

    Soper's signal is worth considering though. I don't mind giving the new system a try-out, and having a couple of women running it is no problem in principle. See how they go. He's right to imply that Bloomfield's timing is good.

  6. What a horrible person Mike Hosking is…but we knew this didn't we?

    And to note that in some houses in my neighbourhood the teddies are still there in the windows and a couple also have the coloured in Easter eggs that children were encouraged to cut out, colour in and stick onto the windows. These things got many of us through as did the knowledge that the Govt had every aspect under control right down to making sure the Easter Bunny and Father Christmas were able to come to NZ and would not be stopped at the border.

    I think he should get a knighthood. As Reality says:

    The public quickly recognised Ashley Bloomfield was simply a thoroughly very genuine, capable, calm, intelligent, admirable human being and they responded to those qualities which are not often seen on tv from people in the public eye

    For instance there would not be many who who say that Soper and Hosking have any of these qualities now. Soper, when I knew him many moons ago, used to be a genuine (his days of promoting Southland products around Parliament were fun and would have made a difference to many Sthld businesses), and capable person but seems to have become infected with screechiness and gotcha-ism.

    NB Mickey ‘Kool aid’ not ‘cool ade’

  7. Peter 7

    When Hosking finishes in his job there will be many quotes to use on his last hurrah.

    The horror to consider that such an erudite, sagacious, brave media god "literally got freaked out by the fear-mongering" and the thought of a "be kind" mantra.

    Oh the humanity.

    Bloomfield doing his job reminds me of ambulance drivers and police going to a road crash at 3.00 a.m. on a miserable morning to assist some drunken yobbos smashed up when their speeding car has crashed. The helpers get abused, treated like crap and carry on doing what needs to be done through the insults and assaults. Instead of going home.

    The victims are helped and saved in spite of themselves.

  8. Reality 8

    Hosking's vile nastiness is appalling. He never ever has a fair or reasonable word to say about anyone who is not wearing a blue rosette. He has an over-inflated opinion of himself and has personality defects that run deep.

    To be so pathologically unable to make a gracious comment on Dr Bloomfield's resignation says it all.

    • AB 8.1

      True – but Hosking is a useful idiot, More interesting and worthy of investigation are the people who choose to platform him.

  9. Ric 9

    I found his explanations lucid and his calmness inspiring. Thank you Ashley

  10. Kiwijoker 10

    Kipling said it best

    If you can keep your head when all about you

    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

    If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

    But make allowance for their doubting too;

    If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

    Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

    Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

    If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;

    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;

    If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

    And treat those two impostors just the same;

    If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

    Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

    And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

    If you can make one heap of all your winnings

    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

    And lose, and start again at your beginnings

    And never breathe a word about your loss;

    If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

    To serve your turn long after they are gone,

    And so hold on when there is nothing in you

    Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

    If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

    Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,

    If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

    If all men count with you, but none too much;

    If you can fill the unforgiving minute

    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

    Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

    n/a

    Source: A Choice of Kipling's Verse (1943)

    More About this Poem

    • Related
  11. Mike the Lefty 11

    Dr Bloomfield was a credit to those who believe in making decisions based on fact and evidence, as opposed to narcissistic breakfast show hosts who make decisions based on personal whim.

  12. McFlock 12

    The contrast between Hosking and Bloomfield is stark.

    Hosking has been paid and encouraged to foment outrage and hyperbole to increase media engagement, in the same way that Facebook sees us engage with content more in anger than approval.

    Bloomfield has been trained to stare genuine catastrophe (be it personal to a patient, or public) in the face, focus on the essential steps to overcome it, and help others to do the same.

    Must be difficult for Hosking to see someone with the latter training so prominent in the public gaze – it really highlights his own shortcomings as a human being.

  13. he has done his duty and done the country proud.

  14. Dottie 14

    Thank you Ashley you were TOPS.

  15. Ad 15

    Ardern's note from the weekend on her own exhaustion is our fair warning if she decided to step off the treadmill and make herself unavailable for the 2023-4 election.

    Coronavirus: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reveals toll COVID-19 pandemic took on her | Newshub

    MoH clearly has its own succession plan underway.

    Labour needs one badly.

  16. Andy 16

    A dead kid this week due to the jab was described as "an unfortunate experience" by AB.

    [That sounds like something you made up, but you could avoid a ban by providing a link + quote. Until then you’re in Pre-Moderation – Incognito]

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    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    4 days ago
  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • More tax for less
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Another way to roll
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    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    5 days ago
  • Cutting the Public Service
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    PunditBy Brian Easton
    5 days ago
  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • This is how I roll over
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    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    6 days ago
  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    6 days ago
  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago
  • Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
    Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago
  • Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
    1 week ago
  • At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...
    Buzz from the Beehive   Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Pharmac Chair appointed
    Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.  “Every day, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.    “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
    Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service.  It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
    Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia.   Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

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