Gould on Nats’ sleaze and corruption

Written By: - Date published: 10:29 am, April 20th, 2016 - 138 comments
Categories: accountability, corruption, national - Tags: , , , , ,

Bryan Gould says words that need saying:

Niue contract damaging to Govt reputation

The bad news keeps coming. In the last couple of weeks, New Zealanders have discovered that our country is being touted to tax dodgers and other criminals as a good place to hide their money with no questions asked. Our Prime Minister’s initial response was to welcome the business, however disreputable it might be. …

Then, we were alerted by the Morgan Foundation to the fact that our response to international pressure for action on climate change is a sham. …  the credits we buy from foreign traders are not genuine but are issued by countries who are known to be scamming the scheme. Most countries have refused to sanction such a trade, but New Zealand, sadly, goes along with it, and is by far its biggest customer – another shady deal and another blow to our reputation as a good international citizen. We are, it seems, climate change cheats.

And then, we have the saga of the political donation and the Matavai resort on Niue. The facts can be simply stated. The owner of Scenic Hotels, Earl Hagaman – a well-known and perennial donor to the National party – made a donation of over $100,000 to the National party, and a month later his company was awarded the valuable contract to manage a resort on Niue.

The contract turned out to be even more valuable than had appeared at first sight when $7.5 million of taxpayer-funded aid money was paid to Scenic Hotels to upgrade the resort.

In any other country, and especially in those where such deals are commonplace, no one would be in any doubt as to what had really happened. In New Zealand, however, we are naively inclined to accept the blank-eyed, slack-mouthed assurances that it was all a coincidence and that nothing untoward had happened.

Worth reading the above paragraph again.

The government will treat the issue as business as usual – as, sadly, it has become. Its supporters will gladly believe that it was all an invention by political opponents. But this is an issue that transcends party politics.

There are good political reasons for supporting or criticising a government on a whole range of issues, but those issues surely do not include attitudes towards sleaze and corruption. New Zealanders of all political persuasions can surely unite in insisting that the highest standards are met in our public life. The government’s supporters have a special responsibility, since one hopes that the government will listen to them, to ensure that their government understands what is and is not acceptable. …

Sleaze and corruption as usual – hard to see why Nat supporters will be worried about this when they have already accepted so much.

And for those trying to drag Ardern in to this – the award of the contract is not in itself a problem. It is the award of the contract in the context of the donations to National. Who knew about the donations, and when?

138 comments on “Gould on Nats’ sleaze and corruption ”

  1. Anne 1

    In lieu of the rwnjs who have been trying to implicate Jacinda’s father in the sleazy Niue deal…

    a further except from Gould’s excellent summary:

    We are told by the office of the responsible Minister, Murray McCully, that he would not have been aware of the donation made by Mr Hagaman when the Niue contract came to be awarded. Mr McCully, however, is the most inside of National party insiders. It beggars belief that he did not know who was giving what to the National party coffers.

    But, say the apologists, it was not Mr McCully who awarded the contract to Scenic Hotels. The deal was done by an independent board – but the board was one appointed by Mr McCully.

    Mr McCully, after all, has form – think Saudi sheep. And the more worldly-wise will again recognise all too easily the tell-tale signs of a familiar device; when leaving fingerprints would be risky, set up an intermediary to distance the decision from the real decision-maker.

    My bold.

    What say the board members who appear to have been scapegoated by this dishonest, slimy foreign minister.

    • Anne 1.1

      ooops: “a further excerpt” – not except.

    • Mainlander 1.2

      So Anne are you insinuating McCully either coerced or manipulated the board to make this decision ? maybe Jacinda could ask daddy and clear this matter up rather quickly without yet more baseless allegations

      • greywarbler 1.2.1

        I don’t think much of your name Mainlander. It implies that you speak for South Islanders – you do not.

        Most informed people are aware of the penchant (you can look that one up) of pollies to appoint their own men and stalwart women to boards, tables, chairs and other House apparatus. They are called apparatchiks, which used to refer to Communists but now to any persuasion of pollies or huddles of strictly controlled, brainwashed groupies..

        • Mainlander 1.2.1.1

          Or (and I will type this slowly for you so you comprehend) it implies I am from the mainland, what a vivid wee imagination you have
          My rather obvious point being Mr Ardern could clear up this matter very quickly, I have no idea of his political affiliations or if he is indeed a “stalwart” of Mr McCullys but since his name is being bandied around the media shouldn’t he be the go-to man to clear up any perceived conflicts of interest by anyone involved, its not like any politician is going to be forthcoming with the truth

          • One Anonymous Bloke 1.2.1.1.1

            If you tried thinking through your rote-learned drivel, you’d realise that the HC had no knowledge of National’s sleazy Cabinet Club deal, and therefore has no questions to answer.

            Turn a blind eye to money laundering while you’re at it. Oops, you already did.

          • framu 1.2.1.1.2

            “My rather obvious point being Mr Ardern could clear up this matter very quickly, I have no idea of his political affiliations or if he is indeed a “stalwart” of Mr McCully”

            not really – the obvious bit was using that to try and make it about jacinda ardern and labour – yet you freely admit you dont know anything about Mr ardern

            • Mainlander 1.2.1.1.2.1

              I think you will find this topic all over most forms of media Framu so its not really about what you perceive im trying to make it, or should we do as Draco has mentioned and ask Mr Blumsky, I would have thought the father of a high profile Labour MP might have a bit more credibility/less conflict of interest though maybe you would prefer no-one was asked and we just take McCullys word for it

              • One Anonymous Bloke

                In your scenario, McCully would have informed the HC about the bribe? I just want to understand a little bit of what you’re telling yourself.

              • framu

                “I think you will find this topic all over most forms of media”

                yeah – thats how dirty politics was set up to work

            • Nessalt 1.2.1.1.2.2

              as opposed to the framing of national as being in cahoots with someone who founded, doesn’t run anymore….just founded, a company and their personal donation.

              Looks like the back peddlers are starting to trip up. thought you’d be a bit better at it after all these years?

              • One Anonymous Bloke

                Who’s back-peddling?

                We know the model: as per the Skysore deal, there are meetings at which no official minutes are taken, because no officials are present. Let’s call them “apres-Cabinet Club”, because that’s what Cabinet Club is for: to buy access to government ministers.

                McCully has form, and not just the Saudi bribe. He had no motive whatsoever to let the HC in on the deal.

                Conflict of interest rules are very clear about perception, re: avoiding it. Why are you making excuses for criminals?

                • Nessalt

                  There has been no criminal action though? so you are just pontificating, out of your arse as usual, about something that isn’t correct.

                  Where is the bribe in this case? has the auditor general completed it’s investigation? has it found evidence of bribes? or are you just desperately jumping to conclusions as part of your KDS.

                  if there are no bribes, then there is no criminal action. the perception is in your mind because a national government minister in John Key’s national party cabinet is involved.

                  Get some treatment, you are unhinged.

                  • One Anonymous Bloke

                    Keep telling yourself that. Meanwhile, actual National Party insiders contradict you:

                    As Blabbermouth Lusk informed us, the National Party is a bunch of self-interested individuals “trading on their time in Parliament to build a lucrative business career”.

                    As for your Stalinist assertions of the state of my health, why are you cuddling up to Stalin?

              • framu

                Ok – theres two things in play

                1) a big donation to the nats then a contract awarded soon after
                2) the father of an opposition MP is involved

                Which of those is the issue that most urgently needs to be confirmed as above board?
                What conclusions can you draw about those who are focusing on issue number 2 instead?

                pretty simple logic exercise that

                • Nessalt

                  you forget about the third thing, scenic circle hotels may have gone through a very robust tendering process with many other companies tendering and the board awarding the contract with no input from McCully because it’s an operational matter. You know, the likely option. don’t know why it has to be third one.

                  • framu

                    all youve done is described a plausible outcome to issue 1 – well done

                    what your saying isnt an issue as such – its an explanation for the issue

                    but regardless – what does it say that people arent persuing your valid argument and are instead focusing on arderns father?

                    cmon – are your logic and language skills that bad?

          • Keith 1.2.1.1.3

            Did Adern get a cut of the “donation” or did he facilitate donations to National for this deal?
            I’m guessing this is what you are suggesting. If so I hope he tells us how National does it, we would all love to know!

      • One Anonymous Bloke 1.2.2

        You really don’t understand what a conflict of interest is. What else can we expect from people who cuddle up to terrorists and money-launderers?

        • alwyn 1.2.2.1

          “What else can we expect from people who cuddle up to terrorists”.

          What on earth has Phil Goff got to do with this? His relationship with Yasser Arafat was a very long time ago and I am sure he has repented.
          Leave the poor guy alone.

          • One Anonymous Bloke 1.2.2.1.1

            Labour did it too? Well, no, Labour didn’t turn New Zealand into a money-laundering and terrorist finance system. National did.

            You’re in complete denial of that, I expect.

        • Magisterium 1.2.2.2

          You really don’t understand what a conflict of interest is. What else can we expect from people who cuddle up to terrorists and money-launderers?

          Don’t forget paedophiles

          And the Church

          But I repeat myself

          • One Anonymous Bloke 1.2.2.2.1

            Oh, so you don’t like the phrase “cuddle up to” as a euphemism for passing enabling legislation? Will you be ok?

      • Draco T Bastard 1.2.3

        How about we ask “former High Commissioner Mark Blumsky, who was formerly a National MP” who is also a member of the board when he told the National Party and Hagaman about the deal.

        I know, I know, he’ll say that he didn’t but I feel certain, as I do understand how business networking works, that he did. There’ll be no documentation but National and its donor knew about the deal from the get go.

      • Gabby 1.2.4

        Munter McMutton may’ve merely murmured musingly, Mainliner.

    • Chuck 1.3

      Anne your first sentence of “In lieu of the rwnjs who have been trying to implicate Jacinda’s father in the sleazy Niue deal…”

      It was not rwnjs who implicated Ardens father, it was Andrew Little in calling the appointment of Scenic Hotels to manage the resort something along the lines of “stinking to high heaven”.

      Clearly Little had no idea that a trustee was the father of a high profile Labour MP (at least I hope he did not!) his back peddling last night was worthy of a Oscar.

      And for the record, by all means have a AG inquiry…the process the trustees would have used to make the appointment will be clearly laid out in documents. And hence easy to see if any “favors” were done by the trustees.

      • Anne 1.3.1

        I was referring to the rwnjs on this site who have been going ballistic for the past 36 hours! I’m beginning to think they’ve been offered double time for their distraction efforts. After all, we don’t want to talk about the donor, the foreign minister or the PM do we rwnjs. The oppo. is getting dangerously close to the truth.

        My own personal view is that the members of the board (at least two of them including Ross Ardern) were probably unaware of the large donation made to the National Party in the weeks prior to the awarding of the contract. Had they known about it I suspect there may have been a different outcome.

        • Gosman 1.3.1.1

          Ummm… surely they shouldn’t have been made aware of any political donation and should just look at the competiting tenders based on their respective merits. Bringing political donations in to the equation would be corrupt.

          • Anne 1.3.1.1.1

            Making political donations to the National Party at the same time as competing for a government contract IS CORRUPTION.

            • Nessalt 1.3.1.1.1.1

              Anne, your poor old thing. it’s perfectly legal to compete for a contract and make a donation to a political party. Corruption is when the outcome of the contract is made beneficial to the donor. it hasn’t happened in this case.

              • joe90

                it hasn’t happened in this case.

                Perhaps you could tell us how you know it hasn’t happened in this case?.

              • Anne

                Man oh man…are you trying to be funny? So, you’re saying the “donor” – having been awarded the contract soon after making his $101,000 donation to the political party in government – isn’t a beneficiary of the process?

  2. Smilin 2

    The point about this is so alarming is that this has occurred and 2 elections have past .What does this say about our govts accountability to the voters and the number of voters who are prepared to vote for this kind of corruption .

  3. ge 3

    there is no corruption in NZ as there is no one to safely report it to and corrupt activities have no NZ laws against them.. so NZ is spotless!! Yes!!!

    • Draco T Bastard 3.1

      +1

    • Penny Bright 3.2

      New Zealand does not have an Independent Commission Against Corruption (or the like).

      As I understand it – in a Memorandum of Understanding between the NZ Police and SFO – it is the SFO who are supposed to be the ‘lead’ agency to whom one is supposed to make complaints about alleged bribery or corruption.

      However – in the underpinning SFO Act – the words ‘bribery’ and ‘corruption’ are not even mentioned.

      On more than one occasion – I have made complaints to the SFO of alleged bribery and corruption, only to be told by the SFO – that they see no evidence of ‘serious or complex fraud’.

      Which was NOT the basis of the complaint.

      Anyone else had that experience?

      In my view New Zealand desperately needs a genuinely Independent Commission Against Corruption.

      Anyone else agree?

      Penny Bright
      2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.

      • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 3.2.1

        On more than one occasion – I have made complaints to the SFO of alleged bribery and corruption, only to be told by the SFO – that they see no evidence of ‘serious or complex fraud’.

        One of you is wrong then. I wonder who?

  4. Puckish Rogue 4

    Ok lets try some sarcasm here…as a National voter I wholeheartedly support Labour attacking National over these matters as it helps secure John Key a fourth term

    Now seriously speaking, how many times has John Key been mentioned in the Panama Papers: zilch, how many NZers have been mentioned: zilch, how many laws have National broken: zilch, is there any proof of wrong doing in Niue: nope

    This thing that Labour has of attacking every single thing National/John Key does without any evidence is not helping Labour, its not helping the left its only helping John Key

    Get some evidence or proof and then go for it but all Labour is doing is they’re becoming (have become) the Boy That Cried Wolf

    • Draco T Bastard 4.1

      Now seriously speaking, how many times has John Key been mentioned in the Panama Papers: zilch, how many NZers have been mentioned: zilch, how many laws have National broken: zilch

      Wow, you’ve read all the terabytes of information already?

      is there any proof of wrong doing in Niue: nope

      What we have is prima facie evidence of corruption being performed by National. Considering the Saudi sheep deal, another corrupt action, and the ongoing lies of National we should be investigating thoroughly.

      Even you RWNJs should be calling for an investigation over this as the evidence we have is so overwhelmingly in support of corruption. So, why aren’t you?

      • Puckish Rogue 4.1.1

        Wow, you’ve read all the terabytes of information already?

        – Fine if it makes you feel better, has John Key been mentioned in any of the Panama Papers releaded thus far: Nope

        Even you RWNJs should be calling for an investigation over this as the evidence we have is so overwhelmingly in support of corruption. So, why aren’t you?

        – Because people like you are seeing what you want to see and you (and the other members of the KDS society) desperately want to take down John Key bya any means so you see corruption where there is none.

        But fine lets have an investigation (lets not worry about the cost) and when theres found to be nothing will Andrew Little apologise on behalf of the Labour party?

        • adam 4.1.1.1

          Saying people have a mental health disorder (KDS) because they don’t worship John Key, is really quite a pathetic.

          So I have LDS because I don’t worship Andrew Little?

        • Draco T Bastard 4.1.1.2

          But fine lets have an investigation (lets not worry about the cost) and when theres found to be nothing will Andrew Little apologise on behalf of the Labour party?

          Why?

          Under the evidence that we do have, be it National or Labour, an investigation should be automatic. That’s how bad it is.

          You keep denying that it is that bad because you always defend the corrupt actions of this government.

        • Phin 4.1.1.3

          Keys name may not have been mentioned (yet) but it has been implicated. If you think this lot are squeaky clean then why do the Panama papers mention New Zealand over 60,000 times? And New Zealand is the country that Key is in charge of isn’t it? Suck it up mate National are as dirty as a pig in mud!

    • Gabby 4.2

      Have you read these Panama Papers, Purple Knob?

    • reason 4.3

      John Key did not set us up NZ to be a tax dirty little tax haven ??????

      ….. or was it Judith Collins the ex tax lawyer who drafted that law to help rich criminals.

      New Zealanders love rich criminals which is why Puckish predicts a fourth term for the dirty nats 🙂 …..

      • Puckish Rogue 4.3.1

        You’re half right, I do predict a fourth term but its not because of rich criminals (not to mention KDC) but rather because the economy is chugging along nicely, mortgage rates are low and the opposition is ineffectual

        So in the minds of the voters why would you change anything?

        • McFlock 4.3.1.1

          Mortgage rates are low, but you’re fucked if you want to buy a house.

          The economy is chugging along nicely if you ignore the fact that hundreds of thousands are struggling, and our national(tm) debt is astronomical.

          Oh, and dead babies. There’s always them.

        • Expat 4.3.1.2

          Puckish Rogue

          Lying again, interest rates in NZ are the highest in the developed world, and the Govt has little if any control over it.

          Any guesses why the interest rates are “higher” or have you forgotten about the loss of trilple A credit ratings achieved by the previous Govt.

          Just remember, history says John is gone in the next election, you may as well start making the necessary changes now.

          The only people who think John is the most popular PM are the ones who believe what they hear in the MSM, but the reality is that John will go down as the most divisive PM NZ has ever had, and I don’t really think that’s something to be overly proud of.

  5. Remove if not appropriate bu Vinny and I will be talking to Bill Black. One of the foremost banker hunters and the person to coin the phrase Control Fraud. If you want to know what that is here is were to go and listen:

    Today between 2-4 pm NZ time Vinny Eastwood will be interviewing William “Bill” Black. I will be joining Vinny in the second hour to have a chance at quizzing Bill and I am mighty exited about the prospect!

    For those of you who have never heard of William “Bill” Black you are in for a treat!

    Bill Black is what you might call the original Banker Hunter!

    Bill Black is an American lawyer, academic, author, and a former bank regulator and during the 90s he was responsible for jailing literally thousands of bankers involved in the savings and loans scandal that rocked the US banking world in the 90s.

    He has recently joined the Sanders election campaign together with Robert Reich, the Nobel price winning economist in a sign that Sanders is serious about addressing the immense fraud committed by the global banking system and the corporate takeover that is the TPPA.

    Bill Black wrote the book: The best way to rob a bank is to own one

    William Black developed the concept of control fraud.

    Here is a quote from Wikipedia on the subject:

    Control fraud occurs when a trusted person in a high position of responsibility in a company, corporation, or state subverts the organization and engages in extensive fraud for personal gain. Wikipedia

    The concept of control fraud is based on the observation that the CEO of a company is uniquely placed to remove the checks and balances on fraud within a company such as through the use of selective hiring and firing. These tactics can position the executive in a way that allows him or her to engage in accountancy fraud and embezzle money, hide shortfalls or otherwise defraud investors, shareholders, or the public at large. A control fraud will often obtain “investments that have no readily ascertainable market value”,[1] and then shop for appraisers that will assign unrealistically high values and auditing firms that will bless the fraudulent accounting statements.[2]

    Some control frauds are reactive in the sense that they turn to fraud only after concluding that the business will fail.[3] Opportunistic control frauds, by contrast, are attracted to a criminogenic environment where it is harder to detect fraud, e.g., as a result of deregulation.[4]

    For those of you following the revelations of the Panama papers and the descent of New Zealand into corruption and a tax haven shadow world this should be one of the most interesting interviews you could ever hope to listen too!

    Here are the links to hook up too!

    Listen LIVE at http://www.americanfreedomradio.com
    SMART PHONE: http://tunein.com/radio/American-Freedom-Radio-s102922/

    http://www.thevinnyeastwoodshow.com
    http://www.youtube.com/mrnewsguerillamedia

    Like American Freedom Radio
    https://www.facebook.com/americanfreedomradio/?fref=ts
    Join AFR’s Group
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/952799288134355/

    Like Vinny Eastwood https://www.facebook.com/Vinny-Eastwood-205204582848164/…
    Join Vinny Eastwood’s group
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/1410539889213406/

    • alwyn 5.1

      “together with Robert Reich, the Nobel price winning economist”.
      Perhaps you can inform an interested on-looker as to just when Reich collected this gong?
      I hope the rest of what you are saying has a little bit more of a connection to reality?

      • Just to clarify, Robert Reich is in fact award-winning, but from what I can see that award is the VIZE 97 Prize, not the Nobel Prize for economics. He’s not exactly a lightweight though, being the former US secretary for labour under Bill Clinton.

        • travellerev 5.1.1.1

          Matthew Whitehead you are right. I confused the names. I was referring Joseph Stiglitz who also is supporting Sanders. All good men but Alwyn just likes to ridicule instead of educate himself.

          I had an amazing chance to talk to one of the most prominent Bankster hunters in the world for a whole hour!

          For those of you wanting to know who I’m talking about have a listen to this:

          http://sinclairnoe.com/william-black/

          Oh, by the way he had some choice things to say about John Key, the Cullen fund and Control fraud here in NZ.

          And all of that is recorded and will be out there in the next couple of days with or without me around!

  6. International Rescue 6

    Wonderful attempt to sideline the Ardern embarrassment, but no cigar. If there is corruption here, then the entire Board is deep in it, because the Board made this decision. That means Ardern’s daddy was in on this. Oh and ACT, because they got donations as well.

    So let’s summarise. Little smears, with no evidence, the only NZ owned bidder, owned by a man who has lived in NZ for decades, and who employs thousands of people here. This is going to be worth at least 1-2% for the Nats.

    • Sabine 6.1

      so a board to manage a “foreign aid’ resort in Nuie is appointed by Mr. MC Cully – who as is said handpicked the members of the board. Handpicked!

      a business man gives a private donation of 101.000 $to a political party that Mr. McCully is a. a Member of and b. represents said Party in Parliament, and c. is a Minister of Parliament

      a contract worth 7.5 Million NZD to run the ‘foreign aid resort in Nuie’ is offered for tender by the Party who is leading Parliament of which Mr. McCully is part of

      the business men who gave a large private donation to the Party Mr. MCCully belongs too, the same party that is running the government of which also Mr. Mccully is a Member, wins the contract worth 7.5 NZD from the National led Government

      but the contract was handed out to the business man by the board of the “foreign aid resort in nuiue’ that Mr. McCully appointed – so clearly this shows that Mr. McCully has no conflict of interest what so ever, and that any conflict of interest is solely the fault of the board. The same board that was handpicked by Mr. Mccully

      But one of the board members personally appointed by Mr. McCully is the Father of Jacintha Ardern who is a MP for the opposition Party

      and the leader of the opposition party is calling out for National to explain the coincidence of donation and award of said 7.5 million contract, like seriously?

      but of course there is no conflict of interest by McCully, nor the National Party, nor the National Party led government in regards to a. receive 101.000$ in a single private donation and b. the awarding of the 7.5 million $ contract to the Man who gave the largest donation in a long time to National and who happens to be the CEO of the company that won the award to run the resort

      But Jacintha Ardern and the Leader of the opposition party have to explain how or why or something? Jacintha Arderns Father (handpicked by McCully ) together with other handpicked by McCully board member appointed the man who gave one of the largest donations ever to run the ‘foreign aid resort in nuie’. Cause obviously Labour is doing it and not National. Cause National?

      Clearly, as everyone can see McCully is the aggrieved

      party in all of this, and He and the National Party and the National Party led Government should sue the Labour Party (does it too TM), Jacintha Ardern and Andrew Little for something.

      Obviously.

      Seriously, that is awesome mind fuckery.

      I hope the National Party pays the guy / gal that came up with that line a good amount of money, cause you have to be fairly bent to make someone who has nothing to do with anything the cause of all evil.

      But then one could argue that National is responsible for nothing as they are the do nothing Government and are simply paid for showing up. And handing over sheep, abattoirs and sheepfarms to Saudi Arabian businessmen.

      • Puckish Rogue 6.1.1

        https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/answer-question-mr-little-labour-leader-gets-repetitive-wont-straight-ardern-link

        – Tell you what though if I was Jacinda I’d be pretty miffed at Littles not very subtle insinuation that my father was bought off

        • McFlock 6.1.1.1

          A case study in deflection: substantial nat donor gets contract from board stacked with former nats, debate ensues about non-nat on the board. 🙄

          Meanwhile, at least this nat crony got government dollars via a stacked tender process – a few years back McCully just straight-out gave another nat crony a cushy post in Nauru.

          Of course, that previous nat crony was on the board that awarded the contract to the company owned by the latest nat crony, but what they hey, at least there was an attempt to make it look less than totally corrupt.

          • Puckish Rogue 6.1.1.1.1

            Hey Andrew Little wants to keep crying wolf then good on him, it won’t work of course

            • McFlock 6.1.1.1.1.1

              By “work” you do mean “get the nats to actually respect due process in appointments and manage conflicts of interest in such a way that their actions clearly cannot be corrupt, rather than the current situation where decision after government decision coincidentally favours the relatives, partners and businesses of tory cabinet members, be it Canterbury water, Nuie resorts or ministerial detours on trips to China”?

              I agree, not much chance of that.

            • Matthew Whitehead 6.1.1.1.1.2

              How exactly does this resemble crying wolf?

              There really was a government tender awarded to a company controlled by McCully, that donated to his political party.

              You can either work for the government or donate to political parties. You don’t get to do both without creating a perception of a conflict of interest. Ministers should be taking measures to prevent such conflicts. McCully, in addition to all his other scandals, has not. He needs to be sacked.

            • Naki man 6.1.1.1.1.3

              “Hey Andrew Little wants to keep crying wolf then good on him, it won’t work of course”

              Chicken Little needs to stop shooting his gums off.
              Earl Hagaman is looking into taking legal action against him.

          • alwyn 6.1.1.1.2

            “board stacked with former nats”.
            Please identify all the former nats on your “stacked board”
            As far as I know there is precisely one former Nat, Mark Blumsky.
            Who are all the others? Surely you are not suggesting the very senior rep from Foreign Affairs is a former Nat?
            Or is Jacinda Arden’s father in this category? Actually if he has met a few of his daughter’s Caucus colleagues he probably would become a Nat supporter.

            • McFlock 6.1.1.1.2.1

              Fair call – stacked with a Nat crony a former senior cop (and.they’re known for leftist tendencies) and a senior civil servant who might or might not have an eye on future private sector employment. All voting to give a Nat donor a substantial contract.
              Lol

        • alwyn 6.1.1.2

          You repeat four times in the comment phrases like “a contract worth 7.5 Million NZD to run the ‘foreign aid resort”

          Please provide a source for this claim.
          The only $7.5 million I have heard of is the money provided to extend the hotel.
          I have never seen any figure for the management contract.
          If you know the value of the management contract please provide a link.
          Alternatively are you confusing two totally different things?

          • Sabine 6.1.1.2.1

            http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/301746/call-for-inquiry-into-resort-contract
            “Businessman Earl Hagaman made a large donation to the National Party two years ago, and a month later his company announced it had secured the luxury resort contract in Niue.
            Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said there was no link between the two events, nor $7.5 million in aid funding to expand the resort a year later.”

            but from the same article you will see that these 7.5 million of NZ Tax Payers funds are just a top up, previously our national led government spend

            Quote: “It had spent more than $10m over previous years developing the resort.” Quote End

            but will it benefit the peeps of Nuie you may ask or eve n pretend to care about?

            Quote: “Terrence Wood runs New Zealand Aid and Development Dialogues, which analyses and critiques New Zealand’s aid programme.
            He said the funding could benefit the Scenic Hotel Group more than the people of Niue.
            “You’d really need to see a strong case made that the spillovers from the hotel were actually going to benefit the Niuean economy more broadly, and Niuean people more broadly, before you’d feel confident that this was aid really being given to benefit Niue rather than a private company,” Mr Wood said.
            “It’s possible the case could be made, however there’s no publicly available evidence that this analysis has been undertaken or that this spending is warranted.”” Quote End.

            Quickly lets check if this guy is a Labour supporter because obviously if he is is opinion and knowledge abour foreign aid and development is worse nothing.

            next and I really like this bit here 🙂

            Quote: But Mr McCully said the aid funding was requested by the government of Niue.
            “Premier (Toke) Talagi challenged the New Zealand government to work with him by channelling a good chunk of the development cash due to Niue over several years into the development of the Matavai Hotel,” Mr McCully said.
            Political parties’ donations records show that Lani Hagaman, Mr Hagaman’s wife, also donates to the government’s support partner ACT.
            In 2013, she was ACT’s biggest donor – giving $25,000 to the party.
            Repeated calls to the management of the Scenic Hotel Group went unanswered and unreturned.” Quote end

            But maybe you think that a NZ source is not trustworthy enough and would show a labour leaning bias or something. So here something from China 🙂

            http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2016-04/18/content_38266362.htm

            Quote: The main opposition Labour Party on Monday asked the auditor-general to investigate New Zealand government funding of 7.5 million NZ dollars (5.18 million U.S. dollars) to upgrade Niue’s flagship holiday resort as part of a program to build the island’s tourism industry.
            The call for a probe followed revelations that a New Zealand businessman made two large donations totaling about 100,000 NZ dollars (69,040 U.S. dollars) to New Zealand’s ruling center-right National Party before his company was awarded the Matavai Resort management contract in 2014.”Quote End.

            Jacintha Arderns involvement in the whole process? O yeah, nothing other then being related to one of the Members of the board, hand picked by MCCully. And may i remind you, we choose friends but not family.

            Quote:”Foreign Minister Murray McCully had personally appointed the trustees on Niue Tourism Property Trust which awarded this contract, he said.” quote end.

            OF course as MC Cully said, all is kosher……and we are hoping that the investigation into how the contract was awarded will show MCCully to be an honest man and such. 🙂 And because he is just such an honest man and all he will of course welcome an investigation in the doings of this business as it will show that the business conducted was in the interest of the People of Niue and NZ (after all this money is ours:) )

            Quote: McCully said there was no link between the winning of the contract, the aid funding and the donation to the National Party.
            “I can tell you that I had no involvement in the appointment process, conducted purely by the trustees and commercial management they appointed,” said McCully.
            McCully announced in 2011 that New Zealand would invest 15 million NZ dollars (10.36 million U.S. dollars) in helping to develop Niue into a “boutique tourism destination.”
            Announcing the additional funding in 2014, McCully said tourism was “the key to putting Niue on a path towards self-sufficiency.”
            The funding would see the development of a further 20 rooms at the Matavai and conference facilities that would accommodate an average increase of 2,000 visitors per year to the Matavai.
            Niue was annexed to New Zealand in 1901, but in 1974 the island became self-governing in free association with New Zealand.
            Niueans are New Zealand citizens and 24,000 Niueans live in New Zealand, compared with about 1,500 living in Niue. “Quote End.

            Now be a good boy, and show us how good your reading and writing skills are, you have to earn your keep today and surely you would not want MR. English to think you are one of these hopless Kiwi blokes that can’t get jobs, or hold on to them. 🙂

            • alwyn 6.1.1.2.1.1

              I am sorry to have to say it but all that typing didn’t answer the very simple question I asked.

              You said, in the previous post I questioned that.
              “a contract worth 7.5 Million NZD to run the ‘foreign aid resort in Nuie’ is offered for tender ”
              and then
              “the business men who gave a large private donation to the Party …… wins the contract worth 7.5 NZD from the National led Government”
              and then
              “explain the coincidence of donation and award of said 7.5 million contract,”
              and then
              “the awarding of the 7.5 million $ contract to the Man who gave the largest donation in a long time”
              All of these things appear to be claiming that the management contract was for $7.5 million.
              It is your evidence for that claim that I was questioning.

              I am very well aware that the NZ Government supplied an additional $7.5 million toward the hotel, and that it was on top of a previous grant. If you had read my comment carefully you will see that I referred to that grant.
              However that money DID NOT go to the Hagamans.
              It went to the owners of the hotel who ARE NOT the Hahamanns. Why are you claiming, apparently without evidence, that they got the money?
              Now do you have any evidence for your repeated claim that the contract awarded to the Hagaman’s hotel business got this money and that the management contract was for $7.5 million?

              I really don’t care very much whether there may have been alternative, possibly better, uses for New Zealand’s aid money. Aid is like advertising. Whether it is the best use of our aid is an extremely subjective opinion. I am certainly not an expert and I doubt that you are either.
              As US department store magnate John Wanamaker said
              “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.” Aid is exactly the same.

              “Now be a good girl, and show us how good your reading and writing skills are, you have to earn your keep today and surely you would not want MR. English to think you are one of these hopless Kiwi blokes that can’t get jobs, or hold on to them”

              Answer the question I asked, not the one you are imagining.

        • Sabine 6.1.1.3

          YOu know what, if the Father was bought of then he too should be hit with the book of law, square in the middle of the face. Just like Carmel Sepuloni Mother was found of wrong doing and got her sentenced handed to her by the court of law.
          I don’t care.
          Full stop.
          IS that so hard to understand for you, that I as a citizen, as a taxpayer don’t give a flying fuck about how is related to whom, shacks with whom or all, is married too and so on.

          I don’t care.
          I want my politicians, of all sides of the spectrum to be honest. I want them to act in the best of the country, i want them to look after all citizens of our fair country and not just a few that are rich enough to shovel money up some washed up politician arse.

          I don’t care because at the end of the day, Taxpayers will always have to foot the bill, and we are footing the bill for this “foreign aid resort”. Every single cent of it.
          And yes, i would like to know why we are paying it, what is the outcome for the nation of Nuie, and has the population benefited from it. And i don’t think that shoveling away the shit of rich overseas tourists will leave behind means benefiting the local populace in any which way, considering that the tiny nation of Nuie would be responsible for the sewerage and trash collection.

          So no, Mr. Little does what is expected of him as leader of the Opposition. He is demanding to see the thought process and tender process to make sure no bribes have been handed out and that the government and the populace of NZ is no being screwed out of several Million dollars of Tax Payers funds, that could have other wise put to good use in our own country.

      • Mark 6.1.2

        I am all for an Auditor General investigation to put this to bed.

        There is some uncertainty as to whether the trustees made the decision or the directors appointed by the trustees made the decision.

        But think about what is required for there to be corruption.

        If it is the trustees, then three trustees, voting unanimously to make the decision as is required under trust law:
        – One the father of a Labour MP and now diplomat;
        – One a career public servant; and
        – One an ex National MP, businessman and ex local body mayor

        Would have had to have been motivated enough by the National Party receiving $101,000 to risk their careers and reputations to award Scenic Circle the concession when it was not warranted??

        Does not look plausible on any level. Perhaps one could argue the ex National MP might have been inclined to do a favour for a friend of a friend, but the father of a Labour MP, and the public servant???

        If the Board of directors appointed by the Trustees made the decision, then the trustees still have a fiduciary responsibility so it come back to them.

        I don’t really understand this attack by Andrew Little. No doubt someone who is closer to Labour’s internal working can decipher it, but for me it reeks of Labour internal politics.

        Think about it, for their to be corruption then:
        – The Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and
        – Jacinta Arden’s dad
        Would have had to have acted inappropriately. The probability of this being the case is very low.

        So why if you are planning on being the next Prime Minister do you call into question the integrity of one of your senior public officials, whom you probably will have to interact with and a family member of one of your senior MPs?

        I am wondering if this is Shearer holding a fish part 2. Or else, Little stamping down on leadership challengers.

        • Puckish Rogue 6.1.2.1

          Oh you and your silly logic 🙂

          • adam 6.1.2.1.1

            That’s a bit rich coming from you. Mr calls anyone mentally unwell who disagrees with them

            • Mark 6.1.2.1.1.1

              Que?

              • adam

                KDS is Puckish Rouges fall back 9/10 slanders

              • Puckish Rogue

                Don’t mind Adam, hes a bit of a fan of mine 🙂

                • adam

                  Fan – no son, I just don’t like spin and lies. I just comment to your oh so many dribbles, to reminding people how much you lie.

                  Yes dear

                  • McFlock

                    PR is a tory. Any attention is good attention – they lack the emotional ability to experience shame.

                • Mark

                  Very good children 🙂

                  • adam

                    You seem to speaking dribble as well Mark.

                    Nice attempt at a PR spin though, except you missed all the times before when it’s looked corrupt. The lies, and misdirections. And the utter desperation from this national government for any good news.

                    Oh and do you realise this is not a labour party web site?

                    Why don’t you just add labour did it too? I mean, we know you want too.

                    • Mark

                      Wowwww partner!!!

                      That’s some super-duper logical twisting/ imaginating going on there!!!

                      I am obviously not as intelligent as you so please point out for me precisely the bits in my post which were the:
                      – Introductory dribble
                      – Dribble point 1
                      – Dribble point 2
                      – Dribble point 3
                      – Conclusionary dribble

                      Dribbly yours
                      Mark

                    • adam

                      Mark, the poor me routine – really?

                      How about some Boo Hoo’s, and the bad man is picking on me?

                      You just reshaped what was said above, that others have already put to demolition. But feel free to believe you poor excuses for spin in the face of a collection of traits this minister, and government having displayed just to regularly – the traits which looks like corruption. I think we at this point we can pull Occam’s razor, and say with some certainty – corruption.

                      Are we not at the shame on you stage of all this? I mean we fell for lies and spin over the whole sheep thing.

                • Stuart Munro

                  He’s not a fan – you’re a tr0ll – he’s the billygoat that butts you back under the bridge.

          • Stuart Munro 6.1.2.1.2

            No surprise there – logic interupts your incessant shilling. You’re a pretty pathetic excuse for a RWNJ – real right wingers don’t like corruption.
            Terminal case of KSS – Key sycophancy syndrome, with complicating serious giddy McCully partiality – usually only found in headless chickens.

        • Draco T Bastard 6.1.2.2

          the father of a Labour MP

          You do understand that that makes no difference here right? Just because Jacinda is a Labour Party member/supporter doesn’t mean that her father is.

          And two could have persuaded the third to vote the same way even though they were kinda against it.

          The circumstantial evidence is enough that an investigation should have been automatic and not needing anyone to call for it.

          • Mark 6.1.2.2.1

            True, I don’t know her fathers’ politics.

            I would assume as a father he would not want to act in a way that would impact on a daughter in a public life – but who knows?

            I agree that enough stink has been raised that its best to let the AG have a look. It still leaks weak and circumstantial to me. Unless there is a smoking gun piece of paper somewhere I don’t think it will come to much.

            If it was me who was the leader of the opposition and all I knew was what has been put into the public sphere so far, I would not have gone there.

            There is too much downside for me compared to the low probability that something dodgy has actually taken place.

            • Draco T Bastard 6.1.2.2.1.1

              It still leaks weak and circumstantial to me.

              To me the evidence we have is enough to institute an investigation simply because corruption at this level is far too damaging to society. If it doesn’t find any corruption then good, if it does then it will be seen to.

          • Colonial Viper 6.1.2.2.2

            The question is whether Little knew about the Ardern connection before launching this line of attack.

            Doesn’t make a lot of sense to fire off a load of bullets when the father of one of your most prominent MPs was at the very centre of the decision making you are attacking.

            • alwyn 6.1.2.2.2.1

              “Doesn’t make a lot of sense”
              It makes a great deal of sense if he knows, or at least suspects, that Grant and Jacinda are doing the numbers to overthrow Andrew as leader.
              With the way Labour are polling they are probably very worried about whether they can stay in the House. A lot of the other Labour MPs are likely to be just as worried.
              If he can cut her off at the knees I suspect Andrew will go for it.

              • Colonial Viper

                Now that’s an interesting angle I hadn’t fully considered.

              • Hanswurst

                Nah, that doesn’t stack up. Firstly, a hit on her father wouldn’t even nearly “cut her off at the knees” – especially since the very worst that could even vaguely stick to him at the moment would appear to be “letting himself be nudged a bit by a National minister”. Secondly, Little’s fortunes are heavily dependent on his party’s polling, and landing a hit on one of your more popular MPs is a recipe for losing votes. It would be far too risky for him with basically no upside at all.

        • Chuck 6.1.2.3

          Mark your comments make perfect sense, and I agree lets have a AG investigation.

          Andrew Little thought he had the prefect headline…shame he dumped one of his senior MP’s head first into the headline instead.

          I think most people would of been ok if Andrew Little had simply asked for it to be “looked into”. However by going full retard – “Stinks to high heaven” he has lost any potential traction he may of gained otherwise (and in the process gone from 7% to 5% in PM stakes).

      • Colonial Viper 6.1.3

        Didn’t Jacinda Ardern come from a working class town and a working class family? At least that’s what I got from Labour’s campaign advertising.

        • Mark 6.1.3.1

          Mother I don’t know
          Father was a policeman, then senior policeman then diplomat

          Had to say from that what her family life was like

      • International Rescue 6.1.4

        “Seriously, that is awesome mind fuckery.”

        Yes, the way you have presented this is certainly mind f**(ery. But then you have no idea what you’re talking about, so that’s not surprising.

    • Draco T Bastard 6.2

      http://thestandard.org.nz/gould-on-nats-sleaze-and-corruption/#comment-1162863

      It seems that it’s the RWNJs that are trying to side line the issue which as apparent corruption in the National Party.

      • Puckish Rogue 6.2.1

        If its so apparent then there’s obviously plenty of proof, lets see some evidence

        • adam 6.2.1.1

          Nope no sheep here, nope nothing about swamp Kauri.

          Oh I think we are in the realms of when a government acts once or twice, or in this example three times looking corrupt, I think it perfectly acceptable to call them on it when it looks like corruption again.

          Or are we going to go with your logic PR – call anyone mentally unwell who does not agree with you?

          • Ian H 6.2.1.1.1

            If you are going to go around accusing people of corruption you need to have evidence to back it up. If Little lacks such evidence he is a fool, especially if he repeats his allegations out of the house. So far he has not shown us any evidence and has been very cautious about what he has said outside the house. So does he have evidence or is he a fool? We’ll have to wait and see.

            Brian Gould is not a fool. He is a clever man with a lot of experience in politics and the law. He knows how to use the English language to accuse someone of corruption while carefully avoiding statements that might put him in the wrong end of a lawsuit for libel. Read it very carefully. It is all speculation and insinuation – nasty stuff but probably safe.

            However most of the people in this forum who are loudly jumping about screaming “corruption” definitely are fools. They clearly don’t have any evidence of their own to back up what they are saying. Nor are they as clever as Brian Gould at weaselling around to imply corruption without ever explicitly saying so. If accused of libel they would have absolutely no defence.

      • Expat 6.2.2

        Draco T Bastard

        +1

        There hasn’t been a National govt in my lifetime that wasn’t “corrupt”, and if any rwnj’s can name one, good luck, they’ll have the very same problem naming a single policy they have implemented that benefits “all” NZers.

  7. Jenny Kirk 7

    and interestingly, the Herald online seemingly meant to be NZ ‘s major newspaper doesn’t have a word to say about any of this – except for Bryan Gould’s opinion article.

    Of course, I don’t have a pay-walled version of the Herald, just the ordinary website version – so maybe that’s why I can’t find anything about it…… nothing to do of course with keeping the peasants ignorant.

    • Expat 7.1

      Yeah, I used to have the ap on my phone, but the level structured BS in most stories led me to uninstall it, I found it insulting.

  8. The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 8

    You lost me at “Gould on…”

  9. Sabine 9

    but of course it is Jacintha Ardersn fault for McCully hand-picking and appointing her father to the board of the resort trust. I mean clearly her father has no life on his own, and would never make any decisions on his own, nor would he never even consider to maybe just maybe be of a different political persuasion than his daugher. or grasp accept the position as a board member when offerd one. And clearly Jacintha Ardern has sway over McCully and his choice in choosing people to work with. Damn, that is one powerful labour Lady, maybe she should replace Andrew Little 🙂

    No only Dames like Mrs Shipley are allowed to accept posts as board members for companies like Oravida – even after teh fuckery that was MainZeal, but then she is a Dame and we would not want to know what her role was in the demise of MainZeal. Oravida, (http://www.oravida.com/ourteam.aspx) coincidentally is owned / co owned by the husband of one Mrs. Judith Collins, National Party Member and something like Minister of Justice when she is not condemned to the back benches for trying to overthrow dear leader. And if that company Oravida were to buy rights to pump millions of litres of water for export at no expense than that too would have got nothing to do with washing / greasing hands, but would only be showing good commercial sense to get something for free to make a huge profit on – hard work its for suckers.

  10. save NZ 10

    You can see by the amount of Trolls on this post, that the McCully and the corruption is a serious worry to the National party!!

    Keep it up, the more trolls, the more Labour does it too, the more threats from the Nats about suing Labour, (fab we can have a fantastic public trial and hear more about the donation thanks Natz, plus I’m sure give-a-little would be successful for Labour to raise some cash), the more the Natz fight dirty, we all know the Natz are SERIOUSLY worried.

    The polls must be rattled by the revelations for the Natz to be hissing about like angry rattle snakes.

    The lead story on One News, what a joke, about Mr Corruption suing Little, GO FOR IT , would be great publicity for Labour and we would all like the documents made PUBLIC so everyone can hear about the 7.5 million of tax payers money given to a private hotel chain in a tax haven by the Natz after Earl Hagaman gives a $101,000 “donation”!

  11. mikes 11

    The very fact that political parties can receive donations, especially large ones and anonymous ones means that there will always be corruption.

    No individual or company donates a huge sum of money to a political party and expects nothing in return. They are essentially purchasing favorable policy.

  12. Matthew Hooton 12

    I think Gould has misinterpreted events here. Obviously there will be something dodgy about this deal – after all, McCully is involved. But it is pretty clear Little’s real objective was to fire a warning shot against Gracinda. I think he has shown he is willing to play a very tough game if necessary to keep the leadership. After all, he has been a union boss whereas Jacinda and Grant are soft parliamentary staffers in comparison.

    • Tautoko Mangō Mata 12.1

      What a load of codswallop, Matthew!

    • Stuart Munro 12.2

      Never at a loss for a Machiavellian slur are we Hoots.

      There is something dodgy about the deal. Little brought it to light. Journalists will be interested to investigate the dodgyness.

      Speculations on Little’s motives are neither here nor there – except for people trying to change the framing from “National steals public money” to “Let’s make jokes about Labour”.

      McCully appears to be a crook. Prison awaits. End of story. Unless he has an innocent explanation, in which case we are all very interested to hear it.

      Perhaps you want to argue that people stealing public money should not go to prison? Not impossible – but not a vote-winning discourse.

    • Obviously there will be something dodgy about this deal – after all, McCully is involved.

      Correct. And what’s dodgy about it is fairly obvious, which means Gould hasn’t misinterpreted events at all.

      But it is pretty clear Little’s real objective was to fire a warning shot against Gracinda.

      Oh, sure – because a Labour leader wouldn’t otherwise take the opportunity to highlight corrupt practice by a National Party politician, I mean why would he, right? It just has to be about internal Labour Party issues, because otherwise how’s a Nat spin doctor going to spin it?

  13. Incognito 13

    Fascinating comments so far.

    I think AL was aiming for McCully and not for the Board or Mr Ardern specifically.

    Should AL have held his “fire” because Mr Ardern is on the Board? Would that not make him kind of complicit into any alleged dodgy going-ons? Isn’t this exactly what AL (and NZLP, the Greens, as well as NZF) are trying to fight? It makes no sense to me at all to not launch this ‘attack’ because of Mr Ardern. The Opposition needs to hold this Government to account and we have to be eternally vigilant …

    The thought that AL was trying to undermine Jacinda Ardern (and GR as well!?) and thus have the NZLP caught in ‘friendly fire’ and ending up as collateral damage is so absurdly Machiavellian that only Murray McCully could think of it! I don’t believe AL has the Machiavellian gene in his genome.

    • Incognito 13.1

      Well, my comment crossed that of another person @ 12 who’s got the homozygous double-dominant Machiavellian gene.

      • Colonial Viper 13.1.1

        Should AL have held his “fire” because Mr Ardern is on the Board?

        I feel that this is the wrong question. The right question is: Did AL know that Mr Ardern was on the Board before he opened fire.

        If not – why not.

        If so – why did he think it beneficial to proceed.

        • Pat 13.1.1.1

          wrong…the right questions were the ones asked…..irrespective of who was on the board and who their offspring are

          • Colonial Viper 13.1.1.1.1

            My questions seek to understand Labour’s current internal leadership status.

            • Pat 13.1.1.1.1.1

              would have thought it far more important to ascertain whether McCully is up to his old tricks or not….the Labour leadership can take care of itself(or not)

              • Colonial Viper

                Of course McCully is up to his old tricks. Part of my question is around whether or not Labour figured out the play before diving in to this.

            • Psycho Milt 13.1.1.1.1.2

              My questions seek to understand Labour’s current internal leadership status.

              You and Matthew Hooton both just trying to focus on what’s the really substantive issue at hand, huh?

        • Incognito 13.1.1.2

          You’re free to frame your own questions.

          Whether AL knew about the Board members is irrelevant IMHO. This deal stinks and AL did the right thing by asking the AG to investigate. Perception of wrongdoing at Government level is almost as bad as actual wrongdoing, don’t you agree? Obviously, National disagrees but they have skin in the game because they are ‘governing’ at the present time.

          Any other ‘rationales’ have huge entertainment value and I particularly enjoy the hypothesis of corruption by osmosis.

          • Colonial Viper 13.1.1.2.1

            My questions seek to understand Labour’s current internal leadership status.

            • Incognito 13.1.1.2.1.1

              Fair enough but then you might not want to post them here because they might distract and derail the discussion initiated by the OP, which was on Nats’ sleaze and corruption; OM is better suited for your questions IMO or, even better, write your own post.

              That said, to me, your questions seem to be leading questions and framed in a biased manner. You slightly worry me when framing your questions in a remarkably similar way as Mr Hooton; are you a seeker of the truth and do you offer viable alternatives for consideration? Hooton is and does not, which makes him a stirrer, at best.

              My questions seek to understand your current internal TS status.

              • Colonial Viper

                distract and derail the discussion initiated by the OP, which was on Nats’ sleaze and corruption;

                To be honest, I’m tired of the endless years of stories re: NATs lied about this, lied about that, hid this, hid that, paid off their buddies here, paid off their buddies there, got paid off by their buddies here, got paid off by their buddies there, were incompetent here, were incompetent there, were hypocritical here, were hypocritical there, spun this, spun that, lived it up on this junket here, lived it up on that junket there, etc. etc.

                None of it serves or achieves anything in moving the true Left forward in NZ.

                That said, to me, your questions seem to be leading questions and framed in a biased manner.

                Of course. I’m not even trying to pretend that there is such a thing as fair and balanced in this game.

                PS Roy Morgan released on Friday. No doubt with all this National Party corruption their ratings will take a hit.

  14. logie97 14

    Can you imagine if the rolls were reversed in this. Imagine if it had been a Labour Government receiving the donation and the contract awarded – the Penguin, Hooton, et al would have been all over it like a rash.

    • Colonial Viper 14.1

      Absolutely true. And its been absolutely true for the last 8 years of National rule. So what? The MSM is steadfastly pro-oligarchy. It has been the same forever. When will we find a new track to run in?

  15. MARY_A 15

    How many other contenders for the contract were there? Or was the deal sealed after the $100K donation was handed over to NatzKEY?

    • Roflcopter 15.1

      Contract negotiations began 6 months prior to any donation… this gets funnier by the minute.

  16. Observer (Tokoroa) 16

    Spilt beans and Stupidity.

    . The Nats have their big guns out on this little playhouse. They absolutely positively do not want the miraculous government (tax payer) funding of a Pacific Resort to go before an Auditor.

    Not even the main stream misinformation crowd wants to give it air.

    All the usual protectors of the dodgy nat palace, are out with boots on kicking the guts out of Mr Little’s request for an investigation of the ‘miracle’ funding.

    Colonial Viper that wide ranging sprayer of constant stupidity, has even joined the Hooton Inc. They can have him lock stock and demented. The Greens will be very undelighted with his two timing murky nonsense. Poor chap

    Why has a simple request from the very credible Andrew Little caused such a flurry in the National bunker?

    The tax payer wants to know.

  17. Mike Bond 17

    TVNZ had a good segment on this morning about how Andrew Little is perceived by the wider public. That he has not seen how he damages his own reputation and that of Labour is beside me. The general public is so sick of the accusations that always turn out to be nothing! As was said this morning. Dirt is not going to overthrow this government. The left have tried on how many occasions and come up short. Time to do something different and be seen as a possible future government. Little however is not PM material. He can’t win his own electorate, so how does Labour even think he can lead them to victory?

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • At a glance – Does CO2 always correlate with temperature?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    4 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 hours ago
  • Relentlessly negative
    Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 hours ago
  • Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    Bryce Edwards writes –  It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 hours ago
  • Promiscuous Empathy: Chris Trotter Replies To His Critics.
    Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played. “Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
    7 hours ago
  • Don’t run your business like a criminal enterprise
    The Detail this morning highlights the police's asset forfeiture case against convicted business criminal Ron Salter, who stands to have his business confiscated for systemic violations of health and safety law. Business are crying foul - but not for the reason you'd think. Instead of opposing the post-conviction punishment and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 hours ago
  • Misremembering Justinian’s Taxes.
    Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I - Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
    8 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    8 hours ago
  • Bishop scores headlines with crackdown on unwelcome tenants – but Peters scores, too, as tub-thump...
    Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    9 hours ago
  • Will it make the boat go faster?
    Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    12 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    12 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    12 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    13 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    14 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    15 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    17 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    2 days ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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 ...
    6 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
    6 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
    6 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 ...
    6 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
    6 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
    6 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
    11 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
    13 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
    13 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
    1 day 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
    6 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
    6 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
    6 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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
    7 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
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-19T09:53:54+00:00