Hager’s “Dirty Politics”

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, August 13th, 2014 - 189 comments
Categories: accountability, blogs, brand key, crosby textor, election 2014, john key, national, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags: , ,

So the book is an expose of the Slater-Ede-Key Dirty Politics machine, based on data acquired and leaked to Hager.

Will Update over the evening

I was totally wrong about the topic.

The book was introduced and shown on Livestream – best one by 3 News.

The topic of the book is the “dirty, despicable game of politics, played by dirty, despicable people” (to quote, Slater from memory).

When Slater’s site was hacked and went down. Someone came away with thousands of documents they gave to Hager.

The book documents the smear machine that perpetuated attack politics, through what is known in the US as, “”two track politics”.  This is where the leader, in this case John key, puts on a nice friendly front to the public, while he is involved with dirty attack politics carried out by his team.

Tracey Watkins on Stuff reports:

In a statement, Hager said the book, titled Dirty Politics, focused on individuals in the National government, including Prime Minister John Key, senior ministers and staff in the prime ministers office.

Hager said he has obtained emails including correspondence between Slater and ninth floor staffers for John Key.

“The book is based upon a large number of internal communications between the National-aligned blogger Slater and a network of National Party figures,” Hager said in the statement.

“The documents are very revealing about Slater and his collaborators including much that is shocking and distasteful.

“But much more important the documents also cover politicians and Beehive staff, showing the highly coordinated National Party attack politics used year after year throughout Keys prime ministership.”

Hager said his book was based in “thousands and thousands” of documents from Slater’s computer.

“You are not going to believe how bloody awful it is.”

Bryce Edwards tweeted a copy of page two of the book.

Dirty Politics page two

Danyl Mclaughlan tweeted a copy of part of the Index.

Dirty Politics index

 

Press release from the publisher of the book:

 In the same election campaign, the prime minister’s office used its knowledge of secret SIS documents to tip off Slater and arrange an attack on the Labour leader (Chapter 3).

Gower has reported on 3 News that the National Party was involved in the attack on Len Brown re his affair.

Brook Sabin tweeted that Slater blackmailed Rodney Hide to stand down from ACT.

Gower said on 3 News that Hide was forced to stand down due to some dirt the Nats had on him.

Hager will be on Campbell Live tonight.

Matthew Hooton tweeted:

Hager’s allegation I arranged for a liquor company to sponsor & is a total lie

Scoop News on the book

video of book launch

Campbell Live tonight mentioned extracts of the book that claim Slater et al were planning to attack Peter Dunne through his (alleged) secret donors from the tobacco industry.

It also refers to an extract where the Slater team tried to get a video of a drunken Winston Peters at Backbenchers. Peters did not co-operate.  He didn’t appear.

It also claims that a guy from the tobacco industry wrote posts favourable to the industry, which were posted on the Whale Oil site.

189 comments on “Hager’s “Dirty Politics” ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. mickysavage 1
    13 August 2014 at 5:42 pm

    Wow.

    It has been alleged that Key’s office was using SIS information for political advantage by leaking to Slater. If there is proof then he has to resign.

    I have not read the book yet but if there is anything to this allegation he has to go.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 1.1
      13 August 2014 at 5:52 pm

      SIS information about whom? 😈

    • One Anonymous Bloke 1.2
      13 August 2014 at 6:27 pm

      What’s the relevant legislation? Will we need Graham McCready to see justice done?

    • Gosman 1.3
      13 August 2014 at 6:46 pm

      Yes if there is hard evidence SIS information was passed on then he should resign. Is there this hard evidence?

      • tricledrown 1.3.1
        13 August 2014 at 6:51 pm

        He should resign and be prosecuted to the full extent of the law!
        After the Polices lack of action over John Banks they had better follow through on this otherwise McCready will!
        Keys integrity is disappearing along with his smug smile!

      • Tom Jackson 1.3.2
        13 August 2014 at 6:55 pm

        The publisher claims it is in the book.

    • Stuart Munro 1.4
      13 August 2014 at 9:49 pm

      you seem to have had a couple of words clipped:

      he has to go

      he has to go to prison

  2. CnrJoe 2
    13 August 2014 at 5:46 pm

    SIR Nicky Hager Arise.

  3. yeshe 3
    13 August 2014 at 5:46 pm

    Go Nicky Hager ! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Stay safe out there …. you are a brave and brightly brilliant Kiwi.

  4. the pigman 4
    13 August 2014 at 5:47 pm

    Where can I buy it?!!? Is it available online yet?

    Just take my money already 😀

  5. ianmac 5
    13 August 2014 at 5:49 pm

    Hang on Karol. I happen to know that John Key is a lovely kind man who has a friendly engaging manner and a great smile. It just cannot be true that he was part of Nasty Tricks. It just can’t be that he is not what he seems. Nicky must be just making it all up.

    Note: This just putting up the standard National Supporter response. (For me I am pleased if it outs the Dirty tricks and it unmasks the Key clique. Just deserts.)

    • the pigman 5.1
      13 August 2014 at 5:53 pm

      Ian you got it all wrong, they’re gonna say:

      “WHAT ABOUT H-FEE?! U R NARSTY PARTEE!” before swiping your bananas and climbing back into the trees. 😉

    • AmaKiwi 5.2
      13 August 2014 at 9:33 pm

      No, this is not the standard National response. The standard response is to try to destroy Nicky Hager without ever replying to the evidence.

  6. karol 6
    13 August 2014 at 5:49 pm

    Bryce Edwards tweeted a photo of page two. Will add to the post soon. I stopped editing the post so micky could put this post at the top of the page.

    Index image tweeted

  7. Ant 7
    13 August 2014 at 5:51 pm

    So good that Slater was the weak link.

  8. Graham 8
    13 August 2014 at 5:53 pm

    So a political party uses a friendly blog to help get its message out
    Lol
    Pot kettle anyone

    • Lanthanide 8.1
      13 August 2014 at 5:57 pm

      Yes, lets distract from what has actually gone on here and point fingers in every other direction.

      Pretty sad.

    • Craig Glen Eden 8.2
      13 August 2014 at 5:59 pm

      Oh how you wish Graham sadly its looking way way worse. I wish I could say nice try but your attempt to divert was well to say pathetic is being to kind.

    • Liberal Realist 8.3
      13 August 2014 at 6:05 pm

      “So a political party uses a friendly blog to help get its message out”

      More like “The governing party allegedly used intelligence services to inform it’s attack bloggers on topics of interest to be used to attack the opposition”

    • Michael 8.4
      13 August 2014 at 6:41 pm

      Not quite. Hager alleges that Key used the SIS to mount political attacks on his opponents. National has form for this, of course, under Muldoon, which is another reason why our intelligence services must be reformed (or replaced with something that serves the country’s interests, not just those of the National Party). Other allegations seem to concern the misuse of official machinery, and information, for narrow, partisan purposes. Not on as far as I’m concerned. Key needs to get the arse card on 20 September, following which he and his mates should face criminal proceedings.

    • Barry 8.5
      13 August 2014 at 7:40 pm

      Hi,
      I must agree, this is hardly a shock. I guess it will not look good to have the details actually exposed, but really it is no surprise, and I don’t think it is much of story
      I guess we will learn more

    • Geoff 8.7
      14 August 2014 at 12:12 am

      Um er Graham I think you need to come up to speed with the extent of the allegations

  9. redfed 9
    13 August 2014 at 5:54 pm

    According to his website Slater is in Israel right at this precise moment. I guess he thought it would be more peaceful than over here.

    • Lanthanide 9.1
      13 August 2014 at 5:57 pm

      Korea.

      • the pigman 9.1.1
        13 August 2014 at 6:03 pm

        Said he had just got to Israel on his website when I dropped in 20 minutes ago for the schadenfreude. His moderator pal said they’d be “moderating heavily”, so I figured there was no point in posting anything.

        So excited to get my trotters on this 🙂

    • alwyn 9.2
      13 August 2014 at 6:07 pm

      That’s all right. Mickey Savage has apparently fled the country as well.
      They must both have something to hide, according to your logic.
      For anyone who really wants a copy I understand they will be on the remainders table at The Warehouse tomorrow.

    • Instauration 9.3
      13 August 2014 at 8:58 pm

      Cameron John Slater overseas ? With his criminal convictions (if declared) I would have thought his “Sphere of Travel” would be very limited. Israel, – Korea, do they let just anybody in ?

  10. john 10
    13 August 2014 at 5:56 pm

    So Whaloil apparently has communications with National Party insiders.

    And this is claimed to be “unbelievable” big news?

    Apparently some of the attacks were nearly quarter as nasty as the recently seen hate chants.

    That’s about as mindblowing as a year old weather report for Invercargill.

    • Lanthanide 10.1
      13 August 2014 at 5:58 pm

      Yes, because the PM leaking SIS secrets that were then used to attack the leader of the opposition is of the same consequence as some students saying “fuck John Key”.

      • dave 10.1.1
        14 August 2014 at 4:19 am

        a government using internal security service against political opponents breaking in to political opponent computers KEY MUST RESIGN !this ede is on the tax pay payer pay roll in keys office ,key is the minister of charge off the sis his mate fletcher runs the dam thing key must resign at once!

    • marsman 10.2
      13 August 2014 at 6:02 pm

      @ john. Those were anti-hate chants.

    • David 10.3
      13 August 2014 at 6:03 pm

      Why don’t you address what the topic of the book is? It is proof that the National party that has a long history of being patriots of NZ has been hijacked by some thoroughly cynical dicklocks who don’t give a fig about anything but holding on to the levers of power and turning NZ into a kleptocracy. And your third line is intriguing, are you insinuating that some left wing blogs were complicit in whipping up some John Key hate? I don’t come across many people who loathe the man, they just loathe what he does & doesn’t stand for.

      So, in conclusion, up your game or go troll some other site.

      • john 10.3.1
        13 August 2014 at 6:10 pm

        If you don’t come across people here who loathe John Key, the some advice for you.

        Enroll at primary school learn how to read.

        • felix 10.3.1.1
          13 August 2014 at 6:16 pm

          Pretty ironic coming from someone who didn’t make it all the way to the end of the sentence. 🙄

          • john 10.3.1.1.1
            13 August 2014 at 6:23 pm

            How stupid is it to say there’s not many who hate Key?

            All you’ve got to do is read any page here and you’ll find plenty of hate.

            • One Anonymous Bloke 10.3.1.1.1.1
              13 August 2014 at 6:29 pm

              You will certainly find hatred of his policies and personal ethics. It’s a distinction I’ve noticed wingnuts struggle with.

              • john …
                13 August 2014 at 6:35 pm

                When you say “fuck John Key” then try to claim it’s only really his policies and ethics you’re against, you just make yourself look like an imbecile.

                [lprent: Off topic. I’m not feeling charitable today. Troll elsewhere. Banned 6 weeks. ]

                • karol …
                  13 August 2014 at 6:38 pm

                  The Nats have made John Key and his public persona their main PR vehicle. They front his smiley face in various media, and it is used as a diversion from the policies and values of his government.

                • One Anonymous Bloke …
                  13 August 2014 at 6:48 pm

                  Ah, so kids chanting equals “any page here” on Planet John.

                  For what it’s worth, I think the kids chant is more or less equivalent to “who ate all the pies”, and while the “fat bastard” might feel the crowd hates them they’d be mistaken. Still, it’s a finer point I don’t expect you to consider or understand.

                  However, if John Key really did use SIS information against Phil Goff, then yeah, fuck him: to employ a wingnut trope, he can rot in prison.

                  • john …
                    13 August 2014 at 7:07 pm

                    You just proved you’re an imbecile.

                    Trying to claim you’re not against him – just his policies – then unable to resist a “fuck him”:

                    Idiot.

                    • CnrJoe …
                      13 August 2014 at 7:14 pm

                      I’ve got a spare fuc u – u wan it?

                    • disturbed …
                      14 August 2014 at 7:15 am

                      Is this blogger “john” actually John Key?

                      He seems unusually rather hurt that people hate Key?

                      Maybe this is our about to be former PM John Key trolling.

                • David …
                  13 August 2014 at 7:33 pm

                  Aw, don’t ban the poor little puppydog chasing his tail around. His argument is so strong, we just can’t understand it.

                  [lprent: He should have done it on OpenMike. It is a lot safer to do it there. ]

        • David 10.3.1.2
          13 August 2014 at 7:21 pm

          Yep, I’m enrolling at a partnership school to do my national standards very soon. Just so I can match my pathetic intellect with such a juggernaut as yourself. Of course some people lack the rationality to play the ball & not the man. Just like some people who advocate progressive politics must be pinko commie man hating, anti progress bastards. You want to see unadulterated hatred & filth, you are on the wrong site my friend.

    • marty mars 10.4
      13 August 2014 at 6:03 pm

      yep the filth is already known by righties but I wonder what ‘the middle’ will think of the slime – not much I’d say – key stinks and everyone is going to know it buddy

    • felix 10.5
      13 August 2014 at 6:05 pm

      Oh look, john’s read the book! Amazing!

    • Michael 10.6
      13 August 2014 at 6:46 pm

      I live in Invercargill and find the weather reports to be most useful. I also find Hager’s book that our Prime Minister misused the resources of the intelligence community to smear his domestic political opponents useful, too, as it confirms my suspicion that the National Party and democracy are oxymoronic.

    • tricledrown 10.7
      13 August 2014 at 6:47 pm

      McCready will do for Key what he’s done for Banks!
      John belittling the usurping of unbridled power Keys use of SIS documents is treasonous!

  11. Ffloyd 11
    13 August 2014 at 5:58 pm

    A bit ominous that a U.S Gov’t plane just happened to land in Rotorua today supposedly to look at something or other. Forgotten what.

    • alwyn 11.1
      13 August 2014 at 6:20 pm

      You mean the one with the bunch of Congressmen on a jolly?
      That is about as significant as the annual Speaker’s tour that our Parliament organises.
      Actually it’s less significant than that. There are dozens of these by US politicians each year. The senior Congressmen usually go to Paris or London.

    • Rodel 11.2
      13 August 2014 at 7:00 pm

      Ffloyd
      Secretive visits by interesting USA high ranking persons usually happens a few weeks before elections in New Zealand.

      • alwyn 11.2.1
        13 August 2014 at 8:30 pm

        Secretive? You have got to be dreaming.
        When you park a 737-300 (I think that is the model) on the runway at Rotorua and it is clearly identified as being in the USAF and has “United States Of America” emblazoned in letters about a metre high and about 20 metres long it is a bit of a stretch to say it is a “Secretive Visit”.
        Then you have the US Consulate’s Office tell the paper who is on board and that they are neither secretive nor high-ranking and you still rabbit on?
        You have got to be dreaming. As I said above. They are getting out of Washington because the climate there at this time of year is bloody terrible.

        • thatguynz 11.2.1.1
          13 August 2014 at 10:40 pm

          Huh? Who in their right mind leaves Washington DC in the middle of summer with high 20 degree temperatures to come to NZ in the middle of winter for a jolly?

          • alwyn 11.2.1.1.1
            13 August 2014 at 11:52 pm

            I refer you to a random extract from Trip Advisor.

            “. Re: DC in August?

            Downside: it can be hot, humid, and generally gross in terms of air quality, with afternoon thunderstorms or intense sun.
            Upside: all the locals leave town because it can be hot, humid, and generally gross, so traffic is a lot easier to deal with and crowds can be less.”

            These Congressmen are the locals who get out of town.
            I’ve been there a number of times in August and September.
            If it had been in the 20s and reasonable humidity it would have been fine.
            It wasn’t and the stay wasn’t pleasant.
            I always liked the comment that Washington and Jefferson must have been the greatest politicians the world has ever seen for being able to persuade the rest of the US Founding Fathers to put the Capital near their homes in Virginia.

            I think you have been lucky enough to avoid it.

    • tricledrown 11.3
      14 August 2014 at 12:07 am

      Celebrating 40 years since Watergate!
      Ffloyd.

  12. Cancerman 12
    13 August 2014 at 6:01 pm

    Considering Key has already acknowledge he is in regular contact with Whale Oil so unless there is a particular smoking gun its not really much news.

    • Lanthanide 12.1
      13 August 2014 at 6:04 pm

      Makes it quite hard to deny any particular claim then, doesn’t it?

      • Cancerman 12.1.1
        13 August 2014 at 6:11 pm

        Yeah youre right it is hard to deny the claim but a particular claim would have to be controversial. Its like Key knew in New York about the “Liu attack” He knew that because Whale Oil told him. So if its just scandals like this its not going to be very damaging.If he has been providing Whale Oil info from spying then yes it will be massive but I will wait and see. I doubt this is going to be that big.

        • felix 12.1.1.1
          13 August 2014 at 6:23 pm

          Hi Cancerman.

          Sorry but I don’t recall making you the arbiter of what will and won’t constitute “damage”.

          Most people don’t even know who Key’s mate Slater is.

          • weka 12.1.1.1.1
            13 August 2014 at 6:47 pm

            Until now. That service alone is worth the book. But the SIS stuff takes it so much further.

    • miravox 12.2
      13 August 2014 at 6:05 pm

      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11308353

      It includes email correspondence between Whaleoil blogger Cameron Slater and Jason Ede, one of the Prime Minister John Key’s press secretaries, in relation to information found on Labour’s website.

      The National Party had denied any involvement, but Mr Hager’s book showed Mr Slater and Mr Ede had discussed the information and how to avoid being caught.

      Does this relate to the pinched party member details that included banking details? Schadenfruede in a big way if it does.

    • felix 12.3
      13 August 2014 at 6:08 pm

      Oh look, Cancerman isn’t worried at all!

      • grumpystilskin 12.3.1
        13 August 2014 at 6:43 pm

        Cancerman talking about a smoking gun?
        I’d say that’s worrying, but on a whole new level.

    • tricledrown 12.4
      13 August 2014 at 6:21 pm

      using leaked SIS documents

      • One Anonymous Bloke 12.4.1
        13 August 2014 at 6:25 pm

        Would that be an offence for which the maximum penalty exceeds two years imprisonment? 😈

    • tricledrown 12.5
      13 August 2014 at 6:29 pm

      Crawl back under your rock crabyman Key has an attention deceitful disorder His days as a dirty dealing smiling assassin at the Merrill Lynch Mob haven’t changed now he is leader!
      Hager has caught him flat footed using the SIS for personal gain!

  13. swordfish 13
    13 August 2014 at 6:07 pm

    I remember back in 08, Hager published a Sunday Star-Times article exposing Key’s secret use of Crosby/Textor (here…http://www.stuff.co.nz/510500/Nats-secret-advisers-accused-of-dirty-tricks-in-Aussie ). I’m very pleased it’s on this rather than the GSCB, potentially a much greater impact. From Brent Edwards on RNZ, one of the core claims seems to be (as Mickey has implied) that (via Key’s office) Slater used leaked SIS info to attack Goff during 2011 Election campaign.

  14. nadis 14
    13 August 2014 at 6:11 pm

    If sis secret info had been leaked then not only would people be resigning but they’ll also go to jail. Here’s my prediction. It won’t happen because Hager will be “inferring” it and suggesting it. There won’t be any proof, but if there is I’d be the first to convict. If there was proof Hager would already have presented evidence to the polis.

    The book summarised: “politics is ditty. Smears happen. Here’s some dirt about the nats. No other party does it. Elect labor. I’m not partisan.”

    • thatguynz 14.1
      13 August 2014 at 10:43 pm

      Clearly you missed one of Nicky Hager’s previous books (Seeds of Distrust) which almost took down Helen Clark then right? Try googling “corngate” and see how you get on..

  15. Wonderpup 15
    13 August 2014 at 6:11 pm

    I cannot believe that the topic of this book will not have been known by senior government figures. Hager will be well and truly in the sights of the security services, and even with great countermeasures the general outline of what he was working on will have been known.

    Slater is out of the country, which gives him a nice buffer. Coincidence indeed.

    What goes round comes round. And in this case its a big bucket of slop.

    • CnrJoe 15.1
      13 August 2014 at 6:21 pm

      What? No broadband in wherever or under whatever rotting log he’s slid under. How very McCully

      • Wonderpup 15.1.1
        13 August 2014 at 6:30 pm

        Korea, apparently. Better broadband than we get here! But a nice distance to get responses filtered through ‘advisors’ without appearing slower: a good excuse for latency, one might say.

        • AmaKiwi 15.1.1.1
          13 August 2014 at 9:42 pm

          Which Korea? North or South? The North could teach even the CIA a thing or two about “crowd control.”

  16. rob 16
    13 August 2014 at 6:29 pm

    Looking forward to reading this, and seeing how damaging it is or isn’t/
    Watch Slater and Slater go into full discredit Hager mode, rather than actually addressing the content
    I highly recommending the comments on Slaters website re this issue, it shows how blind they are all are, with no ability to see anything apart from the sun shining like a partial eclipse out of someones arse.

  17. cricklewood 17
    13 August 2014 at 6:33 pm

    Be really interesting how this plays out, will Slater dump any and all smears he has a response? Or did they know what was coming and have a strategy in place to deal with it?

    Either way this will open the floodgates on what will be the dirtiest campaign in NZ history as the polls shift and the right has nothing to lose.

  18. Tracey 18
    13 August 2014 at 6:37 pm
    • During the 2011 election campaign Slater obtained a database of the Labour Party’s members, e-mails and donations, and gleefully attacked the party. What no one knew is that Key’s dirty tricks person, Ede, had helped throughout, including searching inside the Labour Party computers and helping Slater plan the subsequent attacks on Labour. Ede’s office was just two doors from John Key’s and presumably he was using his Ministerial Services computer (Chapter 2).
    • In the same election campaign, the prime minister’s office used its knowledge of secret SIS documents to tip off Slater and arrange an attack on the Labour leader (Chapter 3).
    • Ede drafted official information act requests for Slater to use in other attacks, for instance against Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff who were in conflict with the government (Chapter 3).
    • When the Labour Party leadership race was on last year and getting good publicity, Ede got National Party research staff to prepare an attack on David Cunliffe and other contenders’ policies that was published on David Farrar’s Kiwiblog website the following day (Chapter 9).
    • The more the National Government has used Slater, the closer that Key himself has got to the attack blogger. For instance, when most New Zealanders were appalled by Slater’s offensive comments about the West Coast man who died in the car crash, his closest associates rallied to support him. One of those who phoned him and commiserated at that time, according to Slater’s account of the conversation, was John Key (Chapter 12).

    Key and his colleagues have known their use of proxies and allies for attacks and dirty tricks was risky, but they believed they could keep it secret. It was only the unexpected leak that has brought the story to the light. The book is full of stories that might otherwise have remained secret.

    From the publisher

    • infused 18.1
      13 August 2014 at 6:48 pm

      yeah, I call bullshit on that first part. The website was open, and the files in plain sight. He may have got some help, or someone directed him there.

      • weka 18.1.1
        13 August 2014 at 6:53 pm

        You are missing the point. A senior official of the govt of the day, attached to the PM’s office, used parliamentary resources and presumably salaried time to damage an opposition political party in a covert way. Do you really approve of this?

    • Michael 18.2
      13 August 2014 at 6:50 pm

      If this stuff is true, Key must go to prison, along with his flunkies.

    • PJ 18.3
      13 August 2014 at 6:52 pm

      Link? I’d like to link to this, and spread it far and wide…

  19. wyndham 19
    13 August 2014 at 6:39 pm

    These revelations now and then Dotcoms on July 15th. Presumably the latter will be about the GCSB kerfuffle.

    A classic display of chickens and roosts.

    However be prepared for the bite back. That’s what cornered rats do.

    • Clemgeopin 19.1
      13 August 2014 at 9:38 pm

      “Dotcoms on July 15th’

      That would be on Sept 15.
      The big bite will be on Sept 20.

  20. RedLogix 20
    13 August 2014 at 6:41 pm

    The thing to remember is that Hagar is pretty scrupulous about only publishing information he has solid evidence for.

    Of course the rest of us could deduce all this was true from the circumstantial evidence and consistent behavior of the people involved over many years.

    I’ve suggested on a few occasions that at least some of John Key’s ‘luck’ could be best explained by him misusing SIS and GCSB sourced information for political purposes.

    I’m not in a position to read Hagar’s book anytime soon – but if as Mickey says – it has proof that Key has done this, to any extent whatsoever, then he must resign.

    And while Key might be able to sneeringly dismiss this call from the left – it will be the Establishment itself which will ultimately rebel at this. They will fully understand the implications to themselves.

    • weka 20.1
      13 August 2014 at 6:56 pm

      “it will be the Establishment itself which will ultimately rebel at this. They will fully understand the implications to themselves.”

      Maybe, but hasn’t the establishment been turning a blind eye to this shit for 6 years now?

      • hoom 20.1.1
        13 August 2014 at 7:59 pm

        The source is a beautiful irony.

        Personally I’m not surprised at all, the Smiling Assassin, Hollow Man persona is there & pretty obvious for those who care to open their eyes.

        Actual use of stuff like SIS info if proven should mean the end of his time in Parliament.

        Am curious about the implications for Nat internal factions?

        Edit: Hmm, did not mean to be in this reply section 😮

        • Draco T Bastard 20.1.1.1
          13 August 2014 at 9:45 pm

          Actual use of stuff like SIS info if proven should mean the end of his time in Parliament.

          And the beginning of his very, very long time in prison.

  21. Hayden 21
    13 August 2014 at 6:46 pm

    Just walked past Unity Books, still big queues at the registers.

  22. Dan1 22
    13 August 2014 at 6:46 pm

    I can’t believe TV3’s Paddy Gower deeming Hager’s revelations of the Whaleoil-Ede-Key trifecta is not as damaging as the Snowden leaks might have been. The lies and slime that Key has made out he is not involved in will resonate amongst many Nats who expect some political skulduggery but not to the pits that Whaleoil and Key have descended.
    Team Key have just been handed the equivalent of Don Brash getting into the dodgem as well as the Brethren scandal.
    Whaleoil/ Ede / key are the real Team Key.

    Campbell will be interesting tonight.

    • Anne 22.1
      13 August 2014 at 6:52 pm

      Yes, Corin Dann underscored the impact on TV1 tonight. They didn’t even report the event until shortly before the sports news which is usually reserved for the dross.

      Evidence of what we all know – TVNZ live in John Key’s pocket!

    • infused 22.2
      13 August 2014 at 8:19 pm

      I think everyone was expecting something more. After John Campbells interview, I was just thinking, wtf. Hager was struggling to sell that at all. John Campbell was actually half decent for once.

      • weka 22.2.1
        13 August 2014 at 8:22 pm

        Bingo! “everyone knew this already”

      • karol 22.2.2
        13 August 2014 at 8:24 pm

        Campbell clearly stated it was known by many that Slater is a nasty person.

        hager answered well.

        This is not good for Slater, his collaborators, thePM’s office, the Nats, and ultimately Key in the court of public opinion.

        But, keep on trying to hold that (no smoking gun in Key’s hand) straw. Then there’s the SIS bit.

  23. ianmac 23
    13 August 2014 at 6:51 pm

    Rumours that the Beehive will be dropping a lot of “squirrels” except I don’t know what squirrels are.

    • wonderpup 23.1
      13 August 2014 at 7:07 pm

      I assume they are things that you can let out of a bag to distract everyone. You know: like a … HOLD ON! SQUIRREL! < runs off into the bush >

  24. vto 24
    13 August 2014 at 6:55 pm

    Slater is a fat slug unwelcome most everywhere.

    What is it like to always have to look over your shoulder cuntface? Ask me, coward boy, I can tell you.

  25. weka 25
    13 August 2014 at 7:10 pm

    This is good, I’d forgotten what had triggered that hack.

    Mr Hager described Mr Slater as an “obnoxious” blogger whose attacks on a young man killed in a car crash earlier this year had led to hackers attacking the Whaleoil website.

    He said the attack knocked out the Whaleoil site for a number of days during which time a hacker had come away with “thousands and thousands” of documents.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11308353

    • infused 25.1
      13 August 2014 at 8:21 pm

      I doubt that very much to be honest. A dos attack doesn’t give you access to someones server.

      • weka 25.1.1
        13 August 2014 at 8:25 pm

        Others beg to differ. Read the comments,

        http://publicaddress.net/hardnews/dirty-politics/

        • weka 25.1.1.1
          13 August 2014 at 8:28 pm

          Oh, and Bingo! “But how did he get those documents?”

        • infused 25.1.1.2
          13 August 2014 at 11:42 pm

          Yeah, I read the comments. More bullshit. This is my domain.

          There was no email stored there, I only had to look up his MX records to see that.

          set q=mx
          whaleoil.co.nz
          Server: UnKnown
          Address: 192.168.2.1

          Non-authoritative answer:
          whaleoil.co.nz MX preference = 0, mail exchanger = aspmx.l.google.com
          whaleoil.co.nz MX preference = 10, mail exchanger = alt1.aspmx.l.google.com
          whaleoil.co.nz MX preference = 10, mail exchanger = alt2.aspmx.l.google.com
          whaleoil.co.nz MX preference = 20, mail exchanger = aspmx2.googlemail.com
          whaleoil.co.nz MX preference = 20, mail exchanger = aspmx3.googlemail.com
          whaleoil.co.nz MX preference = 20, mail exchanger = aspmx4.googlemail.com

          whaleoil.co.nz nameserver = art.ns.cloudflare.com
          whaleoil.co.nz nameserver = pat.ns.cloudflare.com
          art.ns.cloudflare.com internet address = 173.245.59.102
          pat.ns.cloudflare.com internet address = 173.245.58.139

          I don’t doubt his shit was stolen, but it wasn’t from his server.

      • lprent 25.1.2
        13 August 2014 at 8:30 pm

        We only have Slater saying it was a denial of service attack.

        He routinely lies about most things. Why should he have have told the truth about that?

        I found it puzzling at the time that the denial of service attack wasn’t showing up in the travel time of pings to his URI. I suspect that he was simply lying about whatever the problem was.

        By the sounds of what Hager says about where he got the emails from, it seems just as likely that some insider on the Whaleoil site trashed the system after removing the files that they wanted.

        • infused 25.1.2.1
          13 August 2014 at 11:43 pm

          If you did a tracert at the time, you’d have seen the final routes were unreachable and ping times in the thousands.

          Your probably thinking why I know all this. At the time, I was interested in why his cloudflare protection wasn’t working. He introduced it as this dos attack was happening. So I started to snoop around to see exactly how his infrastructure was configured.

          • lprent 25.1.2.1.1
            14 August 2014 at 12:03 am

            Did a traceroute and pings after it’d disappeared. They weren’t much higher than 100ms round trip.

            Of course I’m probably using different routings than you are. However it did the same from NZ, US, and NZ servers with the expected times. That was later in the day, after it had disappeared.

            Mind you his site is still embarrassingly badly protected against the malicious. I ran a wget to pick up some old posts for archiving a few months (embarrassing posts tend to disappear from his site after a while). It let me run them the gets overlapping and without limits.

            Even with the offloading the comments to Disqus reducing the database and layout processing, not constraining the number of post read connections from a single IP is a hell of vulnerability.

            I suspect that they haven’t figured out how to use cloudflare that well yet.

            I suspect that if I had ever felt the urge to be nasty then his site would be toast. You don’t need a DDOS to do it. A simple DOS would be sufficient.

            • infused 25.1.2.1.1.1
              14 August 2014 at 12:13 am

              It’s just run on a shitty server with no limits in place.

              dos attack is old news. I can rent 10gbps for a few hours @ $50.

    • mark Ras 25.2
      13 August 2014 at 8:42 pm

      They used to hang people for TREASON.I strongly object to my taxes being used to pay for such undemocratic political influence.Key must resign. STOP A mate voting National,Bloody Legend!!!!

  26. weka 26
    13 August 2014 at 7:37 pm

    Hey, we can play National Party Spin Bingo. I think the board might be just about full already though.

    https://twitter.com/MrJonathanKing/status/499440853857738752/photo/1

    [lprent: I saw that on Dimpost earlier. ]

  27. Rosie 27
    13 August 2014 at 7:57 pm

    Haven’t stopped grinning since the news of “Dirty Politics” broke. Sit back and watch all hell break loose. Finally nailed the bastards after all this time. There ain’t nothing you can do it about RWNJ’s, there’s no excuses now.

    And aha! Even here in Ohariu we have a tabbaco co donations Dunne story in the book, which of course, could be put to good use by PPO in an effort to oust Dunne 😀

    Cant WAIT to get my hands on a copy.

    • weka 27.1
      13 August 2014 at 8:20 pm

      Have fun with that Rosie!

      • Rosie 27.1.1
        13 August 2014 at 8:36 pm

        Oh, we will 😀 You can be sure of that.

        How convenient that a candidates meeting is scheduled for 1st September in Johnsonville, the first of 6 for the area………….That just for starters. We will have a lot more to discuss in our next planning meeting!

        Love the chart you posted weka. RWNJ’s are so predictable you can pre empt their arguments.

  28. ropata 28
    13 August 2014 at 8:25 pm

    Website for the book : http://dirtypoliticsnz.com/

    Just the author’s precis of the contents is shocking enough… I shudder to think what other filthy tricks Hager has uncovered.

    Quote:

    The chapters that follow will describe the origins and then the many facets of the covert attack machine run by the National Party and its allies. They include persistent attacks on Labour Party politicians, attacks that consciously set out to distract, wear down or demoralise them rather than trying to debate issues or win a political argument; orchestrated attacks on potential coalition partners; repeated searches for sexual scandal and other ‘dirt’ to use for political purposes; and supposedly independent ‘issue’ campaigns actually run by National Party figures to advance the party’s interests. Within the party there was concerted manipulation of National’s candidate selection processes.

    The attacks are heightened by the routine use of extreme and mocking language. Environmentalists are green Taliban. Almost everyone on the left of politics is a liar and a hypocrite. An environment is created and encouraged where anonymous commenters on blogs and news sites join in the attacks, competing with each other in abuse and ugly personal insults. It is more like political warfare than a debate of ideas and beliefs.

    The book begins by setting the scene and introducing the bloggers who became a political force only after the period covered by The Hollow Men. Then the serious material begins: the continuous close ties between the prime minister’s office and the attack dogs, the role of Judith Collins and the inside story of the political issues and campaigns that they manipulated – layer upon layer of hidden activities and dirty politics.

    • karol 28.1
      13 August 2014 at 8:30 pm

      Oh, interesting, thanks, weka.

      So I will remember that the next time some commenter tries to use the “Green Taliban” line…. and commenters using abuse here – though not “anonymous” but pseudononymous.

    • karol 28.2
      13 August 2014 at 8:42 pm

      And some other interesting things in the preface. This pretty much mirrors what lynn says of his experience of being attacked by Slater via his employer.

      n January of the following year I travelled to Dunedin for a conference, where I met a series of people who raised their concern about Cameron Slater, the Whale Oil blogger and son of a former National Party president. One woman who had left a critical comment on the Whale Oil blog site had then faced threatening approaches to her employer about why she had made the comment from her work computer. A university academic who spoke on a panel with a visiting left-leaning MP was sent a series of heavy e-mails and had messages left on his phone advising him not to associate with the politician. He believed the messages led back to Slater.

      Also, there’s an anecdotal report of a news organisation being afraid to look to closely at Slater’s activities, because they were afraid they’d come under attack from him/them.

      Hager also used some corroborating evidence from Nat Party sources.

      Also, the preface says key has never been close to Slater, but he has been very friendly with DPF. however, he has got closer to Slater over the last year. Hager mentions the various factions in the Nats, with Slater begin aligned more to some than others, but how, sometimes they come together to smear their common opponents.

  29. Clemgeopin 29
    13 August 2014 at 8:38 pm

    REMEMBER THIS DATE :

    Wednesday, 13 August 2014.

    The day that National’s dirty tricks brigade is exposed to the nation. The Key’s election defeat is done and dusted now. A new chapter of our political history has begun.

    Key and Slater : You were the weakest link!

    Good bye, to the Nasty National government!
    Welcome, to the caring, decent, positive Labour led Government!
    Bring it on!

    Can’t wait for 20 Sept 2014.

    • AmaKiwi 29.1
      13 August 2014 at 9:50 pm

      Key’s defeat is NOT done and dusted unless you and I make sure everyone knows.

      Every time you check out at a store, encounter a waiter/waitress, see a friend, etc., ask them, “Did you see those horrible revelations about Key . . . ”

      We have to spread the word to those who rarely pay attention to such matters. You and I have to make it the talk of the country.

      • weka 29.1.1
        13 August 2014 at 9:57 pm

        +1

        “Did you see those horrible revelations about Key . . . ”

        “Are you registered to vote/going to vote?”

        “We can change things…”

  30. alwyn 30
    13 August 2014 at 8:41 pm

    Perhaps someone who has seen the various claims on TV, as I assume no one has had time to read the book yet, can tell me whether the following things are claimed by Mr Hager.

    Hager received a lot of material from an unidentified source on a USB stick.
    He only had access to this material and has no way of knowing whether it was really from Slater’s system and has not been altered in any way.
    He admits that the material is stolen.
    He opposes anyone hacking into peoples emails or computers, except when it is being given to him and it is about someone he dislikes.
    He will not release the original material or assist in identifying who hacked Slater’s system.
    We have no way of knowing whether Hager himself edited, added to or deleted material from the data he claims to have received.

    Hmm. In spite of this we still plan to hang Key?

    • karol 30.1
      13 August 2014 at 8:44 pm

      The cat is out of the bag. let’s see what Key et al deny, and what actual evidence is available.

    • weka 30.2
      13 August 2014 at 8:57 pm

      I’ve just read the preface to the book at http://dirtypoliticsnz.com/

      “Hager received a lot of material from an unidentified source on a USB stick.”

      Yes.

      “He only had access to this material and has no way of knowing whether it was really from Slater’s system and has not been altered in any way.”

      Some of the material was confirmed by other sources. Hager says the material ‘appears’ to be from the attack on Slater’s site. The second and third parts of your statement require technical expertise, but I suspect that faking thousands of emails and FB conversations is too big a task for Hager. Possible I suppose, but you’d really have to have some kind of evidence if you want to go down that track.

      “He admits that the material is stolen.”

      Not in the preface. He says he has no knowledge of how the material was obtained. His statement on the using of leaked emails and other information,

      Important issues surround the use of leaked communications. First, everyone has the right to keep their communications private and there must be a very high public interest to justify publishing them. In this case, I believe most readers will agree that the materials raise very serious matters of political accountability, relating directly to the prime minister and other senior government ministers. They show a continuous collaboration between the prime minister’s office, bloggers and sympathetic media to arrange attacks on National’s opponents and to influence elections. This differs from the story and face presented by the National Party to the public and helps to explain much about what is wrong with contemporary politics.

      On the other hand, there was also a considerable amount of very personal information about relationships and other subjects, where the right to privacy outweighs any public interest. This material has not been included in the book and will not be passed to others. The fact that Slater and his associates have made a career of exposing the very private details of other people’s lives does not make it right to do that to them.

      “He opposes anyone hacking into peoples emails or computers, except when it is being given to him and it is about someone he dislikes.”

      🙄 See above.

      “He will not release the original material or assist in identifying who hacked Slater’s system.”

      I haven’t seen anything on that, care to back it up?

      “We have no way of knowing whether Hager himself edited, added to or deleted material from the data he claims to have received.”

      Might be a good idea to wait and see the actual book, alwyn, and see how Hager presents and cites the material. You jumping the gun like this makes you look like your lines are being fed a tad early. Good try though.

      [lprent: Thanks. Added a teaser from the preface as a post. ]

      • alwyn 30.2.1
        14 August 2014 at 12:02 am

        Thank you Weka.
        You have clarified some of the points.
        As I said I haven’t seen anything from the TV or the book so I couldn’t really work out what he was proposing.
        I wasn’t meaning to imply that he had made it all up. What I was curious about was whether the people who supplied him with the stolen material could have altered it or changed parts of it before passing it on. Even a few words or a few added items could totally change the meaning of things.
        I did see Hager on the late news. I found it fascinating that he could complain about Slater accessing the, apparently, unprotected Labour Party website and use that to justify his using what he said was stolen (hacked) material. He really did a lot of hopping around with his statements though.

        • weka 30.2.1.1
          14 August 2014 at 12:10 am

          The problem wasn’t with Slater AND John Key’s senior staffer accessing the Labour website, it’s what they did with the information they accessed. I find it interesting that so many right wingers don’t understand the difference between that, and a journalist using leaked material for the public good.

          btw, the thread you are commenting on is under a post that has the information about Hager in it. Didn’t read the post?

    • Draco T Bastard 30.3
      13 August 2014 at 10:23 pm

      He admits that the material is stolen.

      Well, that just proves its authenticity.

      He will not release the original material or assist in identifying who hacked Slater’s system.

      He will, of course, release some of the content – it comes with the book and I suspect more will be forthcoming. Some won’t be as it’s highly personal (and I really hope that he’s contacting those people and pointing them in the direction of a good lawyer and a class action.)

      Journalists sources are sacrosanct.

    • Pascals bookie 30.4
      13 August 2014 at 10:26 pm

      Interesting questions al, but at the end of the day, Hager isn’t up for election.

      Key is responsible for the SIS and GCSB.

      So, kind of different really.

    • Clemgeopin 30.5
      13 August 2014 at 11:38 pm

      I think most people will believe Hager any day over Key or Slater, fortunately for us or unfortunately for you. Key and National are finished for this election. Expect 40% or less support for the Nats now.

    • tricledrown 30.6
      14 August 2014 at 12:20 am

      Not a bad. Idea alwynger how much are you getting paid

  31. outofbed 31
    13 August 2014 at 8:43 pm

    Just got home with a copy it was an interesting night
    Lots of press and packed out

  32. feijoa 32
    13 August 2014 at 8:53 pm

    I can see why Labour chose vote Positive as their slogan
    I hope NZers are ready for an honest transparent democratic government
    This looks like the gamechanger

  33. fisiani 33
    13 August 2014 at 8:54 pm

    So the conspiracy theorist Hagar rushes out a pre-election book that uses stolen emails that apparently shows the author of the most popular political blog gets tip offs from a wide range of people. So what???? Loads of unfounded allegations. Please make this a campaign.

  34. Mike the Savage One 34
    13 August 2014 at 8:56 pm

    ‘Dirty Politics’, how interesting, this can only be the tip of the iceberg though, as there will surely be much more that has not been accessed and published.

    • ropata 34.1
      13 August 2014 at 9:09 pm

      Seems like Hager’s book covers a hell of a lot of dirty dealings against political opponents… but I have no doubt that the Key government had all sorts of other grubby back room deals going on.

      Just carrying on like a shonkey investment banker…

  35. Clemgeopin 35
    13 August 2014 at 8:58 pm

    The day I lost even a modicum of respect for John Key was the day he proudly announced to the press that he keeps all the dirty information about his opponents in the top draw in his office for later use! What a disgrace for a PM of a county to indulge in such low despicable nasty behaviour!

  36. karol 36
    13 August 2014 at 9:38 pm

    Oh dear. How will this impact a possibility of NZ First supporting a Key government?

    NZ First Press Release.

    Author Nicky Hager’s book is a most disappointing expose that reveals a Nixonian element arising in New Zealand politics, says New Zealand First.

    “In short, taxpayers resources have been used both publicly and privately to attack all manner of public figures with the objective of gaining political advantage,” says Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters.

    “Of course there will be denials but this story is about the communications between the accused and they cannot deny it.

    “This is the story of what the accused did in thousands of emails showing their behaviour.

    “Sadly for the Prime Minister it goes to his office in the same way it went to Nixon’s office during the Watergate scandal.

    “New Zealanders who for so long did not believe, or did not want to believe, that we would politically behave this way, like the release of the emails behind the book “The Hollow Men”, now have to admit that this is the political environment which now prevails.

    “The basis is the emails of the accused and frankly it is senseless for them to try to deny it.

    “This is a very dark day in New Zealand politics,” says Mr Peters.

    • AmaKiwi 36.1
      13 August 2014 at 9:54 pm

      “Watergate” is a brilliant reminder by Winston.

      Nothing so represents political corruption like Watergate.

      Tell your friends, “This is New Zealand’s Watergate” (with the obvious inference that Key must resign).

      • Draco T Bastard 36.1.1
        13 August 2014 at 10:41 pm

        It’s the first time in a long time that the term Watergate has been applied correctly.

        And, yes, Key must resign forthwith. No waiting around for the election and the incoming government (not this corrupt one) must start a full inquiry as to the allegations about the PMs office misuse of our intelligence services and whatever else the book contains.

    • weka 36.2
      13 August 2014 at 10:00 pm

      As soon as I heard Hager say that Peters was one of the targets of Slater/Ede, I thought bugger, that’s NZF above 5%.

      If Key goes, Peters would be quite capable of forming a coalition with National. Hell, even if Key stays, I wouldn’t trust Peters any more than I did before, which is not at all. He’ll do what he wants at the time.

    • Weepus beard 36.3
      13 August 2014 at 10:10 pm

      Wow, that is intense. Tomorrow is going to be massive.

      • karol 36.3.1
        13 August 2014 at 10:22 pm

        I guess tomorrow the rightees, the astroturfers, will be out in force, having received their instructions and spin lines.

  37. karol 37
    13 August 2014 at 9:58 pm

    This quote, allegedly by Slater, from the book – was mentioned on Campbell Live tonight, too.

    Tweet with quote. – as I recall after the Feb 11 quake:

    What I can’t believe … is how we have to bail out those useless pricks in the Sth island again … Those suburbs are hard core Labour … so the houses are gone and the scum are gone too

    Nice!

    • ropata 37.1
      13 August 2014 at 10:10 pm

      I met Slater (at the first and only blogger’s drinks I plan to attend) and when I mentioned my former home town, his exact words: “fuck Christchurch”. Couldn’t believe my ears. What a despicable human being. Had to avoid him from then on… maybe I should have taken more forceful action

      (surprisingly short too.. barely scrapes over 5’4″ I reckon… don’t know how he could ever intimidate anyone as a debt collector)

      Those were the same blogger’s drinks that led to one person stalking one of the M&M bloggers, sparking legal action and the demise of that blog. I also met one of WO’s female flunkies who later got into a doomed relationship with Michael Lhaws… all in all a disastrous event

    • the pigman 37.2
      14 August 2014 at 1:10 am

      Ladies and gentlemen, the Canon Media Awards NZ’s Best Blogger!

  38. Stuart Munro 38
    13 August 2014 at 10:03 pm

    Nicky Hager’s site is generous in its revelations. But the implications of his not releasing the significant volume of damaging personal information is not just good civil policy – it reminds the unscrupulous diry tricks folk on the right not to overreach. I hope he has good security: Key will clearly stop at nothing.

  39. karol 39
    13 August 2014 at 10:06 pm

    So Helen Kelly must have a copy of the book. She has just tweeted:

    OMG @maritimeunion the whaleoil links with Port of Auckland exposed. The board and snr mgmt cant possibly stay Mr Mayor #lies #whosePort?

    • felix 39.1
      13 August 2014 at 10:13 pm

      Slater always denied working for the POA.

      As Nixon discovered, it’s the lie that gets you.

      • karol 39.1.1
        13 August 2014 at 10:36 pm

        Russel Norman appears to be reading the book too.

        Tweet from Norman.

        The stuff about Ports of Auckland is dynamite. If the collusion between PoA and Slater is right, the mgt should be sacked. #DirtyPolitics

        Another Norman Tweet:

        Evidence of Odgers asking Farrar, Slater, Hooten to publish Hager address in hope it wd endanger his safety is disturbing #DirtyPolitics

  40. karol 40
    14 August 2014 at 12:20 am

    Dear gods!
    Just reading Danyl Mclaughlan’s summary of the book.

    Bye bye Judith!

    Slater tries to get dirt on people via prostitutes.

    He tried to get dirt on Duncan Garner! Will the worm turn?

  41. Murray Olsen 41
    14 August 2014 at 4:09 am

    This book should be enough to have Key and Whalespew up on charges. Given that both are obvious flight risks, they should be denied bail. They could share a cell and tell each other those Bubba jokes that the scum on his blog find so funny.

    I really do hope that this is the end of Key, and a few others. It’s a real test of the strength of our democratic institutions and I have an ominous dread that they won’t be up to it. How we handle this will say far more about how mature we are as a nation than any number of deaths in an episode of imperial rock climbing on a far away peninsula.

    Oh, and FJK.

  42. dave 42
    14 August 2014 at 4:44 am

    fall out is going to ripple protest outside keys house this Saturday at 2 pm there should be no room for this corruption in new Zealand key must resign

    • disturbed 42.1
      14 August 2014 at 7:39 am

      Now Electoral Commission go check the book out for wrongful electionerring by NatZ please?

      And can we have the excellent song/video Planet Key back on MSM please?

      Maybe we can add some rope with a neck loop around a branch on a tree inserted in that paddock and all opposition targeted MP;s standing around like Hang em high?

  43. CnrJoe 43
    15 August 2014 at 6:22 am

    CANON Media Award Winning Blogger Cameron WhaleOil Slater, I can’t help myself, my new expletives

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  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    14 hours ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    Skeptical Science
    14 hours ago

  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    14 hours ago

  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    15 hours ago

  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    15 hours ago

  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    15 hours ago

  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    15 hours ago

  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    16 hours ago

  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    17 hours ago

  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    17 hours ago

  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    17 hours ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    17 hours ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    17 hours ago

  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    18 hours ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    21 hours ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    21 hours ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    21 hours ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    23 hours ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    23 hours ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    24 hours ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • In Whose Best Interests?
    On The Spot: The question Q+A host, Jack Tame, put to the Workplace & Safety Minister, Act’s Brooke van Velden, was disarmingly simple: “Are income tax cuts right now in the best interests of lowering inflation?”JACK TAME has tested another MP on his Sunday morning current affairs show, Q+A. Minister for Workplace ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Don’t Question, Don’t Complain.
    It has to start somewhereIt has to start sometimeWhat better place than here?What better time than now?So it turns out that I owe you all an apology.It seems that all of the terrible things this government is doing, impacting the lives of many, aren’t necessarily ‘bad’ per se. Those things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Auckland faces 25% water inflation shock
    Three Waters became a focus of anti-Government protests under Labour, but its dumping by the new Government hasn’t solved councils’ funding problems and will eventually hit the back pockets of everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 8:06 am today are:The Government ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Small accomplishments and large ironies
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
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