Happy International (Working) Women’s Day!

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, March 8th, 2014 - 28 comments
Categories: feminism, Unions, workers' rights - Tags: , , , ,

The official theme of International Women’s Day this year is “Inspiring Change”. It’s a little vague, a little aspirational, not too confrontational – fairly typical for this kind of awareness-raising exercise.

But it is 2014, and it’s an election year, and the way we talk about women, and women’s work, does have the potential to inspire change in New Zealand.

Right now Kristine Bartlett, with the support of the Service and Food Workers’ Union, is breaking new ground. She’s worked in elder care for years, doing incredibly important, physically and emotionally demanding work, for $14.32 an hour. I think everyone can agree those kind of wages are pitiful. But the argument is bigger than that.  It asks not ‘should a woman be paid the same as a man for the same work?’ – a question which, I’m sorry to say, is still not settled for some employers – but this:

Should a traditional ‘woman’s job’ be paid the same as a traditional ‘man’s job’ which involves the same skills and experience?

There are difficulties and complexities and all kinds of side issues which get raised – Kristine’s employer Terranova just wants to make the whole issue about how much funding they get, and a lot of armchair experts will opine that it’s comparing apples and oranges and this lets us ignore the fact that a lot of traditional ‘men’s work’ gets paid a lot better than ‘women’s work’.

But the fact remains that we’re talking about ‘women’s work’. We’re talking about the terrible wages a woman-dominated workforce is paid to do a vital job in our society. Take the gender issue out of the picture, and we’re talking about how capitalism exploits people who have such compassion and caring in their hearts that they’ll look after others for $14.32 an hour – and that’s not right.

And as Jan Logie has noted in her blog, our current government has a terrible track record on ‘women’s issues’ – along with everything else. On this International Women’s Day, let’s inspire a change – of government!

(I do note that the concept of a “women’s day” isn’t perfect.  There are still a lot of women who are marginalised or erased in discussions of “women’s issues”, and a lot of people who reject the man/woman gender divide.  Their lives deserve recognition too.)

28 comments on “Happy International (Working) Women’s Day! ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. karol 1
    8 March 2014 at 9:13 am

    Well said.

    And let’s not forget, the most undervalued and under-rated “traditional” woman’s job – child rearing, domestic labour, raising the next generation of citizens – ensuring human society survives and prospers.

    And the ones doing it hardest are those largely paid via WINZ.

  2. Bill 2
    8 March 2014 at 10:29 am

    Just been reading a piece on Italy, where only 46.2% of women are in the workforce. There is a, somewhat flawed, call for the estimated 5 million home workers to be paid a monthly allowance. Brought to mind UBI.

    (Not sure how the 5 million is arrived at…surely Italy has a population way beyond 20 odd million) Anyway…

    One of the drivers for the argument…

    “We have [in Italy] many women who die inside household walls because they do not have economic independence,” said Bongiorno.

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/07/italian-campaigners-housewives-paid-salary

    • Colonial Viper 2.1
      8 March 2014 at 11:58 am

      Thanks to corruption and graft facilitated by the banksters and the bankster monetary system, Italy’s unemployment rate is now over 12%. Its youth unemployment rate is over 40%. By all means fight for employment rate equality in Italy, but all it will mean in reality is gender equality in high unemployment.

      • Stephanie Rodgers 2.1.1
        8 March 2014 at 12:39 pm

        I get a little concerned at comments like this, I have to say. It seems to suggest that, even though you acknowledge women are disadvantaged, you’d rather they stay disadvantaged because trying to raise women’s workforce participation is just going to push men out of the workforce.

        Similar arguments have been raised in the past about women entering the workforce pushing down wages, because of the larger pool of (paid) labour that’s been created.

        The irony to me is that this weakens our entire struggle. We end up fighting amongst ourselves over scraps from the table – saying ‘oh no, if we demand pay equality our share of the scraps will be smaller’ instead of standing together and saying ‘we’re not content with your scraps’.

        • karol 2.1.1.1
          8 March 2014 at 5:15 pm

          And it ignores how much unpaid and underpaid work is done by women – work which contributes to the economy and to social well being.

        • felix 2.1.1.2
          9 March 2014 at 7:11 am

          Well said, Stephanie. It makes us so easy to rule when we do the dividing for them.

  3. Colt 45 3
    8 March 2014 at 11:03 am

    “…..Should a traditional ‘woman’s job’ be paid the same as a traditional ‘man’s job’ which involves the same skills and experience?….”

    Why pick on males?

    So female childcare workers, who work so that better educated women can ‘actually’ go to work – in say education and health[and at far higher pay rates] – are to be paid less ? – all these women do ‘caring’ jobs remember!

    Or are female child care workers to be paid the same as a male in a traditional male occupation – who actually gets less money than those women in education and health?

    Your whole idea appears to be nothing more than creating a gender war – to hide the fact that you don’t know what to do with the feminist dilema; the ‘white liberal women’s slave class’ – female childcare workers!

    • Stephanie Rodgers 3.1
      8 March 2014 at 11:11 am

      That seems to be a fairly extreme reaction, Colt. Nobody’s ‘picking on males’. Nobody’s saying men should be paid less (though there’s a bitter old joke about another way to achieve gender equality). And nobody’s starting a ‘gender war’.

      But there’s a lot of serious discussion out there about whether some professions, which are predominantly worked by women, are paid less than is fair. As karol’s alluded, they’re often professions which are considered ‘naturally’ women’s work, like caring and domestic labour.

      I’m interested in your assertion that men are paid less than women in the health and education sectors. Do you have any more information on that?

      • Colt 45 3.1.1
        8 March 2014 at 10:38 pm

        “……But there’s a lot of serious discussion out there about whether some professions, which are predominantly worked by women, are paid less than is fair. As karol’s alluded, they’re often professions which are considered ‘naturally’ women’s work, like caring and domestic labour….”

        That’s exactly what I’m replying to, maybe you misunderstood me.

        What I’m saying is why don’t you compare apples with apples, well different brands, but at least they’re apples; child careers vs education and health workers, it’s not that they’re mostly women but that the job is more ‘similar’ – it’s a fair comaprison – and probably VERY fair for childcare workers as:

        why should a childcare worker get the same money as a male mechanic or builders labourer, simply because they’re ‘mans jobs’ when they could probably get more money by being compared to education or health workers – who happen to be mostly female – but the work is ‘similar’?

        I just don’t really see any sense in comparing ‘his’ with ‘her’ type jobs when better and more fairer comparisons are available for those who have low pay rates.

        • Stephanie Rodgers 3.1.1.1
          9 March 2014 at 9:05 am

          The point of comparing predominantly-women’s jobs to predominantly-men’s jobs is to establish a case of gender discrimination. And there’s already a well-established process for comparing work in these cases – it’s not up to a random person saying ‘oh, I think elder care is just like nursing so they should be paid the same’.

  4. captain hook 4
    8 March 2014 at 11:05 am

    IN the immortal words of JFK think not about what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country. Ladies of New Zealand unite.
    Get down to those Auckland City Council meetings and tell the greedies that you do not want them to selltthe CCo’s. Hector and harry them till they slink off.

    • Stephanie Rodgers 4.1
      8 March 2014 at 11:12 am

      Thanks for the suggestion, captain hook, but I’d suggest that the issues of CCOs isn’t really a gendered one, and on International Women’s Day it might be appropriate to think about issues which disproportionately affect women, such as the post discussed.

  5. ianmac 5
    8 March 2014 at 11:45 am

    Bill’s remark “Brought to mind UBI” is a solution but can you imagine the war that would erupt at the raising of this in NZ by a politition? Imagine if everyone including all adult women were paid the basic income. And if they wished and were able they could still earn that extra money. Of course most of the State institutions would become surplus and most benefits would cease to exist.
    Meanwhile back in the real world so many pay rates disadvantage women but not in teaching or nursing. Funny that the World did not end.

    • Colonial Viper 5.1
      8 March 2014 at 12:00 pm

      The Right Wing have no problem talking about and introducing radical and revolutionary policy initiatives which are pro-1% and pro-corporate big business.

      Why is the Left Wing so weak willed about doing the same for its constituency of the bottom 50%.

  6. greywarbler 6
    8 March 2014 at 1:50 pm

    Perhaps the slogan should be Back to the Future. That is to go back to the radical strivings for all women to get ahead .

    This would mean the most emphasis on the lives of poorer women, with better wages, better conditions, set working hours, getting employers to join schemes where women can be permanent casuals with rights to take time off without losing their place in the permanent casual list. There needs to be more help for women who are parents, with consultation as to their needs and wants.

    Then another is stopping simple half splits of matrimonial assets in divorce agreements so that the mother has a house to bring the children up in, rather than all the assets being realised and cashed up into halves.

    Keep concentrating on improving the lives of women at the bottom end who haven’t managed to hoist themselves up to the good jobs and middle class comforts and opportunities.

    I don’t know if the Ministry of Womens Affairs is still viable. But often this sort of department gets captured by the middle class woman who can get near the glass ceiling. The lives of ordinary woman just getting on but rarely up can be eclipsed by response to need from the disabled and the ordinary poor without obvious stigmata of disability or membership of the current area of concern, are overlooked.

    • Stephanie Rodgers 6.1
      8 March 2014 at 2:53 pm

      As far as I can tell, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (much like the National Council of Women) thinks the top priority for gender equality in NZ is getting more women on boards. There are certainly advantages to having more diverse voices at the top of an organisation, but yes, I rather think the pay gap, sexual violence, and ‘women’s work’ might affect a few more people’s lives.

      • Colt 45 6.1.1
        9 March 2014 at 1:13 am

        Grey warbler is right in what he says Stephanie:

        “……But often this sort of department gets captured by the middle class woman who can get near the glass ceiling……”

        So women want it all?

        Since all women then want that pro-life choice of when to have babies, then it is up to them to make that choice – which can then be while they are either young; about 20 – or very near too old to concieve just one ‘single alone child’ – at the ripe old age of just 40 – the new 30 as they say.

        For those women who choose to have babies during that ‘opportunistic’ time, which is nearly every women, and who also want a ‘career’ – or simply ‘better’ income during that time – then baseing their daily routine around work and/or education between 9-3 seems rather an ideal place to build policy up from – well to me anyway.

        Women in the long ago past simply spent too much time in the home[for those who wanted to be educated/working] and males it can probably be said, spent too much time away from home. However it’s not just babies who need the wisdom, grace, love and law of a mother, but children and teenagers too. Before and after school.

        Women’s abilities as mothers, educators, wisdom providers ect should be respected for what it is – rather than have it compete with the demands of the market place – as mothers build far better societies than the market place ever can; Ceo’s, doctors, police officers, judges are one thing – but prostitutes of all ‘income persuasions’ are another thing altogether to turn working ‘mothers’ into. The workplace is cut throat at all levels today – that’s reality between women on women business as it is with man on man business – and it’s not a nice thing to install into children after work. The workplace can only get worse as disgruntled females will install that view onto their children, and thereby making their children disgruntled within the reality of the business enviroment – a ‘grinding’ career.

        Good societies need good mums – as that is what leads to having good ‘villages’. It shouldn’t take a village to raise a child – unless you think that women are not capable of being good mothers and careerists at the same time. Surely they can do both.

        Village ‘raisers’ such as childcare workers are nothing but the creation of those in places like the Ministry of Women’s Affairs – who don’t want to see mothers and workplaces come to a satisfactory arrangement, which in turn will make the Ministry of Women’s Batteries redundant – just look at their arguements:

        Women do an extra ’45minutes’ of house work a day than the male. WOW!

        And then they publicly denegrate male employers who reply using exactly the same logical arguement – over a week, a year, or God forbid – ‘a lifetime career’!!

        The Women’s Ministry: trouble makers who create a ‘patriarchal’ image for their benefit alone.

        Village idiots and spinsters as we used to say about those types..

        • karol 6.1.1.1
          9 March 2014 at 7:46 am

          Colt45, are you on Colin Craig’s prosecution (sue Russel Norman) committee?

        • Stephanie Rodgers 6.1.1.2
          9 March 2014 at 9:10 am

          The idea of ‘women wanting it all’ is a very old-school line. It implies that women are being demanding or selfish or unrealistic by wanting to have a career and bring up children – when men have traditionally been able to do exactly that! And we know the benefits of ensuring people can earn enough to live with dignity, spend more time with their children, and work in careers which satisfy them.

          I think the rest of your comment just stands to prove why we need International Women’s Day (and feminism, and brave women like Kristine Bartlett) – you’ve made a lot of assumptions about gender roles which paint women (and men) into particular corners and limit their choices in life.

          • Colt 45 6.1.1.2.1
            9 March 2014 at 12:59 pm

            “……..you’ve made a lot of assumptions about gender roles which paint women (and men) into particular corners and limit their choices in life…..”

            Sorry my mistake Stephanie, I did forget to add that ‘all women who have children should have the right to work from 9-3pm. Tax free. If they choose to.’

            That doesn’t limit the vast majority of women in work, other than maybe a female pilot ect, but then those roles are mostly highly paid and allow a women to leave the workforce for a number of years to care for their children if they choose to do so.

            ‘Tax free’ is also an incentive to the employers, as it gives female employees more money which is not at the expense of business. Most employers would probably then be accepting of a 9-3 roster. WFF is nothing more than wealth re-distribution and does not alleviate the problems that mothers have in trying to balance work and home.

            Most dysfunctional families need the male to be ‘out’ of the house, and bringing home a reasonable, regular, and increasing income. Longer hours do that. And more experiance from those longer hours does eventually increase income further in today’s range of jobs. They are then good examples to their sons and daughters.

            Yes I have painted the picture that men can’t have babies in corners or elsewhere – and that the role of the male is to SUPPORT the one who can – the MOTHER. Doing the mothers job is not support – it’s aid. Women can have it all Stephanie – they can do both work and mother – but only by being supported!

            • Stephanie Rodgers 6.1.1.2.1.1
              9 March 2014 at 1:59 pm

              There are a lot of assumptions in all of your comments on this post, Colt, and I have to say they all seem to be incorrect. You’re creating a lot of strawman arguments which no one is making. I don’t really get the sense you’re interested in seriously discussing these topics.

  7. Aww 7
    8 March 2014 at 6:29 pm

    I think the fastest way of changing inequality is to get more women in their own business and NZ already has great benefits in terms of taxes for business start ups.

    We could use more funding for those disadvantaged in the employment market. Work and Income budgets for business start ups were cut in 2008 and have remained reduced since then. This funding used to be known as the Enterprise Grant/Allowance but is now under the Flexi Wage scheme.

    One of the entry criteria for this funding is if you are a woman trained in what is traditionally men’s work. I’d love to see more people (not just women) benefiting from this. The scheme is well mentored and has a very high success rate so it doesn’t make any sense to cut the funding, especially when the criteria ensures that only the most disadvantaged in the employment market can apply.

    This is also IMHO a much, much better use of government money than paying an Australian company to get these people work.

    • Stephanie Rodgers 7.1
      8 March 2014 at 6:41 pm

      I’m afraid I just don’t see it. The vast majority of the workforce, men or women, don’t have the luck to run their own businesses. Campaigns such as the living wage, or reviews of how our criminal justice system deals with sexual violence, have benefits for far more people, and could effect massive change in our society.

      Saying that getting more women to run businesses is the ‘fastest way’ to address inequality really just sounds like a cousin of the old bootstraps myth – it ignores the structural issues and the scope of gender inequality.

  8. Foreign Waka 8
    8 March 2014 at 9:41 pm

    The depth and breath of the comments plus the unbridled anticipation shows exactly where NZ is and where the future lies for women in this country – nowhere. It does not surprise me a bit as in reality nothing really has changed since we crawled out of the cave. O yes, we don’t have to rub sticks anymore to get the stove going but the majority of the cooking is still done by women . Men drum their chests that they have provided all the gadgets to make life “easier” but yet insisted that women have to use their “spare” time to work in jobs that pay less because this is where women belong. No idle hands and a facade to say that no exploitation takes place. Attitudes within societies have and still show the standing of women in society the world over. Lets remember all the tortured, burned and murdered women in those countries where the contempt and disadvantage is taken to heights unthinkable. And please don’t ask a western women to say thank you that it is not happening here.

  9. Murray Olsen 9
    9 March 2014 at 2:57 am

    Happy International Women’s Day.

    I remember hearing about equal pay for equal skills in the mid 80s. The idea that a nurse should be paid the same as a policeman made a lot of sense to me, and still does. It’s shameful how much workers in aged care receive, which shows that we don’t really value old people or age care workers. Half the working class is female. If we don’t want equal rights and equal pay for all workers, we’re on the side of the bosses. I know I’m not.

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    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
    23 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours 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
    16 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
    21 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
    22 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    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 Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
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    7 days ago

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