Hekia has gone rogue

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, October 5th, 2015 - 41 comments
Categories: education, Hekia parata, national, Politics, same old national, schools - Tags:

Spock_Parata

Jo Moir at Stuff has asked if Hekia Parata has gone rogue in announcing a change of the education funding formula. I am surprised she had to ask. The answer must be a resounding “yes”.

She did not sneak the announcement out. She went to the PPTA annual conference and at the same time she accused pretty well everyone present of being supporters of apartheid she announced that student academic progress was going to be at the forefront of the promised new funding policy.

From Stuff:

For more than two years the Education Minister has been vocal about her desire to give school deciles the chop, but just what a new funding model would look like has remained a mystery.

In 2013, Hekia Parata first criticised deciles as “clumsy” and sometimes used “to explain or excuse everything”.

By 2014, she was signalling the end of them when she said schools would only need to put up with deciles “for the present and for the near future”.

In between times, she had hinted at replacing deciles with academic progress measures, but by November last year she had ruled out any funding link to academic results.

Using student achievement data for school funding is  contentious because of the fear it would punish schools dealing with the most disadvantaged children.

On Thursday, Parata did the U-turn of all U-turns and told a room packed full of teachers that student achievement would “absolutely” be a factor in a review of the school funding system.

Finally, confirmation that student success would be front and centre of a new funding model that Parata wants sorted by the end of this parliamentary term.

As pointed out however there was a somewhat major problem with Parata’s announcement.  The Ministry was not aware of it:

On September 4, Ministry of Education deputy secretary Rawiri Bell said in a statement: “We absolutely reject any suggestion we are introducing performance-based funding for schools or performance-related pay for teachers. That is wrong.”

That is a difficult statement to get muddled – it couldn’t be clearer that the ministry has no plans whatsoever to include student performance in a new school funding model.

Of course this particular announcement fits into National’s desire to help its own.  Remember back in 2009 when National cut funding for night classes and very successful literacy and numeracy programmes so that $35 million extra to private schools?

The announcement has everything to do with politics and little to do with reality.  Cutting funding for the poorest schools may make the base feel better and it may allow the Government to save some money but if you needed the best measure of need then poverty and the decile system is it.  And pouring money into a system that can be easily gamed while ignoring the clear need that exists is a recipe for continued failure.

41 comments on “Hekia has gone rogue ”

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  1. Tiger Mountain 1
    5 October 2015 at 9:26 am

    a neighbour was at a NZEI conference in Rotorua recently and attendees all had strict instructions to behave themselves while the minister spoke and she coughed up the same line about deciles and education funding, the PM always seems to support old slapper features, so he probably well knows about Lady Gardiner’s latest wind up

  2. ianmac 2
    5 October 2015 at 9:34 am

    Formal teaching testing at Kindergarten level will no doubt be on the Parata/Key agenda to put funding/performance on the Agenda.

    Meanwhile in Finland:
    “When children play (in Finland Kindergarten), Osei Ntiamoah continued, they’re developing their language, math, and social-interaction skills. A recent research summary “The Power of Play” supports her findings: “In the short and long term, play benefits cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development…When play is fun and child-directed, children are motivated to engage in opportunities to learn,” the researcher concluded……..
    ….In fact, Finland requires its kindergarten teachers to offer playful learning opportunities—including both kinds of play—to every kindergartner on a regular basis, according to Arja-Sisko Holappa, a counselor for the Finnish National Board of Education……”
    http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/10/the-joyful-illiterate-kindergartners-of-finland/408325/

    • Puddleglum 2.1
      5 October 2015 at 11:33 am

      There’s a lot of very good research on the efficacy of play not just for children’s learning but for general performance, creativity, wellbeing, etc. of humans in general.

      The ‘problem’ for (free) play advocates, however, is that play is indeed ‘free’ and voluntarily chosen. This is a ‘problem’ not because it leads to chaos – far from it, it constructs (voluntary) order – but because not many social institutions (e.g., workplaces, schools, etc.) are willing for people to be that free – whatever their age.

      After all, institutions are set up to achieve particular purposes (e.g., make a profit in the short to medium term, provide a skilled workforce) so we wouldn’t want the uncontrolled freedom of people to interfere with the effective and efficient achievement of those goals.

      • ianmac 2.1.1
        5 October 2015 at 3:00 pm

        There is a school of thought which argues that all you have to do is set clear objectives and children will respond with vigour and success. Behaviourism. Of course it is not how most people learn. Most people need a context and see a need to learn stuff rather than have stuff foisted on them. And what is worse only the very simple ideas can be tested and scored. Complex ideas, beliefs and learnings are deeply personal and defy a tick box test.

        So Parata, testing kids to determine funding is superficial and nonsensical. What each learns is idiosyncratic, joyful and defies testing unless you thin the tests down to some simplistic pointless exercise.

    • savenz 2.2
      5 October 2015 at 4:38 pm

      +100 Ianmac

    • savenz 2.3
      5 October 2015 at 4:42 pm

      More disgusting news to make an already horrible day with the TPPA secret magic beans deal being potentially signed and now more attacks on our vulnerable kids by the another disgusting Nat, Hekia.

      Getting closer to the Natz ‘final solution’ for the poor and pretty much everyone apart from the cronies and 1% that own all the wealth.

    • JanM 2.4
      5 October 2015 at 4:51 pm

      And exactly what do you think happens here, ianmac? Have you ever read the NZ ece curriculum ‘Te Whariki’? It has been the envy of the world for years.
      Of course, it has been undermined to a degree with the enthusiastic take-up of daycares as cash cows, so there is a ‘charter school’ element in there. Nevertheless, the good centres, and Kindergarten Association kindergartens in particular, follow this curriculum with skill and understanding, on the whole.
      The curriculum for primary and secondary had been changed just prior to this government and to a significant extent it was based on ‘Te Whariki’, but it was almost totally undermined in short order by a failure to offer professional development so teachers knew what they were doing, and the introduction of the ghastly and counter-intuitive National Standards. After all, the Right do not want a genuinely well educated population (apart from accountants and HR wallahs) because, horrifyingly, they might be able to think for themselves 🙁

  3. Psycho Milt 3
    5 October 2015 at 9:40 am

    On Thursday, Parata did the U-turn of all U-turns and told a room packed full of teachers that student achievement would “absolutely” be a factor in a review of the school funding system.

    Coming from most people, this wouldn’t be a contentious statement, because (uh, duh-uh) the biggest factor in pupil achievement is socio-economic status of the pupil’s family, so targeting student achievement would have to mean targeting poverty, whether via decile-based funding or some other approach. Coming from a Nat cabinet minister though, it means the usual plan to steal from the poor and give to the rich.

    • Puddleglum 3.1
      5 October 2015 at 11:21 am

      Good point Psycho Milt.

      I imagine that the funding formula won’t be ‘If children aren’t achieving well, provide more funding and resources’, it will be ‘If children are achieving well, provide more funding and resources’.

      After all, you wouldn’t want to ‘incentivise failure’ would you?

      • Psycho Milt 3.1.1
        5 October 2015 at 4:17 pm

        That will be their argument – the current decile system “incentivises failure,” because look, we give the most money to schools whose kids are doing badly. The money should therefore be redirected from these “failing” schools to “successful” ones where the kids are doing well. It’s an argument that gets rehearsed in Kiwiblog comments threads every time DPF does a blog post on charter schools. I won’t be at all surprised to hear it coming from a Nat cabinet minister’s lips.

  4. lurgee 4
    5 October 2015 at 10:48 am

    Hurrah! More selection of students likely to maintain results! More weeding out of ‘problematic’ students and sending them downstream to preserve a school’s good results! More credit cram courses do maximise results! More meaningless standards to increase ‘achievement’! More teaching to the test! Less encouraging of exploration and risk taking and thinking and learning from mistakes! Less focus on the means and more focus on the ends! More regurgitation off pre-taught answers and uncritical identification of text book, rote learned facts! Less understanding! Less critical thinking! More paperwork! More assessment! More marking! More stress on teachers and students! More product, less people!

  5. Melb 5
    5 October 2015 at 11:01 am

    Mickey, your summary on the front page doesn’t match up with the original (non-opinion) article.

    “Hekia Parata has announced that student achievement and not need caused by poverty will be a central part of any future funding system.”

    vs

    “We’re very much at the beginning of this process so no decisions at all have been made as to which variables and in what way they’ll be used but will student achievement and learning be one of them? Absolutely.”

    Parata has announced that this would be one of the variables in a review. She hasn’t said it would be a central part of funding changes. It’s quite the misrepresentation from Jo Moir.

    And further on, where do you get “Cutting funding for the poorest schools” from? To assert that is further misrepresentation, when it is only at the beginning of a review. Funding on achievement could easily be a mechanism to provide greater assistance to schools that are struggling.

      • Melb 5.1.1
        5 October 2015 at 11:40 am

        A school union jumps the gun in order to criticise the Government. Shock, horror.

        “‘It is counter-productive to withdraw funding from the very schools that require more support because they have a higher rate of disadvantaged and challenged learners,’ she said.”

        Yet gives no details of what funding is being withdrawn. Because they’ve just fired off a press release of rhetoric before any actual details have been discussed.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.1.1
          5 October 2015 at 3:40 pm

          “discussed”

          How did you arrive at the delusion that there’ll be a discussion? It’s embarrassing.

    • Kelly-Ned 5.2
      6 October 2015 at 11:11 am

      Simple.
      Natz are following the American patterns largely.
      There they take from the poor/low achieving and give heaps to the wealthy schools thereby reinforcing the inequities.
      There is no reason to suspect that this won;t be the pattern followed here.

  6. red-blooded 6
    5 October 2015 at 12:16 pm

    Melb:
    1) The NZ Principals’ Federation is not a “school union”. It’s absolutely separate from the PPTA (Post Primary Teachers’ Association) and in fact competes and often disagrees with the Secondary Principals’ Association (which is part of the PPTA).
    2) Actually, school unions quite often agree with or promote issues which are educationally beneficial but which might be seen as competing with the vested interests of teachers and principals. The PPTA supports NCEA, for example, and this has hugely increased teachers’ workloads. The Principals’ Association has been commenting today and saying that we should rationalise our provision of schools, with more closures of small schools. This would help widen the curriculum and increase the depth of specialist teacher expertise for students who are currently at very small schools, while also cutting down on costs for things like maintenance and building redevelopment.

    And, by the way, if a group which represents specialists in the field is ‘firing off” a press release it’s because they know more than you or I what IS being discussed and they are making an effort to contribute to the conversation and forewarn people who may also want a way to contribute.

    “Results-based” funding is a self-reinforcing cycle. Decile-based funding is by no means perfect (it’s a pretty rough measure of community need), but it has been refined over the years and could continue to be refined.

    Parata may be the Minister, but she has no particular expertise in education and should not be allowed to go rogue.

    • Melb 6.1
      5 October 2015 at 2:14 pm

      “The New Zealand Principals’ Federation represents more than 2,300 principals from the education sector.

      The Federation, which was first established in 1982, provides support and a professional voice for members throughout New Zealand, also information and professional resources, legal support and advice as well as a number of publications and a helpline.

      Our fifteen strong executive, work hard on behalf of members in a number of areas.

      These include representation on reference groups pertaining to education as well as regular meetings with the Minister of Education, the Secretary for Education and the CEO of the Education Review Office and lobbying where appropriate.”

      It’s a union for school principals, or, a school union. Like the PPTA are a school union for secondary teachers and the NZEI are a school union for primary teachers and ECE staff.

      I used the phrase “fired off” because it’s clearly been written up and released without any concrete information about what a new funding system will entail, because those decisions are still a long way off. If they don’t have any info to back up the claims then it’s simple scaremongering.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 6.1.1
        5 October 2015 at 2:26 pm

        What blithering idiocy. If the fuckwit doesn’t want people to comment on her witless gobshite she shouldn’t run her mouth the way she does.

        As for your complete ignorance of the consequences of the vandalism she’s proposing, I note that few share it.

        • Melb 6.1.1.1
          5 October 2015 at 10:39 pm

          Well that was well-thought out and factual. I would really hope the school system has improved from the time you went through it.

          • One Anonymous Bloke 6.1.1.1.1
            5 October 2015 at 10:58 pm

            You’re the one with the comprehension fail.

            The negative consequences of National Party education policy have been evident in the UK and USA for years. You’re either pretending ignorance of that, which makes you a low-life, or you haven’t a clue, which makes you irrelevant.

            Either you’re blithering out of bad faith and malice (that’s my pick) or you can’t be bothered doing any fact checking. Either way your opinions are toxic.

      • Kelly-Ned 6.1.2
        6 October 2015 at 11:22 am

        NZPF is NOT a union. It is a voluntary association of primary school principals. It does not negotiate with employers.
        As for lacking detail about any possible funding based upon student achievement there are only two options – both proven failed overseas.
        You either punish low achievement (which is well proven to be connected with poverty/impoverished upbringing) by taking funding from them OR you take money from high achieving schools to use in the support of low achieving schools.
        The former further disadvantages the the under-achievers whilst the latter dis-incentivises (if that’s a word) higher achievement. Therefore neither can ever have a positive effect on overall student outcomes.

  7. Sabine 7
    5 October 2015 at 12:49 pm

    Well, the less the future unemployed know the better. Imagine they could read, write and do Math, they could not only complain in writing but do so eloquently and they could help Winz to get their benefits calculations right. That of course can’t be.

    But most importantly, 1 million people in NZ voted for it. So there. Its all good.

  8. greywarshark 8
    5 October 2015 at 1:42 pm

    Military academies are what we need. Shape up or take a 10 km run with a backpack filled with bricks. Some of the top men in the USA went to military academies from say age 9, some earlier.

    The use of education as a carrot and a necessary exercise to an adult life with a bit of work is a way to bind people to the tax sucking-coffers of the state, You have to have education – it’s good for you and for the country’s progress and development statistics. But you have to pay for it, even if not learning anything that will be useful for a job with a living wage and hours. You may have all the skills needed but because employment results from the whim and vagaries of business people who have the brains and instincts of a group of jackals, you may always remain a bonded person to the state. You will struggle with an unpaid debt for education which has not been of value to you and for which there is no positive cost:benefit ratio. But that’s Alice in Wonderland life for you. Suck it up.

    http://societyandspace.com/reviews/reviews-archive/dienst-richard-2011-the-bonds-of-debt/
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt:_The_First_5000_Years
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt_bondage

    I seem to remember CNNs previous owner Ted Turner had a father with rigid rules for punishment, and when he failed his own standards he asked his son to give him a few strokes with a blunt instrument. It’s that strict, no-nonsense approach that is needed to turn out obedient keen men and women as portrayed in the post ww2 book The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit by Sloan Wilson about the people who were the ground troops for a post-war conformist, even fascist state.

    The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956) – Wikipedia
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_in_the_Gray_Flannel_Suit
    The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, by Sloan Wilson, is a 1955 novel about the American search for purpose in a world dominated by business. Tom and Betsy …
    Gregory Peck tells about it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfrqYr58st0

    Tom Rath and his post-war corporate peers are more than just “suits;” they are
    the types described in William Whyte’s Organization Men,
    Organization Men, by definition, are not the workers, nor are they the white-collar people in the usual, clerk sense of the word. These people work only for The Organization. The ones I am talking about belong to it as well. They are the ones of our middle class who have left home, spiritually as well as physically, to take the vows of organization life, and it is they who are the mind and soul of our great self- perpetuating institutions.

    They are in effect the mechanism of the corporation, and spend their careers trying to
    move up the elevator into a corner office with a nice view of the city. Although Tom
    chafes against the organizations that he works for, finding himself dissatisfied as a cog
    within the clockwork of the corporation, he struggles to break free. His career may not
    be ideal, but since he was a young man, he had not been given the choice to seek another profession. Immediately after the war, his grandmother pushed him into working for upward mobility would bring him to the United Broadcasting Corporation.

    When interviewed for his job at the United Broadcasting, Tom cynically ruminates about applying for another position as an Organization Man:

    The most significant fact about me is that I detest the United Broadcasting
    Corporation, with all its soap operas, commercials, and yammering
    studio audiences, and the only reason I’m willing to spend my life in such
    a ridiculous enterprise is that I want to buy a more expensive house with
    a better brand of gin.
    http://www.lvc.edu/vhr/2013/articles/kelley%20final.pdf

    • Crashcart 8.2
      5 October 2015 at 3:29 pm

      I kind of hope you are a little tounge in cheek regarding the military schools. Don’t get me wrong. Military based schools are excellent for people who are able to work in that culture. I am in the military. However there are people who definately don’t fit in to a military context and when you try and force them into that sort of regimented system it does not turn out well.

      • greywarshark 8.2.1
        5 October 2015 at 9:17 pm

        That’s a very restrained answer from you Crashcart considering your experience.
        I believe that a military school should be for after a teenager has had a general education with a wide and rich education. I don’t believe children should be sent to boarding schools at an early age unless there is no alternative.

        So it is just not military schools that bother me, it is the lack of a wide and deep education. I think our present one is not all that good. The emphasis on obedience and military strategy and using threat or cunning to solve problems might be given precedence at military schools instead of that wide education. I also like philosphy, and problem solving as a way of encouraging thinking and brainwork, not learning to tick boxes as in National Standards. Education needs to be more than learning how to gain ascendancy. Better is how to use argument, discussion, listening and countering and understanding and trying for agreement all with the aim of not having armed confrontation.

        In law there were trained mediators being used a few years ago, but they can’t be used as much as should be because I never hear about them now.
        edited

  9. Draco T Bastard 9
    5 October 2015 at 1:48 pm

    It’s not just Parata that has gone rogue but National because we know that she would not have made such a blunt statement if she didn’t have the full support of the cabinet. They’re acting fully against the evidence solely to boost profit for their donors. That profit will come at the expense of all other taxpayers.

  10. repateet 10
    5 October 2015 at 3:40 pm

    Hekia Parata has not ‘gone rogue’ in a sense of suddenly having done something out-of-left field stupid or outrageous. She has continued on her steady and consistent path.

    When a MInister of Education decides that funding of schools is to be based on outcomes (using the reports from the PPTA conference as real), she proves her ideological approach overrides any intelligence and common sense.

    Quite simply Hekia Parata is a cretin, intellectually bereft and visits treason upon our children, present and future.

  11. feijoa 11
    5 October 2015 at 4:42 pm

    It’s all part of the plan to have a robotic unquestioning population ready to work for the 1%

  12. AmaKiwi 12
    5 October 2015 at 6:35 pm

    What organization or company would be stupid enough to put someone in charge of a department they have ZERO expertise in?

    Yet that is a fundamental principle of our system of government.

    Julie Anne Genter knows more about transportation than all the other MPs put together, but she sits on the sidelines while the morons screw things up.

    Ministers of education who have no university degree (Ann Tolly).
    Health ministers with no medical experience (not Coleman, but others).
    An obese Defence Minister while Ron Marks (SAS, retired) sits on the sidelines.
    An attorney general who has no law degree (Margaret Wilson).

    Our system is self destructing. Changing parties will NOT solve the problems. We need a 21st century form of government based on expertise, not ideology.

  13. Macro 13
    5 October 2015 at 7:38 pm

    Born in Gisborne, Wilson received her secondary education at St Dominic’s College, Northcote. She graduated LLB (honours) from the University of Auckland. She has worked as a lawyer, a Professor of Law and Dean at the University of Waikato,

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Wilson
    you might like to retract some of your previous comment.

  14. millsy 14
    5 October 2015 at 10:59 pm

    Parata and the government clearly have an agenda to incease private provision of education and education services. Even to the point of outsourcing the classic kiwi school caretaker.

    It helps of course, that the fact that she is the first Maori woman education minister is repeatedly used as a stick to beat her opponents, and National is getting very effective at it.

  15. millsy 15
    5 October 2015 at 11:01 pm

    And funding schools according to academic acheivement is pretty much asking for trouble. Especially in a deregulated schools environment like ours.

    You’ll have kids being shifted sideways to make the figures look good.

  16. humPrac 16
    6 October 2015 at 12:05 am

    Am I the only one who noticed her wearing a Star Trek uniform. Where is she going? Mars?

  18. ropata 18
    6 October 2015 at 6:15 am

    neglected schools are a sign of a society with no future.
    thank-you to all the teachers who have stood strong against tolley and parata’s attacks.
    kia kaha.

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    Buzz  from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example.  This shows National down ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Listening To The Traffic.
    It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 days ago

  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago

  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago

  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

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

  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago

  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    5 days ago

  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
    Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago

  • Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...
    Buzz from the Beehive   Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago

  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago

  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Pharmac Chair appointed
    Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.  “Every day, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.    “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
    Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service.  It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
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