Hello National, bye bye breaks …

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, September 28th, 2014 - 53 comments
Categories: national, same old national, Unions, workers' rights - Tags: ,

Yet another election, yet another National victory. Despite all the scandalous allegations (some proven) levelled at the incumbent, the King of Teflon reigns yet again. John Key must be secretly grateful to the big gabbling marshmallow from Germany for poisoning the left and for taking a fair bit of oxygen out of seemingly robust, progressive, independently costed and cogent policies. According to the “unbiased” media, Labour appears to be stuck in squabbling mode yet again. In saying that, the moves made by Cunliffe on election night to rally the wider party membership to endorse his leadership does himself no favours as it reeks of self-importance. A concerned leader will be more focussed about addressing the issues in the wider labour movement or what is left of it?

I digress, this article is not about Labour’s naval gazing exercise.

Now that the dust is settled, certainly amongst the Nats, it is now back to the business of passing legislation. An academic acquaintance mentioned in passing about the revisiting of a bill that was put on hold before the elections and now would be revisited again when the house sits in October.

Judging by the recent statements put forward from the caretaker government about not rocking the boat; and continuing with their raft of legislative amendments in the past six years to make New Zealand a “fairer” and “happier” working place, one of the bills that will most likely see early light of day could be the Employment Relations Amendment Bill.

There are a raft of changes that will mostly be implemented in its current form seeing the caretaker government has a majority. A significant number of them is a cause for concern for employees and I will attempt to discuss them at a later post. For now, I would like to primarily comment on two aspects of the bill – Flexible working arrangements and Rest and meal breaks.

Flexible work arrangements

I’m all for work life balance and the import of flexible work arrangements appears to be a step in the right direction and would be very appealing to a cohort of would be part time workers/part time workers, especially mums returning to the workforce after starting a family where flexibility is key to running a young and often discombobulated household; or employees who choose to go part time as they wish to engage with other aspects of the community through volunteering, etc.

Flexible working arrangements

Clauses 20 to 27 would extend the right to request flexible working arrangements to all employees, not just those with caring responsibilities as is currently the case. The bill would remove the current limits on the number or timing of such requests, and would shorten the period in which an employer must respond to a request. We support the proposed changes as a means of promoting the benefits of flexible working arrangements, which we believe are of value for both employers and employees, allowing productivity gains and a better work-life balance.

For consistency, since an employee’s request must be given in writing, we recommend amending clause 24, new section 69AAE, to require an employer’s response also to be given in writing. If the request was refused, the employer would also be required to state and explain the reason for the refusal.

The above, in my view – is a case of where less is more in terms of prescription. I believe it is really beneficial to employees who want to and need to set other priorities in their lives apart from being married to their job. We all have different drivers and a one size fits all prescription is not necessarily the way to go.

Rest and meal breaks

However, there is a rather onerous provision in place that needs to be discussed. This provision deals with the relaxation of prescribed breaks, in particular the provisions that relate to meal and rest breaks.

The explanatory notes in the bill states,

rest break and meal break provisions, to reduce prescription and allow for flexibility, including compensatory measures where there is a failure to provide a break

On the face of it, this does not seem to be an overtly onerous provision as it allows for less prescription and we all like to have less rigidity in our lives right?

The commentary section of the bill provides a little more insight into the machinations of this seemingly harmless amendment. (authors underlines)

Rest and meal breaks

Clauses 43 to 46 of the bill would change the existing rules for employees’ entitlements to rest and meal breaks. The aim is to move from a prescriptive to a more flexible approach, encouraging employers and employees to negotiate in good faith about workable arrangements as to how and when breaks should be taken. The changes proposed would require an employer to provide reasonable compensatory measures where an employee could not reasonably be provided with breaks.

We are aware of considerable concern about these provisions, particularly about the possible impact on employees’ health and safety if breaks are restricted. We have considered these issues carefully. The majority of us consider two points to be particularly relevant. First, the bill would not override any requirements under other legislation. For example, specific regulations governing hours of work for drivers of passenger transport services, and—importantly—the general duty imposed on employers under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, would be unaffected by the provisions in question. Section 6 of that Act imposes a general duty on employers to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of employees at work, including providing and maintaining a safe work environment.

An employer’s responsibility under that Act for controlling hazards extends to any person’s behaviour resulting from physical or mental fatigue that might be an actual or potential source of harm to themselves or others. Providing breaks, or varying the nature or intensity of work, would remain obvious ways for an employer to address such hazards, regardless of the changes proposed in the bill.

A second important consideration is the reasonableness test in these clauses. Clause 44, new section 69ZD(2), specifies that any restriction of rest or meal breaks must be reasonable and necessary, having regard to the nature of the employee’s work. If breaks were not provided, a reasonable compensatory measure must be provided (new section 69ZEB).

The majority of us consider that these factors would ensure that the bill met the policy intent of improving workplace flexibility, while continuing to protect the rights of employees. Accordingly, we are not recommending any amendment of these provisions.”

Apart from the status quo remaining for employees who operate heavy machinery, the changes though small are significant. Let’s dissect these paragraphs into its component parts and do a vis-à-vis with what is currently stipulated in the current Employment Relations Act 2000.

Clause 43 of the Bill replaces Section 69ZC of the Act

The main difference is the introduction of the term compensatory measure which allows the employee to be compensated when breaks have not been given for any work period. The compensation is time based only and on the face of it would allow for accrual of missed breaks that can be taken at a later date/time.

Clause 44 of the Bill replaces Section 69ZD and 69ZE of the Act

Entitlement to rest and meal breaks

The current provision requires employers to provide to employees break and meal times which for a typical eight hour work day is two 10 minute paid breaks and 30 minutes unpaid meal time.

The new provision begins by stating employees are entitled to rest and meal breaks but then goes on to state that such breaks may be subject to restrictions by the employer as long as the test of reasonableness has been met.

Timing as to when an employer provides rest and meal breaks

The current provision states that in a typical eight hour work day, there needs to be a minimum of a 30 minute meal break halfway through the work period; and a 10 minute rest break halfway between the start of the work period and the meal break; and after the meal break till the time the work period concludes.

The new provision does away with any prescribed timing for the rest and meal breaks. It is also silent on the duration of a paid break or an unpaid meal break and states it is up to the employer and employee to negotiate such outcomes in good faith.

Clause 45 of the Bill replaces Section 69ZF of the Act

The current provision allows for the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) to impose penalties on the employer should the ERA rule that the employer has failed to discharge their obligations under the Act, by not providing an employee their rest and meal breaks.

The new provision does away with this avenue for the ERA to impose penalties whatsoever if such breaches occur.

Clause 46 of the Bill replaces 69ZG and 69ZH of the Act

The current provision allows for the employer to provide additional or enhanced rest or meal breaks above the minimum legal requirement and overrides any attempts by the employer to include provisions in the contract to provide rest or meal breaks below the bare minimum legal requirement; and should the latter occur, it will not result in the contract being declared null and void.

The new provision also allows for the employer to provide additional or enhanced rest or meal breaks but there is no prescribed minimum legal requirement in this instance. It merely restates the fact that the employer must provide some form of a rest or meal break and if unable to, must provide some form of compensatory measure.

In summary, the rest and meal break changes when viewed in its entirety, basically strips away the basic legal protections for employees as far as rest and meal breaks are concerned. The lack of prescription does create an unwanted degree of haziness as it will be entirely up to the employer’s discretion as to how and when these rest or meal breaks occur with no minimum legal requirement stipulated.

Rest and meal breaks have been reduced to some sort of abstract and arbitrary animal where one’s entitlement to such basic necessities are founded on the test for reasonableness and one’s own ability to negotiate for good outcomes.

The part of the bill that does away with the ERA’s ability to impose penalties on employers who fail to discharge their obligations under the current Act is particularly worrying and disingenuous at best. It is a strong signal for unscrupulous employers to do what they want with rest and meal breaks with no impunity.

What does this mean for employees?

In my opinion, well-educated employees in relatively senior white collar positions stand to lose the least with these raft of changes as they will likely be in a position of strength to bargain for additional or enhanced rest or meal breaks. This may be due to having the wherewithal to negotiate for better outcomes because they are better equipped and more cognisant of their rights; and they possess “sort-after-skills” to leverage of. Having said that, there will in time be a likelihood of mission creep and this could manifest itself in trading away or compromising remuneration negotiations as the enhanced or additional rest or meal breaks can be used as a bargaining tool for employers to under pay.

The employees who are most likely to be significantly impacted by these raft of changes, including the other provisions to knee cap collective bargaining, will be (you guessed it!) – the low paid and casualised workforce. The less skilled, unskilled and casualised workforce have minimal ability to negotiate for better terms and conditions as it currently stands and these changes merely seek to destabilise and erode those rights further. These employees will be at the whim of unscrupulous employers who will only be required by law to provide some semblance of a meal or rest break as there will no longer be a basic prescribed legal requirement in terms of timing and duration. Even in cases where breaches occur, the employment relations authority will no longer be able to impose penalties upon the offending employer.

There are other aspects of the bill I would like to comment on in more detail as time permits but when viewed collectively, most of these changes effectively puts the boot in employees and is clearly targeted at those employees who are most vulnerable – eg hospitality, retail, cleaning, aged care sectors.

This bill reinforces the Nat’s slow and steady but effective chipping away of employee’s rights and will really resonate with its core constituency – “Business as usual” indeed!

JAmooches

53 comments on “Hello National, bye bye breaks … ”

  1. ghostwhowalksnz 1

    Perhaps a video of a slave galley rowing furiously across the water, with the national party flag flying and a droll commentary.

    [lprent: Ummm. ]

  2. Evan Barlow 2

    This is bollocks. It’s ridiculous that any of these things are governed by legislation. I’ve never had a standard 8 hour work day, and I’ve never had organised breaks and meal times. I have always been able to take whatever breaks i need, and eat my meals when it suits me. Get the government completely out of running my day

    • One Anonymous Bloke 2.1

      You can give back the free education we wasted on you while you’re at it.

      I agree that it’s ridiculous that some employers treat their workforce like shit and have utterly unreasonable expectations. That’s why we had to legislate. If you must whinge and whine about it why don’t you direct your ire where the problem is?

      • Coffee Connoissuer 2.1.1

        You mean that free education that is pretty much mandatory. Take out English and the social skills learnt at lunchtime and the rest really has bugger all use once you get out into the real world. Free education or indoctrination into a seriously flawed system. I’m not sure which is the more fitting description although I lean towards the latter.
        perhaps I am being a little harsh though. I did enjoy sports, 4 square and the school camps too.

        Of course the stuff you really want to learn is the stuff you have to pay for and doesn’t start until you leave school. That said in the information age it could all be provided for free (with a little work) on the internet.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 2.1.1.1

          Your limited experience has offered you limited insight.

          I doubt there are any for whom every lesson is relevant, just as every lesson is relevant to some.

          PS: you are confused. The indoctrination centres are called Madrassa in some countries, in New Zealand we refer to them as Charter Schools.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 2.2

      The management class has been able to run their own work day. NZ Judges have aborted trails when it clashed with their travel plans

      How would that work out if you were running a retail shop or most workplaces that have a clock punch system

      better question, do you have any idea of how the real world works, other than head space that says Im the most important person in the world.

      • JeffRo 2.2.1

        My wife works retail. They don’t take standard breaks, they have theirs during the less busy times, so not to leave reduced staff when they are flat out.

        This is how us in the working world work. By getting the job done.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 2.2.1.1

          😆 You’re a laughing stock and you don’t even know it, little serf. Pull the wagon harder, donkey 😆

          Oh, by the way, this is coming from someone who works in the private sector, only we (my colleagues & I) work smart, and ridicule the fifty hour week fools.

          Cheers 😆

          • joe90 2.2.1.1.1

            The old man always reckoned if you can’t earn a living in forty hours you’re deluded if you think you’ll be able to earn one working fifty hours.

            • One Anonymous Bloke 2.2.1.1.1.1

              The old man was right. Four waged slaves working fifty hours each steal one whole job from another worker.

              • joe90

                As a child of the great depression he was always right about work, leisure – work five days for money and one day for your family keeping the other as your very own, and money – four for your family and one [days wages] for yourself.

    • Galeandra 2.3

      I have always been able to take whatever breaks i need, and eat my meals when it suits me….

      Of course, it’s all about narcissists like you, innit? Stick to truck driving.

      • JeffRo 2.3.1

        Even gives an opinion and you go straight to attacking him personally.

        Maybe get a job, it will enhance you with perspective.

        [lprent: Her comment was valid, sarcastic, picked a profession where the practice does happen, and well within the robust rule.

        Your comment was not. It was a classic troll comment. Play the victim and then abuse the person you are replying to. With overtones about how others should act (which is our purview).

        Banned 2 weeks as a warning not to try troll tactics here ]

      • Yoyo 2.3.2

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissism

        Feel this is not evident in his post and therefore it might be a bit mean to call him that.

    • Naki man 2.4

      Evan I also work a 12 hour day for one of the largest companies in NZ, I take my breaks when I get time or when it suits me, for as long as I like. I may at times work up to 5 hours without a break but to compensate me I am paid for all of my meal breaks.
      I cant see anything wrong with these flexible rules. Lefties are a paranoid bunch who want to live in the 70’s.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 2.4.1

        😆

        Righties are a delusional bunch who want to live the the 19th Century. Your whole life has been enabled by the rights you blindly seek to destroy. I’ll be waiting behind the barn with the axe when you wake up.

        • Coffee Connoissuer 2.4.1.1

          Many of us who are neither Right nor Left just simply want to be able to live free. Truly free.

      • dv 2.4.2

        Key words
        ‘ I get time or when it suits me, for as long as I like

        You have the option.
        Will all get that option?

      • lprent 2.4.3

        The rules aren’t there for good employers. They are there for bad employers to express a minimum standard. You don’t have to look hard to find lousy employers.

        I tend not to have lousy employers for very long. Firstly I try not to get employed by them. But I fire them them when I find I have made a mistake. But I also have a lot of hard to find skills.

        • adam 2.4.3.1

          You better get paid well for that skill set Iprent or I’ll slap you.

          And yes, our labour laws have always been about the bad employers and every time we weaken them , we seem to get more bad employers. It’s like some bad Dickens nightmare played over and over.

      • Skinny 2.4.4

        You can thank the Dairy Workers Union for your excellent terms and conditions. Now that the arse has fallen out the milk powder market your lot are going to have to earn your membership by getting proactive and standing up to the attack by the Tories.

    • Murray Olsen 2.5

      It’s ridiculous that so many of our employers need minimum employment standards to be enforced by legislation. If you don’t want the government in your day, bugger off to Galt’s Gulch in Chile. That worked out really well as a libertarian paradise.

    • DS 2.6

      So I take it you work Christmas Day and Easter Sunday then?

  3. halfcrown 3

    I can feel a series of bumper stickers coming on. the first being

    LOST YOUR SMOKO? Don’t blame me I didnt vote National.

  4. JeffRo 4

    This is just really confirming, what most workplaces do.
    We, in the dairy industry have always organised breaks around keeping our machines running.
    Is no reason to freak out.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 4.1

      Why do they need to change the laws ?

      Seems like flexibility is there all ready.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 4.2

      Meanwhile, in New Zealand…

      My boss keeps demanding I work through my break. I do hard labour on a lathe with really heavy steel, 4130QT forgings from aussie weighing probably 40kg each, and I can’t even get a rest after two hours of tool changes on a massive industrial lathe older than I am, with truck sized tool post nuts I have to use a bar on to undo. I am knackered after each day and I can’t even keep above my mortgage and rates…

      When my boss comes in gloating on Monday and demands I work through smoko how am I going to ignore my anger and reaction to smash him in and quit. I’ll lose the house everything. I’m bloody devastated. What you don’t do is give bullies encouragement and that’s exactly what the country just did if I’m that out of whack with reality of politics in NZ. I’m nearly 50 I’ve never seen the like of these reforms in all my days.

      Richard, comment on The Standard

      21st Sept 2014.

      JeffRo, this may come as a shock: everyone’s circumstances are different to yours: when you indulge your stupidity and rest an argument on the basis of nothing but your limited experience, you say something about yourself, and nothing valid or cogent whatsoever.

      • JeffRo 4.2.1

        No it’s not me.
        All stated here is opinion, as is mine.
        Difference between you and me is, I can accept someone may have a different opinion to me. I will just restate mine or try to enhance.
        You there, don’t really handle that well.
        But that’s OK.

        PS- I have worked in lots of different fields of industry.

        [lprent: That other people may have an opinion that is different from yours has not been apparent to me. You usually seem to drop immediately to abuse, and then whine when others call you on it. Just another dumb hypocritical troll. Guess what. The moderators make the rules about behavior. Not you. ]

        • One Anonymous Bloke 4.2.1.1

          When did you get the impression that you have a right to hold false beliefs and not incur ridicule for them?

          You’ll find that parroting right wing lies brings out hostility in far more than I, and at least I’ll use ridicule rather than pitchforks.

          • Yoyo 4.2.1.1.1

            Debating doesn’t require ridicule. You can correct someone for false beliefs and not be nasty. It really is possible! In addition, sometimes there is grey where you may be certain the belief is false but others disagree with you. Therefore, debate is generally one of the best ways of dealing with false beliefs.

            • One Anonymous Bloke 4.2.1.1.1.1

              Yes, I wish it were so. In reality, contradictory facts harden false beliefs. Research aimed at treating racism, for example, has found emotional approaches far more effective than factual ones.

              The tendency for right wingers to be drawn from the ranks of the fearful, lower-IQ portion of the electorate (citations: Hodson & Busseri, Kanai et al) renders fact-based argument more-or-less pointless.

              Aristotle figured it out long before the evidence was available: ridicule works. I’ll allow that I may be incompetent in its application, and at least I’m trying.

  5. Richard 5

    The section you write about meal and rest breaks already happens in my work place. You never see our boss, Except for 5 minutes before each break where he holds you up as long as he can. Then he often stands there telling you to make another cut on the lathe or some other needless thing uses all my smoko and I don’t get one. He does not compensate me for my loss of break saying he already pays me for it.

    He lists my holidays on my pay slip in a monerary manner so I have no idea how many days holidays I get, Quite frankly this cock is pissed he has to pay a wage in the first place, I’ve had to walk out on him to get a freaking decent wage rise.

    I agree most places are not like this, but heck I definitely will lose smoke and as he already pays me for it I may as well work it instead mentality.

    Don’t tell me to look for another job either, their are none in this small town in nowhere NZ. Got me by the balls and he knows it. He pushed me so far I walked out twice, still comes back though, at least last time I got a 2.25 pay rise which shut my moaning up for awhile still 16.75 for a engineering co is pretty sad, when two up the road are paying 23.50 but lay off to often on the downturn. Fark 16.75 tough to do that when your getting burned and cut daily. Living wage ,pray for a living wage. pray the prick doesn’t take the labour reforms to seriously It’ll be embarrassing for him the day he tells us all no more morning or afternoon smoko.

    At the end of the day we are all human and can only be pushed so far, we may not have unions anymore but individually we will still cause workforce pandemonium with mass quits happening.

    • infused 5.1

      “Don’t tell me to look for another job either, their are none in this small town in nowhere NZ”

      ..

      “still 16.75 for a engineering co is pretty sad, when two up the road are paying 23.50 ”

      Ok…

    • blue leopard 5.2

      That sounds awful, Richard, I’m sorry to hear you have a boss with such an awful attitude toward his workers.

      Sadly, this doesn’t sound terribly unfamiliar. 🙁

      It is great when bosses and employees realize that mutual respect is absolutely vital for good working conditions and that many other positive things accrue from such – not least on that list is a happy and contented work environment.

      • Richard 5.2.1

        Blue, I’ve had a few jobs in my life, never seen a boss like him. ever. He leaves my jaw gob smacked at times.

        The most valuable thing we each have is time, and he steals mine daily.

        I’m pretty reasonable in the work place, at one company I never had any breaks and could eat on the fly, didn’t bother me. Doing heavy work I want and need a break after two hours and if you saw the labour we do you would agree. To make me do unpaid extra’s after supposedly finishing for the day re lockup and timesheets is bloody rude.

        If they remove these laws protecting the employee’s, we will create issues for people who have no consideration to the consequences of their actions. psychopaths, Nat supporters, most business owners .. 🙂

        We need to band the country and strike. It’s a matter of crossed lines. It’s time they got back behind theirs.

        • BM 5.2.1.1

          Has he got people queuing up to take your job?

          • Richard 5.2.1.1.1

            Well BM the only thing I have going for me is I work hard, I’m keen, I learn fast.

            On the downside I talk to much, wander off on a tangent occasionally, as in start fixing faults with the lathe.

            I like the work, no I love the work, I just think the remuneration is piss poor. The owner has the personal management skills of a concentration camp guard, and that in all the corporates I ever worked for they had relaxed work atmosphere’s their was more productivity then in a workforce where the bosses ride the workers for maximum output.

            just in the maintenance of the equipment their is less downtime, people in good work environments proactively take care of their work equipment.

            Personally from experience working in several countries with different cultures a unstressed workplace is the happiest and most productive. time they all learned that valuable lesson.

            We don’t need more rules or more legislation we will all work with good employers in whatever they ask they know it damn it. This law serves one purpose, forcing us to comply to bad employers, removing our right to jkeep bad employers from taking the piss.

            That’s the mint sauce for the sheep right there.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 5.2.1.2

          Better to monkeywrench or take other types of direct action before expecting help in the form of collective action. Specifically, I’d advise you to cripple your employer: demonstrate to him exactly where the power is. He’s already caved both times you took strike action.

          • BM 5.2.1.2.1

            Exactly, I don’t think Richard quite realizes the power he has.

            Obviously his boss knows and really enjoys treating him like a fool.

            • Richard 5.2.1.2.1.1

              No BM workers are a dime a dozen, I’m good, but replaceable. Don’t worry about that.

              I am a good worker, he knows it that’s why it was good to see him eat humble pie drive in and work out a better pay rise and training agenda.

              I have a professional career as an IT engineer, network administrator few other avenues having worked for at that time NZ’s largest NZ owned computer manufacturer. I took on a job at an engineering company to round of my skill set for my hobby Astronomy.( I can whack up the electronics also build my own mounts with metal shop training) 🙂 I have skills matey. My boss quickly found that out, now I’m machining some of the shops most difficult items.

              I laugh though when his clapped old machinery, especially the CNC or plasma break down and he’s trying to repair it. I offered some help one day and he said “what would you know your just a computer engineer.” must of been bad, as repair training, systematic diagnosing , tracing and finding faults is something you can transfer to any object, I laughed internally as it’s been a year pissing around with it so far.

              Fucking insult from a guy who doesn’t even know where to start looking.

              Meanwhile on my own I learned pretty much the shop, from welding to almost the CNC machine if I could just get 5 minutes on that control panel 🙂

              From given a recipe to final product I do it all the way through daily, so fair go mate I think, pay me what that’s worth a fitter turner would get near 30 wouldn’t he, I’d be happy with 18.80 honest, I have a mortgage, be nice to earn a living and be able to afford a better life than stay home, work just pay bills with internet and sky. I should be saving for my holidays.

              • BM

                What’s he charging you out at?

                If he’s charging out at $70+, realistically you could go to around $25.00 an hour.

                The problem for you though is that you don’t have any written qualifications which rather hampers you.

  6. weka 6

    Any chance someone would fix the formatting in the post to make it easier to follow?

  7. coaster 7

    This has the potential to cost jobs. If say 10%of employers are bad employers, ones who take advantage of there staff. If a number of those 10% use this to reduce staff numbers due to not needing so many staff to cover those break times, lunch times etc, this will directly cost jobs. If 10 %of employees no longer have smoko or lunch breaks this indirectly cost jobs in small cafes, coffee shops etc. This will also have an direct impact on other service businesses, such as doctors, hairdressers etc as a number of employees are no longer able use lunch breaks to visit the gp or hairdresser. And before those trolls say this wont happen, get in the real world, there are huge numbers of small business owners who exploit there staff and get away with it.

  8. cricklewood 8

    Its a shame that there are still pricks employing people in this country that are so bad govt needs to legislate reasonable conditions.
    Whilst for some the mandatory breaks are inconvenient its hardly a sufferance compared to what will happen to some employees with few options when this amendment passes.
    This change is a mistake…

  9. Rodel 9

    Join a union and tell your workmates to join.
    I belong to a strong union. They don’t mess with us.
    We’re happy and they’re happy.

  10. adam 10

    I would have enjoyed your analysis more, except for the curlish start you made to this blog. The rest was OK, but I could not get out of my head you went for a cheap shots JAmooches. That really did mess with the message.

    Unions are the answer – but this will undercut them more.

    My guess is with zero hour contracts and more anti-union legislation coming – working people in this country are about to get kicked in the guts again.

    Just remember to repeat to all the RWNJ’s, that a union is nothing more than a free association of workers, looking for a better life, for them and their families.

    • Murray Olsen 10.1

      Yep, the rubbish at the beginning about marshmallows and Labour looking at ships left me cold. I almost didn’t read past that. I like reading stuff that is short(ish), succint, informative, inspiring, and stays on topic.

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    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    8 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    10 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    22 hours ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    1 day ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    1 day ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    1 day ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
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