Interesting story coming up in The Herald

Written By: - Date published: 12:10 am, February 20th, 2015 - 105 comments
Categories: accountability, Dirty Politics, journalism - Tags: ,

There will probably be a story soonish in The Herald that will be of particular interest to The Standard community.

We have had nothing to do with the coverage. We’ve just been watching events unfold on Twitter, and we’re happy to see it come out via The Herald.

105 comments on “Interesting story coming up in The Herald ”

  1. Clemgeopin 1

    My curiosity is killing me. You are a teaser!

  2. marya46 2

    If it’s what I think it is at this stage, then it could be about the “prominent NZer.” Right? There was something in the NZH late yesterday about that one and the lifting of name suppression. Political fallout perhaps? But I could be wrong here. However, I wait in anticipation!

    • One Anonymous Bloke 2.1

      I suspect that may be a different ‘prominent New Zealander’ than the one you’re thinking of.

      In one case, there is a disputed facts hearing under the sentencing act. In the other, a not guilty plea has been entered.

      In one, all facts are ‘suppressed’. In the other, we know what the charges are and we’re allowed to talk about it: twelve counts of indecent assault.

      • vto 2.1.1

        Does a suppression order prevent people from trying to work out and guess who the person is, out loud? And if in doing so the suppressee is named accidentally, does that breach the order?

        It seems pretty clear who this case is about ……

        • One Anonymous Bloke 2.1.1.1

          How do you know this is the same case?

        • te reo putake 2.1.1.2

          “Does a suppression order prevent people from trying to work out and guess who the person is, out loud?”

          Yes, it does. Though speculating in, say, the smoko room or the pub is not really problematic. Speculation in public forums, including blogs like TS, is another matter, so attempting to join the dots in an obvious way should probably be avoided.

          • weka 2.1.1.2.1

            Although going by what has gotten through moderation on ts, speculating without joining the dots is acceptable.

          • vto 2.1.1.2.2

            Oh…

            but what gsays below

            it seems suppression orders ignore some basic human traits and that can only lead to failure.

        • gsays 2.1.1.3

          hi vto, i concur, this is so pythonesque, so catch 22 ish.

          all details are suppressed, so unless you are in the court at the time of suppression and know the details, you are not to know.

          if you are not in the court at the time of the suppression, you dont know, so how can you breach the order if you dont know what it is about.
          to me then speculation is all that is left.
          this potentially leaves vulnerable victims open to more pain.

          • te reo putake 2.1.1.3.1

            It seems more than likely that the suppression order is in place to protect the victim. That should be uppermost in our minds, I reckon.

            • marty mars 2.1.1.3.1.1

              exactly – the speculation is gratuitous imo

            • gsays 2.1.1.3.1.2

              hi trp, while i would like to unreservedly agree with you, our justice system does not work that way.

              they with the most money gets the most favourable treatment.

              there are examples of where renown/celebrity/class have garnered bias in their favour.

              the gist of my post however is that we dont know what we are not supposed to talk about.

            • Tracey 2.1.1.3.1.3

              suppression of information relating to identifying victims remains suppressed but the name of the accused and other factual details not leading to victim id seem to have been lifted (pending appeal).

              • Cheers for the clarification, Tracey.

              • Does that mean that whoever is the prominent NZer, has been already been convicted, is about to be sentenced.
                And the suppression order is to be lifted after sentencing?

                • weka

                  I think there is confusion here because there are two potential cases being discussed.

                  • Yes, my guess is that this piece has something to do with Ben’s twitter explosion the other day.

                    But, as this thread is talking about a “prominant NZer”, I thought it appropriate to ask a general question about his or her sentencing and appeal process.

                    Can anyone tell from the reporting whether or not the prominant person has been convicted?
                    With the mention of time to lodge an appeal, it does sound like a judgement has been made

                    • weka

                      I don’t know which court case you are referring to. There are two.

                    • Ahh, ok.

                      Was referring to this one
                      Herald – Thursday Feb 19, 2015: Prominent New Zealander charged with indecent assault loses name suppression

                    • weka

                      Thanks.

                      “The charges faced by the man, who elected trial by jury, can now be revealed.”

                      I took that to mean the trial hasn’t happened yet. Also the article refers to alleged victims, so I’m guessing no conviction yet.

                      (plus I don’t know if that’s the recent prominent NZer, or the one from earlier last year).

                    • ok – just trying to get my head around it – guessing I’ll have to wait for the suppression to lift

                    • lprent

                      But, as this thread is talking about a “prominant NZer”, I thought it appropriate to ask a general question about his or her sentencing and appeal process.

                      There are several cases floating about at present that are or have been under suppression.

                      There was a auckland businessman whose suppression order got lifted recently with his conviction on charges of something like underage sex, supplying minors with P, and being a P addict. (Can’t locate the link)

                      The Northland and political rumor mills are rife with speculation on Mike Sabin to the point that even my normally legally deaf ears keep hearing about it.

                      Mike Sabin has the “personal issues” for which he resigned over. These seem to involve time in court yesterday (someone saw him there).

                      The rumor mill says that there is allegedly some unspecified suppression on details which is why everyone is being coy about it. Exactly if or what is suppressed is an interesting point – which is why I’m not going into any of the details that I have been told about charges or which court or anything else. It’d be nice if the courts would give some warnings about what and where suppression orders are – but I guess that would defeat the point of them.

                      The political and public interest question is if John Key and/or the National party hierarchy knew about whatever is alleged (if anything was) prior to the 2011 election but decided to continue with him as a candidate. The same for the 2014 election and afterwards when he was made chair of the police select committee.

                      Since this is the same group who were involved in selecting him in the first place. Then despite whatever his “personal issues” are, I think that there is a damn good case for a public interest lifting of the alleged suppression order in view of the byelection.

                      The countervailing argument against lifting such a suppression order would probably have to do with that exposing a victim by association and/or awareness of any charges or allegations. Those kinds of blanket suppression of the type I have been told about are usually restricted to sexual charges and/or charges related to the family.

                      But I suspect that we won’t get anything one way or another until after the by-election.

          • McFlock 2.1.1.3.2

            However, I think that it’s confirmed that we, as a society, need to be more careful about which New Zealanders we elevate to prominence.

      • Tracey 2.1.2

        According to the Herald the prominent NZer is charged with 12 counts of indecent assault on 2 complainants.

        name suppression has been denied BUT remains in force allowing 20 days to appeal.

        • Murray Rawshark 2.1.2.1

          We also know that it’s the class of indecent assault that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. Indecent assault on an adult has a 7 year maximum.

      • Sacha 2.1.3

        Thanks, OAB. That’s what I thought.

      • rawshark-yeshe 2.1.4

        the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive …. could be same citizen …

  3. Pete George 3

    I’ve seen something interesting unfolding on Twitter that has a Standard connection and collated some of it here – Rachinger previously – and here – Ben Rachinger versus Cameron Slater.

    Ben seemed to quieten down after that but has made some follow up comments:

    If Slater had tweeted what I said and showed you all yesterday, it would have been everywhere. Think about the complicity of your media.

    Not even a peep from the Opposition. I guess everyone wants to pretend politics is a fair ‘game’. Power isn’t a game and it def isn’t fair

    Knowing the way things are twisted and spun, how else was I to get word out? You, who have listened and read, deserve better information.

    Yesterday he quoted Martin Luther King “And one day, some great opportunity stands before you and calls you to stand up for some great principle, some great issue, some great cause” etc.

    And a couple more quotes.

    “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” Albert Einstein

    “To see a wrong and not to expose it, is to become a silent partner to its continuance.” Dr. John Raymond Baker

    Slater has targeted NZ Herald in particular in his criticisms of old media , and has specifically targeted NZH journalists. So it wouldn’t be surprising to see some interest returned.

    • Skinny 3.1

      Of course your beady eyes would have lightened up seeing a Little & Mc Carten alleged connection.

      • Pete George 3.1.1

        Of course you’re make false presumptions. Odd that you think to mention them in relation to this. I don’t think that’s the focus of this story.

        • Skinny 3.1.1.1

          Oh that Is rich from you Pete after dump posting that nonsense about Little and his late paying of an account, then running away refusing to reply ‘yet again’ I don’t know why I bothered to just write this as you probably won’t comeback till you do
          another dump & run.

          • weka 3.1.1.1.1

            Voles are commonly mistaken for other small animals. Moles, gophers, mice, rats and even shrews have similar characteristics and behavioral tendencies. Since voles will commonly use burrows with many exit holes, they can be mistaken for gophers or some kind of ground squirrel.

            Voles thrive on small plants yet, like shrews, they will eat dead animals and, like mice or rats, they can live on almost any nut or fruit. Additionally, voles will target plants more than most other small animals, making their presence evident. Voles will readily girdle small trees and ground cover much like a porcupine. This girdling can easily kill young plants and is not healthy for trees or other shrubs.

  4. One Anonymous Bloke 4

    Ben Rachinger’s Twitter feed has been quite interesting of late.

    I am known as someone who knows about network and computer security, in some circles. You get offered jobs. Would you like to hear about it?…

    I was offered $5,000 and bonuses to hack The Standard and pull out the authors list and keep a Backdoor in.

    I did not. Now you know.

    Lefties need to clean their house. Right wingers need to grow a pair and sort their elites out. Kiwis need to wake up and Stand Up…

    The Police are involved.

    He also posted a text exchange between himself and Slater.

    This would be great clickbait for anyone looking to boost their flaccid statistics. Yawns.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 4.1

      Lefties need to clean their house.

      I wonder whether he’s talking about web security or people. If the latter, forget it: witchhunts are damaging and ineffectual: has National uncovered Hager’s informants yet?

    • weka 4.2

      https://twitter.com/B3nRaching3r/status/567512543321530370

      Either that or the vast left wing conspiracy has finally been uncovered and the standard is in the thick of it. 😛

    • Tracey 4.3

      This makes more sense in conjunction with the Post teaser because the “prominent NZer” and Sabin is not of special interest to The Standard.

      The Post hints at a much more direct link than that, imo, and your post above alludes to that.

    • Colonial Rawshark 4.4

      I’m not a fan of Ben Rachinger in any way, but he has done a very good thing bringing this piece of dirty politics and tech espionage to light.

      Worth noting that his refusal to participate doesn’t mean that someone else did not.

      Also the state security apparatus can crack The Standard very quickly on their own if they wished to.

      • Anne 4.4.1

        It has always been in the back of my mind that this government’s dirty political machine would – through one means or another – attempt to access TS for the identities of authors and regular posters. For me, it has served as encouragement to raise the proverbial finger… and comment as much as I like.

        • Colonial Rawshark 4.4.1.1

          Exactly. Transparency is a form of protection in of itself.

          • weka 4.4.1.1.1

            For some people. Not for others.

            • Anne 4.4.1.1.1.1

              True weka. Public Servants, beneficiaries and others employed in areas which have connections of one sort or another with govt, entities are at risk of having their lives/careers diminished if their identities become known. Hence the need for pseudonyms.

              Take note MSM. You are protected by your journalistic status. We are not!

              • Colonial Rawshark

                The kind of society which requires people to act out their lives in a lie is exactly what the Stasi state in East Germany created.

                • weka

                  The thing that really gets me about it is the left wingers/liberals who are either anti-pseudonym and/or have objections without understanding the dynamics or crucial issues involved (like the one you just pointed out). It’s an area of somewhat alarming ignorance amongst otherwise intelligent people who should know better.

                  • Colonial Rawshark

                    Some lefties still carry around an innate trust in the activities and objectives of government, the deep state and associated authorities which nowadays may not be warranted.

      • lprent 4.4.2

        Yes, but there is little to see. I have no idea why people seem to think that there is.

        Authors either blog under their own names and usual emails, or they blog under pseudonyms and arbitrary email addresses from gmail or under invalid emails. Commentators do the same. We don’t care if an email is valid, and the login system is off unless you are an author or have and login already.

        The public systems are isolated. The systems self-check each others code. I get to see (and usually do) anyone getting logins, logging in, or getting promoted. So ‘backdoors’ have problems at doing anything apart from looking for associations.

        The spy agencies could see everything current if they tapped the net at the access points, and historical if they stored it. But what they would see is exactly what we state. A group of labour movement people doing usual political activities and discussion and their online critics.

        Even the most paranoid fool in the police or security forces would have a real problem making anything of it.

        • weka 4.4.2.1

          I had assumed it was mostly email addresses and names/pseudonyms, but also things like IP adresses and other data that might make someone’s RL ID, location etc more guessable or trackable. Given Slater’s history on this, it makes sense people would be unclear and/or cautious about implications.

          The problem isn’t that ts is riddled with Important People that Slater can out. It’s that the whole hacking/DP thing is making people nervous because so much of it is alien either technically or ethically. Upfront explanations like you have just given are good 🙂

  5. Skinny 5

    These punk hackers if any good get recruited to hack the hackers. Slater is a nerdy character and appears to not have grown up reading some of that crap.

  6. Pascals bookie 6

    Wee reminder that Key has said he knows who Rawshark is, but he just can’t be bothered really.

    (chances that he does know are v.slim to nil, so just a reminder that he said it, coz he’s a dick)

    • One Anonymous Bloke 6.1

      Knowing the way things are twisted and spun, how else was I to get word out?

      Rachinger.

      If I didn’t do it, who would have? If I didn’t do it this way, how could it have been done?

      Rawshark.

      Informed speculation is one thing. Proof is another thing entirely.

    • rawshark-yeshe 6.2

      eckshully, probably forgotten by now even if he ever did know ???

  7. I predict nothing will come of this.

  8. ankerawshark 8

    I trust Lynn completely when doing all he can to protect the Standard from being hacked.

    However given this man’s claims and if they seem credible, it would be helpful to know (eventually) what the Standard’s response might be. I am sure we will, I am not meaning to rush the process, but surely some consideration needs to be given to this?

    Sooner or later if it is true that Slater is trying to procure someone to hack the Standard, he will find someone. Just my opinion is that it would be better to take action sooner rather than once the horse has bolted so to speak.

    • vto 8.1

      I think one has to assume that it has been hacked already.

      What say thee mr prent?

      • Colonial Rawshark 8.1.1

        I think you are correct in making that assumption, but as lprent said above – there’s not much to see.

        • vto 8.1.1.1

          If one is anti-national when they are in power and then anti-labour when they are in power is that better or worse than being just anti one or the other? …. in the eyes of the powerful …. do you think

      • lprent 8.1.2

        I always assume that if it hasn’t been, then it will be. The best protection is to not have anything to hide, exceptionally hard to extract information (like bank logins or access to otehr systems), and whole lot of effort to make it bloody hard to plant anything.

      • r0b 8.1.3

        As far as I know we have not been hacked.

        I know nothing about networking / security, I take Lynn’s word for it that things are shut down pretty tight. The most likely form of attack is “phishing” / social engineering, authors having weak passwords, that sort of thing. All authors take care!

        However, as per Lynn above, there really is nothing to see. The same names as appear on the front pages and some (usually nonsense) gmail addresses. An occasional internal discussion where we argue with each other far too vigorously. And that’s it.

        (We keep all our huge payments from the well funded Left Wing Conspiracy off site in our HSBC bank accounts of course.)

    • lprent 8.2

      I answered that elsewhere. In essence it is that there is little to hide (we are extraordinarily open about what we do and why) and it is bloody hard to monitor without that sending up flags everywhere.

      Everything apart from drafts (which are wiped regularly), authors comments to each other (started after the election and probably wiped regularly) and pretty innocuous compared with what they say in public, and a pile of rubbish emails / and dynamic IPs are public.

      I don’t engage much in private conversations and I don’t store them for later purposes (blackmail? why was blubberboy storing all that crap?)

  9. veutoviper 9

    In the light of Twitter conversations over the last hour or so (I am not providing any links), I wouldn’t hold your breath expecting anything in the Herald or other media in the near future on the subject of the original post.

    However, PG’s posting of material from other people’s Twitter feeds seems to now be of concern to that person in terms of being prejudicial to that person’s reputation.

      • rawshark-yeshe 9.1.1

        it’s gone already ! o, vole duo …. lol

        • weka 9.1.1.1

          He was just asking who PG was, but it was funny because he said PG seemed to like him realllllly a lot. It’s in reference to what veuto said and PG’s blogposts on Ben.

      • Clemgeopin 9.1.2

        No access to messages now. It has been PGed, I think.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 9.2

      Ben Rachinger’s twitter feed has gone private: what was the gist of the last hour or so?

      • weka 9.2.1

        He asked who PG was (funny)

        He said he hasn’t been speaking to the media.

        The week’s been hard so he’s going off for the weekend.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 9.2.1.1

          Thanks Weka.

          Translation: I want to be unreachable when the story breaks. Well, that’s what I hope it means 🙂

          • weka 9.2.1.1.1

            Maybe. Or he’s been getting some hard out shit from people pissed at him and wants a break for a few days.

            I’m curious about his statement re the media and the notice at the top of this thread. Maybe I’ve been following the wrong people. Anyone had a look at the Herald journo twitter accounts?

            Of course this announcement might have nothing to do with Ben at all and could be something completely different.

      • veutoviper 9.2.2

        I have been out for an hour or so. But prior to my comment, discussion and advice, included the legality etc of hacking, receiving and disseminating information from such activities and related matters in terms of both Ben’s situation and Hager’s, sources of further advice and legal expertise on these matters. One participant in the discussion was a well-known lawyer.

        I am not surprised that Ben’s twitter feed has now gone private – in fact that is what I personally would have advised.

        I don’t know Ben but I became aware of him some time ago. Based on what I have read over longer than just the last few days, my perceptions are that while he is quite young, brash at times and sometime rubs people up the wrong way, he is also very intelligent and a deep thinker. At this point, I am not prepared to write him off and wish him well if what he is claiming is true. Time will tell.

        As Weka has noted, he said that he had not been speaking to media and would not be (one or two were trying to get in touch with him yesterday).

        IMHO his comment about PG liking him realllly a lot was sarcasm, based on Ben’s writing style at times. He also mentioned PG’s postings being damaging to his reputation.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 9.2.2.1

          Thanks Veuto – very interesting.

          I share your assessment of Rachinger – so far as a Twitter feed is a window into someone’s character. I wonder if some of his remarks might be potentially prejudicial in the event of future legal action.

          And yes, I should think he’d be really impressed by Racist George’s attention 😈

          • veutoviper 9.2.2.1.1

            I wonder if some of his remarks might be potentially prejudicial in the event of future legal action.

            Agreed. Personally, I don’t think he should do anything without very good legal advice, particularly talking to the media. I think he is intelligent enough to know this; and possibly now has some leads as to where to get that advice. There are a number of lawyers well up with the play on such matters at present, including no doubt Hager’s legal team.

            http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?objectid=11347803

            IIRC the Hager case starts in March – think I saw a tweet on this some time ago but don’t recall where.

        • Anne 9.2.2.2

          IMHO his comment about PG liking him realllly a lot was sarcasm,

          Exactly.

  10. the pigman 10

    Only been following Rachinger since Lynn alluded to his twitter conversation earlier this week.

    At first I was quite seduced by how he painted himself as an “insider” on DPF/Slater/Odgers and talked of further dumps to come.

    Then I looked a little deeper – specifically at the videos on his youtube channel he made before last year’s election (plenty of Key boosting + referring to Goodfellow’s personal life like it was some big scoop he’d become privy to through his YoungNats activities rather than 2009’s news).

    Relevant facts seem to be:

    – He was/is still a YoungNat that was boosting FJK online as recently as July 2014;
    – He attended some 5 different high schools in his teenage years (as a grammar “old boy”, this is a serious black mark)
    – After his DPF e-mail leak (which was telling and should have garnered MSM attention), he said he was only 0.1% of the way through a dump – in fact nothing followed in the 24hours apart from self-aggrandizing photos of him posing with a bottle of Veuve Cliquot (remind you of anyone?)
    – He considers himself a businessman with one of his businesses being “Social Analytics” (feel a vom coming on, anyone got a bucket?)
    – He has a fairly strong hatred of the Left, including axes to grind against KDC and Chris Trotter, who he accused of hatching a plot to make Slater kill himself (lawl)

    My conclusion is that he is most likely a very troubled/damaged individual with minor delusions of grandeur. He is certainly not Martin Luther King or Einstein. If his leaks re: Farrar and Slater are the subject of something in the weekend papers, I expect their leak will be framed as “more dirty politics from both sides, nothing to see here” at best.

    Sighhh.

    • the pigman 10.1

      Ahh where for art thou edit function? The point re: the 5 schools was that the first he lists in his social media profile is Auckland Grammar. Point being that his attendance there might be pretty telling as to his values.. (moreso than the moving around H/S so regularly).

    • Molly 10.2

      Yes, his Youtube account seems to be cheerleadering for – if not the National Party, John Key definitely.

      Would treat this with caution.

  11. Neil 11

    I just found this article on reddit about Ben Rachinger, http://www.reddit.com/r/newzealand/comments/2kvgn4/individual_identifies_himself_as_rawshark_via/
    If you click on the link it takes you to his twitter page.

    • the pigman 11.1

      This is just an “I am Spartacus”/”I am Bradley Manning”/”Je suis Charlie” kinda thing… and pretty dated. I think if you read more deeply into this guy’s recent posts (he was actually visited by police and questioned sometime after this tweet) it becomes pretty clear he’s not.

      The saddest part is he seems more wannabe martyr (if you look at his recent posts). He says he has so much more to come on the VRWC but we’ll see, eh…

  12. James 12

    Nothing that I could see this weekend – I was thinking it may have been in the Sunday Herald.

    Any idea on the timing of whatever this is coming out?

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    17 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
    18 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
    19 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
    21 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    2 days ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 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
    4 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    6 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
    6 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
    6 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
    6 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
    6 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 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
    17 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
    17 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 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
    5 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
    5 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
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