John Key’s anti-democratic government

Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, September 17th, 2013 - 48 comments
Categories: accountability, assets, class war, david cunliffe, democracy under attack, greens, infrastructure, internet, john key, labour, national, nz first, privatisation, russel norman, Steven Joyce, telecommunications - Tags:

John Key and his ministers certainly don’t like democracy.

John Key Nat Billboard Corproate vote

This is shown yet again with their rush to sell Meridian.

Opposition Parties are lining up to tell it as it is.  RNZ reports:

Opposition parties say the Government is being arrogant as it pushes ahead with its plan to partially privatise its power companies.

Shares in Meridian Energy are due to go on sale later this month and the company will be listed on the stock exchange in late October.

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman says the move is an extraordinarily arrogant one while a referendum on the matter is pending.

“John Key is desperate to sell the people’s assets. He’s pursued that plan relentlessly in spite of all the evidence, in spite of the fact that it doesn’t make any sense economically or fiscally, in spite of the referendum signed by 400,000 New Zealanders” says Dr Norman.

He told Morning Report the Government is acting like a “corporate raider”, asset-stripping state-owned power companies.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says the Government is being pig-headed and will sell the assets even if it means taking a loss.

He says taxpayers will suffer if the partial float goes ahead.

The Labour Party says both Forsyth Barr and Macquarie have revised down their valuations of Meridian Energy in recent days.

Meanwhile, government ministers try to claim it’s sensible financial management, and that they have a mandate to do it:

Prime Minister John Key says the partial float is about reducing debt and strengthening the company.

State-Owned Enterprises Minister Tony Ryall says the referendum on the matter does not reflect the clear mandate the Government got during the last election to proceed with its mixed ownership model programme.’

Elections every three years is not the OK to do whatever you like once in government.  Democracy is an on-going process, and requires consultation with the people as circumstances change, and people learn more.

Key’s government is very much about top-down management.   And if there’s opposition to their plutocratic aims, then there’s all kinds of dodgy deals and arm twisting behind the scenes, as with Joyce’s broadband deals.  Otago Daily times reports, this morning :

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce has confirmed he persuaded would-be participants in a campaign fighting for lower internet prices not to take part.

The Coalition for Fair Internet Pricing claims a recent Government proposal for internet pricing sets the price for copper-based broadband services too high and will result in a windfall profit of $600 million to lines company Chorus, something they say amounts to an unfair tax.

Consumer NZ boss Sue Chetwin who is leading the group last week said leading telecommunications companies and business groups were supportive of the group but “came under considerable political pressure” not to take part.

A telecommunications industry source said both Vodafone and 2degrees had been involved in the coalition but had withdrawn suddenly in recent days.

A spokesman for Mr Joyce said the Economic Development Minister was advised of the campaign about a week before its launch on Thursday.

“He talked either specifically or as part of other conversations to three groups that he understood had been approached to be part of it because he wanted to be sure they were aware of the reasoning behind the Government’s proposal.

“They indicated they would make final decisions whether to participate in due course. He understands that none of the three ended up participating. He takes that to mean the campaign tends to fall apart whenever the other view has a chance to be represented.”

Yesterday, David Cunliffe was critical of Joyce’s “arm twisting”, as reported by Adam Bennett of the NZ Herald.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce’s “arm twisting” of would-be participants in a campaign fighting for lower internet prices is linked to the Government’s “shabby deal” over ultra-fast broadband with network company Chorus, Labour Leader David Cunliffe said today.

John Key was critical of the Commerce Commissions’ proposal for lowering Broadband pricing, saying they were interpreting the law incorrectly, and that it would bankrupt Chorus.  However, David Cunliffe has called Key on this:

Mr Cunliffe said Mr Key was grossly overstating the effect of the Commerce Commission’s ruling on Chorus.

“The Prime Minister is inappropriately meddling in a regulatory process which ought to be transparent and legally binding, and I note there are issues arising out of that which have yet to play out.”

Mr Cunliffe said Mr Joyce’s “arm twisting” over the Coalition for Fair Internet Pricing was interesting.

“One wonders why this Government is so intent on doing a deal for one telecommunications company not only at the expense of others but at the significant expense of the New Zealand public.”

Mr Cunliffe said the Government’s interference with the commission’s work was about doing a shabby deal with one company and was “more of the same for the National Government”.

Meanwhile John Key tries to smear Labour’s democratic, bottom-up leadership contest as being some sort of far left union manipulation.  It must be quite threatening for Key to now face a Labour leader selected by the Labour Party base of workers, and people who favour a leader who speaks about providing a “fair chance and a fair deal” for all kiwis.

The Labour and Green parties follow and support democratic processes

Meanwhile, Key’s government continues it’s plutocratic ways.

Hollow-men

 

48 comments on “John Key’s anti-democratic government ”

  1. Bill 1

    360 odd days and counting.

  2. Tracey 2

    The fish rots from the head…

    Note the claim last week by a National MP that there were 1200 properties in his electorate for sale under $500,000. In fact that was the number in the whole of Auckland… so where DO they learn this behaviour from?

    • dumrse 2.1

      The fish started rotting the minute DC held them up and, they rotted away real quick if i recall. I guess the rest of the exaggeration lesson comes from the new Labour leader who keeps telling us how many people, was that 8, 16 or 18… Living in a 2.5 no make that 3 or was it 3.5 bedroom house. Make up your mind and at least maintain a consistent lie.

  3. tricledrown 3

    the 1% have more democratic “power” than the rest of us combined MRP shares at $2.17.
    National will have to sell the next 2 power co,s for even less!
    Firesale prices more corporate welfare.
    Meridian have already written off $476 million o f capital value as a result.
    $30 million to rio tinto for 1 more year guaranteed operation of Tiwae to get past election with out it being shut down.
    $40 million welfare to share buyers who will already be getting a firesale price!
    Total cost to tax payers for just the bribes $546 million.
    Goldman sacks fees $30 million.
    Nact sale promotion cost $30 million.
    Loss of value
    $476 million
    $500 to $1 billion closer to $1billion+
    True loss to NZ taxpayers close to $ 2 billion by the time each asset is flogged off at firesale prices!
    Even bungling Bills English says.
    Sales at the lowest end of predictions that doesn’t include the bribes and costs!

  4. Jilly Bee 4

    Here we go folks http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=11125498 and there’s more in the Herald, but that will do for starters.

    • karol 4.1

      JB, that’s the article I linked to, and quoted from in my post. Do you have a comment on it?

    • Tracey 4.2

      “”The unions decided the leader of the Labour Party,” Mr Key said at his post-Cabinet press conference.

      “The unions have been quite vocal historically about free trade agreements and if that has an impact that will be very sad.””

      Not that corporates determine Government policy… Warner Bros, Rio Tinto, Sky Casino and so on… OH the hypocrisy…or this http://www.businessnz.org.nz/aboutus

      Let’s play spot the brown face and the women

      BusinessNZ Council

      PRESIDENT

      Laurie Margrain
      (EMA)

      VICE PRESIDENTS

      Peter Davie
      (Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce)

      Peter McKee
      (Business Central)

      IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

      Philip Broughton
      (Otago Southland Employers Association)

      REGIONAL CEO’s

      Phil O’Reilly
      (BusinessNZ)

      John Scandrett
      (Otago Southland Employers Association)

      Peter Townsend
      (Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce)

      Kim Campbell
      (EMA)

      Raewyn Bleakley
      (Business Central)

      COUNCIL MEMBERS

      Graham Mountfort
      (EMA)

      Andrew Hunt
      (EMA)

      Derek Rankin
      (EMA)

      David Thomas
      (EMA)

      Tracey Chambers
      (Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce)

      Richard Stone
      (Business Central)

      Vaughan Renner
      (Business Central)

      Ray Anton
      (Otago Southland Employers Association)

      Major Companies Group

      ACC, AECOM NZ, AG Research, Air New Zealand, ANZ National Bank, ASB Bank, Auckland International Airport, Ballance Agri-Nutrients Ltd, Bank of New Zealand, BECA, BP New Zealand, Carter Holt Harvey Pulp & Paper, Chapman Tripp, Chevron NZ, Chorus New Zealand Ltd, Compass Group, Contact Energy, Countdown, Datacom group, Deloitte, Deutsche Bank, Downer EDI Works Ltd, Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, Fletcher Building, Fonterra Group, Foodstuffs Group, Fuji Xerox NZ, Fujitsu NZ, Fulton Hogan, Genesis Energy, Gough Group, Hawkins Group, HSBC, IAG New Zealand, KiwiRail, Landcare Research, Lion, Lyttelton Port Company, Meridian Energy, Methanex NZ, Microsoft NZ, Mighty River Power, New Zealand Steel, Ngai Tahu Holdings Corporation, NIWA, NZ Aluminium Smelters Ltd, NZ Oil & Gas Ltd, NZ Post, NZ Refining Company, NZX, Opus International, Orion Health, Pan Pac Forest Products, Port of Tauranga, Ports of Auckland, PricewaterhouseCooper NZ, QBE Insurance (International), Ravensdown, Sanford, Shell NZ, Siemens (NZ), Silver Fern Farms, Skope Industries, Sky City Entertainment Group, Solid Energy NZ, Southern Cross Healthcare Group, Telecom NZ, Thales NZ, The Warehouse Group, Todd Corporation, Toyota NZ, Transfield Services NZ, Transpower, Unison Networks, Vero Insurance NZ, Vodafone New Zealand, Waterfront Auckland, Wellington Electricity, Westpac NZ,
      Z Energy Ltd, Zespri International.

      How many employees in this group get to “vote” for the measures pushed by them to government?

  5. tricledrown 5

    Tracy the outcome of the tv3 poll conducted during the show was 72% against govts policy.
    28% for.
    If the left can get the message out there they will win!
    National have been caught in a perfect storm where they are being found out.
    The distraction of floating the power co’s is playing into labours hands.

    • Tracey 5.1

      They need to keep selling so they can do a lolly scramble in the next budget (election year no less).

      I note regarding Meridian Key is reverting to the paying down debt line which he use din the last campaign to lure people into the sales and then didnt pay down any debt from the MRP sell down.

      It’s ok, we can TRUST key.

    • srylands 5.2

      Good grief. It is not important. Most New Zealanders couldn’t tell you which power cos were Government owned and which were privately owned. Until all this hysteria started most of them had never heard of MRP either.

      It is a partial float of a couple of government owned power cos. Get over it. The only mistake the Government made is selling only 49%. That was an effort to dampen the hysteria by people that bought into the fiction that they were already “shareholders”. But it didn’t work. They should have gone for 100% – i.e the rational policy.

      Anyway, all the Government is doing is swapping one asset for another. Why on earth should a Government be running power cos? What next? Supermarkets?

      • framu 5.2.1

        Why the hell should we get over it? – considering the majority of NZers are opposed maybe you should get over it and take your stinking thieving hands off our public assets

        get it into your somewhat location challenged head – you, nat, act and every other ticket clipping parasite who supports this policy are in the minority here.

        “fiction that they were already “shareholders”. ”

        fucking bullshit – am I for one am getting damn sick of this pathetic little distraction – we own it via the state, we receive a dividend via the state funding certain things for everyone. you don’t need a silly piece of paper to have ownership of a public asset – there are more forms of ownership under the sun than what you get via the stock market

        ” swapping one asset for another”

        well lets put aside that what the money is being spent on keeps changing – your arguing to sell a profit generating asset to fund a non profit generating asset – what a winner

        It IS important, because the majority deem it to be important – not you

        “What next? Supermarkets?”

        or maybe a straw man?

        • blue leopard (Get Lost GCSB Bill) 5.2.1.1

          @ Framu
          +1 Well said

        • Macro 5.2.1.2

          Couldn’t have said it better!
          These greedy pricks need to know that what they are doing is nothing more than theft from the common people – well we’re going to take it back.

        • dumrse 5.2.1.3

          Did the left win the last election ? No, so fuck off and wait your turn then you can sell whatever you want.

          • framu 5.2.1.3.1

            Did national win the last election?
            Is basic math a bit too much for you?
            How much % is a majority?
            Do you even understand how mmp democracy works?

            You seem to be arguing for elected dictators.

            you need to get it through your head that…

            1) democracy is an ongoing thing – the govt has to turn up every day and try to win the public to its platform
            2) national didnt win the election
            3) the vast majority of NZers dont want asset sales
            4) democracy isnt about having turns

            so perhaps you should “fuck off”, grow up, educate your self and come back with an argument that shows why assets should be sold despite it not being popular. Because thats the issue – its not national won, you lost (because that didnt happen anyway), its about the govt doing something the majority dont want.

            But im not holding my breath – Considering the sterling effort you made above it might be best to check youve even managed to put your pants on the right way round first.

            Why do you hate democracy so much? could it be that you dont understand how it works

      • Draco T Bastard 5.2.2

        They should have gone for 100% – i.e the rational policy.

        Selling any percentage of the power companies is completely irrational as it will leave the country worse off. We just have to look at telecommunications in NZ to see that. $17b taken out in dividends over the last 20 years and now we’re having to pay taxpayer money to upgrade the network – an upgrade that would have happened with that $17b if we hadn’t sold.

        Why on earth should a Government be running power cos?

        Because it’s the most efficient way to get power out to the populace with the economies of scale making it cost minimal amounts per household to cover running costs and no dead-weight loss of profit (that $17b of dividends that Telecom took out is a loss to the country as proven by the fact that we’re now having to pay taxpayer dollars to get the network upgraded).

        The facts disprove everything about economics that you believe.

      • Tracey 5.2.3

        “Until all this hysteria started most of them had never heard of MRP either.”

        How very superior of you. It’s not the ignorant masses you say are out there that bother me, but the manipulative and deceitful folks like you srylands. How many times have you lied on this blog to bolster your points? Do valid arguments need lies to prop them up? Key seems to think so.

  6. fender 6

    Key thinks he has a mandate to do anything he likes, surprising that he hasn’t fired bullets at protesters…yet.

  7. Jilly Bee 7

    And that’s not all – he was whingeing and wailing about how the unions had elected David Cunliffe as leader – ummmmmm 20%!!! Can’t find actual Herald article and quote – the Aunt is quite a good read this morning.

    • karol 7.1

      Again, JB, I linked to that article in my post.

      • Jilly Bee 7.1.1

        Sorry Karol – I’ve got a tad carried away this morning with what is happening – already. Just a general comment that at last someone is calling the Government to account for their shonkey deals (pun probably intended!). I need to come down to earth a bit and read all posts far more carefully. The same for my earlier comment at 4.

    • framu 7.2

      which the logical follow up question from the journo should have been – “you do know 20% isn’t a majority”

      this after key bizarre claim that national won the election should have the MSM publicly questioning his grasp of basic addition

  8. Linz 8

    Key this morning on TV3: “The referendum is a referendum asking a question whether someone wants assets sales or not, not whether they want the programme stopped. That’s a different question actually.”
    He’s an idiot if he thinks he can get away saying something like with that. It might have sounded clever in a strategy meeting, but the public will see it for what it is and will resent being taken for fools.

  9. aerobubble 9

    Thatcher unleashed impunity upon politics, not since WWII had it had wings. Welcome to vulture capitalism, where disaster capitalism follows in its shadow. Impunity politics can be seen as Pestilence, horsemen of the Apocalypse.

    Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death. Thatcherism reintroduced impunity, the disease meme back intot he body politic. Wars based on impunity in the middle east, on the planet, on resources (on fish even whipping out the cod fisheries of the N.atlantic). Now the middle east uprisings, due in part from the famine from food price spikes. And now the finale, Fukushima, the impunity of capitalism, of a company inadequate to the crisis, in a world where profits come before the planet. Reeking death on ecosystems for thousands of years.

    Welcome to the capitalist apocalypse. Key’s impunity, is National party hollow vision for New Zealand.

    Cavaet, any relation to religion is merely accidental as Christianity long since sucked up all the classic cultural warnings given from generation to generation and put it in a book claiming it came from their Gawd, no, the notion of the four horsemen is timeless, when human created disasters happened their had to be a disease of the mind, exaggeration that spent treasuries on war, loss of food production and then finally the inevitable consequence of death on large scale. It is no surprise to me that Hitler mixed impunity with faith, and no surprise George Bush Junior did so again.

  10. karol 10

    So it looks like Cunliffe is leading on Chorus at Question Time today:

    1. Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE to the Prime Minister: Does he still think that Chorus “will go broke” if his Government does not intervene to change the pricing for access to the old copper-based broadband network as proposed by the Commerce Commission; if so, why?

    With Parker following up with his own question:

    4. Hon DAVID PARKER to the Minister of Finance: Did the Treasury provide advice as to whether he should support or oppose overruling the Commerce Commission’s draft determination on copper broadband pricing given that the Treasury has previously advised against subsidising big business such as the $30 million Tiwai subsidy which has “no economic justification”?

    • richard 10.1

      At last! A leader of the opposition who asks serious questions

      • karol 10.1.1

        Slightly shaky/nervous start from Cunliffe with his mind on “caucus”. But he kept calm, took a deep breath and kept on facing Key with the facts.

        And Cunliffe got some support from leaders of other opposition parties.

        And Cunliffe recovered and delivered a solid performance.

        Ice broken – Key may keep up with his nasty routine, but his smile could fade before too long.

        • aerobubble 10.1.1.1

          Key was set to attack, and later govt attacks, were about the Labour caucus. So no, I don’t think Cunliffe slipped, he may in fact have making the encounter memorable, make himself look sympathetic, and also undermining Key inevitable attack on Labour.

          On that note, the Labour caucus division isn’t since those who didn’t vote for Cunliffe about half of the thirty odd MPs, merely indicate how out of touch they were with the party. And so
          its actually quite good for National to attack ‘division’ because its blather, its meaningless, in a week, a month, six months time, Cunliffe will still be leader, leading Labour into the next election.

  11. Stick it Key 11

    Where the sun dont shine you fascist Telling me that this govt has the right to reduce the bag limit for fishing for the good of the fish stock
    You ignorant bastard you and your sort have been allowing gross negligence in the managing of the nations fisheries ever since you brought in the quota system
    WTF you think u know it all get out of my country or [deleted] while stealing my right to fish

    [lprent: One of the things we do not allow is advocating violence to anyone. Read the policy. ]

  12. Draco T Bastard 12

    He told Morning Report the Government is acting like a “corporate raider”, asset-stripping state-owned power companies.

    This government is asset stripping the state and it’s doing it so that a few people can become richer while the majority of people drop further into serfdom (it’s the natural result of the commons being fenced).

    New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says the Government is being pig-headed and will sell the assets even if it means taking a loss.

    The country will take a loss but National’s rich mates will be much better off and National really doesn’t care about the increased poverty it will bring about. Hell, they probably like that bit as it will help lower wages.

  13. Sable 13

    The mainsteam media is calling Cunliffe’s campaign a “lurch to the left”. At least that’s the headline on Yahoo NZ today. As per usual they are Keys little scribes…..

    • Tracey 13.1

      after this corporate arse-licking gvernment anything is a lurch to the left.

      lurch to caring
      lurch to house the poor
      lurch to feed children
      lurch to sensible economics
      lurch to fair wage for a fair days work
      lurch to safe working conditions
      lurch to save the environment
      lurch to innovation and diversification

    • aerobubble 13.2

      Lurch to the left, well you have nothing to worry about Cunliffe is harmless, Chorus Causus, Key is smoking mad for nothing.

  14. Ad 14

    The Labour base has been refreshed on the meaning of democracy. But the upcoming local government elections, and the impending asst sales referendum, will throw cold water on the concept again until October 2014’s elections – because of their inherent futility.

    The left have made massive efforts to keep popular collective voices alive. But 10 years after the Foreshore and Seabed debate, the Maori Party that resulted are walking dead.

    Cunliffe is a start – all going well – but it will need far more than he to revive the idea of democracy in New Zealand.

    There is no doubt the latent will to collective consciousness is there – and far more technologically possible – but does not yet exist.

    • Draco T Bastard 14.1

      But the upcoming local government elections, and the impending asst sales referendum, will throw cold water on the concept again until October 2014′s elections – because of their inherent futility.

      Oh, I think it’d be more adding fuel to the fire as more people realise that their democracy isn’t and start demanding it.

  15. Paul Campbell 15

    Selling your power company? then it would be bad time for someone to suddenly announce cheap fusion. …..

    http://www.dvice.com/2013-2-22/lockheeds-skunk-works-promises-fusion-power-four-years

    • Colonial Viper 15.1

      It’s all bullshit, fusion has been 10 years away for the last 50 years, wake me up when someone can demonstrate a 10MWe plant (the equivalent of a small wind farm) working continuously.

      • Paul Campbell 15.1.1

        normally I’d agree with you – but Lockheed’s skunkworks have a certain reputation, I can’t imagine them announcing anything unless they were certain they have it locked up

        • Colonial Viper 15.1.1.1

          I always think the game with these things is the congressional appropriations game. “With just another 5 years of funding and $250M…”

          Having said that, the “Skunk Works” has delivered on some pretty amazing stuff, most of which we probably don’t have any idea of yet.

          IF there is a breakthrough in accessible fusion power generation…expect it to be limited to US military and govt use only for many years.

      • Murray Olsen 15.1.2

        Fusion power was 10 years away 50 years ago, but with recent advances it’s only 40 years away today. Every time they make an advance, they find more than one new problem. I’m dubious about this one as well.

  16. tricledrown 16

    Serialyarandfraudster.
    Timr you did some economic history back in the 1880,s.
    Even the right whingers realised that you couldn’t have 5 power lines from five different generators that you couldn’t havr five different water or sewage lines to and from your house.
    It was tried you tell me how successful it was!
    Back then they realised it would be better if everyone owned utilities because the evidence proved it was more effecient!
    The free market myth that competition is good even back then when adam smith was imposing his unscienfic wrath of nations on us,Adam smith reckoned that competition only workef if their were at least 5 genuine competitors in the market.
    Where dors that happen anymore if it ever did.

  17. tricledrown 17

    Flim flam Key roll up roll up I have this free market snake oil it will make your future brighter.

  18. tricledrown 18

    Srylands supermarkets would be good at least we would have another competitor in this monopoly driven private sector!
    Meridian write down of $476 million dirty deal to get meridian sale over the line before next election.
    If meridian sold that power at a profit meridian would be worth a billion dollars more than it is now!
    Don’t tell me your masters didn’t tell you that little minded minion!

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    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
    11 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
    13 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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
  • 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

  • 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
    2 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
    6 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
    8 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
    9 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
    23 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
    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
    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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 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
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
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