Justice, provocation, and the media

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, July 23rd, 2009 - 38 comments
Categories: crime, Media - Tags:

Provocation is a partial defence to a charge of murder. It reduces murder to manslaughter if the jury accepts that actions of the victim would have caused a ‘reasonable person’ to lose self-control.

The problem is that it is clearly being abused in some circumstances, like the Weatherston trial, to drag the victim’s name through the mud, often with threadbare or no evidence, on the outside hope it might result in a lighter sentence. In light of the, frankly, outrageous behaviour of Weatherston’s defence team it looks like a political consensus is emerging around getting rid of provocation.

Would that end the practice of putting the victim on trial? I don’t think so. There will still be mileage for the defence in trying to make the victim look bad, even if the charge can’t be reduced to manslaughter a lesser sentence might still result if picture of blameworthiness the can be blurred.

I think the media must accept some responsibility for encouraging the defence to indulge in these attacks on the victim. While the media continues to cover trials in ever greater and more gory detail, the lawyers can go home and see those allegations repeated on the TV and hope to swing public opinion behind the accused, which might just influence the jury.

The media has been a pig wallowing in the mud thrown by defence teams using provocation. It’s disgusting, it debases justice, and it encourages defence teams to attack the victim on even the most spurious and insulting grounds. It’s got to stop.

38 comments on “Justice, provocation, and the media ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. So Bored 1
    23 July 2009 at 9:52 am

    The Bain and Weatherston trials are what this blog describes as “crime porn”. In the latter case two families who had suffered greivous loss (victim dead and offender locked away) had not only to sit through the evidence as presented but had then to see it broadcast into everybodies living room. The media hovered like vampires and sucked dry every sensational titbit it could turning this into the ultimate reality TV show.

    One can only feel total sympathy for the families for the extra distress the media circus created, and for a victim who was defamed by the defense in the public arena, besmirching her memory. One can only hold the media in total contempt and disgust, get the cameras out of the courts.

    Another insult is the political knee jerk by the Minister of Justice to overturn the “provocation” defense on the basis of this case. Political grandstanding, also contemptible.

  2. mickysavage 2
    23 July 2009 at 10:08 am

    I do not want to be considered as defending Weatherston. I think the jury’s decision was completely appropriate and if anything vindicates the retention of provocation as a possible defence. But I think the debate about the “defence” of provocation is missing some important features of the “defence”.

    One feature that is missing is that a murder conviction results pretty well in all cases in life imprisonment. If there was discretion and mitigating matters could be taken into account then guilty pleas would be more likely. As it is the defendant has pretty well nothing to lose by going to trial. There is a chance they may strike a rogue jury and be convicted of a reduced charge. For other offences an early guilty plea can result in the reduction of a sentence by up to a third. Those charged with murder do not have this possibility.

    The other feature is that a finding of provocation results in a conviction of manslaughter. The penalty can be up to life imprisonment but there is judicial discretion. Even if Weatherston was successful I suspect he would have been hammered on sentence given the circumstances of the offending.

    I agree the media has wallowed in these latest cases.

    The debate should not be a simple one of should provocation be retained. It should be about appropriate sentences when an intentional act causes someone to lose their life.

  3. ghostwhowalks 3
    23 July 2009 at 10:09 am

    I remember sitting part way through a multiple murder trial about 12 years ago. It seems to me all the details of murder are revolting and in this situation a person probably the father of one of the victims walked out. It was stomach churning stuff.
    Then of course a dry written account would have appeared in the newspaper.

    What the TV news is trying to do is appear more the drama/ quizz shows that surround it.
    Is it the news or Sensing Murder or CSI or who has walked away with a big prize or lost it all ?

  4. Lew 4
    23 July 2009 at 10:13 am

    Marty, I’d argue (well, I have) that the media were performing their proper function of facilitating public scrutiny of the justice system and its workings. It’s because of the coverage in the Weatherston case, not because of the verdict, that provocation is likely to be abolished as a defence. Previous cases which were not so graphic, not so clearly polarised, have not resulted in widespread impetus for change.

    The ‘crime porn’ of the trial, while harrowing for the Elliot family and a terrible smear on Sophie’s character, is not entirely without benefit. Society will be the better for having seen it, judged it, decided that it was not just, and changed its norms to exclude it.

    The system works.

    L

    • Maynard J 4.1
      23 July 2009 at 10:19 am

      They could have reported on how the provocation defence was being used, instead of reporting the gory and seedy details in labourious and sensationalised detail. If that is the system working, then it could do with some improvement.

      • Bill 4.1.1
        23 July 2009 at 11:09 am

        Agree that if there had been substantive reporting on mechanics of the defence…analytical, thoughtful reporting…then, but hang on. We’re talking about NZ media here. Not going to happen.

        Must remember that we are not meant to engage in a meaningful fashion; that we are not meant to form independent and intelligent opinions; that we must be safeguarded from information that might encourage the forming of intelligent and independent opinion.

        Seems some need to be reminded that thoughtful, independent opinions make for dangerous individuals.

        So give us vacuous sensationalism or sweet sickly sentimentality. Keep us safe beneath an umbrella of dubious entertainment and infotainment. Let our opinions be led by those who are better than us, by those with the professionalism and intelligence to be trusted with anything other than watery swill.

    • So Bored 4.2
      23 July 2009 at 10:46 am

      Lew,

      Your logic reminds me of the Stalin line of you cant make an omelette without cracking eggs.

      If pain is what causes the system to work we are in a bad way.

      • Lew 4.2.1
        23 July 2009 at 11:03 am

        SB,

        Well, ignoring for a moment that you can’t, the point is that society needs to choose: do we prefer occasional exploitative coverage of ugly, unjust crime cases in the media, or do we prefer systems which are unjust and ugly, but which never change because nobody is aware of how unjust and ugly they are?

        I know which I prefer. It seems from their public comments that Ronald Brown’s family and the Elliot family know which they prefer as well.

        L

        • So Bored 4.2.1.1
          23 July 2009 at 11:08 am

          You are assuming that putting this into the medias hands for distribution to the public domain is of any value in framing debate. I doubt that media sensationalism is. You are right that we must not be shielded from the ugly bits, the question is how we air them.

          • Lew 4.2.1.1.1
            23 July 2009 at 11:20 am

            SB, I’m not assuming. I do this for a living.

            There is no other agency which could have transmitted the necessary information to the public for discussion and debate – the courts can’t; the government shouldn’t; the lobby groups and PR teams can’t function without the media. How else are the public to get the information, and how else are the politicians to take their cues from the public?

            How we air this sort of information is a trickier question, and, is likewise a matter to be left to the media (and proto-media such as blogs). Their job is broadly “to give citizens the information they need to be free and self-governing.” They frequently fall short of the ideal, but in this case they have fulfilled the task admirably, and in most cases, the more information available, the better the public is equipped for that task.

            L

        • T 4.2.1.2
          23 July 2009 at 11:13 am

          What about live written coverage, and delayed (until prosecution and defense have completed presenting their case) visual coverage?

          • Lew 4.2.1.2.1
            23 July 2009 at 11:24 am

            T, all you’re talking about is format-shifting. Without compelling video coverage there emerges reconstructions, dramatised serialisation, salaciously-edited transcripts and artists’ impressions. The same content and exploitation, with much less informative value and more opportunity for sensationalist editorialisation.

            It is the vérité quality of courtroom coverage which grants it credibility and requires society to consider it with the proper degree of seriousness and gravity.

            L

            • So Bored 4.2.1.2.1.1
              23 July 2009 at 12:41 pm

              Lew, methinks you as a journalist (I may be assuming that you are) have a greater idea of the importance and utility of the media than I do. As a result of the commercial and political construct of the media I always read in filter mode, the issue of media independence raises its ugly head often.

              I would question that “It is the vérité quality of courtroom coverage which grants it credibility” when it is selective and soundclip style.

              Fortunately the public dissemination of information and resulting debate is something the media does not have a monopoly on. It never ceases to amaze me that the media think that they have a monopoly on our ears and eyes, and that they ARE the story.

            • Lew 4.2.1.2.1.2
              23 July 2009 at 12:51 pm

              SB,

              methinks you as a journalist (I may be assuming that you are) have a greater idea of the importance and utility of the media than I do.

              I’m not a journalist, I’m a media analyst. My sense of the importance and utility of the media comes not from being a part of it, but by spending a very great deal of my time looking at how media coverage interacts with society and politics.

              As a result of the commercial and political construct of the media I always read in filter mode

              But you still read. You’re not outside the loop; you’re part of it.

              I would question that “It is the vérité quality of courtroom coverage which grants it credibility’ when it is selective and soundclip style.

              I’m not arguing that vérité is automagically credible or objective – I’m saying that, all else being equal, it is the most objective, unfiltered source of information. Yes, sound-bites and selective editing and editorialisation are a problem – but they’re more of a problem with other formats. What you ought to be arguing isn’t a ban on vérité, it’s a ban on poor journalism. Good luck with that.

              Fortunately the public dissemination of information and resulting debate is something the media does not have a monopoly on.

              Name one fact about the Weatherston trial which wasn’t first transmitted by the media. Try to do the same for a few other prominent public events of recent times. If you weren’t there, or you don’t personally know someone who was there, chances are you can’t.

              Now try and explain to me how the media don’t have a monopoly on public information.

              L

  5. Brickley Paiste 5
    23 July 2009 at 10:15 am

    Media are plural. The media CONTINUE to cover trials in ever greater and more gory detail and HAVE been a pig wallowing in the mud thrown by defence teams using provocation.

    • Bright Red 5.1
      23 July 2009 at 10:31 am

      while media is the plural of medium, in modern english usage, we also use media to refer to the group of organisations that use various broadcasting systems (or media) to relate news and information to the public – ‘the media’. That’s a singular, like ‘the army’

      “In the 1920s media began to appear as a singular collective noun, sometimes with the plural medias. This singular use is now common in the fields of mass communication and advertising, but it is not frequently found outside them: The media is (or are) not antibusiness” http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/media

  6. Maynard J 6
    23 July 2009 at 10:15 am

    Point the first:

    For all the beat-up about “victims’ rights” from the right (lately, think about the reaction to Elias’ comments that it may not be good for victims of crime to be centre stage in courts – actually really ponder that for a second) there has been a lot of silence over the issue in this case and in the other prominent cases where provocation has been used.

    Would have been nice to see Garrett say something constructive for a change, but since him and his SST cohorts have chosen to stay silent they have just reinforced the obvious conclusion – they do not give a shit about victims, they are only trying to politicise the issue. They are always so damn reticent when there is no anti-left mileage to be made. Scum.

    Point the second:

    It is a difficult issue to try and combat – self-defence is a fairly limited defence, and if there is a good legal reason for provocation as a defence or a mitigant, then we cannot call for its removal simply because we do not like how it is being used. I was talking to Anita and Lew about this on kiwipolitico – they were using the cases where it becomes a defence for killing homosexuals.

    Just because we do not like the specific outcomes, the application of the law, does not mean the law is flawed. I am not sure that is the right argument.

    On the news last night, someone mentioned that the legal test was that if an action would have caused a normal person to react as the defendant did, then provocation can be proven (as per the blog post).

    The question to me is “would a normal person ever be provoked into killing someone” – and remember, self defence applies if there is a direct physical threat, so provocation must be non-life threatening situations by definition. So if that legal description of provocation is in fact accurate, I think that is the real flaw in the defence, from a legal standpoint.

    Point the third:

    The media’s exploitation of the defence is another story. When someone cannot defend their actions because they have been killed by the very person accusing them of provocative actions, and the media broadcasts that, how are they meeting their obligation to be balanced? By definition they can not. And they should bloody well choose not to publicise such an unbalanced view. Also scum.

    phew. ranting.

  7. mickysavage 7
    23 July 2009 at 10:24 am

    One further comment:

    “In light of the, frankly, outrageous behaviour of Weatherston’s defence team it looks like a political consensus is emerging around getting rid of provocation.”

    I suspect the defence lawyers hated having to do what they did and I thought I saw signs of Ablett-Kerr trying to tone things down.

    They were doing a job on instructions from their client. His world view clearly prevented him from accepting blame and no doubt the lawyers had written instructions to run it the way they did.

    The way that self defence was only half heartedly run to me spoke volumes about the defence team’s view of the merits.

    I thought they did their job. In a civilised society lawyers have to be allowed to do so.

    • bill brown 7.1
      23 July 2009 at 10:38 am

      Ah, the good old “I was only following orders” excuse.

      • mickysavage 7.1.1
        23 July 2009 at 10:41 am

        The day lawyers stop defending their clients and start publicly condemning them is the day we should all be very afraid of.

        • bill brown 7.1.1.1
          23 July 2009 at 10:51 am

          A decent person, lawyer or not, would have refused to be the mouthpiece for this guy’s attempt to drag his victim through the mud.

          • Bright Red 7.1.1.1.1
            23 July 2009 at 11:10 am

            I wouldn’t go that far. People have a right to a competent defence but lawyers are also officers of the court, and they shouldn’t do ‘whatever it takes’ to try to get their clients off

      • Maynard J 7.1.2
        23 July 2009 at 10:44 am

        His lawyers were doing nothing unlawful, and while we question the morality of the defence, not having a defence as the defendant chooses is a greater moral hazard.

        • bill brown 7.1.2.1
          23 July 2009 at 10:53 am

          Just because you’re not being unlawful, doesn’t mean you should go ahead and do something that isn’t right anyway.

          • Maynard J 7.1.2.1.1
            23 July 2009 at 10:57 am

            Yes, and not defending a defendant to the full extent of the law, as the defendant has requested, is far worse than the use of the provocation defence. Basically it would be more wrong to refuse to use a defence than it would be to use that defence even defence perceived as wrong.

    • So Bored 7.2
      23 July 2009 at 10:51 am

      I have absolutely no problem with the lawyers defense, you are right, it is what they are there to do if we want justice.

      My issue is the pain that this necessarily causes through being spread by the media as “news”. I suspect more likely to drive ratings revenue.

  8. RedLogix 8
    23 July 2009 at 10:42 am

    I suspect the defence lawyers hated having to do what they did

    Absolutely. I believe that Weatherstone’s barristers ran totally the wrong defence.

    Personally I think that the only mitigating aspect to the case was the probable role that his increased dose of Prozac played. Twice in my life I’ve seen up close and personal the bizzare and frightening effects of this drug. Suddenly, with only the tiniest provocation they suffer a sudden psychotic episode that is both deranged, violent and totally out of character. In many cases they finish up killing themselves.

    Weatherstone is of course a very unlikeable, unstable character, but face it, killing your ex-girlfriend with her mother trying to kick the door down is not a sane act. This guy is highly intelligent, but totally derailed. Something out of the ordinary was going on here.

    And yes, the role of the media has been sickening.

    • mickysavage 8.1
      23 July 2009 at 10:54 am

      Agreed that something out of the ordinary was going on here but obviously there was no diagnosis that allowed insanity to be run as a defence.

      I am absolutely certain that insanity would have been investigated but ruled out.

      There will no doubt be an appeal and this may be one of the grounds.

  9. Ianmac 9
    23 July 2009 at 11:29 am

    Verdict correct. Defence used Provocation as allowed by law at the Judge’s discretion. Fine. Lawful.
    But the anguish felt by the world at large is because of the Media exposure.
    Perhaps we are used to those fun TV crime/trial stories which are really pretty sanitised. Real trials involving real violence are awful and gruesome and go on all the time. Perhaps it is right to get the real life and death story, but frankly I would prefer to remain oblivious, a bit like staying away from doctors, policemen, and lawyers.

    • Lew 9.1
      23 July 2009 at 11:33 am

      Well, you’re entitled to turn the TV off and not read the papers. Some of us want to know the full extent of what’s wrong with our society so we can change it.

      L

      • Ianmac 9.1.1
        23 July 2009 at 11:42 am

        You are right Lew. These days at newstime I soon turn to Prime to watch the Millionaire program. Surely however you would pick your target and apply your energy to things that you can change. Keep the kids in good heart. Stay on the right side of your wife. Help your elderly neighbour. Work to help your Union. Do something helpful towards the next election. No. I wan’t suggesting opting out, just choosy.

  10. travellerev 10
    23 July 2009 at 11:55 am

    To scrap the “provocation” defence is utterly indefensible and a total breach of human rights. Do I think that Weatherston was legit in using the defence?

    I think that he is a psycho and it seems the jury was in agreement with that. He should be in jail for the rest of his life because psycho’s are notoriously difficult to treat but to deny 4 million people the right to use the provocation defence based on the abuse of that defence of one deranged human being is criminal.

    At the risk of being accused of link whoring this is what I think about it.

  11. grumpy 11
    23 July 2009 at 1:35 pm

    The “defence” of provocation has only been used successfully 4 times.

    Twice in the case of battered women and twice by males claiming unwanted sexual molestation from other males.

    The “defence” only goes as far as allowing murder to be reduced to manslaughter, the maximum penalty for both are the same – life imprisonment.

    In the Weatherston case the jury, quite properly, rejected the argument.

    So what’s the issue.

    • Maynard J 11.1
      23 July 2009 at 4:13 pm

      You ignore the blog post and virtually every comment, and then ask “So what’s the issue.”?

      Talk about willful ignorance.

  12. Brett Dale 12
    23 July 2009 at 10:30 pm

    One right verdict and one wrong, the media should be ashamed for their support of Bain.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
    Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia.   Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago

  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Trade relationship with China remains strong
    “China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.   Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

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

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

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

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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

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

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-25T10:13:00+00:00