Keith Ng: Nat bullshit on inflation and earnings

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, October 20th, 2010 - 44 comments
Categories: Economy, national, wages - Tags: , , ,

Keith Ng’s recent post at Public Address is so good I have to reproduce the whole thing here. Keith – tried to get in touch via your contact web form, hope it is OK, if not let us know, thanks. — r0b

Did you know we’re in a recession?

Dear Bill English. Let’s make a deal. I won’t do something stupid, like blame National for the recession, if you don’t do something stupid, like try to claim that all the side-effects of the recession are actually good things that National can take credit for.

Bullshit #1: “The lowest annual inflation rate in more than six years confirms that cost of living increases have generally been low… price increases [are] significantly lower across the board under National” – English

I can’t believe that National is trying to claim credit for low inflation.

1) It’s the Reserve Bank’s job to control inflation. If anyone should be taking credit, it’s Alan Bollard, not Bill English.

2) But the current low inflation is not because of anything English has done, it’s not even because of anything that Bollard has done. Prices have not increased much because people haven’t been buying. This is what happens in a recession.

3) If English really wants to stake his government’s reputation on keeping down prices, he’ll need to resign in exactly three months, when the impact of GST flows through to the inflation statistics and they go through the roof.

Bullshit #2: “Real after tax average earnings in New Zealand have increased 8.7 per cent since September 2008 – a significant improvement on the 3 per cent total growth over the previous nine years.” – English, in August

“[English] released figures which he claimed showed real after-tax wages had risen under National (from minus 1 per cent from December 2006 to September 2008, to 9 per cent in September 2008 to June 2010).” – English, in October

Let’s think about this for a sec. He’s telling us that wages grew faster during a global recession than economic golden weather. In fact, in August, he claimed that wages grew 13 times faster (on a per year basis) during a recession than during the boom.

Come on. A little more common sense and a little less LSD please.

Why do the numbers look like this? Because English used the average wage for employed workers. During the Clark years, policies like WFF brought more people into the lower end of the workforce. This bought the average down. The people who were already in the workforce didn’t get any poorer – the only thing that actually went down was the average.

When the recession hit, people got laid off, or got bumped down to part-time. Because the low earners tend to get laid off first, when they got taken off the books, this perversely made the average go *up*.

This shows the number of full-time equivalent employees (e.g. Two half-time employees count as one). The last two years saw the biggest dip in employment since Ruth Richardson.

(Source: FTE Employees by Sector, Quarterly Employment Survey, from StatsNZ InfoShare)

A lot of people became unemployed, or less employed. The only thing this bumped up was the average – it didn’t actually make the people who were still employed any richer. This is what happens in a recession. This is what Bill English is taking credit for.

The real statistics on income comes from (duh!) the New Zealand Income Survey. This shows the median weekly pre-tax income. No prizes for spotting the trend here – these have been the worse two years for income since the survey started. This is what happens in a recession.

(Source: Household income by source of household income and household type, NZ Income Survey, from StatsNZ TableBuilder)

So far, I’ve only looked at pre-tax figures. English’s numbers are after tax. How can that be, when National’s tax cuts just started this month? Oh. Turns out English was measuring the effect of Labour’s 2008 tax cuts and National’s April 2009 tax cuts, but doesn’t include the one that has just come into force. 70% of the tax difference came from Labour’s tax cut, and 30% from National’s. So, English is trying to take credit for *that* as well.

This stuff isn’t National’s fault. There was a global recession. People lose their jobs, income takes a hit, consumption slows down. It’s what happens. But all this stuff about how we’ve suddenly become better off because it’s a National government is just a lie. Nothing magically happened when John Key took office.

Please stop making shit up.

Keith Ng

44 comments on “Keith Ng: Nat bullshit on inflation and earnings ”

  1. M 1

    Just read this on PA – excellent.

    He’s right – while National didn’t cause the meltdown they sure haven’t done anything to ameliorate the suffering and have not shown any will to do anything to help the average working person.

    Keith’s final line says it all.

    I think that Labour should as part of its election campaign play the song ‘Nowhere Man’ for Johnny.

    He’s a real nowhere man,
    Sitting in his Nowhere Land,
    Making all his nowhere plans
    for nobody.

    Doesn’t have a point of view,
    Knows not where he’s going to,
    Isn’t he a bit like you and me?

    Nowhere Man please listen,
    You don’t know what you’re missing,
    Nowhere Man, the world is at your command!

    He’s as blind as he can be,
    Just sees what he wants to see,
    Nowhere Man can you see me at all?

    Nowhere Man, don’t worry,
    Take your time, don’t hurry,
    Leave it all till somebody else
    lends you a hand!

    Doesn’t have a point of view,
    Knows not where he’s going to,
    Isn’t he a bit like you and me?

    Nowhere Man please listen,
    you don’t know what you’re missing
    Nowhere Man, the world is at your command!

    He’s a real Nowhere Man,
    Sitting in his Nowhere Land,
    Making all his nowhere plans
    for nobody.
    Making all his nowhere plans
    for nobody.
    Making all his nowhere plans
    for nobody!

      • M 1.1.1

        Ooops, haven’t been reading TS that long 🙁

        Maybe one of the easiset ways to disarm Key and Bling would be to ask “If we’re doing so well, why isn’t everyone feeling so much richer?”

        Spongebob could do a better job as PM.

    • felix 1.2

      It’s great idea and a perfectly fitting song but there’s zero chance of Labour (or anyone else) being able to license it for a political ad (or anything else). Same goes for any Beatles material.

      So if you want to use it you’ll have to do it yourself, underground stylez – no legit organisation will be able to touch it.

  2. the sprout 2

    Keith does this stuff very well.

    I agree National is really exploiting the inumercay of the the public and msm in a systematic way that I haven’t seen in NZ before. I mean, all organizations manipulate stats for PR purposes, but National is doing it so blatantly, day after dat after day.

    • Lazy Susan 2.1

      I agree, but do you think the MSM are inumerate or complicit here? These things are really not that hard to understand. Surely the concept of a median income is still taught in schools and a few of those flash TV graphics can explain how English is being highly manipulative.

      The truth is that National are manufacturing silver linings when there are none and they know it. The bad news for National and the rest of us is that the global economy is on course for a “double dip” recession – seems kind of appropriate for the Dipton illusionist.

      • Marty G 2.1.1

        I think for the most part they can’t get their heads around it, so they feel bound to let the government’s claims go unchallenged.

        It’s a problem having economically illiterate people as your main msm political writers when so much of the meat of politics is about the economic impacts of policies. Instead we have people who are good at describing the ‘game’ of politics and the msm economic commentators, who are mostly rightwing.

        • Lazy Susan 2.1.1.1

          I think for the most part they can’t get their heads around it, so they feel bound to let the government’s claims go unchallenged.

          I think you’re letting the MSM off the hook Marty. All the work is being done for them in numerous articles, such as this one, so I find it hard to believe that they can’t get their heads around this. All they need to do is package it in a way that viewers/readers will understand.

          As for the MSM economic commentators I think there are a couple, both Rod Oram and Bryan Gaynor, who generally do a good job. I wouldn’t describe them as rightwing. Oram particularly has frequently been extremely critical of National. I just think that they consider this stuff is more for the political commentators and opposition than themselves.

          Cunliffe really should be on Key and English’s back and give the MSM some sound bites to work with.

  3. Yeah, I’ve been writing about this but I like the way Keith articulates it.

    If we accept Key and English’s approach we have to believe something very odd: that wages are rising quickly in a time of high unemployment and recession when teachers can’t even get an inflation-matching payrise.

    The government is using the full-time, ordinary time, average wage. They say it’s the ‘official’ measure because it’s the measure used to set the superannuation rate against. But that’s bollocks, just because it’s sued to benchmark super doesn’t mean it’s the correct measure when you’re looking at wages in general.

    This measure ignores:
    part-time workers,
    over-time
    changes in employment levels that not only mean those people are earning less as they lose their jobs but the average wage of the those remaining employed will tend to rise

    If you want to measure how wages are moving, you’ve got to do the median for the whole working age population.

    • the sprout 3.1

      i think that like Goebbels, this government is finding that the need to lie through their teeth increases as the amount of reality-based positive news becomes more and more scarce.

      misrepresenting the numbers is an easy way to achieve that, especially when they know the msm is inumerate or complicit as suggested above.

      this observation from Claire Trevett today is the norm:

      “The pair engaged in the tango of jiggery pokery statistics…”
      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10681755

      wow ‘jiggery pokery’, that sure is some mighty fancy analysis there Claire. you didn’t go to the LSE for your degree per chance?

      • Marty G 3.1.1

        yeah I saw that too. Says to me that the whole debate over the numbers goes over her head and she just switches off until something ‘political’ happens.

        If they can’t even follow the debate, how can they offer any insight into which argument is more valid?

        Of course, the myth of ‘objective’ journalism means they don’t offer judgements on policy anyway, just scorekeeping in the ‘game’ of politics.

        • Carol 3.1.1.1

          But Trevett (intentionally or unintentionally), fails to really identify the significance of the game-change that happened in parliament yesterday.

          IMO, the “shambles” in question time yesterday was the result of increasingly desperate tactics from National, as they realise that the momentum is swinging in Labour’s favour (especially after the weekend conference). It is becoming increasingly obvious that the Key government is not very competent, and has no solutions to the GFC, and the challenges facing NZ now & in the future. They over-rely on spin and PR, and have nothing to offer except their adherence to neo-liberalism, which is a theory on the way out.

          Lockwood Smith got cross, not because of the routine use of “patsy” questions”, but because, in their desperation, National blatantly crossed the line to use such questions to attack Labour – a desperate move by Nat.

          I am thinking that this is most likely to be the beginning of the end for Key. Sure he has high “popularity”. But he lacks political skills, and has no way of re-evaluating an economic theory-in-crisis, because he was totally constructed by and through that philosophy.

          As evident in Ng’s analysis, the spin and PR surface is wearing thin. I think it’s highly likely that National and Key will begin to slide down the polls from here on. And if that happens and leads to a big drop, would National do a Gillard and roll Key before the next election?

          Anyway, I think the next year will be fascinating, and far from totally predictable.

          • Colonial Viper 3.1.1.1.1

            Gawd I hope you’re right and English gets another shot at the title. G 😀 FF 2 😀 11!!! (thanks Spud!)

  4. burt 4

    Your kidding me – the same recession that started before the global economic crisis while the rest of the world was still basking in the golden economic weather is still with us… Better not vote for the productivity killing red team in 2011 then.

    Remember people; VOTE ABL – Anything but Labour.

    • bbfloyd 4.1

      Burt.. i’m glad it was you who said that about the recession. anyone else and i might have had to take it seriously..

    • Marty G 4.2

      “the same recession that started before the global economic crisis while the rest of the world was still basking in the golden economic weather”

      Burt, you’re not honestly repeating another of English’s lies in a post that exposes what a liar English is?

      New Zealand entered the recession in the same quarter (Q1 2008) as the US, Ireland, Sweden, Norway etc and only a quarter ahead of the rest of the world.

      The sparks for the recession: the oil price spike and the sub-prime crisis had started the quarter before in Q4 2007.

      You’re still the dumbest commentator here, burt.

      • Colonial Viper 4.2.1

        And I should say, Ganesh Nana counts the real meat of the GFC hitting world financial markets from September 2008. He made a point of it in his presentation saying that Treasury hacks were still determined to suppress the risk of growth fueled inflation as late as June 2008. Yeah I guess there’s not much risk there now, well done team.

        • Pascal's bookie 4.2.1.1

          hey Burt, care to comment on what the fed reserve was doing for much of 07-08 and how that relates to your oft repeated bullshit?

          Cheers.

      • felix 4.2.2

        “Burt, you’re not honestly repeating another of English’s lies in a post that exposes what a liar English is?”

        Not honestly, no.

    • George.com 4.3

      Burt, you are absolutely an ABL – anyone but Labour. You’d vote for a party of 50 Rodney Hides & David Garretts if your only other choice was Labour.

  5. Jim MacDonald 5

    Dipton is taking us all for dipsticks.

  6. freedom 6

    reality is shown to us in many forms, though i believe the massively increasing numbers of people unable to pay their bills says a whole lot more than how much they earned.

    • Pascal's bookie 6.1

      I hear from English that this is just a sign of how confident people are about being able to pay their bills in the future.

  7. xy 7

    I don’t understand why you’d copy and paste the entire article instead of excerpting and linking – surely it’d be more polite to do that while you wait for a response to your question!

    It really strikes me as bad form to do this, especially the way you’ve titled it.

    • Colonial Viper 7.1

      Yeah, would’ve been nicer to take this more cautious approach. Hope KN is cool with it.

    • r0b 7.2

      I don’t understand why you’d copy and paste the entire article

      Because I think it’s so good and I want more people to read it, the whole thing.

      instead of excerpting and linking

      It is linked twice – once at the top, once at the bottom.

      surely it’d be more polite to do that while you wait for a response to your question!

      No response to the contact form “email” – how long does one wait? It’s a very timely piece, I hope it gets widely noticed and discussed. I hope the note at the top of the post is clear, and I will certainly respond to any communication from Keith.

      It really strikes me as bad form to do this, especially the way you’ve titled it.

      My apologies to anyone offended. The title was to make it clear right from the start who wrote the piece, and I think it is a fair and accurate summary of the piece.

  8. ianmac 8

    It seems incredible that with a country of such high literacy, so many can be fooled by so few. It seems as though English can be Muldoon-like and flash a few graphs around, cherry-pick the stats and convince the country that we are in safe hands. Car salesman?

  9. M 9

    Don’t know if anyone has seen the Hitler parodies re the financial crises but maybe someone could make one about Key and Bling desperately lying to keep support shored up.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hab85YBYnOg

  10. MikeG 10

    The new Blingish Economic Theory:
    Savings have increased under National + Interest rates have decreased under National = The more we decrease interest rates, the more savings will increase.

  11. George.com 11

    So National want to claim credit for low inflation. Never mind the fact that the global recession has given us that. That is a desperate move, even for National. Still if National do want to claim credit for low inflation they can also get the credit for:

    a massive increase in unemployment
    growing government debt
    falling house prices
    ongoing mortgagee foreclosures
    failing businesses
    stagnant wage levels
    SCF failure

    I lokk forward to English putting out the press release announcing that the unemployed, homeless, bankrupt etc can thank National.

  12. Jan 12

    I listen to Morning Report and am always surprised when Bill’s boss can’t differentiate between incidents, instances incidence and incidences(sic) so perhaps the bar on providing analysis satisfactory to allow for providing a “good news” press release isn’t very high. ;-). I’m surprised at the MSM is quite so lazy though – shame on them that volunteers have to do this – and good on Keith!

    Check out the similarities between the Beehive Story and the NZ Herald press release. Cut/Paste CUT /Paste Submit / Approve – not a skerrick of thought or reflection in the whole Herald article.
    http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/lowest+inflation+six+years+good+families
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10681451

    ANTI-SPAM unusual!

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    1 day ago
  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    1 day ago
  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago
  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A StepbyStep Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and thirdparty applications. So, lets dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. Thats why they introduced the Recently Deleted folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Heres how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the Recents tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on Edit. Select Show Recently Deleted. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose Recover to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Heres how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose Erase All Content and Settings. Follow the onscreen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose Restore from iCloud Backup during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore ThirdParty Apps (with Caution): ...
    2 days ago
  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    2 days ago
  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    2 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    2 days ago
  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    2 days ago
  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    2 days ago
  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    2 days ago
  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    2 days ago
  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    2 days ago
  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    2 days ago
  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    2 days ago
  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    2 days ago
  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    2 days ago
  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago
  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    2 days ago
  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    2 days ago
  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    3 days ago
  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 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
    10 hours 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    2 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    3 days 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
    3 days 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
    3 days 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
    3 days 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
    3 days 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
    3 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Navigating an unstable global environment
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