Key people

Written By: - Date published: 10:02 pm, March 29th, 2012 - 50 comments
Categories: brand key, same old national - Tags: ,

I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that several of the people named in the Sovereign insurance letter as being part of Bronwyn Pullar’s support team are also people that were critical in bringing John Key into the National party when he returned to New Zealand and in grooming him for leadership.

In fact I recall an article in Metro in 2005 that profiled Key and how he came into the party which named names and laid out how Shipley in particular was instrumental in Key’s rapid rise to the top. Apparently he was headed for politics or running Air New Zealand (oh to be the elite, eh?)

That being the case, it’s not surprising that that same clique of party nobility would come together to help another one of their own in an insurance claim and it makes Key’s claims he had no part in it seem a little thin.

If Collins was behind the leaks that started this mess, then it seems to me that she was either deliberately going to war with an old and powerful faction of her own party or she had no idea of the can of worms she was opening.

It’s a funny game, politics. I think I might go have a look for a copy of that Metro article now.

50 comments on “Key people ”

  1. Adrian 1

    God, this is FUN !!!

    [Tone it down. Gloating is ugly regardless of where it’s coming from..>RL]

    • burt 1.1

      It was fun doing it to the Labour muppets as well – well that’s unless you were busy defending the indefensible like the blue team are starting to do now.

      • Colonial Viper 1.1.1

        oh burt turns out you’re one of those sad sack fair weather political friends. How shit of you.

        • ghostwhowalksnz 1.1.1.1

          Not its the mock palazzo in Parnell.
          The layout fits the aerial photos, the tennis court will be behind the photographer. With the pool house to one side.
          The place should never have got a code of compliance when it was built. In fact it may still not have one.

  2. Blighty 2

    Unrelated but there’s no way that Key’s pool is legal. Where’s the fencing? A pool fence must be present in a residential pool, it must enclose only the pool and related facilities (ie not the patio) and, if it includes the wall of a building as part of the fence ,that wall must not have doors unless they are self-locking.

    • Clashman 2.1

      The Hawaiian pad perhaps?

    • mac1 2.2

      “It’s not a pool! It’s a reservoir for water to fight fires and for irrigation for the… ah …. farm, ekshully. Yeah, those two grape vines out the back……. Look, it’s got to be a put up photoshop job, right. I mean, look at the picture. Who would wear their watch while swimming in the pool?”

    • Hami Shearlie 2.3

      Blighty, the fence IS there! It’s just invisible, like the integrity of the Nats! So rivetting on the news at the moment, it’s like a huge bomb exploding over the Nats, but it’s in super-slow motion. Labour knows something else too, I saw Trev smiling when he said he wondered how Judith Collins would feel next week re her legal action against him and Andrew Little? Wonder what Ducky knows?

    • Tc 2.4

      Yes but he’s got an opinion that says its legal orbits an old picture before the rule came in.

      Running Air NZ geez that’s a scary thought talk about the born to rule set with no regard for any actual ability at operating an airline.

      • ianmac 2.4.1

        I’m damned if I can find anything that could be construed as defamatory in Trevor’s interview. No wonder Judith is refusing to elaborate. Weird.

    • David C 2.5

      You can alarm the pool or have a cover that can be walked on. Expensive alternatives but legal.

      • ghostwhowalksnz 2.5.1

        Spa pools can have locked covers but not pools !
        This part may provide an out.
        “Buildings, for example, a wall of the house, may form part of the fencing if it complies with the Act. But if the wall of the house has a door into the house, the door will need to be self-locking.”

        There may be a fence behind the photographer

  3. Ad 3

    Collins/Slater/Smith vs Key/Boag/Goldsmith is the caucus war where all can see who has the best troops still standing at the end.

    This is Collins means of ascent – not THE moment but the moment that cuts the steps into the ice – and Key’s explicit and unequivocal blessing today means he recognizes her power and can do nothing until the Police and Privacy investigations report back.

    Joyce has figured out he is no match for her and is content being the Minister of The Deal. He is the Cullen-like figure, except quieter and more commercial and potentially with a more powerful legacy.

    With English forgotten, Parata is the loser because she knows she simply doesn’t have the capacity to as Richard III said “to smile, and murder while I smile”. Brownlee is the biggest loser, firstly he has burnt his goodwill with Key making him apologize to the Finns while in Korea, and secondly because Christchurch, the House, and Transport were too much. Local Government is a responsibility with a bad grief-to-reward ratio. It means stuff all, but you cant whip Mayors, they control the regions, and many regional Councillors are National donors and members and potential candidates. Brownlee is death by burial.

    Key will use the ACC-related reports to explicitly cut Boag off, require Collins to cut Slater off internally, and Key then will use the Budget as a re-launch the government as love-fest. He has plenty of public goodwill to burn through before he is remotely threatened i.e. in total co-opt Collins and Cabinet back.

    But not even the Budget will be enough icing to cover this scale of tectonic cracking.

  4. Georgecom 4

    A war with the old and powerful or inadvertently opening a can of worms?

    Maybe a bit of both.

    Collins is certainly feeling the pressure. If everything was above board and the Government (or at least Collins) was on firm ground it would be wise simply to take a firm line and stick with it knowing the public would side with you. Collins isn’t. The simple referral to litigation indicates she is feeling pressure, either the comments are a little close to home for her, or its essential for some future game plan to keep her image intact and clean, or some other reason.

    This may have started as a succession plan by Collins. Take out Boag et al. However Nick Smith also got taken out. I can’t actually see how that would have been part of Collins direct strategy, if she has one. It doesn’t pay to piss people off and create scores that need settling if you want to rise to the top. Taking out the opposition money men is one thing that smacks of a bit of warfare. But taking out a colleague and having a sharp knife foreever hovering over your back smacks of a can of worms opening before her eyes, if Collins did initially orchestrate things in her (seeming)favour.

    • Colonial Viper 4.1

      But Key giving Collins full backing for her defamation action? What’s that about? Whether she wins or loses the cases its going to be drawn out and inconvenient.

      He already has an exit plan in place for when Collins starts looking like a liability (could be pretty damn soon). What is it?

      • Colonial Viper 4.1.1

        It probably goes along the lines of

        “My support for Judith was based on her outstanding track record and the explicit assurances she gave me around this issue. Regrettably, and much to my personal disappointment, revelations over the last 24 hours have shown that there has been much more to this issue than I had been led to believe by her. At 19:30 tonight, I called her and asked for her resignation from all the portfolios she holds, which I can confirm that I now have. New Zealanders have a right to demand the highest levels of integrity and performance from my Cabinet, and that is the same expectation that I have. The NZ public can rest assured that the National Government is one which takes issues of Ministerial responsibility and accountability with the utmost seriousness.

        That is all.”

        Good for a 2 point boost for ShonKey, I reckon.

      • Carol 4.1.2

        I wouldn’t call it Key’s “full backing” for the defamation action. Key is reported as having “not discouraged her”:

        http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6663545/Taxpayer-likely-to-get-Collins-lawsuit-bill

        But Ms Collins was backed by Prime Minister John Key, who said he had not discouraged her from taking legal action.

        “She feels very strongly that people have said things about her that aren’t correct and she’s well within her rights to take action against that,” Mr Key said.

        He’s standing back and letting her do it on her own intiative. So if it blows up in her face, Key has already distanced himself a little from her actions.

    • Jackal 4.2

      I think there may have been some initial scheming going on, but they are all definitely just reacting now… and very badly in the case of Collins. I mean threatening a defamation case? Please!

      • Kotahi Tane Huna 4.2.1

        SNAFU not conspiracy, I agree.

        At the moment I’m thinking two possibilities

        1. Collins passed hard copy to Key and he or his staff leaked it.

        2. Boag or Pullar leaked it.

        If 2. is correct, Mallard and Little et al have egg on face (Labour look nasty, etc), so why bother suing them?

        If 1. is correct, now everyone can refuse to answer questions.

        I’m going with 1. at 80%

        Unless it’s some third thing – an actual spy/mole, sneaking around offices after lights out maybe? lol

        PS: speculation is entertaining, but not half as entertaining as just sitting back and watching them all run around like that 🙂

  5. Eduardo Kawak 5

    I always wondered why Key wanted to build a cycleway.

  6. JamesGeorge 6

    If this did begin as a whirl by Collins to knock out Key’s first support team

    while securing her own position; the most likely reason is naked self interest

    having persuaded Collins that Key’s need to fulfil the demands of his backers was

    too dangerous.
    Insisting on all of the ‘reforms’ ranging from the introduction of Charter Schools

    to floogin off all our sustainable energy sources is grinding down the once huge

    lead.
    Collins prolly had no parrt of the deals that brought in the funding for the 2011

    campaign so as far as she is concerned keeping those deals is all bad news with

    little or no upside.
    If she can chase some of the original architects of the deals outta the shop she

    will have a much better chance of persuading jonkey to take his foot off the

    pedal. No Boag around to remind jonkey of the promises made, might be all key

    needs to give a “see my fellow kiwis we do listen to you” speech and pull back on

    some of the neo-liberal lunacy.

    Collins and any other careerists pols have just gotten to observe up close what

    happens to ambitious pols whose run was left too late. The fate of Phil Goff is

    bound to have many of the careerists thinking hard about their strategy for ruling

    The World New Zealand.

    Imagine if Collins goes does that make the next cab off the rank Paula Bennett,

    queen of the Kelston superette?

    No! no! come back Collins – all is forgiven.

    Nah I didn’t really mean that – still it does give ya pause eh!

  7. Carol 7

    IrishBill said:

    several of the people named in the Sovereign insurance letter as being part of Bronwyn Pullar’s support team are also people that were critical in bringing John Key into the National party when he returned to New Zealand and in grooming him for leadership.

    Actually Cameron’s dad, John Slater, brought Key into the Nats. But under his watch Key was unsuccessful in getting Key into parliament. Then Boag rolled Slater as Nat Party prez. Under Boag’s watch Key became an MP for Helensville.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/john-key-the-unauthorised-biography/news/article.cfm?c_id=1502247&objectid=10523287

    And it seems that getting Helensville was a messy business that must have upset a few Nats:

    The battle to win the National candidacy for the Helensville electorate has gone down as one of the messiest scraps in the party’s history. In the process, long-serving MP Brian Neeson was cast aside, loyal party members felt they were ridden over roughshod, and there were accusations of rule-breaking.

    • Yes, and I think Nicky Hager (‘Hollow Men’) goes into the details of the remarkable process of ‘turning around’ the delegates in the electorate from Neeson (who was well-liked and widely supported) to Key – done in record time, too. 

  8. RichWhite&Fey 8

    I hope the script writing course at Toi Whakaari is taking note.

    This would make a great reality TV show.

    Whose move is it next ?

  9. Sanctuary 9

    It is hilarious that Cameron Slater, of no identifiable achievements or reputation beyond his fathers name and his political patronage, is so viciously railing against and attacking Bronwyn Pullar – a woman of no readily identifiable achievements and reputation beyond her friends and political patronage.

    Coming up next: Takapuna Grammar old boy accuses AGS old boy of cronyism.

    • There must be deeply worried National Party operatives wondering what they are going to do with Slater.  The trouble with using a wrecking ball for a blogger is that if they get out of control the damage can be completely indiscriminate.

      • Pascal's bookie 9.1.1

        Slater’s useful coz he’ll say anything, and he’s not worth suing.

        It’s interesting that the last nights leak fit so perfectly into his narrative about Boag.

        • mickysavage 9.1.1.1

          Aye PB and he has admitted meeting Pullar and receiving emails from her.  He also knew about the Sovereign payout.  I wonder if he had a copy of the Sovereign letter?

          • Pascal's bookie 9.1.1.1.1

            Don’t know, don’t care.

            but he doesn’t get called “a useful tool” by media pundits for nothing.

            Who cares what a hammer might think?

      • ghostwhowalksnz 9.1.2

        he has had his own well known battles with an insurance company over disability payments. But in his case he went ballistic and threatened a fight to the finish but it appears to have ended with a whimper , as expected.

      • RobertM 9.1.3

        Capitalism is creative destruction. High class journalism or even comedy is basically destructive, an acceptance that much of the modern media’s role is to be a strong opposition. Unfortunately in NZ the anachronistic idea exists it is somewhow the media’s role is to assist the government to govern and not to expose its incompetence and inertia.
        At their peak British comics like Peter Cook and outlets like Private Eye were brilliantly destructive and did immense damage to the MacMillan and Alex Holme governments. But MacMillan had the courage to go to the Cook, Dudley, Millar shows sit in the frontrow in 1963 and eyeball them. Here the politician or some ordinary idiot would just call the cops and say it was immoral outrage.
        Obviously media freedom and radical political action is easier the larger the society, because in large socities and cities it is far more difficult for an ignorant and almost always wrong ordinary people to effective oppose, given the opposing force of ten of millions of intelligent people and annonyminity and individualism of a large society. You probably need to be as populated as the UK for radical change. It is always easier in Japan and Germany and in Russia or the US letting obsolete cities like Detroit disingergrate is easy. So size matters more than the political system.

    • Deb 9.2

      Ms Pullar is hardly presenting as a sainted victim in all this. It could be argued that interested parties could pursue her under S252 of the Crimes Act, with respect to the notification she is getting as to when her correspondence to ACC is being viewed and by whom.

      ‘Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years who intentionally accesses, directly or indirectly, any computer system without authorisation, knowing that he or she is not authorised to access that computer system, or being reckless as to whether or not he or she is authorised to access that computer system.’

      If software has been introduced by Pullar and as a result unauthorised receipts are being forwarded from ACC’s system, that sounds to me like “access”.

  10. Tiger Mountain 10

    Bronwyn Pullar, Michelle Boag’s gal pal, at one stage at least may have had more ‘pull’ than a Fort St masseuse going by the impressive number of nat luminaries in the Sovereign letter. Quite an extraordinary line up going in to bat for one party member.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 10.1

      Its referred to as ” Nationals Nomenklatura”.

      • Tiger Mountain 10.1.1

        fair enough comparison ghost, certainly patronage going on, but membership of the original Nomenklatura was not always a good thing for peoples careers or longevity….

    • Frida 10.2

      yeah I really want to know what’s so special about her that she manages to get all these venal Tories lining up to help her LOL.

      It also amuses me greatly, as it did with Whaleoil, that these RWNJs are so “anti-bludgers” until they’re in need of assistance themselves….

      bank bailouts anyone??

      It would be funny if it wasn’t so goddamn pathetic and damaging to NZ.

  11. ak 11

    Nerrida – gimmee everything ya got on family connections Joyce Slater and Lusk ASAP, oh and crossref Garrett perp Radioworks canwest. STAT doll gotta run

  12. the sprout 12

    What i would like to know and what seems to have been overlooked, is whether pullar received the acc client file in pure error, or was that error manufactured by her national party buddies to help strengthen her bargaining hand against acc?

  13. captain hook 13

    it looks very much like the final days.
    Key and his credibility and goodwill have just about run out.

  14. tsmithfield 14

    Well, according to Pullar, it looks like Key is off the hook on this one.

    • Colonial Viper 14.1

      False declaration by Pullar to an insurance company then? That’s helpful to know.

    • Pascal's bookie 14.2

      Pretty odd development for them saying it was her that leaked it I reckon.

      • Carol 14.2.1

        Well, I reckon it definitely puts Pullar and Boag in the Key camp… or vice versa. So Collins can’t count on Key acting in her interests. And it indicates it was someone in the Collins camp who leaked the Sovereign letter.

    • Puddleglum 14.3

      The problem with trying to get someone off the hook is that you often end up inserting another hook somewhere else if you’re not careful.

      Tangled webs and all that. 

    • Edos 14.4

      Yeah, Pullar using his name as a threat to Sovereign “people who were aware of my dispute with the insurer, and who the insurer may encounter in the course of their business” – just sounds fine and dandy, eh?

      Cronyism in the Nats.

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    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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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 ...
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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 ...
    1 day 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
    1 day 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 ...
    1 day 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 days ago
  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    3 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    3 days ago
  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. 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 ...
    3 days ago
  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    3 days ago
  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    4 days ago
  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    5 days ago
  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    5 days ago
  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    6 days ago
  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    6 days ago
  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    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
    1 hour 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 hour 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 hour 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
    4 hours 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
    15 hours 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
    21 hours 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
    22 hours 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
    24 hours 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 day 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 day 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 day 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 day 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 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
    7 days 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
    7 days 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
    1 week ago
  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
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