Labour the Greens and NZ First

Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, February 19th, 2015 - 70 comments
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A couple of messy days for Labour.

I don’t know any of the background apart from what has been reported but I agree that better consultation with the Greens should have occurred concerning the second position on the Security and Intelligence Committee.  There is a rationale for Russel Norman not being put back on the committee but a proper discussion should have been had.

And there have been rumours that Winston Peters may stand in Northland and Labour may be thinking of withdrawing its candidate in favour of him.  TRP has posted an analysis suggesting that Labour should consider supporting Peters and to show that debate is alive and well amongst the authors I thought I should post a contrary view.

I hope Labour do not support Peters and stick to the current position of running Willow Jean Prime as a candidate for both local and strategic reasons.

Willow Jean is an outstanding individual and has huge potential.  She performed exceedingly well in the Labour list selection process last year and was highly placed.  She is an elected member of the Far North District Council and last election reduced Mike Sabin’s majority by 2,000.  She a Moerewa lawyer of Te Kapotai, Ngati Hine and Ngapuhi descent.  She is one of a group of outstanding potential future politicians that the Labour Party has.

The by election will give her and the party the ability to campaign on Labour ideas and to present her to the electorate.

The alternative, ceding in favour of a Winston Peters candidacy is in my humble opinion wrong at so many levels.  This would make Labour appear weak and remove the opportunity to talk about the issues that are important for Labour.  It would also give Winston the ability to hog the limelight for a month.  And if by some chance he won it would give New Zealand First momentum that Labour may regret.

I do not support reliance on NZ First for the possibility of a future Labour Government for a few reasons.  Much as Winston is entertaining and charismatic he is a long time tory whose reactions to issues are generally conservative.  He cannot be relied on to support Labour.  Memories of 1996 when Peters campaigned through the country promising a change of Government but then sided with National are still strong.  And he is the worst sort of politician who can campaign against the cynicism of politics as usual but then engage in the most cynical of politics.

The way I see it Labour should do its best to ensure that the relationship with the Greens is nurtured and enhanced.  If there is a competitor with Labour it is New Zealand First.

So Labour should take the opportunity to campaign hard in this by election and improve relations with the Greens.

70 comments on “Labour the Greens and NZ First ”

  1. weka 1

    Hear hear. Well put. The value for Labour of supporting its future bright leaders shouldn’t be underestimated. Plus, is there any evidence that Peters can be trusted?

    Love the title btw. Labour the Greens indeed 😛

    • in no way would lab/grns strategically voting is no way a slur on willow jean..

      ..and she wd stand again in ’17..

      ..(and anyway..a candidate of her strengths should be high enough on labours’ list to ensure election to parliament..)

  2. Sable 2

    Given the way Labour have been behaving I can not imagine Winston Peters would care two hoots what Labour do or say about anything. Fact is Winston is popular and I suspect that popularity will grow as alienated left supporters move towards him and away from ersatz Labour and its National 2.0 policies.

  3. Skinny 3

    Good on Willow Jean Prime and her solid team, however its a lost opportunity in my opinion that the 3 party’s can not master MMP and work together showing the public they can. There lack of a cohesive approach makes people like me want to start a new party, actually such is my disgust.

    I may show up at Primes By Election launch on Sunday, I hear Little is fronting.

  4. freedom 4

    my 2c. (posted on trp’s post also)

    Sometimes the core of the issue is hidden by the tendrils of who what why where when?
    Any multi-opponent campaign involving two or more political parties contesting the National candidate in Northland will [most likely] end in failure.

    The core of the issue is as simple as simple gets. Does the opposition want to take the seat from National? That is the only question that is relevant. Which opposition Party wins that seat is not as important as National not winning that seat.

    The only way to realistically remove National from the seat is to have one single opponent to the National candidate, supported, campaigned for and endorsed by Greens Labour and NZ First, moving forward with the single and clearly stated goal of removing National from the Northland seat.

    The Greens Labour and NZ First need to sit in a room, put those three names into a hat, make the draw and get to work over the next six weeks. Supporting each other, sharing resources and showing NZ how the opposition, as a body of elected representatives, believe the people of New Zealand, not the objectives of individual political Parties, are the priority.

    I am fully aware it is a ridiculously simplistic way to approach the complex scenario, but the people of New Zealand need that seat taken from National. Does the opposition want to take the seat from National or not?

    • Disabled Liberation Aotearoa BZ DLANZ 4.1

      Totally agree with you ‘Freedom’….prior to Andrew Little’s breach of protocol with these appointments to the Security and Intelligence Committee, Willow-Jean Prime would have been the perfect candidate to have fronted whatever National came up with for their representative. A Hung Parliament over issues like Resource Management Amendments is still up for grabs if this election result can be achieved. I think it could lead yo an early general election, something many would hope for

      Mickey Savage is being a bit soft on Labor, when he says they should do better with consulting other parties…in fact Labor has not done itself any favors with th minor parties by this arrogant attitude of thinking they are the only ‘party’ in town.

      I feel it is Labor who needs to apologize to the Greens and NZ First about their recent decision and then settle down to a cohesive campaign for Northland, which considering the 9000 majority, won’t be easy.

      Regards
      Doug Hay
      Cordinator

    • saveNZ 4.2

      Yes it is that simple.

      Is the goal to win the seat from National?

      Pick the best person and everyone support them.

      Don’t worry about what Winston has done in the past. Labour seems to be the least trustworthy at present and would throw anyone under the bus. The gain for the other two sides would be to show they can work together collectively to win the seat and put aside previous differences and disputes to do that. Then they start looking viable to the people of NZ and can then look to show their ‘difference’ to the mix later on.

      This is not an general election – it is a chance to get a strategy and adapt to the new conditions. Start to gain votes as a whole by taking them off National not each other.

  5. lprent 5

    I always remember the aftermath of the election in 2005 when Winston Peters and Peter Dunne deliberately excluded the Greens.

    As far as I am concerned I’d be interested in seeing if the leopard had changed his spots before doing anything more generous than putting TRP’s post at the top of this site.

  6. swordfish 6

    Instead of replicating my comment on TRP’s post here, I’ll just link to it……http://thestandard.org.nz/stand-by-your-man/#comment-971423

  7. b waghorn 7

    Winston running means labour should push even harder for a win .
    Winston will split the national vote .
    Labour can push the he can’t be trusted not to take what ever baubles key would offer him if Winston did sneak a win.
    NZF and the greens need to remember they have no show of being in a left side government without labour.

    • weka 7.1

      “NZF and the greens need to remember they have no show of being in a left side government without labour.”

      Pretty sure both are well aware of that. NZF could probably care less. The GP have to weigh up whether Labour are ever going to take a L/GP coalition seriously against the value of increasing their party vote in the medium and long term by standing a candidate.

      • phillip ure 7.1.1

        @ weka..

        ..the flawed thinking within the greens that has given us a history of vote-splitting and defeat..

        ..more of the same..?

        ..y’reckon..?

      • b waghorn 7.1.2

        “value of increasing their party vote in the medium and long term by standing a candidate.”
        Hate to totally agree with Mr Ure on something but that’s why we still have dunne loafing around Parliament.

    • saveNZ 7.2

      He will split it, but probably not enough to win the seat. Back to square 1.

  8. Ad 8

    This is the first and best opportunity for the Labour caucus to swallow their pride and figure out what working in a coalition might look like. They have been pathologically unable to do so.

    They might even have to get used to Winston Peters being – Borgen-style – the Prime Minister in 2017. If that’s what it takes to topple the almighty Key with the alternative government that was missing last time.

    Also, it’s still early enough in the term to lose and recover, even if it meant the whole of the Opposition put together couldn’t do it.

  9. Tiger Mountain 9

    In terms of parliamentary electoral political tactics only, (my views on social democracy or reformism are not positive). Winston could stand as a potential vote splitter not that he will see it that way. Some people that are down on the Nats in the North could never bring themselves to vote Labour.

    As for Labour they have for decades had ‘parachute’ or one run candidates in the North including Winston Peters sister Lynette Stewart one time. Willow Jean is a potential break with that and could set her self up for a serious go next election with this campaign.

    But it would need to be on specific issues; restore Air NZ (not Cessna) flights to Kaitaia, after Warkworth spend the holiday hiway dosh on Northland road upgrades, extend rail to at least Whangarei and Marsden Pt and in the future to Kaitaia, and all sorts of other infrastructure such as just one main power line.

    The East Coast retired, Kerikeri SMEs and farmers are not the majority in the North and their time is nigh.

  10. Skinny 10

    If Winston & Willow Jean both stand there will be vote splitting alright, Willow Jean’s vote will drop from last years election and the local farmer put up by the Nat’s will have a majority higher than Sabin’s who wasn’t well liked by some Tories who knew of his checkered history.

    You speak of the rail line in the North and a Marsden Point rail link to the deep water port. Sorry to say your way behind on what’s happening. The rail line is on schedule to close, National has no intention of keeping it going let alone upgrading it, they have already closed one line to Dargaville just before Xmas. The trucking lobbying group donate plenty of money to National and trains are too hard to compete with, its easier to close lines if you run them down by minimal maintaining, eventually a washout like what happened to the Gisborne line and they close it. Oh and I see the other day they have started the highway to the national party MP’s and donators beach homes.

  11. The Real Matthew 11

    If the picture on the front page is an accurate representation of the Labour candidate then I fully endorse her candidacy for Northland.

  12. One Anonymous Bloke 12

    The more I consider the proposal the more it looks like a mistake: a slim chance of winning which will not affect National’s ability to rubberstamp its owners instructions, and an absolute certainty of negative headlines for the Left.

    Then there are the obvious advantages to The Greens and Labour of standing strong candidates who will have a national platform.

    • “.. an absolute certainty of negative headlines for the Left…”

      care to give us a couple of examples of this ‘scary’-spectre..

      ..and cd i add..

      ..why not try growing a pair..?..eh..?

      ..’sticks and stones’ and all that..

      • One Anonymous Bloke 12.1.1

        I ask myself, can I be bothered trawling through several paragraphs of barely legible macho posturing? Phil’s amygdala has made his mind up for him, so no.

        • phillip ure 12.1.1.1

          ok..so just more bullshit from you..eh..?

          ,,yet another time when called on it..

          ..you just snivel/as hom yr way off..eh..?

          ,,that’s kinda sad..eh..?

          ..can’t even think of one of those dragon-slaying headlines..eh..?

          ..that is beyond sad..and lurching into pathetic..

          • One Anonymous Bloke 12.1.1.1.1

            Thought of several, in fact. I even typed them into a comment. Then I remembered who I was talking to and couldn’t be bothered.

            “Labour running scared in Northland.”

            “Labour throws in the towel”.

            “Labour abandons principles”.

            That sort of thing. Now run along.

            • phillip ure 12.1.1.1.1.1

              headline:..

              .’.anonymous commenter loses testicles – search party is sent out..

              ..(commenter complains that he is particularly vulnerable to being hurt by words..)..’

              um..!..shouldn’t you ‘run along’..and join in the search for yr testicles..?

              • One Anonymous Bloke

                🙄

                Thanks for being so utterly predictable.

                • ditto…

                  ..still no ‘answers’..eh..?

                  ..just another dump ‘n run seagull-comment..was it..?..eh..?

                  ..and if so scared of possible ‘headlines’..(!)..

                  ..that it freezes you into immobility/panic-mode..

                  ..how can you not be one who has suffered testicle-loss..?

                  ..good luck in finding them again..

                  ..i mean..are you even able to get a grasp on the paucity of yr arguments..?

                  ..’we can’t do that…the rightwing media might say something nasty about us..’..(!)

                  ..(are you even listening to yrslf..?..)

  13. “The by election will give her and the party the ability to campaign on Labour ideas and to present her to the electorate.”

    I agree with that and think labour should take the opportunity – get little up there banging away – go full frontal – in terms of the electorate and the media – pretend it’s the big election (within budget of course) and go for it.

  14. Maui 14

    I’m struggling with how she could campaign on “Labour ideas”, because I’m not really sure what they are anymore. Capital gains tax, mass surveillance, poverty issues have been put on the back burner by Labour. Does she just campaign on jobs then and not rocking the boat too much? I can’t see how you win a bielection or give the government a big fright with weak policy.

    • lprent 14.1

      This isn’t a general election. In byelections and electorate races it is about voter inertia, personality, personal direction, personal publicity, local issues, and then your party policies. There was a doco about a electorate campaign in Wellington Central years ago. See if that is online to get a better idea how they work.

    • @ maui..

      “..Does she just campaign on jobs then and not rocking the boat too much? I can’t see how you win a bielection or give the government a big fright with weak policy..”

      + 1..

    • saveNZ 14.3

      You have got it in one, Labour policies are so schizophrenic that less and less voters want to vote for them. It is not just Northland it is the whole country.

      Some policies are super right wing, (surveillance), some against middle NZ (capital gains) and some against the poor (lack of action on poverty issues). You might agree with some of their policies but then another totally different one makes you sure you can’t vote for them.

      It’s like Labour put their hand in a jar of polices from every different party and then just chose them at random.

      All I can put it down to, is they don’t understand who is likely to vote for them and don’t care if they piss them off with a completely different ideology in another area of policy.

      • phillip ure 14.3.1

        @ savenz..

        “..Some policies are super right wing, (surveillance), some against middle NZ (capital gains) and some against the poor (lack of action on poverty issues). You might agree with some of their policies but then another totally different one makes you sure you can’t vote for them…”

        + 1..

  15. weka 15


    GREENS DECIDE NOT TO STAND IN NORTHLAND BY-ELECTION

    The Green Party’s National Executive has decided not to stand a candidate
    in the Northland by-election.

    “It is our strategic assessment that we should not run in the by-election
    and focus on our nationwide climate change and inequality campaigns,” said
    Green Party Co-convenor John Ranta.

    “The world’s attention will be focused on fixing climate change this year
    and we will be at the forefront of that issue here in New Zealand.

    “We have a real opportunity to address both climate change and inequality
    and we want our party focused on those issues.”

    via email but I gather this is the press release.

    • Maui 15.1

      Thank god they’ve pulled out, the last thing the left needs is people voting for the green candidate on principle giving the Labour candidate absolutely no chance of a win.

      • saveNZ 15.1.1

        Labour should step down too. Get the best chance to take one off the Nats.

      • Naturesong 15.1.2

        They were never going to run a candidate.
        Anyone who thought they were does not understand the Greens electoral strategy.

        • lprent 15.1.2.1

          Precisely. They have other things to do.

          NZ First may run one, but I doubt it will be Winston, and I don’t think it is that likely that they will. There is simply nothing for them there apart from the publicity as Winston dips his toe in and out. Same issue as for the Greens

          I suspect this will be a National – Labour race, with the usual independents and minnow parties.

          • Naturesong 15.1.2.1.1

            That’s my feeling as well.

            I can’t see Winston running either.
            He’ll make some noises to get press coverage, but won’t risk the political black eye of running and losing.

            I wonder though, if NZF do run a candidate, that it’ll be specifically to split some of National’s vote (and gain some coverage)?

        • phillip ure 15.1.2.2

          @ naturesong..

          ..i remember media coverage of david clendon talking about running..

          ..and/but it is great that they have decided not to..

          ..there is also the possible scenario of peters taking a sizeable chunk of the national vote..

          ..which could possibly allow labour to slip thru the middle..

          ..(much like that sensible sentencing trust clown did for stuart nash in napier..)

          • Naturesong 15.1.2.2.1

            Northern Advocate – Feb 3, 2015: Parliamentary hopeful campaigning

            The Greens’ David Clendon, the third highest polling candidate in 2014, said it would be up to the party executive whether to contest the byelection.

            I cant see Winston taking the risk of losing. If NZF run a candidate, it won’t be him

            • phillip ure 15.1.2.2.1.1

              i think peters is smart enough to see the value of the game..

              ..he will soon have a lot of information/material..

              ..that will likely eviscerate national party support in northland..

              ..and he has all of the populist campaigning-skills..

              ..that will pull many of those disaffected/shocked national party voters to him..

              ..and will likely winkle out quite a few who would not normally bother to vote..

              ..i wd say that a wide swathe of people in northland from different political and apolitical factions wd be comfortable with the idea of peters representing them in parliament..

              ..especially when/how he can hammer national on their record of neglect of the region..

              ..(unfortunately the labour candidate does not have that string to her bow..given the clark/labour govt exhibiting the same neglect as the tories..)

              ..and of course..peters wd split the vote..

              ..which cd well let the labour candidate win..

              ..what’s not to love about all that..?

              ..as we clearly have forgone the option of only one candidate standing..

              ..this is second-best..

              ..and also has its’ appeal..

              ..and good on the greens..!..for not running/muddying the pool..

              • Your argument is sound. I just think that Winston will see failure as too great a risk.

                We’ll have to agree to disagree on this.

                But pretty sure we can all agree that folks who haven’t already need to stock up on popcorn.

    • saveNZ 15.2

      Good on them!!! They are taking one for the team National Out!

  16. Sookie 16

    I have moved from cosy left wing North Dunedin to Northland recently. Labour doesn’t have a chance up here. For once I feel like voting for someone who has a chance of winning so if Winston runs, I’ll vote for the wicked old bugger. At least it will piss off the government.

  17. saveNZ 17

    It is just like the last election – Will Labour not stand to increase the chance of National getting out with Winston, or is Labour too arrogant to stand down and split the vote?

    This is the most important test of Little yet.

    Arrogance or Strategy? Which will he go with?

    • One Anonymous Bloke 17.1

      It’s unclear which is the arrogance and which is the strategy.

      Is it arrogant, for example, to expect the people of Northland to simply go along with the Epsom strategy?

      Is it arrogance to give Willow Jean Prime a national platform to fight the Sabinists?

      Is it strategy to abandon Labour’s much vaunted policy of standing candidates everywhere and letting the voters decide?

      • saveNZ 17.1.1

        Considering Labour are always asking the Greens to not stand a candidate to give them a better chance of not splitting the vote. Maybe they should lead by example?

        I think Labour need to decide what they want more, take National off the seat with the best chance they can and work with another ‘minor’ party to do that or like in previous elections, campaign against the ‘minor’ parties and have National win by a majority by all the vote splitting.

        The reason National win, is they have a end game strategy to privatise NZ and they work together to achieve that goal. The left party do not work together and actually work against each other with Labour leading the charge (i.e. Hone, Security Bill comments on Metiria etc) and that is why they are failing.

        • Naturesong 17.1.1.1

          I suspect you are laboring under the misapprehension that Labour are a leftwing party.

          I don’t see that in their policies, or behaviour.

          • Colonial Rawshark 17.1.1.1.1

            Neoliberal centrist, keen on global free trade and free movement of financial capital, with some remaining historical awareness of social responsibility.

        • weka 17.1.1.2

          “Considering Labour are always asking the Greens to not stand a candidate to give them a better chance of not splitting the vote. Maybe they should lead by example?”

          When has Labour done that?

  18. Stuart Munro 18

    I agree that Labour would be unwise not to contest Northland – but I’m still miffed at the treatment of Norman – at the very least it was very bad manners, but during the election Labour’s insistence on not making common cause with the Greens and IMP cost us dearly, without measurably advancing Labour’s position or support.

    My perception is that Labour is obstinately sticking to a ‘chase-the-middle’ narrative that inevitably leads them further and further to the right. Notice that the Gnats manage to make much more efficient use of ACT to progress very far indeed from popular centrism, but instead of punishing them for it, Labour attacks the Greens. This is playing into Key’s and his vile media buddies’ hands. We don’t have time for this shit.

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    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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