Labour’s Auckland Push

Written By: - Date published: 10:51 am, August 30th, 2016 - 57 comments
Categories: Andrew Little, class war, election 2017, labour, mana, maori party, national, Politics, workers' rights - Tags: , , ,

It’s been confirmed that Matt McCarten, currently Labour’s Chief of Staff, will move back to Auckland in September to head up a new project there. Matt will be in charge of maximising the vote in NZ’s biggest city and will run an office dedicated to that task.

It’s a tribute to his skills that he was retained in the Chief of Staff role by Andrew Little after being appointed by David Cunliffe. Little notes that McCarten’s value is in coordination:

“His strength is in the networks and setting up programmes and places for me to go to and getting stuff organised. And that is what I need.”

Matt has an almost unique ability to add value to whatever political project he takes on.

In his time he directly challenged the Rogernomes in Labour, helping to form NewLabour with Jim Anderton. He then oversaw the formation of the Alliance, the political grouping that spectacularly took a big chunk of the left vote in the 1999 election.

After the Alliance fell apart, he advised Tariana Turia and other disaffected MP’s who had broken away from Labour. While he was no doubt disappointed that the Maori party rejected his preferred left positioning in favour of a non challenging spot as National’s lapdog, his ability to organise was recognised shortly afterwards when he returned to the union movement as National Secretary of the Unite union.

After leaving Unite and a brief time advising Hone Harawira’s fledgling mana party, McCarten surprised many on the left by accepting the Labour Party’s Chief of Staff role, at the invitation of David Cunliffe. In his time in charge of the Opposition leaders team, he has overseen a refreshing of the ranks, and he leaves behind a solid core of staffers who appear ready for election year.

McCarten’s next challenge will be to solidify the work Labour are doing north of the Bombay’s. It’s been obvious for quite some time that National are vulnerable in Auckland.

National’s mishandling of the housing crisis, their lukewarm commitment to public transport and their failure to get a unity candidate for the mayoral election shows a party that has dropped the ball in NZ’s biggest city.

Opening a dedicated office in Auckland is a sign of Labour’s growing confidence and strategic nous. And Matt McCarten is the ideal person to maximise the outcomes, so I’m expecting good things from this appointment.

Yet again, we are seeing the Labour party making organisational gains under the leadership of Andrew Little. The parliamentary caucus is united and most of the tainted old guard MP’s are going or gone. Party membership is on the improve, the activist base is growing and the MoU with the Greens has given some solidity to the opposition not seen in recent years.

If Labour can take Auckland, they’ll be forming the next government.

Nice work, Andrew, nice work Matt.

I’m looking forward to 2017.

 

matt mcarten

 

tereoputake@gmail.com

https://tereoputake.wordpress.com/

 

57 comments on “Labour’s Auckland Push ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Danyl Mclauchlan 1
    30 August 2016 at 11:03 am

    [Hollow laughter]

    • Leftie 1.1
      30 August 2016 at 11:43 am

      Why Danyl Mclauchlan?

      • Ad 1.1.1
        30 August 2016 at 1:27 pm

        … is an existential question we’ve often asked.

        • dukeofurl 1.1.1.1
          30 August 2016 at 4:35 pm

          Its what happens when you are James Shaws ivory tower academic.
          Thats what the political process in NZ needs, a computational biologists input.

    • billmurray 1.2
      30 August 2016 at 2:41 pm

      te reo Putake, LOL it was a claytons dumping, McCarten will feet up , you must be on the good stuff, whose your supplier?.
      Has McCarten paid his back taxes yet?.
      Still LOL, good piece well done..

      • te reo putake 1.2.1
        30 August 2016 at 3:02 pm

        I understand that McCarten was keen to take on the Auckland office project. It’s his home town and his employment history (as detailed in the post) shows he has always moved on when he felt the time was right and there was other good work to be done.

        McCarten owes the IRD nothing and was never in arrears to them. If you want to wallow in the shallow end of the pool, pop over to WO. Facts never get in the way of a good smear over there.

        In a nutshell, you’re full of it.

        • billmurray 1.2.1.1
          30 August 2016 at 3:26 pm

          te reo Putake, you know self deception can be terminal, McCarten/ Unite do owe taxes and arrears are a fact, I truly believe that it was a claytons dumping, he was chief of staff, what is his new title?, has he dropped salary level and will he have staff?.
          I look forward to going to a few of his meetings and catching up with you but be warned I will not tolerate bulldust.
          Labour is looking vunerable with Matts departure and without a new chief of staff in sight!.

          • McFlock 1.2.1.1.1
            30 August 2016 at 3:46 pm

            McCarten/ Unite do owe taxes and arrears are a fact,

            Citation please.
            Oh, I know there was an issue a couple of elections ago, but surely they’ve come to an agreement since then? Do you have any evidence whatsoever that the debt is still outstanding?

            • te reo putake 1.2.1.1.1.1
              30 August 2016 at 4:09 pm

              Many years ago Unite operated a separate, at arms length company that provided services to the union. It was wound up and came to an arrangement with the IRD. Not McCarten’s personal responsibility. Not Unite’s either.

              In fact, the service company was structured in a way that is entirely common in NZ business. It went bust. These things happen in business. This is not corruption like, say, owning Tranzrail shares and denying profiting off them, or being the beneficiary of the world’s most thinly veiled blind trust.

              It’s a smear, is what it is.

              • McFlock …
                30 August 2016 at 4:15 pm

                Indeed.

                So as far as IRD are concerned, six years later there’s no money outstanding?

                In that case the “smear” looks to me like it’s just a touch defamatory.

              • Chuck …
                2 September 2016 at 5:36 pm

                “McCarten’s vehicle, which supplied administrative support services to the youth-orientated union Unite, was put into liquidation by a High Court order last month after the IRD pursued it for “failure to provide for taxation,” according to the first liquidator’s report.”

                “The Official Assignee rated the prospect of a dividend as “unlikely,” and is looking into the company’s possible interest in an Onehunga building lease, the report said. ”

                http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/5342791/IRD-chasing-Matt-McCarten-company

                http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2011/07/matt-mccarten-tax-cheat.html

                TRP I note you say this “Not McCarten’s personal responsibility” so I assume you support ALL people that hide behind company and/or trust structures to avoid paying debts??? or just Matt???

                I guess if Matt has indeed paid it off then great…shame he thought it was OK in the first place to give the finger to all other tax payers.

            • billmurray 1.2.1.1.1.2
              30 August 2016 at 4:20 pm

              Mcflock,
              I understand that “Stuff- Businessday’ published an article whereby McCarten admitted to them that he and the Unite union owe about $170.000 to the IRD he said that he was keen to pay the debt, the article is dated 5 August 2016.
              There has not been any report on the debt repayment and surely it is fair to conclude that the debt is still outstanding.
              I have searched for any reports on the debt repayment and cannot find any, some of the $170.000 is arrears to tax owing.

              [Great. Find that article or any other that confirms that McCarten personally owes IRD money and post it. Until you can provide evidence, this discussion is over. TRP]

              • McFlock …
                30 August 2016 at 4:38 pm

                lol

                Oh, you “understand” that, do you?

                Funny, because in 2011 they were paying off 130k debt at $8k a month. By arrangment. So it should have been sorted well before last election.

                By pure coincidence, I’m sure, there was an internet site that mentioned the debt on august 5, but that was fucking kiwiblog that simply recycled the 2010 Stuff story alongside Labour’s announcement a few weeks ago of wanting to get employer kiwisaver contribution arrears sorted.

                But you wouldn’t be confusing current mention of an outstanding debt with clickbait propaganda about a debt that had been sorted well before mccarten was even associated with the Labour Party, would you?

              • One Anonymous Bloke …
                30 August 2016 at 4:40 pm

                When is Trevor Rogers going to stop embodying National Party values?

      • Bob 1.2.2
        30 August 2016 at 3:06 pm

        “it was a claytons dumping”
        That’s how I saw it too, but good to see it has TRP re-energised.
        The sign off “Nice work, Andrew, nice work Matt.” and “I’m looking forward to 2017” did make me laugh. They haven’t actually done anything so not sure what they are being congratulated for, and looking forward to next year just sounds like another Warriors supporter!

        • te reo putake 1.2.2.1
          30 August 2016 at 3:36 pm

          Rabbitohs, Bob. And yes, it’ll be next season for us, too. Glory, glory, South Sydney!

          Little has turned Labour around. He’s got the caucus behaving properly for the first time since Clark departed. He’s got Labour working in close cooperation with the Greens, something previously unheard of. Labour and friends have been close too or ahead of National for most of the polls in the last year or so.

          And, tellingly, he’s still there, leading from the front. Not a hint of discontent from his MP’s.

          McCarten has built the team in Labour’s office. First, with Cunliffe, now with Little. Everything I’ve heard, and every communication I’ve had from them as a member, suggests he’s got the office humming.

          I know an efficient, focussed Labour team is a surprise to many, but Little and McCarten seem to have achieved exactly that.

          • Bob 1.2.2.1.1
            30 August 2016 at 4:02 pm

            “Little has turned Labour around”
            I will give you the part where the caucus are behaving properly (the ABC’s have gone quiet for a start), but they are polling at their lowest level since the 2014 election, so I guess saying he has “turned Labour around” really depends on what their main focus is.

            “I know an efficient, focussed Labour team is a surprise to many, but Little and McCarten seem to have achieved exactly that.”
            You are right, that would surprise me for one. I guess it is just a case of the work going on behind the scenes isn’t being conveyed to the public, could be a reason why McCarten is moving to a new role…

            BTW, I would suggest next year is more likely to be the Rabbitohs year than the Warriors.

            • te reo putake 1.2.2.1.1.1
              30 August 2016 at 4:18 pm

              I certainly hope the bunnies get up. A great working class club I’ve supported since well before there was a Warriors. Proud of their roots, part of their community.

              Re: Little etc. The key point is getting Labour in a position to form a government. Even at RM’s bogus 25.5%, Labour are there and have been there pretty much since Little took over. Personally, I think the Greens have gained a few soft points since the MoU. This possibility was discussed here at TS at the time.

              however, if the two parties combined reach the 40’s on election day, and most polls suggest that’s likely, that’s a mandate to try and put a government together.

          • Jenny Kirk 1.2.2.1.2
            31 August 2016 at 9:46 am

            + 100%

    • Mike Bond 1.3
      30 August 2016 at 2:43 pm

      I will join you in that laughter Danyl. Ha Ha Ha

  2. Jo 2
    30 August 2016 at 11:18 am

    Little is tinkering while Rome burns.
    What is he doing about the crisis developing with the Maori vote and there is now talk of Mahuta either jumping ship or resigning and forcing a by-election, demoting her was politically very stupid. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but then he demotes Mahuta and Cunliffe, who both have very good grassroot appeal.
    This is the first time in the election cycle since National came to office where they look vulnerable and Labour can’t budge off 25%, they loose the Maori vote and this will be the best they can hope fore at the general election.
    It is time for people to take the heads out of the sand, Little does not have the charisma and it would also appear he also lacks the political nous to take Labour to the next election. Labour need to act now and even then it may be too late.

    • weka 2.1
      30 August 2016 at 11:41 am

      “and there is now talk of Mahuta either jumping ship or resigning and forcing a by-election, demoting her was politically very stupid.”

      Where is that talk happening exactly?

      If you think Labour need a charismatic leader and that Little isn’t it, what do you suggest they do?

      • Jo 2.1.1
        30 August 2016 at 11:56 am

        Leader Cunliffe, deputy Ardern and move Parker back into finance. Make it very clear that the focus is not on 2017 but 2020 when Key is gone. The biggest problem Cunliffe had was, there was no time for him to settle in as leader, it was almost like he tried too hard and he obviously had some very difficult personal problems to deal with.

        So what if people like Goff (soon to be gone) and King (past her use-by-date and she is awful in the house with her shrill interjections) don’t like him, they are not the future of the party.

        It is a bloody travesty that Cunliffe was replaced, take out Dot.com and he would probably have been the PM and then the caucus force him out! Little was elected with zip support outside of the Unions, at least Cunliffe had the backing of the membership, Little didn’t even have that.

        • Brigid 2.1.1.1
          30 August 2016 at 12:07 pm

          Cunliffe “obviously had some very difficult personal problems to deal with.”
          Care to elaborate?

          • Jo 2.1.1.1.1
            30 August 2016 at 12:23 pm

            He separated from his wife not long after the election, pretty tough going through that and trying to win an election at the same time.

        • Matthew Whitehead 2.1.1.2
          30 August 2016 at 12:50 pm

          The biggest problem Cunliffe had was the careerists determined to lose an election spectacularly in order to undermine him, but I will concede that you make a very good play for second-biggest there. 😉

          • Jo 2.1.1.2.1
            30 August 2016 at 1:09 pm

            and you can also add that they and Little hope he will resign in 2017. The problem the ABC club has is that Robertson has shown himself to be very ineffectual as the Finance spokesman and lazy to boot. Which means he would be useless as leader and now they have no one but Little to hang their hat on. But who cares we kept Cunliffe out and that was what was important.

            Labour will go no where until Goff, Cossgrove, King, Dyson and Mallard are gone. Unfortunately they are all going to be in charge until 2017.

            • Matthew Whitehead 2.1.1.2.1.1
              6 September 2016 at 8:31 pm

              To be fair I think Robertson is actually competent in finance and makes Bill English look stupid if you understand economics and political science, it’s just he doesn’t get how to communicate that in feelings, like much of the ABC club he’s a technocrat who thinks if they get the policy right everything will work out fine. The job is 90% communication, not 90% policy. (To be fair Cunliffe didn’t even get that mix right either, but he was the best leader they’ve had since Clark on that front)

              I agree with you on most of the old guard you refer to, (especially Mallard, who I imagine is desperately holding on to try and be Speaker before he’s forced out, and to be fair, that’s about the only role I’d want to see him in, as he may yet pull a Lockwood Smith and turn out to be much better as a Speaker than as an MP) although having actually seen some of Dyson’s work behind the scenes, she is actually a very effective MP from said technocratic- and representational side of things, and I wouldn’t mind her staying on as a backbencher with a senior portfolio, it’s just these people need to realise they are elder statespeople, not leading lights, and need to be mentoring their replacements and preparing to retire from the Party.

        • Mike Bond 2.1.1.3
          30 August 2016 at 2:46 pm

          Well said Jo.

    • Leftie 2.2
      30 August 2016 at 11:41 am

      Where did you hear that load of crap from Jo?

    • Bill 2.3
      30 August 2016 at 12:03 pm

      There’s always the possibility – just a possibility mind – that Little is attempting to successfully pull off Ed Miliband’s electoral strategy.

      That strategy (according to Corbyn) was to under-promise and over-deliver. Miliband got tied in knots by it, but essentially the idea was to mollify the ‘right’ of the party by fighting on that small and kinda boring contested area that’s occupied by the ‘wealthier mashed potato with no salt people’ (muddle NZ in our case) and then deliver on policy tailored for the greater unwashed and abandoned (poorer) masses.

      If – big if – that’s the game plan, then Mahuta, Cunliffe et al don’t come into play until after the election.

      • Jo 2.3.1
        30 August 2016 at 12:19 pm

        So in other words lie! Well the UK voters saw through it and so will the NZ voting Public.
        The problem is, when people suspect you are doing that they ask very specific questions like; will you introduce a capital gains tax or raise the retirement age? Part of John Key’s appeal was he said he would not raise the retirement age, and if National did he would resign as leader. Black and White, discussion over, is Little going to do that or is he going to say we are going to set up a commission/working group to look in to it? People then think, am I voting for this man and his party or some faceless working group. What if I don’t like what the working group comes up with? Better vote for the devil I know!

        • Leftie 2.3.1.1
          30 August 2016 at 2:09 pm

          The devil you want lies all the time. John key is notorious for that. No thanks Jo, 9 years of National’s corruption, sell outs and abject failures is enough. There will be nothing left to fight for should Key rig his way in for another term. I for one, will be voting for change and will vote for a Lab/Green coalition government. You stick with your empty guns though.

          • Reddelusion 2.3.1.1.1
            30 August 2016 at 2:13 pm

            Never would have guessed 😀

          • Jo 2.3.1.1.2
            30 August 2016 at 8:03 pm

            well if the Maori/Mana party take the Maori seats and go into coalition with National then Lab/Green/NZF are not going to be in the dance.

  3. Leftie 3
    30 August 2016 at 11:44 am

    Very nice post there Te Reo Putake, it is most definitely going to be a very interesting year ahead.

  4. Ad 4
    30 August 2016 at 11:57 am

    +100
    We Labour members are very lucky to have actual hard core activists like Matt pushing the leadership from within. Well overdue that Auckland gets some specific focus.

    Can I just put a vote in for a decent fundraiser evening? I understand there are some actual dedicated fundraising resource in Labour HQ these days.
    I went to one in central Auckland when Helen was still around with an art auction in it, and it was a total frenzy of bidding. I remember losing on an Ann Robinson to Charles Chauvell. I don’t think it would be hard to get the Usual Suspects out for a bit of an evening.

    • save nz 4.1
      30 August 2016 at 2:19 pm

      +2 Ad – although I think the focus should be on getting votes and winning the hearts and minds and trust of Aucklander’s. Fundraising should be secondary or not a huge focus. If Winston only has $80,000 and doing ok, then Labour should be focusing on getting more than 25% of vote, not getting money out of people to send them postcards to get more than 25% of the vote. A post card will not change someones mind to vote. A vision and passion and integrity is.

      I am a fan of Cunliffe but it was not a good look when Labour lost the last election to blame fundraising as a reason. It was certainly not fundraising issues that lost last election for Labour. It was the behaviour, policy and strategy of Labour MP’s that lost the last election.

  5. Righty right 5
    30 August 2016 at 12:30 pm

    Well you see Auckland speculator can’t afford any change if labour were to bailout the home owner and reduce our mortgages that would be a winner
    We need the current environment to stay solvent we personally can’t afford low cost home to be built labour should scrap kiwi build and state homes

  6. save nz 6
    30 August 2016 at 2:11 pm

    Great move by Little. Labour seem to have a plan and executing it skilfully.

  7. Michael 7
    30 August 2016 at 2:16 pm

    FWICS, Little has no chance of becoming Prime Minister at any time. Although I understand Labour’s calculation that it does not need the vote of proletarians, or people who live outside the three big cities (same thing, really), in order to take office next year, I think it’s going to be too hard for it to persuade a couple of hundred thousand metropolitan voters (Labour’s target market) to abandon Key and tick the Party Vote box next to the B Team next year. Although Labour should be able to stick Key with all the blame for Auckland’s dysfunctional residential property market (the only issue the target market cares about), I have yet to see any evidence that Labour knows how to manage the problem (I take it as granted that no one knows how to solve it). Exploiting the fear and greed of the target market so as to gain political office calls for a deft hand that I don’t see Labour possessing. Perhaps McCarten has such a hand well-hidden up his sleeve?

    • Ad 7.1
      30 August 2016 at 3:03 pm

      McCarten has the best interests of working people in his blood.
      As does Andrew Little.
      You would know this from a cursory glace at their track records.

      • Michael 7.1.1
        30 August 2016 at 8:58 pm

        McCarten maybe, Little no. I base this conclusion on a close reading of their respective track records.

    • Garibaldi 7.2
      30 August 2016 at 3:05 pm

      I tend to agree with you Michael. It’s like Little is “Third way mk2”. Labour is still basically a right wing party with its free market dogma introduced by Douglas etc back in ’84. I can’t see Little campaigning successfully against Key when their policies are basically similar. How many Nat policies would Labour change outright? Bugger all.

      • In Vino 7.2.1
        30 August 2016 at 6:35 pm

        Yes, Labour have tended to stall the Neo- Lib progress, but never remove the plumbing, meaning that National can easily push the agenda when they get back in.
        And Working for Families was a sop to Righties, rewarding only the virtuous who had work, and leaving the poorest children with no help.
        More open commitment needed to my mind.

        • Cricklewood 7.2.1.1
          30 August 2016 at 6:52 pm

          I’ve always admired the unwavering support given to Labour by some on the left.
          When you look at the last two lab govts they have done very little for the most down trodden in society… made worse by the fact they laid the platform for Ruth Richardson and then couldn’t bring themselves to undo the harm that was done in any meaningful fashion….

          • Michael 7.2.1.1.1
            30 August 2016 at 8:57 pm

            Cricklewood – I agree with your analysis. Labour abandoned its base many years ago and no longer wants to reconnect with it. Perhaps it is just too hard to mobilise alienated voters, when all Labour needs next year is the Party Votes of 200,000 (or so) flakie bourgeoisie, whipped into a state of hysteria over the nominal values of their homes in the big cities. Any government that results from an appeal to this sliver of the electorate won’t be a Labour one, of course.

  8. Jenny Kirk 8
    31 August 2016 at 9:50 am

    Hey tereoputake – great post, but it sure did bring some rightwing trolls out of the undergrowth ! They sound a bit worried ……… as they should be !

    • te reo putake 8.1
      31 August 2016 at 10:13 am

      Yep! One of Key’s strengths has been to ride out difficult patches. But the Auckland housing crisis drags on and on and the Nats continue to look hopelessly ineffective. Hence the obvious worry from the right here and on other social media.

      Plus, it occurs to me that ‘Labour did it too’ is getting less useful as the years pass and it’s seen as odd for Key to both blame Helen Clark for all manner of things and at the same time to be singing her praises in the UN.

  9. Mr Righty 9
    31 August 2016 at 10:22 am

    Hey TRP
    Mccartens company, of which he was sole director was wound up by the liquidators with no money recovered and Mcarten removed as director.

    https://www.business.govt.nz/companies/app/service/services/documents/424A2139C091556AFB779B40F5BC3BDF

    Where is the evidence that he and his company paid the money owing?

  10. Mr Righty 10
    31 August 2016 at 10:32 am

    Mccarten should be labour spokesperson on economics, a failed Director of a company wound up by the courts in 2013 with no $ recovered. Wipe the egg from your face TRP

    http://www.insolvency.govt.nz/oasis3-web/oasis3/page/-oasis/domain/communications/SearchInsolvencyRegister.wdk

    • te reo putake 10.1
      31 August 2016 at 10:45 am

      He’s not an MP, you egg. And having a failed company doesn’t mean a thing. There’s plenty of NZ business owners who didn’t always succeed. Doesn’t mean they’re precluded from doing other things in their professional lives. Grow up, mate.

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    Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
    The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago

  • NZDF is still hostile to oversight
    Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago

  • Winding Back The Hands Of History’s Clock.
    Holding On To The Present: The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 day ago

  • Sweet Moderation? What Christopher Luxon Could Learn From The Germans.
    Stuck In The Middle With You: As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 day ago

  • A clear warning
    The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago

  • Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...
    Buzz  from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example.  This shows National down ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago

  • Listening To The Traffic.
    It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 day ago

  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 day ago

  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 day ago

  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 days ago

  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago

  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago

  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    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. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago

  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago

  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    5 days ago

  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
    Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago

  • Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...
    Buzz from the Beehive   Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago

  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago

  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago

  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago

  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Pharmac Chair appointed
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