Labour’s savings & retirement policy

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 6:37 am, October 28th, 2011 - 100 comments
Categories: election 2011, kiwisaver, national, superannuation - Tags:

Well, they said they were going to run this campaign on policy and make the bold moves, and Labour proved that with their savings policy. National is been left floundering. Labour has the policy-focused discourse it wanted and Key will look silly parading in front of the faithful on the weekend with nothing to say.

Brand Key is unraveling while Labour starts to dictate the play for the first time since Orewa. But the substance of the savings policy wants a closer look, it has both good and bad aspects.

Restarting Cullen Fund contributions

No real argument on this. It just makes sense to save now as a country for the retirement glut coming in the 2030s. National’s suspension of contributions will mean $30 billion less in the Fund in 2050. Key thought it was better to borrow for tax cuts for the rich than to build up our future wealth. That means more of the cost of super in the future will have to be funded from cutting other services or raising taxes. Or, lowering superannuation costs.

Raising the retirement age

Labour has grabbed a second of the so-called third rail issues of New Zealand politics and found that it hasn’t delivered the deadly shock everyone assumed.

Most people realise that, as people live longer (the life expectancy is rising at the rate of 3 months per year) and the population ages, the retirement age needs to go up. Most people realise that the limited resources of the welfare system need to be fairly distributed over the whole population (see this plea by leading doctors in the NZ Medical Journal). The pension system was never intended to support the average retiree for 25 years as it does now (that average is rising). Nor was it intended to support one pensioner for every three working age people.

People are increasingly healthy and capable as they age. Every dollar spent on supporting 65 and 66 year olds who are capable of supporting themselves (and 40% of them are working) is a dollar that can’t be spent on higher priorities, like health, education, tackling climate change, and investing in an oil-free future.

In fact, John Key said:

“will lifting the retirement age by a couple of years in twenty years time be all that big a deal? I suspect not. If anything it is likely to be welcomed by the majority of New Zealanders who recognize that increased levels of longevity, inevitably means that any private capital they have squirreled away will need to be spread more thinly and last longer.”

Of course, that was back in 2004, when he still actually dared to say what he thinks, rather than always charting the path of less resistance, and before he discovered his talent for smiling and waving.

The big issue with raising the age people who are physically incapable of working longer and it’s good to see that Labour has said it will allow people who aren’t healthy enough to work at 65 (and don’t have private means) to get a transition allowance of the same value as the pension.

Keeping access to Kiwisaver at 65 is a good move for people who need to or want to retire earlier than 67 too.

But Labour could have been more creative. Why not allow the transition allowance for anyone over 60 who is too worn out from physical labour to work anymore?

And why we don’t means test in general as a way of reducing expenditure, rather than raising the age. Would that be fairer? Of course, there was pretty strong opposition when National tried to introduce means testing in the 90s.

In general, a good policy as long as it allows for people who aren’t up to working to 67.

Just having a universal basic income would get around all these issues.

Compulsory Kiwisaver

Compulsory Kiwisaver is great. It makes every worker an owner of capital as well. Given our poor savings culture, it will be the only way for some people to build a pool of wealth for their retirement and for building up to pay for a mortgage. From a wider view, it helps New Zealand to build a pool of capital wealth with which to build our future productive capacity, without having it all owned offshore with our country just a source of profits for foreign investors. It will further transfer investment out of housing into businsses.

But the employer contribution is worrying a lot of people. The employer contribution will ramp up at 0.5% a year from 3% to 7%. The Right’s moaning that will will hurt businesses but the worry is that they will rip the increased contributions out of workers’ wages.

You might remember that, when Kiwisaver came in, businesses were deducting their contributions from workers’ wages but Labour made that illegal. Then, National made it legal again. Under this new policy, Labour would leave it legal. The policy says:

“The impact of the 0.5 per cent annual increase on wage negotiations will be a matter for discussion between unions and employers.”

So, Labour is implicitly saying that employers will be able to offset their rising contributions against wage increases . So, workers would end up 4% worse off cash in hand, although with much bigger Kiwisaver nesteggs, as a result. It is going to end up being an employee contribution, not an employer contribution in many cases.

That’s no big deal if you’re getting the 4% average nominal wage growth that Treasury reckons is the norm but when was the last time you saw that kind of a rise? If you’re stuck going backwards in real terms in your wages anyway, then having another half a percent a year ratcheted off will be nasty. Especially for low wage workers who already worry that 2% is too much, being handed a pay cut by their employer will be another burden.

This is closely based on what happened when Aussie introduced their compulsory scheme. Unions agreed to forgo some wage rises in return for the employers’ 9% contributions. But, at the time, the Aussies had strong wage growth and that was driving high inflation. We don’t have strong wage growth.

Another reason to join your union, actually. Union workers have been getting pay hikes while nearly everyone else has been stagnating. And unions will fight hard to make sure that the employer absorbs the higher employer contributions, rather than passing them on.

Farrar is trumpeting this as Labour’s policy to cut wages. What a joke. He was just last week crying about Labour’s work and wages policy to increase wages. Nobody will buy his crocodile tears now.

But the possibility, well likelihood, that the higher employer contributions will end up as a compulsory tax hike on workers’ wages when workers are already struggling is a serious concern.

To be fair, Labour’s other policies will offset this somewhat, if not in full. The first $5,000 tax-free and the $15 minimum wage will make sure that lower paid workers aren’t left out of pocket (and will have much more when they retire). The work and wages policy will help raise wages, particularly for non-union workers. They’re sort of giving with one hand and taking with another (although, let’s not forget it’s your money still when it’s in Kiwisaver).

So why didn’t they make the work and wages policy their big one for the campaign launch? They practically tried to bury it.

And have they thought through the equity implications? If people are retiring with really large Kiwisaver nesteggs will the pressure come on to cut super payments? Australia’s pension is a lot lower because they all have their personal superannuation. But how much you have in your Kiwisaver depends on your income during your working life. The rich will have more to retire on. Will public, universal superannuation get edged out by private, universal but unequal superannuation?

Again, Labour could have been much more creative. Why not have an adjustable employee contribution rather than this employee contribution by stealth and use it to control inflation?

Singapore has something like that. Compulsory savings with a variable contribution level. Rather than increasing the profits to banks by hiking our mortgage rates when inflation goes up in an effort to constrain consumer demand, make us put more of our money into our savings instead (and, thereby, avoid cutting off credit to business as interest rate hikes do). It seems to work for them and it means sending fewer profits offshore.

And where’s the public Kiwisaver option run by Kiwibank with the mandate to buy strategic New Zealand assets? They could have made this much more of a tool for economic reliance and decreasing our level of foreign ownership.

So, compulsory Kiwisaver is good but, if wages don’t rise, the employer contribution will end up being a surprise sting for many workers. And another bloody good reason to join your union. (hey, Farrar, there’s a line for you ‘Labour’s stealth unionistation policy’)

So, it’s a mixed policy. They’ve tried to good things. These good things have some pretty bad side-effects and they haven’t really done enough to address them. And they haven’t been as inventive as they could have been.

Still, when the alternative is this guy ….

100 comments on “Labour’s savings & retirement policy ”

Comments are now closed

Peak Oil is Near 1

28 October 2011 at 6:51 am

This isn’t a very credible policy given Labour left office last time with ever increasing debt and neverending deficits, and their spending track is to rack up billions more in debt. Do Labour think the rest of the country is so stupid, that people can’t separate the rhetoric of their outcomes versus the reality of their accumulated promises?
- Colonial Viper 1.1
  
  28 October 2011 at 7:11 am
  
  Increasing debt? You mean like Bill English borrowing $300M per week?
  - *_* 1.1.1
    
    28 October 2011 at 12:55 pm
    
    Right thicky, think about the economic consequences of not borrowing $300m a week.
    
    Do you actually want social sercices to be cut?
    - Bored 1.1.1.1
      
      28 October 2011 at 3:01 pm
      
      Thick comment methinks…how about not borrowing $300 million a week in order to pay for tax cuts for those who don’t need them?
- r0b 1.2
  
  28 October 2011 at 7:11 am
  
  That isn’t a very credible comment as the claims it makes are wrong. Labour left office with zero net government debt. Deficits were projected as a result of the global crisis. Labour had a package (much more credible than National’s) for addressing this and reducing projected debt quickly, but never had a chance to do a budget on it.
  - Peak Oil is Near 1.2.1
    
    28 October 2011 at 8:04 am
    
    Rob have a look at the PREFU before the election in 2008. It forecast ever increasing debt and neverending deficits. Please point out which claims are wrong.
    
    You can’t be serious when you say Labour had a package. They didn’t have a package. Not one they took to the election. They vaguely promised a mini budget afterwards.
    
    Who to believe, the Treasury whose job it is to forecast, or Labour who had the chance to come up with a plan before the election, didn’t, vaguely promised to fix things afterwards, and then after the election criticised every spending change that National made?
    - Lanthanide 1.2.1.1
      
      28 October 2011 at 8:47 am
      
      I’ve commented on this in the last couple of days.
      
      What exactly did National do in 2009 to turn this “decade of deficits” around? Window dressing on kiwisaver and cutting contributions to the cullen fund. That, and a tax cut which they went and repealed and replaced with something more regressive is essentially it. Lets just forget about the “do-fest not talk-fest” talk-fest jobs conference and the cycleway, shall we?
      
      I think the “decade of deficits” was overegged by treasury, and National grabbed it and ran with it. Now it’s become this cultural myth that millions of people believe because National keeps lying to them about it.
    - framu 1.2.1.2
      
      28 October 2011 at 9:08 am
      
      “had the chance to come up with a plan before the election, didn’t, vaguely promised to fix things afterwards, and then after the election criticised every spending change that (insert party) made?”
      
      that was nationals entire election strategy in 2008 and how they behaved once they won.
    - r0b 1.2.1.3
      
      28 October 2011 at 9:55 am
      
      Please point out which claims are wrong.
      
      This one for a start “Labour left office last time with ever increasing debt”. Labour left office with zero net government debt.
      
      Rob have a look at the PREFU before the election in 2008. It forecast ever increasing debt and neverending deficits.
      
      You might recall that the global economic situation changed rapidly in 2008, of course there were sudden changes in predictions. Had Labour had the opportunity to do another budget they would have fixed it. Since you clearly didn’t read the link I gave you above, I’ll repeat one of the main sources quoted, John Armstrong at the start of the 2008 election campaign:
      
      If actions speak louder than words, Labour was the winner on Day One of the official election campaign – game, set and match. In the fight over which of the two major parties is best at running the economy, Labour scored a significant tactical victory. …
      
      Key’s earlier speech at National’s campaign opening in Auckland’s SkyCity Convention Centre said nothing new on economic policy. In fact, it said nothing new about anything.
      
      If that was not bad enough, Labour was getting ready to lay out something really meaty just a few blocks away in the Auckland Town Hall. There, Helen Clark trumped Key by delivering the recovery package he had been demanding, including contingency plans to save jobs and the promise of a mini-budget in December. The upshot was that Labour looked like it was governing; National looked complacent and flat-footed.
      
      The right wing is desperate to try and rewrite history, but the facts are clear. Labour were competent managers of the economy, and the Nats have stuffed up by borrowing to fund their unnecessary tax cuts for the rich.
      - dave brown 1.2.1.3.1
        
        28 October 2011 at 10:54 am
        
        Exactly, Labour is swinging right again to prove that in a global crisis it is a better manager of the NZ economy that National. That’s what being tough is all about. Its signalling to international bankers that NZ is a safer bet with Labour’s fiscal responsibility than Nationals profligacy. Its no surprise the Lange government did it during another crisis and today Social Democratic governments are the ones ‘managing’ the debts in Greece, Spain, Portugal and sharing the task in Ireland. Why not right wing Labour in NZ?
        Here’s the price pensioners are paying for the crisis in Greece.
        http://thenextrecession.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/the-euro-non-solution/
        
        Bored 1.2.1.3.1.1
        
        28 October 2011 at 2:58 pm
        
        Gee Dave, I wont argue with you on that point, it is the core problem of our age: conventional thinking as opposed to checking reality and testing conventions against that. True proof that Labour cannot think outside of the status quo.
      - Bazar 1.2.1.3.2
        
        28 October 2011 at 5:15 pm
        
        “Labour left office with zero net government debt.”
        
        Care to show how you came to that conclusion?
        i find that utterly baffling how you can state that, given the following budget.
  - Herodotus 1.2.2
    
    28 October 2011 at 9:24 am
    
    r0b Labour can into the 08 election with the promise of a mini budget Yet on the eve of the election there were limited details on what promises that they were then currently making were to be revoked, and what the mini budget contained. Perhaps even the Labour tax cuts promised were to go for a 2nd time. Some may not value your vote, but for me I would like to have some details on what to make a semi informed decision on.
    Nice to see Lab at least viewing this issue withsome credibility, and get my full support. It still confuses me why Lab have been so upfront here, and yet pander in regard to CGT with looking after rich minority interests with some of their exemptions e.g.
    “The family bach would be caught by the tax, but only if it was sold. If it was handed down through the generations, no CGT wuld be paid..”
    Pity Phil has been the sacrificial lamb in this election, leading in some good issues, but for past comments from Lab undermining decussions e.g. CGT, raising pension age. Perhaps this is a plan and establishing positioning for next time.
    - r0b 1.2.2.1
      
      28 October 2011 at 10:00 am
      
      Hi Herodotus – see reply to Peak Oil above (1.2.1.3). Labour had a detailed plan for response to the crisis. I don’t know if it exists on line anywhere now, but John Armstrong was clearly impressed by it. It’s a real pity that Labour didn’t survive the ’08 election and have a chance to put the plan in to effect. We’d be in a much better position now…
- Eddie 1.3
  
  28 October 2011 at 7:31 am
  
  If peak oil is near, then moving to reform the fastest growing share of our economy – superannuation payments – is pretty important. Because if the growth Treasury predicts doesn’t happen then the cost of super as a share of our output is going to rapidly reach crisis level.
- KJT 1.4
  
  28 October 2011 at 8:17 am
  
  Typical Neo-Liberal BS. Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes fact. (NACT is further into deficit and debt than Labour would ever have been and more austerity will make it worse, not better). Like the one that we cannot afford to keep our elderly in retirement.
  
  It is disappointing, after showing signs of becoming a real Labour party again, Labour has bought the TINA line on superannuation.
  
  Cutting benefits and taxes is not the answer. It is national suicide, as the UK has already proven.
  
  If super does become too expensive the answer is already in the article above.
  Cut it for those still working.
  Means test it.
  Have an abatement rate like other benefits.
  Increase tax on high incomes to Australian levels.
  
  Or
  
  A truly courageous Labour party would have made super universal, as a GMFI for all ages.
  Instead of having to beg WINZ for what should be every New Zealanders birth right. Enough to feed and house themselves.
  
  This shows that Labour is still too scared too take on our real problems.
  The need for a sustainable NZ centric economy.
  The dominance of corporates and the, mostly overseas, wealthy in our social and economic life.
  
  The way to make super sustainable in future is to invest in the future of our youth. Not in funds that gamble in dodgy financial markets overseas. Which are going to collapse in our lifetimes.
  - Carol 1.4.1
    
    28 October 2011 at 8:24 am
    
    If super does become too expensive the answer is already in the article above.
    Cut it for those still working.
    That is already being done in effect.
    
    Actually, the current rule is that, for people working over 65 years, NZ Super is reduced or at least clawed back through taxes, as a result of the amount of income they are earning.
    
    http://www.msd.govt.nz/what-we-can-do/seniorcitizens/entitlements/nz-superannuation/
    
    You can still receive your New Zealand Superannuation while you are working or receiving other income, but this may affect the amount of income tax you have to pay on your combined income.
    [..]
    If you earn more than $100 (before tax) a week your payments are reduced by 70 cents for every dollar of income over $100 (before tax).
    - Descendant Of Smith 1.4.1.1
      
      28 October 2011 at 6:32 pm
      
      You missed an important bit out:
      
      Other income
      
      Receiving other income does not affect your NZ Super unless your partner is included in your payments. If your partner is included, you can have other income of up to $100 (before tax) a week between you before your NZ Super is affected. If you earn more than this, we will take 70c off your payment for each dollar of income over this limit.
      
      When a partner (usually aged under 65 and I know of one person who had an 18 year old partner) is included in your NZS it is income tested – when it is not or you both qualify yourselves for NZS then there is no income test.
      
      Unlike Australia where it is both income and asset tested and you cannot include underage partners.
      
      In some respects Labour’s changes do presumably asset test the first two years – 65 and 66 though I’m not sure they have said that the proposed transitional payment will be subject to income testing.
  - Draco T Bastard 1.4.2
    
    28 October 2011 at 1:16 pm
    
    The way to make super sustainable in future is to invest in the future of our youth. Not in funds that gamble in dodgy financial markets overseas. Which are going to collapse in our lifetimes.
    
    Bingo.
    
    The present economic system we use doesn’t work as it’s not connected to reality and shifts all the wealth that the country has into the hands of the few – just as what happened under feudalism and every other dictatorship.
  - Vicky32 1.4.3
    
    29 October 2011 at 1:27 am
    
    If super does become too expensive the answer is already in the article above.
    Cut it for those still working.
    Means test it.
    Have an abatement rate like other benefits.
    Increase tax on high incomes to Australian levels.
    
    Excellent ideas! 😀
- Bored 1.5
  
  28 October 2011 at 3:00 pm
  
  Suggest you change your name to Peak Oil is PASSED. In the interests of accuracy.
  - insider 1.5.1
    
    28 October 2011 at 5:56 pm
    
    Global Oil supply from IEA monthly report
    
    Jan 2000 – 74.6mbpd
    Jan 2009 – 85.2mbpd
    AUg 2011 – 89.1mbpd
mickysavage 2

28 October 2011 at 7:22 am

Labour is proving very adept at dominating the policy debates.

It is also capable of describing in detail what the problem is and what needs to be done.

Key by comparison struggles to keep up and resorts to telling fibs. His statement that the increase in the age of retirement is required to fund spending increases is disingenuous in the extreme because the increase in age does not start for many years.

And the Government will have increased costs in contributions to the Kiwisaver accounts of public servants.

The real danger to National is that it shows how bereft of ideas and thinking they are. Pretty scary when you think they have only been in office for one term.

This will be an interesting election.
- r0b 2.1
  
  28 October 2011 at 7:29 am
  
  This will be an interesting election.
  
  It’s turning into an almost pure test between realism and populism. One of those roads ends well, the other doesn’t…
- Peak Oil is Near 2.2
  
  28 October 2011 at 8:04 am
  
  “Labour is proving very adept at dominating the policy debates.”
  
  HAHAHAHAHA! Comedy gold!
  - Colonial Viper 2.2.1
    
    28 October 2011 at 8:35 am
    
    Not hard to dominate policy debates when the National Government just smiles and waves.
    - Carol 2.2.1.1
      
      28 October 2011 at 8:39 am
      
      Interesting comment from Q & A producer Tim Watkin in his Pundit article comments section today:
      
      http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/labour-launches-for-election-2011-or-does-it
      
      I can tell you it’s tricky getting National to front on a few things at the moment.
Uturn 3

28 October 2011 at 7:33 am

Good article, Eddie and I agree on the “good, but could be more creative” review. In my opinion, Labour needs someone like the Greens as some kind of influential partner to even out the sensible concentration of attention for the present with an overall destination.

The Greens as least know there are going to be shortfalls in the future, since no one can simply turn off the metaphorical lights and walk into the ideological sunset, and they’ve made tentative plans. Labour’s ideas will apparently solve today’s problem from a numbers on paper point of view, but they need to realize they are transitioning to somewhere; whether they know where that somewhere is or not. It needn’t change their policy, but could improve their approach.

If Labour entertained the idea that NZ is transitioning a little more eagerly, they might take a more dynamic view of their otherwise good policy. The Greens recognise that features of population control, employment, health and welfare will necessarily overlap and blend. From their policies we can see that what is good for Health, is also good for Welfare, which also supports Population and Employment, which links up with sustainable practices of land use.

From street level, it looks like Labour still has the idea that here is Super, more or less in isolation, here is Welfare in isolation, here is Health in isolation. They may do that because it is easier to sell it that way, but the cracks of treating everything as a stand-alone unit become obvious – you point it out well in the article. If the Greens can get their head round a dynamic system (and I mean no disrespect by saying “if they can do it…”) then Labour could be at a disadvantage, long term, by committing to an older system of policy formation. Simply put, I think Labour can learn something off the Greens way of thinking that will improve our situation overall.

You make other comments:

“The pension system was never intended to support the average retiree for 25 years as it does now…”

“Why not allow the transition allowance for anyone over 60 who is too worn out from physical labour…”

“If you’re stuck going backwards in real terms in your wages anyway, then having another half a percent a year ratcheted off will be nasty…”

And these highlight the fact that a dynamic system is in effect, but not being appreciated. If pensions must or should be the final hurrah before death, then a new attitude to work must begin: far earlier than when a person enters the workforce. So Super actually has links to education curriculums. The Greens recognise this with their social policy. It may also have links to employment law: if we accept people get worn out from manual labour (and they do, a lot sooner than 65, 60 or even 45) then a new system of holidays must come into effect. Which holidays? Well the old system of Christian holidays plus days in lieu simply isn’t enough or even remotely practical. Maybe Labour day becomes Labour week, instead. Maybe our week becomes a new arrangement of shift days, who knows. Technologies will change, methods will change. But once you start getting creative, you see that you’re not only adjusting Super and retirement age, you’re unavoidably reshaping society and it’s cultural norms. Naturally, if people work less or differently, the “economy” as we know it will change dramatically and the idea of money as a measure of wealth will shift.

Anyway, I don’t suggest everyone should say hurray for The Greens policy and go vote for them, I just point out their thinking is at a more effective level.
- Galeandra 3.1
  
  28 October 2011 at 8:04 am
  
  Well said.
Pete George 4

28 October 2011 at 7:35 am

Something as important to get right long term as National Super deserves proper debate and wide agreement. Bundling it with a bunch of election rescue gimmicks is politics at it’s worst.

Pushing up the age of eligibility severely disadvantages groups with life expectancy in the hight sixties – like Maori males and diabetics.
- Colonial Viper 4.1
  
  28 October 2011 at 7:41 am
  
  PG just means that we now have 10 years to get the life expectancy issues with Maori males and diebetics sorted.
  - Tiger Mountain 4.1.1
    
    28 October 2011 at 7:51 am
    
    Yes CV approach it from the positive angle that the health stats can and will be improved.
  - Pete George 4.1.2
    
    28 October 2011 at 8:48 am
    
    There’s a problem with that. We are yet to see the worst of the effects of obesity and diabetes epidemics. In some demographics the outlook is not good for improving life expectancy, in fact there are some indications it could get worse.
- ghostwhowalksnz 4.2
  
  28 October 2011 at 7:50 am
  
  How are they disadvantaged ? You cant spend the money if you are dead.
  While Maori have a shorter life expectancy – from birth- once they get to 65 the life expectancy is still just under 80 for Maori males
  http://www.stats.govt.nz/searchresults.aspx?q=life%20tables
  - uke 4.2.1
    
    28 October 2011 at 12:07 pm
    
    There is also an argument that because Maori people die younger on average, they are in effect getting ripped off by the social contract/tax system, because they don’t to enjoy as much of the super or health-system benefits they have contributed to during their working lives.
    - insider 4.2.1.1
      
      28 October 2011 at 6:02 pm
      
      But don’t they also earn less meaning they pay in far less yet die of nasty expensive diseases like cancer and diabetes. Maybe they are getting out more in services than they put in
      
      But how do you decide who is and isn’t Maori and so differentiate who gets paid out early?
      - McFlock 4.2.1.1.1
        
        28 October 2011 at 6:33 pm
        
        But don’t they also earn less meaning they pay in far less yet die of nasty expensive diseases like cancer and diabetes. Maybe they are getting out more in services than they put in
        
        Seriously, take a step back and just have a look at how insane that comment is. I mean, yes it is possible for people to get into a bit of a tactical fixation and lose perspective around their statements, but this is just nuts. Completely and utterly nuts. Yes, I know it’s a continuation of a point, but seriously. Not to mention the wee slide from “they also earn less” to “they pay in far less” [my italics].
        
        The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 4.2.1.1.1.1
        
        28 October 2011 at 6:53 pm
        
        Don’t call people nuts, McFlock. r0b doesn’t like it.
        
        r0b …
        
        28 October 2011 at 7:04 pm
        
        Oh don’t sulk GF. Everyone flings around labels (me too). I just happen to have a strong personal reaction to the “normal” label, which you triggered. I’m sorry I hurt your feelings!
        
        The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell …
        
        28 October 2011 at 7:15 pm
        
        For some reason, I really believe that you are genuinely concerned you may have hurt my feelings. Which is nice, but not …what…normal?
        
        Fear not, if I my feelings were so easily hurt, I wouldn’t be coming here quite so often.
        
        r0b …
        
        28 October 2011 at 7:17 pm
        
        True dat. G’night.
    - Vicky32 4.2.1.2
      
      29 October 2011 at 1:35 am
      
      because Maori people die younger on average
      
      It’s important to note that they are not the only ones..
      - Jenny 4.2.1.2.1
        
        29 October 2011 at 7:40 am
        
        …..Maori people die younger on average. It’s important to note that they are not the only ones.
        
        Vicky 32
        
        Absolutely true Vicky, according to a study published in New Scientist a few years ago. (sorry I can’t locate the link), shift workers die on average seven years earlier than other workers.
        
        The study identified shift work as being as dangerous to your health as smoking.
        
        The damage is done through disruption of the body’s natural bio rhythms. Another deleterious side affect of shift work is weight gain, often leading to obesity due to the affect of eating meals when the digestion system is in it’s rest phase. This compounds the problem, as people suffering from obesity also die younger.
        
        Think of all the women who clean our offices and public buildings during the night, surely among the hardest working and most under appreciated section of the community.
        
        Most of them will never get to enjoy a pension as it is. This regressive austerity policy will make doubly sure of it.
        
        Would Labour consider a blanket exemption for shift workers?
        
        I doubt it.
        
        Jenny 4.2.1.2.1.1
        
        29 October 2011 at 7:53 am
        
        Labour is “bravely” determined to drive an extra nail into Maori and Island shift workers coffin lid rather than tax rich speculators like John Key. It seems that in their commitment to Austerity measures, both National and Labour want to make us pay for an economic crisis not of our making.
        
        Colonial Viper 4.2.1.2.1.2
        
        29 October 2011 at 7:59 am
        
        Anyone who works a regular night shift eg a cleaner or security on 6pm-2am should be quite fine. Its those who do rotating shifts who are in the most trouble eg. some healthcare professionals, mining industry, heavy manufacturing etc. You don’t want to stay in that kind of role for more than 10 years.
        
        I’m not a fan of Labour’s policy, as I believe that there are many other creative ways of solving the looming NZ super shortfalls (as already pointed out by other commentators). And if anything, the eligibility age should be lowered two years not increased two years.
        
        But the policy launch has done its job. Showed NZ that only one party in this election is willing to take the future seriously.
        
        btw plenty of time for the policy to be creatively changed through detailed community consultation once Labour is in power 😉
        
        Jenny …
        
        29 October 2011 at 9:08 am
        
        Labour’s savings in retirement policy
        
        Labour supporters have justified raising the age of retirement by claiming that modern work is less arduous and less physically damaging. That may be true. But workers are working longer hours and the pace of work has increased making it more stressful, not only this but since the invention of the 24 hour society, tens of thousands of workers now work shifts.
        
        The Working Nightmare
        
        How Labour’s plan will kill workers.
        
        “The older the worker, the less tolerant they are to withstanding the adverse effects of shift work… It disrupts the body’s circadian rhythms, that is, its daily cycle, causing tiredness, mental stress, cardio-vascular diseases, gastro-intestinal disorders, menstrual disorders, reproductive system dysfunction and increased accidents.”
        
        …..working odd hours puts the body under chronic stress, leading to a potentially fatal increase in abnormal heart rhythms. There is also an increased risk of breast cancer. A Danish study of 7,000 women who worked nights found they were one and a half times more likely to be diagnosed with the disease.
        
        “Often, women who work nights have delayed periods or missed periods. Sleeping patterns are disrupted, so the immune system is affected. People who work shifts are generally off sick more and there is anecdotal evidence it causes depression.”
        
        If Labour is to persist with this vicious anti-worker anti-woman austerity measure, all shift workers, (especially cleaners), should be exempt.
        
        Vicky32 …
        
        29 October 2011 at 11:54 pm
        
        All this makes me worry about my son who’s a hospital staff nurse and who works rotating shifts, especially as he’s under 25 – he’s constantly irritable and it’s obvious why.. 🙁
        
        Jenny 4.2.1.2.1.3
        
        29 October 2011 at 9:03 am
        
        A killing policy?
        
        Ergonomics for schools – A primer: Shift work
        
        As a human being, you have a ‘daily body clock’ or circadian rhythm (animals have this too). Your temperature, heart rate, blood pressure and mental ability are synchronised so that they are higher during daylight hours than at night, when the body is prepared to sleep and recover from the day’s activities. Even if the normal influences of day and night are taken away, such as natural light and knowledge of the time, this internal clock still works and operates a cycle of between 22 and 25 hours…..
        
        ……Night workers often suffer from disturbed daytime sleep, which may be due to increased noise, but it is more likely due to the body just not being ready to sleep during the day. This lack of good quality sleep among night workers can lead to chronic fatigue, which can be shown as tiredness, irritability and depression. They may also suffer from loss of appetite and digestive problems……
        
        ….Workers on late or night shifts often feel isolated from their family and friends because they are working when others are socialising. Family life can be difficult.
        
        About two-thirds of shift workers suffer from some kind of ill-health…..
        
        This primer on shift work says that because of it’s deleterious effects of “Night work is not recommended, but if it cannot be avoided, then the following guidelines should be considered:
        Ideally, night shift workers should be not be older than 50 years of age, or younger than 25.”
        
        Who hasn’t seen an elderly man in a baggy security guard’s uniform hanging off his elderly frame on the late shift.
        Increasing the risk of early mortality by forcing these workers to work for another two years, is guaranteed to save the government even more on more on Super Payments through increased mortality rates.
        
        A nasty attack on those least likely to fight back.
        
        A brave policy move? Indeed.
RedLogix 5

28 October 2011 at 8:31 am

Yet another example of the media screwing the scrum.

Labour releases a major piece of new policy and again the headline and the first para in the Herald piece are John Key slagging it off.
- Draco T Bastard 5.1
  
  28 October 2011 at 2:09 pm
  
  Yep, they need to do two or more articles. The release and then the responses from the various parties separately. Of course, the MSM won’t do this as they’re just a mouth piece for NAct.
Lanthanide 6

28 October 2011 at 8:50 am

This could be an opening for Winston. He was on morning report this morning with a somewhat conflicted message that he didn’t support raising the retirement age, because we need solutions now not in 10 years time.

Anyway, they can now campaign on: Don’t want National, but don’t want to raise retirement age? Vote NZ First.
- Pete George 6.1
  
  28 October 2011 at 8:54 am
  
  Idiot/Savant at No Right Turn on Winston and Labour:
  
  … it’s a cynical, calculated ploy to wedge National against their own base while driving voters to Winston, who is Labour’s only hope of government. Winston, of course, will veto any increase as the price of his support, so its an empty threat, purely for show, dishonest as well as evil.
  
  A Clayton’s policy?
  
  It will be interesting to see what the Maori Party think of raising the entitlement age.
  - KJT 6.1.1
    
    28 October 2011 at 9:34 am
    
    Bullshit.
    
    Even though I disagree with this policy. And the fact that Labour has not entirely abandoned the Neo-liberal paradigm. I am sure they are bringing it in because they think it is the right thing to do.
    
    Unlike NACT, who are just going to throw us enough bones, to keep those who are silly enough to support them, docile until they complete another theft.
    Which will take them until 2014.
    Then they will want Labour back in to build things up again so they can repeat the theft in future.
    
    What is UF policy, apart from acting as driver/lookout for the thieves, that is?
    - Pete George 6.1.1.1
      
      28 October 2011 at 9:59 am
      
      Dunne unveils radical 60 to 70 choice on superannuation; compulsory KiwiSaver
      
      New Zealanders should be able to take superannuation at reduced rates down to 60 or increasingly enhanced rates if they hold off until between 66 and 70, alongside making KiwiSaver compulsory.
      
      http://www.unitedfuture.org.nz/superannuation-policy-launch-dunne-unveils/
      - Colonial Viper 6.1.1.1.1
        
        29 October 2011 at 8:17 am
        
        Once that policy is properly costed out and detailed, Labour will be happy to implement ideas from it when Dunne signs up 😉
Blighty 7

28 October 2011 at 9:12 am

Rubbish. No party would ever engage in such a high risk play. Sacrificing 2 or 3 MPs in the hope that another party will then get over 5% and hoping that that party will be willing to work with them.

Labour wouldn’t have done this if they thought it wasn’t the right thing to do and a vote winner.
- Lanthanide 7.1
  
  28 October 2011 at 12:34 pm
  
  Labour wouldn’t have set out to do it deliberately, I agree.
  
  It was probably a potential risk/outcome that they considered when drafting the policy, though, and pragmatically speaking it’s a better outcome for them than not forming government at all.
  - Jenny 7.1.1
    
    28 October 2011 at 8:18 pm
    
    I don’t think you guys get it.
    
    Labour don’t want to win.
    
    They have made that very clear.
    
    The reasons are twofold.
    
    1/ Not being fully divorced from their support for neo-liberalism – in the face of the recession, Labour would have little choice than to impose an austerity package different to National’s only in the details.
    
    2/ Labour have a history of sectarian disdain for parties to their left. As a result, in the past Labour have favoured conservative coalition partners over left leaning ones. If forced to lead a coalition of left leaning parties, Labour would rather pass up the chance to regain the treasury benches till next time.
Gosman 8

28 October 2011 at 9:15 am

Bravo Labour on the plans to increase the retirement age. It is the one policy area which Labour has it all over National. If the rest of the policy mix wasn’t such leftist nonsense it would almost make me think about voting for them. It is so refreshing to see a political party be willing to make a politically hard but necessary policy decision public before an election.
- millsy 8.1
  
  28 October 2011 at 10:03 am
  
  Can you please explain to me why you think that having the lowest rate of senior poverty in the OECD is unacceptable to you, and if you are willing to accept a sharp increase in homelessness among the elderley?
  - Gosman 8.1.1
    
    28 October 2011 at 12:27 pm
    
    Sorry???
    
    Homelessness has little to do with if someone is elderly or not and strategies to tackle it should be broadbased not focused on one particular demographic.
    - Colonial Viper 8.1.1.1
      
      28 October 2011 at 1:26 pm
      
      The strategies to tackle it should be focused on at risk groups and demographics are a way of determining at risk groups.
      - Draco T Bastard 8.1.1.1.1
        
        28 October 2011 at 2:16 pm
        
        The strategy should be to ensure that everyone receives the basics and then to target those who need more.
Bill 9

28 October 2011 at 9:43 am

Numbers illustrative only.

If there were 1 million kids between the ages of 1 and 18 being supported financially forty + years ago when it was commonplace to have a single ‘breadwinner’ in the family supporting generally larger families than today. And if women were generally excluded from the workforce 40 years ago, meaning that children and an adult were financially supported by a single wage and the taxes paid from it. And if the average life expectancy is not higher than 65 +18, then there are no more people for society to support financially than there was previously.

Forty years ago, the people retiring today were children being financially supported by a workforce, proportionately half of what it is today. (PAYE etc going to provide welfare provisions) and today, families are generally smaller than in previous decades.

So it seems the situation is that the population ‘bulge’ is simply moving from the lower age bracket (children) to the older age bracket (those same children in older age). Meanwhile our workforce encompasses a larger proportion of the population (roughly x2 since women no longer being excluded)

And many people die before retirement age. And the majority die before the age of 83 (retirement age + 18).

Seems to me that if ever there was an argument for people before profit, then this is it.
- Colonial Viper 9.1
  
  28 October 2011 at 1:41 pm
  
  More people working Bill, but earning a smaller share of national income individually than ever before.
  - Draco T Bastard 9.1.1
    
    28 October 2011 at 2:19 pm
    
    And that is the problem that Bill is highlighting. The neo-liberal reforms have made it so that a lot more people are working harder than ever before while getting less. The result is, of course, rampant poverty.
Pete George 10

28 October 2011 at 11:02 am

Joshua Hitchcock blogs on the problem for Māori with Labour’s super age bump and comes to the same common sense flexi-super conclusion.

The Value of Ngā Tāne Māori
randal 11

28 October 2011 at 11:04 am

the fact of the matter is that giving anything to anybody is an alien concept to national party voters.
Their personal psychology is that there is never enough to go round and therefore they have to grab everything in case it runs out.
so acquisitiveness becomes psychopathology and then they have to work it out in public.
boot the tories out I say.
Afewknowtheturth 12

28 October 2011 at 11:06 am

Eddie.

‘No real argument on this. It just makes sense to save now as a country for the retirement glut coming in the 2030s. National’s suspension of contributions will mean $30 billion less in the Fund in 2050. ‘

This sort of statement is utterly absurd. Nobody in their right mind expects western societies to even exist in 2050, let alone know how much shorfall there will be in government funds.

The International Energy Agency admitted Peak Oil was in 2005 and the only reason there is no panic in ‘the markets’ is becaise most people are totally unaware and many of those who are believe the bizarre drivel the IEA came up with that yet-to-be-dicovered oil, equivalent to four Saudi Arabia’s in the short term and ten Saudi Arabia’s in the long term, will keep the world supplied: the reality is, of course, that little of that ‘yet-to-be-dicovered’ oil actually exists and what does exist is in in places where it cannot be easily extracted. So the entire global economy will be down the drain by 2020, if not well before then.

And there is the matter of abrupt climate change. Every credible report on climate change points to the Earth becoming largely unhabitable by the end of this century, and many reports indicate we will reach the point of a largely unihabitable planet by mid-century. The video embedded here expalins it both the oil and the temprature predicaments succinctly

http://guymcpherson.com/2011/09/couchsurfing-with-my-soapbox/

Alternatively, if you prefer the mathematical approach, the most important video you will ever see (or not, as the case might be if you don’t bother to look):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-QA2rkpBSY

The total unsustainability of present financial arrengements is clearly explained here:

http://www.chrismartenson.com/crashcourse

It is incredibly easy to get ‘up to speed’ on all this stuff but people seem to find hanging on to delusions preferable to becoming informed.

So, I and others go over the same things week after week and nothing sinks in.

It all reminds me of what Einstein said: “The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has limits.” (Or words ot that effect)
travellerev 13

28 October 2011 at 11:31 am

Here is my view on Labour’s very,very unfortunate plans
- The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 13.1
  
  28 October 2011 at 3:17 pm
  
  Phill Goff has shown his true allegiance: That of the financial terrorist scamming the world into indentured slavery!
  
  Yeah, that’s what he’s doing, Ev. There are no shades with you, are there?
  - travellerev 13.1.1
    
    28 October 2011 at 4:22 pm
    
    As far as the big parties are concerned not really, no.
    If they perpetuate the international financial terrorist scam to the detriment of their people they have made their choice.
    
    Here is a nice one from Max Keiser on RT today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8sK9gZEUac&feature=player_embedded
    - The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 13.1.1.1
      
      28 October 2011 at 4:34 pm
      
      Raising the age of entitlement to superannuation by five years over a twelve year period is terrorism?
      
      Really?
      
      Really?
      
      Are you sure?
      
      Really?
      - travellerev 13.1.1.1.1
        
        28 October 2011 at 4:47 pm
        
        Perpetuating the fiat currency hoax and trying to tax people to the hilt because you have been gambling and expecting governments to put austerity measures in place so you can keep on rorting is. Did you watch the Max Keiser video? Here’s you next assignment Crash Course.
        
        Here is another great series of documentaries about the financial crisis:
        
        Inside the meltdown
        
        Not that I will be holding my breath that you’ll be watching them but who knows there might be others reading this.
        
        The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 13.1.1.1.1.1
        
        28 October 2011 at 4:50 pm
        
        No, Ev. I won’t be watching them.
        
        Because I am normal.
        
        r0b …
        
        28 October 2011 at 5:01 pm
        
        Baaaaa! Baaaaa!
        
        The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell …
        
        28 October 2011 at 5:24 pm
        
        Yes, r0b. It is conformist in the extreme to refuse to believe that the Labour Party are engaging in terrorism by raising the age of entitlement to superannuation by five years over a twelve year period or that Mike Moore is part of a secret cabal of bankers keeping everyone poor.
        
        I balance this conformism out by insisting on believing that Jon Denver and Martina Navratilova are the same person.
        
        r0b …
        
        28 October 2011 at 5:31 pm
        
        Don’t reckon that Ev’s links were about those topics GF!
        
        Sorry – the sheep thing was just a reaction to “normal”. What folk usually mean by “normal” is “like me” – hadn’t picked you for a “mainstream New Zealanders” type…
        
        The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell …
        
        28 October 2011 at 5:42 pm
        
        I would rather set fire to my own legs than watch Ev’s videos. However, she considers every problem in the world can be explained by the so-called 911 conspiracy and/or the so-called international banking conspiracy so I have just guessed that her links were about that.
        
        Was I wrong?
        
        I think those birther consipracy people are not normal. I think people who eat meatloaf are not normal. And yes, I think Ev is not normal.
        
        r0b …
        
        28 October 2011 at 5:52 pm
        
        Was I wrong?
        
        On this occasion, yes you were.
        
        I think those birther consipracy people are not normal. I think people who eat meatloaf are not normal. And yes, I think Ev is not normal.
        
        I think you’re a bit too quick to be flinging round the labels.
        
        Draco T Bastard …
        
        28 October 2011 at 6:27 pm
        
        No, you’re a fucken idiot and delusional.
        
        The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell …
        
        28 October 2011 at 6:33 pm
        
        Draco’s unafraid to hand out the labels, I see.
        
        Good on you, man. Coming from you, that means a lot.
        
        xxx
The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 14

28 October 2011 at 11:38 am

I know the authors at the Standard always have a keen eye for a flip flop.

Must have missed this one, I guess:

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/79832/government-says-no-to-raising-pension-age

In July 2011 Mr Goff was saying:

Labour leader Phil Goff says his party has a plan to meet the future costs of superannuation without raising the pension age.
- r0b 14.1
  
  28 October 2011 at 5:03 pm
  
  GF I know you always have a keen eye for lunacy. So should we ignore double downgrades of international confidence in our economic future (that mention out superannuation costs as a risk)? Or should we – I dunno – do something?
  - The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 14.1.1
    
    28 October 2011 at 5:35 pm
    
    I think the raising of the age of entitlement is an excellent and inevitable policy. However, I just know that if John Key ruled something out and then did that very thing three months later, you would all be calling him a liar. In fact, the post points to a difference in Key’s position over a seven year period and makes much of it as an inconsistency. Yet a 180 degree turn in 3 months by Goff is somehow laudable.
    - r0b 14.1.1.1
      
      28 October 2011 at 5:39 pm
      
      Hate to get all semantics on you, but Goff didn’t rule anything out.
      
      Key has ruled out changes to the retirement age (big time).
      
      Goff said he had a plan that didn’t require it. Then circumstances changed (downgrades) so the plan changed.
      
      Sound pretty reasonable, no?
      - The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 14.1.1.1.1
        
        28 October 2011 at 5:46 pm
        
        So Key’s change of plan in relation to raising the rate of GST was a reasonable response to the changed economic circumstances between him saying he wouldn’t and him raising it?
        
        Or is that different semantically, or in some other way?
        
        Puddleglum 14.1.1.1.1.1
        
        28 October 2011 at 5:54 pm
        
        Not sure how the changed economic circumstances had anything to do with the GST increase.
        
        Wasn’t that whole ‘tax switch’ thing aimed at being fiscally neutral and setting us up for a ‘fairer’ tax system rather than being a change brought about by straightened economic circumstances?
        
        r0b 14.1.1.1.1.2
        
        28 October 2011 at 5:59 pm
        
        Key tends to make strong promises (no GST raises, no super raises). Some he keeps (super), some he goes back on (GST). When he breaks a promise it’s fair to call him on it.
        
        Goff’s statements are more circumspect. In this case he had a plan, circumstance changed, he changed the plan.
        
        So yeah – different ballparks. Key needs to tone down the unrealistic, grandstanding promises.
Puddleglum 15

28 October 2011 at 1:18 pm

It needs to be emphasised that it is not only the physical nature of manual, often unskilled, work that undermines human health.

We’re not just talking about back problems.

Just as important is the stress associated with a lifetime of low status work carried out (by adults) at the beck and call of others (unemployment is even lower status, of course, and represents the Scylla to employment’s Charybdis). That is one of the most stressful and dispiriting situations that the human animal can experience.

I made a similar point here, in yesterday’s Open Mike. The link in that comment points out the stressful nature of being low status (especially true in an increasingly unequal society).

Increasing rates of depression and anxiety are related to increased feelings people have that their lives are not under their control. (I can provide links to support these claims – mentioned in other comments I’ve made in the past on this site.) The employer-employee relationship is a prime example of the structural imposition of this experience of a lack of control.

The aim should be to reduce people’s reliance on the employee-employer relationship for their material survival, not increase it.

A UBI (or whatever the appropriate acronym is) seems more and more appealing.

As for freeing up tax money for health, education, etc. … tax cuts anyone?

It’s an open door for the next round. Why do you think ACT are in favour of raising the entitlement age?
- Bored 15.1
  
  28 October 2011 at 3:17 pm
  
  Nicely put Puddle. When I saw comments on the raising of the age I thought that nobody on either side was thinking at all. Somebody is, well done.
  
  My take is that the social allocation of work, the age and gender who do it , and the ascribed economic value needs to be examined. For example my generation are sitting in mortgage free homes earning the most we ever have and with heaps of surplus cash we probably dont need doing commercial work with low social value. Meanwhile young people with high needs and families are out of work or underpaid…..myself I would rather be paid to retire at 60, give my job to somebody who needs it and made to spend some time working in an educational institute passing on core life / commercial skills in order to qualify for the pension.
  - Puddleglum 15.1.1
    
    28 October 2011 at 5:27 pm
    
    “My take is that the social allocation of work, the age and gender who do it , and the ascribed economic value needs to be examined.”
    
    Yes, that’s very true.
    
    We’d have to be one of the few societies that doesn’t explicitly acknowledge the changing nature and needs of work as we age (let alone other differences between people).
    
    Apparently, one theory for human longevity is the adaptation of ‘grandparenting’ and its value as an aid to reproduction/cultural reproduction.
    
    Erikson called this tendency ‘generativity’ – the need to ensure that the next generation are well supported – and it is a characteristic of mid to late adulthood. There’s no support for that progression and, as you point out, and paradoxically, maximum individual income (and, sometimes, minimum outgoings) kicks in at the point when many people are predisposed to think about something other than their own individual needs.
    
    Irrespective, it’s also well known (in the literature on wellbeing) that a simple and incredibly effective way to improve wellbeing is to be altruistic.
    
    There’s a lot of evidence and support for what you suggest, and for pushing policies accordingly. I don’t mean forcing people to abandon ‘normal’ jobs against their will, but the right structure needs to be there to give people the chance to be more human without putting their survival on the line.
    - RedLogix 15.1.1.1
      
      28 October 2011 at 6:40 pm
      
      We’d have to be one of the few societies that doesn’t explicitly acknowledge the changing nature and needs of work as we age (let alone other differences between people).
      
      Because mostly we only measure the worth of people by money.
      - Bored 15.1.1.1.1
        
        28 October 2011 at 7:47 pm
        
        Which is probably where I suspect Puddlegum and myself are going, i.e suggesting money might not be the best determinant of what is socially useful or individually satisfying. The prescriptive thinking around money is laced with the poison of oppressive “needs”.
Deadly_NZ 16

28 October 2011 at 1:19 pm

In the realms of “the sky is falling” is this little gem by DPF in the granny Herald. I had to read it twice to make sure that my eyeballs were not deceiving my brain.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10762233
randal 17

28 October 2011 at 5:31 pm

yeah randal read fatboys guff in the herald and its all crap.
the byline picy looks like a trailer for a bad british horro movie.
hell no, its real and its happening here.
The only thing he knows for sure is where are the sausage rolls.
and the KEY issue is will the nats give out free rubber chickens to the nats faithful.
Afewknowtheturth 18

28 October 2011 at 5:46 pm

Gormless.

‘No, Ev. I won’t be watching them. Because I am normal.’

Normal is trapped in the Matrix, totally uninformed and refusing to become informed, believing that ignorance is strength and freedom is slavery (as George Orwell put it).

That is why exactly NZ society is ‘fucked’, along with all other industrial societies.
Jenny 19

28 October 2011 at 7:29 pm

After a separation lasting more than 20 years, Labour finally get their ACT together.

Zealand First leader Winston Peters, who said there was no need if KiwiSaver was ”cranked up” and the Government lifted economic growth and began to buy back overseas-owned assets.

New Zealanders were being forced to fight over ”pieces of a shrinking cake” instead the size of the cake being increased, he said.

”Many people in their sixties are simply unable to work and employers do not as a rule employ older people.

”It is mean spirited to expect a person who has raised a family and paid his or her taxes to go out job seeking at the age of 66 – particularly if there are not enough jobs to go around as is the situation now.”

The Green Party’s policy is to keep the retirement age unchanged at 65, but co-leader Russel Norman says an urgent national conversation on raising the age should now be held.

The ACT Party said Labour was ”finally” promoting a sensible idea.

Stuff.co.nz

After deliberately alienating ALL of the most likely contenders for the role, it seems that Labour may have gained a potential new support party.
Jenny 20

28 October 2011 at 7:50 pm

While the Labour Party becomes more Narrow, the Catholic Church jumps aboard the financial speculation tax bandwagon. This is becoming a very broad movement indeed.

The Catholic Church’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace released a document this week calling for, amongst other things, taxation measures on financial transactions.

http://www.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=532223

My question is:

Why is the New Zealand Labour Party “bravely” prepared to embrace a regressive austerity measure like raising the age at which flax roots Kiwis can retire, but too scared to even discuss, the benefits of a Financial Transaction Tax targeting the bankers and other financial speculators.

Links to post

Campaigning on policy – what a concept! « The Standard: posted on 28 October 2011 at 10:02 am

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Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
7 hours ago

Nicola's Salad Days.
I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
8 hours ago

Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
9 hours ago

Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
Greater AucklandBy Matt L
9 hours ago

Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. The data is from February this ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
11 hours ago

Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
PolitikBy Richard Harman
12 hours ago

How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A Step–by–Step Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and third–party applications. So, let‘s dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. That‘s why they introduced the “Recently Deleted“ folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Here‘s how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the “Recents“ tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on “Edit“. Select “Show Recently Deleted“. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose “Recover“ to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Here‘s how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose “Erase All Content and Settings“. Follow the on–screen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose “Restore from iCloud Backup“ during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore Third–Party Apps (with Caution): ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
14 hours ago

How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
21 hours ago

How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
22 hours ago

Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
Skeptical Science
22 hours ago

Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
22 hours ago

How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
22 hours ago

How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
22 hours ago

How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
22 hours ago

How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
23 hours ago

Climate Change: Turning the tide
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
24 hours ago

How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
1 day ago

Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
1 day ago

Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
1 day ago

Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
1 day ago

Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
1 day ago

Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
1 day ago

Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
1 day ago

Despair – construction consenting edition
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
1 day ago

Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
1 day ago

An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
1 day ago

What happens after the war – Mariupol
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Open ParachuteBy Ken
1 day ago

Babies and benefits – no good news
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
1 day ago

Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
1 day ago

Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
1 day ago

Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
1 day ago

Meeting the Master Baiters
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
David FarrierBy David Farrier
1 day ago

How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
Skeptical Science
2 days ago

Backbone, revisited
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
2 days ago

Ministers are not above the law
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
2 days ago

What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
Buzz from the Beehive Point of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
2 days ago

Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
2 days ago

Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
2 days ago

A TikTok Prime Minister.
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
2 days ago

Texas Lessons
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
2 days ago

Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
2 days ago

Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
PolitikBy Richard Harman
3 days ago

Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
3 days ago

At a glance – Is the science settled?
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Skeptical Science
3 days ago

Apposite Quotations.
How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
Bowalley Road
3 days ago

What’s a life worth now?
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
3 days ago

Howling at the Moon
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
3 days ago

Newshub is Dead.
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
3 days ago

Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
3 days ago

Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
3 days ago

Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
3 days ago

PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
3 days ago

Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
3 days ago

Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
3 days ago

Long Tunnel or Long Con?
Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
Greater AucklandBy Matt L
3 days ago

Smoke And Mirrors.
You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
3 days ago

What is Mexico doing about climate change?
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
Skeptical Science
4 days ago

State of humanity, 2024
2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
4 days ago

Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
4 days ago

The case for cultural connectedness
A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
4 days ago

Useful context on public sector job cuts
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated. While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
4 days ago

Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
4 days ago

Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
4 days ago

True Blue.
True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
4 days ago

Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
PolitikBy Richard Harman
5 days ago

2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
Skeptical Science
5 days ago

Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts
Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
5 days ago

Or is that just they want us to think?
Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
5 days ago

Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
Skeptical Science
6 days ago

Fast-track submissions period must be extended
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
Greens
1 hour ago

Release: Progress on climate will be undone by Govt
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
Labour Blog
1 hour ago

Release: Dark day for Kiwi kids as a third of Govt cuts affect them
News that 1000 jobs at the Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki could go is devastating for future generations of New Zealanders. ...
Labour Blog
2 days ago

Release: Alarm as Government signals further blow to school lunches
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Labour Blog
2 days ago

Release: Quick, submit – stop Govt’s dodgy approvals bill
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Labour Blog
3 days ago

Government throws coal on the climate crisis fire
The Government’s policy announced today to ease consenting for coal mining will have a lasting impact across generations. ...
Greens
3 days ago

Release: Public transport costs to double as National looks at unaffordable roading project instead
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
Labour Blog
4 days ago

Release: Cost of living in Auckland still not a priority
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Labour Blog
4 days ago

Greens look to fast-track submissions on harmful law
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Release: Govt should stop making people’s lives harder and build more homes
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Melissa Lee missing in action on media
The action Melissa Lee promised to protect democracy and the media sector is missing, Media and Communications spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Landlord Government leaves little hope for renters
The Government’s announcement on tenancy rules prove that it does not care about renters. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Opportunity to build a more sustainable economy
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Significant step forward in fixing cruel and unjust past
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Missed opportunity but NZ will surely one day recognise the right to a sustainable environment
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Release: Don’t cut our lunches – clear message sent to Government
Tens of thousands of people are demanding the Government commits to fully funding free and healthy school lunches. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Govt makes U-turn on Suicide Prevention Office
Labour welcomes the Government’s U-turn on the closure of the Suicide Prevention Office, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

CCC issues warning over further climate delay
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Luxon targets lame and lousy example of leadership
If talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Luxon targets are lousy example of leadership
If talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: Commitment to disability communities missing from Govt priorities
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Methane target review is dangerous duplication
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: Government must commit to school building project for disabled students
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: National must take mental health seriously
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Referendums for Māori wards a racist step backwards
The Government's imposed referendum on Māori wards is a racist step backwards for Māori representation, and disregards Te Tiriti o Waitangi. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: Job losses at Health not worth it for tax cuts
New Zealand will feel the harm of the National Government’s reckless cuts to jobs at the health ministry for generations, says Ayesha Verrall. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Press release: No Māori initiatives in Government’s nothing plan
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Thirty six point PR spin
The Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Thirty six point PR spin
The Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Thirty six point PR spin
The Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: Social housing off Government’s to-do list
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Less money in most people’s pockets this April
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Roads of National Significance planning underway
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Navigating an unstable global environment
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Joint US and NZ declaration
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

‘It could be the death of the museum’: why research cuts at a South Australian institution have ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
11 mins ago

Government signs off $41m clean energy deal with Asian Development Bank
The government has committed $41 million to clean energy transition at the Asian Development Bank's Energy Transition Mechanism. ...
Radio NZ – political
25 mins ago

Are 2 mid-career AFL retirements a sign Australian athletes are taking brain health more seriously?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 hours ago

Luxon: Waitangi Tribunal comments from coalition parties 'ill considered'
Comments from ACT and NZ First ministers about the Tribunal were "ill considered" and "that message will be underscored" to them, the PM says. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 hours ago

Mental Health Foundation Facing Staff Cuts From Govt Funding Squeeze
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Scoop politics
3 hours ago

I wholeheartedly recommend The President: a brilliant revival of a play of decay, terror and revulsi...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 hours ago

How the coolest little capital is shrinking
It's not the first time a government has targeted public servants for job cuts, but this time Wellington is really feeling it. ...
Radio NZ – political
3 hours ago

Many prisoners go years without touching a smartphone. It means they struggle to navigate life on th...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 hours ago

Ministers accused of Cabinet Manual breach with threats to Waitangi Tribunal
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
NewsroomBy Marc Daalder
3 hours ago

Good news: midlife health is about more than a waist measurement. Here’s why
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
3 hours ago

The Friday Poem: ‘Mitochondrial Problem’ by Evangeline Riddiford Graham
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The SpinoffBy Evangeline Riddiford Graham
3 hours ago

The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending April 18
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38) Hot off the press, this debut ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff Review of Books
3 hours ago

Department of Conservation closing Dunedin centre, but no jobs lost
Visitor habits are changing and DOC needs to adapt in a financially sustainable way, its operations director says. ...
Radio NZ – political
4 hours ago

Unions Collaborate With Thousands Of Job Cuts
With New Zealand officially in recession, a swathe of mass sackings is currently sending shockwaves through the entire working class. ...
Scoop politics
4 hours ago

Watch live: Christopher Luxon speaks to media in Manila
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is speaking to reporters in Manila after pledging greater defence cooperation with the Philippines. Watch live. ...
Radio NZ – political
4 hours ago

Government sent please explain letter to Wellington City Council over transport disagreement
The contents were revealed in correspondence from Simeon Brown and Chris Bishop to Wellington's Mayor. ...
Radio NZ – political
4 hours ago

Some families push back against journalists who mine social media for photos – they have every rig...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
4 hours ago

Mental Health Foundation staff cuts loom, with funding falling behind rising costs
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
Radio NZ – political
4 hours ago

The ‘devil comet’ 12P/Pons-Brooks has finally become visible from Australia. What can we expect?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland Pons–Brooks visible from Utah, March 9 2024. James Peirce/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND If you’re a fan of all things space, you’ve doubtless heard about the “devil comet”, which has been captivating keen-eyed observers in the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
5 hours ago

Rugby stadiums are sold as an economic asset – but NZ needs to ask if they’re really worth it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Hamlin, Senior Lecturer in Marketing , University of Otago A multi-billion dollar stadium precinct has been proposed for Auckland, one of three proposals in front of Auckland Council for a new stadium in the city. The council is also considering revamping ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
5 hours ago

Auckland dog attacks: Callouts for attacks on other animals going up
Roaming dogs are responsible for more than a thousand attacks on animals each year, and the number is growing. ...
Radio NZ – political
5 hours ago

What access to puberty blockers means for trans young people and their whānau
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
The SpinoffBy Julia de Bres
5 hours ago

NZ and Philippines pledge defence cooperation amid rising tensions
The commitment came after a sit-down meeting between Christopher Luxon and President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr overnight. ...
Radio NZ – political
7 hours ago

How superblocks can help reimagine city life
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
The SpinoffBy Ellen Rykers
7 hours ago

Fire engineering expertise may take a big hit with job cuts at MBIE
The public sector cuts are poised to take out a big chunk of expertise at the country's building regulator. ...
Radio NZ – political
8 hours ago

“Fast-track Law To Kill Kiwi”: Students Say Fight Against Anti-democracy Legislation Is Only Jus...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Scoop politics
8 hours ago

‘We have thousands of Modis’: the secret behind the BJP’s enduring success in India
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
8 hours ago

Online schooling is not just for lockdowns. Could it work for your child?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
8 hours ago

Hear me out: You can shove your reusable period products
Yes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
The SpinoffBy Kristin Kelly
8 hours ago

Rip It Up And Start Over – Fast-Track Approvals Bill Needs To Be Scrapped
“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
Scoop politics
8 hours ago

Maori Authority Warns Government On Fast Track Legislation
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Scoop politics
9 hours ago

Why the government’s haste in changing the health system could come back to haunt it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
9 hours ago

Many suicides are related to gambling. How can we tackle this problem?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
9 hours ago

Things that go buzz in the night – our global study found there really are more insects out after ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
9 hours ago

Why don’t Australians talk about their salaries? Pay transparency and fairness go hand-in-hand
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, it’s not the done thing to know – let alone ask – what our colleagues are paid. Yet, it’s easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
9 hours ago

‘Character’ And Its Impact On Immigration Status
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...
Scoop politics
9 hours ago

20,000 more on jobseeker benefits than this time last year
The government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...
The SpinoffBy Catherine McGregor
10 hours ago

All of the Raglan Roast cafes in Wellington, ranked from worst to best
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
The SpinoffBy Zoë Mills
12 hours ago

Auckland uni students threaten rent strike over rising accommodation fees
Residents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously. The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...
The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund
12 hours ago

Daily crossword, Friday 19 April
The post Daily crossword, Friday 19 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
12 hours ago

Brakes on transport and logistics sector as demand for freight slows
The transport sector is currently in the slow lane The post Brakes on transport and logistics sector as demand for freight slows appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Emma Hatton
12 hours ago

Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 19 April
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NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
12 hours ago

Financial literacy should be on all of us
Opinion: With maths understanding at 42 percent for Year 8 students, there’s no doubt something has to be done. But how? The post Financial literacy should be on all of us appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Bryce Marsden
12 hours ago

Missy rustles to stardom in Canada
Hineaupounamu ‘Missy’ Nuku has been scaling mountains in Canada for her college basketball team, the Lakeland Rustlers. Alberta is currently home for the 20-year-old point guard, who is in her first year of a scholarship at Lakeland College, where she is studying for a business degree. She has certainly made ...
NewsroomBy Aiden McLaughlin
12 hours ago

Emissions fall again – now NZ needs to up the pace
Official figures confirm New Zealand produced less climate pollution in 2022 than in any other year in the 21st century The post Emissions fall again – now NZ needs to up the pace appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Marc Daalder
12 hours ago

Warning of death from a million cuts as Oceans Secretariat dissolved
Shane Jones says people voted for change, but opponents say small cuts such as ending a special oceans secretariat are starting to add up The post Warning of death from a million cuts as Oceans Secretariat dissolved appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Andrew Bevin
12 hours ago

Defence deal to counter Beijing’s aggression in South China Sea
New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...
NewsroomBy Laura Walters
12 hours ago

Wellington’s ebb and flow of public servants
The thousands of government “back-office” job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today’s episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that’s ...
NewsroomBy Tom Kitchin
12 hours ago

New Zealand transport planning has gone off the rails
Opinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...
NewsroomBy Dr Timothy F Welch
12 hours ago

Grattan on Friday: Ethnic tensions will complicate the Albanese government’s multicultural policy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When ASIO boss Mike Burgess delivered his annual threat assessment earlier this year, he stressed the rising danger posed by espionage and foreign interference. “In 2024, threats to our way of life have surpassed ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
18 hours ago

Group plans work to improve safety of female MPs
New research shows harassment of elected officials - especially women - is on the rise. ...
Radio NZ – political
19 hours ago

Ukraine warns of WW3 ahead of long-stalled Congress aid vote
Ukraine's Prime Minister says his country desperately needs the US to approve long-stalled security assistance. ...
Radio NZ – political
21 hours ago

PSA astonished Education Minister expects hiring of contractors to review curriculum
Hiring contractors is an appalling solution when people who could do the work are losing their jobs, the PSA says. ...
Radio NZ – political
22 hours ago

Crown lawyers attempt to block Waitangi Tribunal summons to Minister for Children
The Tribunal had called on Minister for Children Karen Chhour to provide evidence at an urgent inquiry into the repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. ...
Radio NZ – political
23 hours ago

Luxon refuses to guarantee public consultation on AUKUS Pillar 2
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says it's "far too premature" to be confirming whether the public would be consulted on joining AUKUS Pillar 2. ...
Radio NZ – political
24 hours ago

Visualising the 1800s or designing wedding invitations: 6 ways you can use AI beyond generating text
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University Midjourney image by T.J. Thomson As more than half of Australian office workers report using generative artificial intelligence (AI) for work, we’re starting to see this technology affect every ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Falls, fractures and self-harm: 4 charts on how kids’ injury risk changes over time and differs fo...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Nicole Sharwood, Injury epidemiologist | Expert Witness, UNSW Sydney Sergey Novikov/Shutterstock Injuries are the leading cause of disability and death among Australian children and adolescents. At least a quarter of all emergency department presentations during childhood are injury-related. Injuries can ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Choice and control: will NDIS reforms mean people with disability don’t get to decide who they liv...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Di Winkler, Adjunct Associate Professor, Living with Disability Research Centre, La Trobe University Shutterstock/Ground Picture Many Australians with disability feel on the edge of a precipice right now. Recommendations from the disability royal commission and the NDIS review were released late ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Asbestos in playground mulch: how to avoid a repeat of this circular economy scandal
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Salman Shooshtarian, Senior Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University Salman Shooshtarian Asbestos has been found in mulch used for playgrounds, schools, parks and gardens across Sydney and Melbourne. Local communities naturally fear for the health of their ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Could Albanese’s bet on homegrown green industries be the boost our regions deserve?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Madeline Taylor, Senior Lecturer, Macquarie University Cloudy Designs/Shutterstock Right now, there’s a global race underway. The goal: bring back manufacturing and energy jobs as the energy transition speeds up. In 2022, America launched its mammoth Inflation Reduction Act and the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Watch: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon won't say if government will consult public on joining ...
Asked multiple times if the public will be consulted on joining the defence pact, Luxon repeatedly said that was yet to be worked through. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Watch live: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaks in Philippines
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is speaking to reporters on the third leg of his Southeast Asia trip, from Manila in the Philippines. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Māori lawyers call Shane Jones' Waitangi Tribunal comments 'inappropriate'
The Māori Law Society says his comments breach the principle of the separation of powers and the Cabinet Manual. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Abortions Increase 25% Since Law Change
Family First says that the latest abortion statistics make grim and upsetting reading, with a 25% increase in abortions since the decriminalisation of abortion in March 2020. According to an Official Information Act request received by Right to Life ...
Scoop politics
1 day ago

Over Half Of New Zealanders Feel That The Country Is In Decline And That Our Society Is Broken
Ipsos New Zealand's inaugural participation in a global study on populism reveals a pervasive sense of societal and economic decline among New Zealanders. MORE DETAILS AND FULL REPORT HERE Ipsos New Zealand's inaugural participation in a global study ...
Scoop politics
1 day ago

Australia’s new defence strategy is big on ideas, but lacks one key ingredient: well-trained soldi...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Layton, Visiting Fellow, Strategic Studies, Griffith University There have been a lot of defence announcements recently about buying new equipment, building up Australia’s manufacturing capabilities, creating local jobs, new legislation to support AUKUS and even a new defence chief. In ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

What does Steve Smith’s Stateside signing mean for cricket in the US – and Australia?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney Steve Smith, one of this generation’s finest batters, has conquered much of the cricketing world during his career, and he now has set his sights on a new frontier: the United ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

A love letter to Wellington: when i open the shop by romesh dissanayake, reviewed
Madeleine Ballard reviews the debut novel from romesh dissanayake. when I open the shop, the debut novel by Naarm-based Aotearoa writer romesh dissanayake (Sri Lankan, Koryo Saram), is a narrative of grief. Devendra loses his mother, opens a noodle shop on The Terrace, grieves, and emerges changed. But just as ...
The SpinoffBy Madeleine Ballard
1 day ago

Minister Concedes Contractors Will Be Hired To Do Work Of Axed Ministry Of Education Staff
The PSA can’t believe that the Minister of Education is happy for her ministry to hire contractors at the same time it is dismissing 565 workers. ...
Scoop politics
1 day ago

Attempt to bar diplomat from Myanmar military junta fails
Myanmar community members applied to the courts to bar the diplomat from attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

LGNZ Welcomes Govt Earthquake-prone Buildings Decision
LGNZ has advocated for this decision as part of a remit led by Manawatū District Council. ...
Scoop politics
1 day ago

AUKUS Pillar 2 a 'fragrant, methane-wrapped bull***' – Bob Carr
The former Australian Foreign Minister has continued to warn New Zealand against joining the defence pact. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Enforceable undertaking issued to abc accounting services limited after continued non-compliance.
The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has accepted an enforceable undertaking agreement from ABC Accounting Services Limited (ABC) under section 81 of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009 (AML/CFT Act). ...
Scoop politics
1 day ago

REVEALED: RNZ’s Hypocrisy Over Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill
The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that Radio New Zealand (RNZ) spent $71,842.53 on Facebook advertising over the past 12 months, despite earlier this year coming out in support of the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill , which would force the likes ...
Scoop politics
1 day ago

Police rejected 'very good offer' – Mark Mitchell
Police Minister Mark Mitchell says the pay offer rejected by police was the best the government could put forward under difficult financial circumstances. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Labour’s savings & retirement policy

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