Leftie Kiwis

Written By: - Date published: 9:14 am, April 21st, 2016 - 66 comments
Categories: polls, us politics - Tags: , ,

Received political wisdom is that NZ is a conservative country, tending to the right. Interesting then, to see this data on our voting preferences re American presidential candidates (Stephen Mills in The Herald):

If only Kiwis could vote for president

There has been some debate among New Zealand political commentators about whether a candidate like Donald Trump could emerge in New Zealand.

Perhaps one already has.

What is clear is that New Zealanders would much prefer a Democrat won this year’s contest in the US. Given a hypothetical vote in the US presidential election in a UMR survey in early April, 82 per cent would go for Hillary Clinton and only 9 per cent for Donald Trump.

If the choice was between Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, New Zealanders would decisively elect the socialist senator from Vermont. He wins by 77 per cent to 8 per cent and even National voters prefer the avowed socialist by 76 per cent to 13 per cent.

Interesting!

New Zealanders are not too keen on Ted Cruz either. In a contest between Cruz and Clinton 72 per cent prefer Clinton and 14 per cent Cruz. If between Sanders and Cruz, Sanders wins 48-19 per cent, though 33 per cent are unsure of their vote facing this lower-profile match up. National voters veer a little right on this head-to-head but still prefer the socialist Sanders over Cruz by 39-28 per cent.

Perhaps there is hope for us yet.

We prefer Hillary Clinton to Bernie Sanders as well. Given that choice 55 per cent of New Zealanders go for Clinton and 25 per cent for Sanders.

Bother!

In an almost exact parallel to United States demographic breakdowns, younger New Zealanders were much more likely to go for Sanders. Among under 30-year-olds 39 per cent preferred Sanders and 34 per cent Clinton. Clinton had big leads among older age cohorts.

If only the young would get out and vote.

66 comments on “Leftie Kiwis ”

  1. save NZ 1

    Interesting post. I wonder if Clinton wins in NZ due to Kiwis MSM not mentioning Sanders, therefore Kiwis have not heard of him. Older people in NZ probably still watch NZ ‘news’, where news is devoid of content.

    Apparently even the Guardian had reporting bias to Clinton.

    • weka 1.1

      When I asked my left voting elderly parents about Sanders vs Clinton, they said that they didn’t really know anything about Sanders. They’re reasonably thoughtful and informed people but they do rely on the MSM (TV, radio and newsprint mostly, not sure how much they look online). The fact that Sanders has had so little coverage is a disgrace in the US and here. But I also think it’s probably the NZ conservative element kicking in. Not political conservativism, just caution (hence the huge antipathy towards KDC). Liberals like my parents are still going to be a bit cautious about those that are perceived as more radical. However I’m pretty sure one of my parents, maybe both, would vote Sanders if he were actually being reported properly in the MSM.

    • Delia 1.2

      I have read plenty about Sanders in the UK press.

  2. david 2

    Fatal flaw in your argument, you assume ‘left and right’ of politics is the same in New Zealand as in America.

    I find it an amorphous term, more a badge of tribal affiliations than an accurate reflection of views.
    E.g is Brexit progressive or neoliberal? Depends on who is supporting it, it seems; than based on principles.

    If you look at Democrat’s policies of charter school, common core, health system based on insurance companies, interventionist foreign policy, TPPP etc.

    The Democrats are in the ‘far right’ category in New Zealand’s political taxonomy.

    • Lanthanide 2.1

      +1

    • scotty 2.2

      Not sure about the relevance of where on the NZ spectrum the Democrats would sit .
      But the current National government is the most Right wing in New Zealands’ history.
      Some of our backward environmental laws and the ease at which private interests have usurped control over common water assets for example – would have Republicans dribbling all over their cheque books.

    • Mosa 2.3

      New Zealanders can’t make up their minds to be socialist or capitlist

    • Phil 2.4

      To flesh out your comment a little bit, I perceive the NZ left-right spectrum as being very tightly economic-focused: tax, competition/privatization, trade etc.

      By contrast, in the US there is a broad consensus about economic policy between the two major parties. The spectrum for left-right is much more about social conservatism and liberalism in areas where NZ policy is ‘settled’: abortion, justice and the death penalty, gun control.

  3. ropata 3

    The reality is politics bores most people, they have zero clue about policy, and just vote on fleeting impressions. Hence we have governments focused on PR and spin, but their actual policies are criminal.

    • James 3.1

      this

    • Nessalt 3.2

      that’s not true, people resent politicians taking them for granted when they talk about “all” or “representing” under an MMP system. proportinality is good, but voters feel disengaged from about half of parliament and hate it when a leader is electorally unaccountable in an electorate as there is no measure of how grounded they are outside of their soundbites. dismissing people as uninterested is almost as fascinatingly moronic as bomber cursing out middle new zealand for not voting how he wants people to vote straight after an election.

      • ropata 3.2.3

        The electoral consequences of voter ignorance

        Abstract
        A great deal of research has suggested that scholarly and popular concerns about low levels of citizen political knowledge are exaggerated. One implication of that research is that political history would have unfolded just as it did even if electorates had been more politically informed. This paper presents evidence that counters these claims, showing an infusion of electorally relevant information in twenty-seven democracies would have likely led to a lot of vote “switching”, ultimately changing the composition of many governments. The paper also directly and systematically examines what we might call the “enlightened natural constituency” hypothesis, which expects lower-income citizens to vote disproportionately for left parties once armed with more political knowledge. While the basic argument about how political ignorance disproportionately affects the left’s natural constituency is not new, the hypothesis has thus far not been tested. The analysis provides provisional support for the hypothesis.

        Highlights

        ► Large numbers of better informed voters would have switched their votes. ► Low income voters were more likely to switch compared with other groups. ► Left parties would have benefited if voters were better informed in many cases. ► Vote changes would have been great enough to alter the composition of governments in many cases

    • Whateva next? 3.3

      Bang on ropata

    • Incognito 3.4

      The reality is politics bores most people

      Politics is literally everywhere: at playgrounds, kindergartens, schools, workplaces, sport clubs, households, among flatmates, etc.

      It needs rebranding (and a new flag?).

      It’s a bit like sex; nobody wants to talk about it or discuss it but (almost) everybody is ‘interested’ in it!

  4. swordfish 4

    “We prefer Hillary Clinton to Bernie Sanders as well”

    So, the “received political wisdom” that we’re “a conservative country, tending to the right”
    is pretty much on the money, then ? 👿

  5. Lanthanide 5

    “Interesting!”

    Hardly. The democrats in the US are to the right of National in NZ.

    The Economist found in 2012 that most of the world would vote for Obama over Romney: http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2012/10/charting-us-election

    Unfortunately the actual voting app / large diagram seems to be broken, but you can see a small map in the article above.

  6. save NZ 6

    F**k Sanders, says Clinton aide, bragging “We kicked his a**” after massive voter purges and irregularities in NY primary
    Hillary staffer gloated to Politico reporter after beating Bernie in NY, amid accusations of voting problems

    http://www.salon.com/2016/04/20/fk_sanders_says_clinton_aide_bragging_we_kicked_his_a_after_massive_voter_purges_and_irregularities_in_ny_primary/

  7. Ad 7

    Any poll done on New Zealanders eight years ago on whether they preferred Obama over HR Clinton?

    • swordfish 7.1

      Yep … April 2008 Poll … 47% preferred Obama, 31% Clinton, 22% Unsure.

      Little difference between Labour and National voters:
      Lab: … Obama 47% / Clinton 33%
      Nat: … Obama 44% / Clinton 33%

      (National voters, incidentally, strongly preferred both Obama and Clinton to McCain in the Dem vs Rep match-ups: by 35 points (Obama) and 28 points (Clinton))

      And no appreciable Gender difference of opinion. New Zealand women were not markedly pro-Hillary.

      Particularly strong support for Obama from Maori, Pasifikas and those under the age of 45 (more or less mirroring Obamas key demographics in the US)

  8. Colonial Viper 8

    Received political wisdom is that NZ is a conservative country, tending to the right.

    NZ regional conservatism has very little to do with right wing neoliberal economic ideology.

    In that sense, both the Labour and National Parties have been hijacked – by the neolibs – for their own ends.

    John Key was spot on when he described NZers in general as being socialist.

    We are. And no political party in Parliament today is really able to speak to that constituency.

    They all primarily aim to speak to the pundits and the press gallery as if they are the constituents that they represent.

  9. Received political wisdom is that NZ is a conservative country, tending to the right. Interesting then, to see this data on our voting preferences re American presidential candidates

    When is the Labour Party going to realise that their portrayal of National as a far right cabal looting the country is doomed to failure and they need a new strategy?

    This survey shows NZers would never vote for such a party, and therefore that they do vote for National sends the message that they do not see National as such a party.

    Keep telling the voters that they’re stupid and wrong, that will win the election for you.

    • save NZ 9.1

      Or maybe the Nat lite strategy is not working anymore, being the lessor of two evils… Note to Labour, Sanders concentrates on getting taxes off the super wealthy not the middle class, he refuses to take corporate donations and wants to reform the political system against lobbyists buying policy, is firmly against TPP….

      The Democrats need to stop being the “lesser of two evils” party — starting now

      “According to a report from Pew Research Center, the least financially secure Americans largely preferred Democrats in 2014, but a majority of them did not vote. There is an understandable political apathy among lower class Americans — not to mention voter suppression, which tends to hurt poor people and minorities. After all, both parties supported corporatist trade deals that eliminated working class jobs, both parties supported Wall Street bailouts, both parties are largely dependent on big money donors — it goes on and on.

      When Sanders announced his candidacy last year, he barely registered in the national polls, and Clinton had a enormous 60 percent support. Today, Clinton and Sanders are just about tied in national polls (according to HuffPost Pollster, 47.9 to 44.1 percent). Sanders’ egalitarian vision has energized many Americans who had lost faith in the political process — and while Clinton’s hold on delegates may be insurmountable, her hold on the Democratic Party is not.”

      http://www.salon.com/2016/04/18/the_democrats_need_to_stop_being_the_lesser_of_two_evils_party_starting_now/

      • Ad 9.1.1

        Sanders is not Obama.
        Sanders lost against Clinton for a very simple reason.
        More people voted for Clinton.

        Don’t be Burned by sentiment.

        You win elections by getting more votes than they did.

        • RedLogix 9.1.1.1

          Clinton is more of the same,Bernie might not be. Sod your sentiment Ad.

        • Colonial Viper 9.1.1.2

          You win elections by getting more votes than they did.

          Tell that to Gore.

          “Democracy” in the USA does not work the way you think it does. Just look at the reports of massive Democratic voter suppression in NY targeted against likely Bernie supporters.

    • Colonial Viper 9.2

      When is the Labour Party going to realise that their portrayal of National as a far right cabal looting the country is doomed to failure and they need a new strategy?

      I’m picking sometime after losing the 2020 election.

      • Expat 9.2.1

        “I’m picking sometime after losing the 2020 election.”

        What, after they’ve been in for a full term already, I can’t see that happening,

        History says Key is gone in the next election, the Nats are tired and boring, run out of ideas and the voters are recognising NZ has lost it’s identity and respect as a clean, green country.

  10. swordfish 10

    I read recently that Democrats abroad (those eligible to vote in the various State primaries) have gone heavily for Sanders. In Germany, for example, close to 70% headed in the Vermont Senator’s direction. A specific example: 556 US citizens living in Berlin cast a vote in the Wisconsin primary and 79% chose Sanders over Clinton.

    In Japan the vote to date has been 1190 to Sanders / 176 to Clinton.

    Astonishingly, Sanders is even beating Clinton in Israel.

    Seems to be the same in New Zealand. On Super Tuesday … Among American Democrats in Wellington the Bern absolutely trounced Hillary by 21 votes to 6 (presumably leaving the former First Lady reeling) … http://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2016/02/new-zealand-feels-the-bern/471390/

    • Wayne 10.1

      swordfish,

      This is is not a reflection on New Zealanders, rather it reflects the nature of the US citizens, many of whom are students, who are in New Zealand. Seemingly the same applies elsewhere, including in the US.

      As I have indicated before that part of the Democratic Party that supports Hillary Clinton quite comfortably maps across much of the National Party, and the conservative part of Labour. So the level of her support among New Zealanders is no surprise to me.

      Conversely I am not surprised that left activists on this site prefer Sanders. I would note that many students shift right, at least to some extent during their lifetimes.

      On a similar theme Winston Peters support keeps getting renewed. Although his older supporters may die, there are new retirees every day. Once people retire, the pull of the two traditional parties seems to lessen and Winston becomes a realistic option for their support. I have certainly observed this in my wider family.

      • adam 10.1.1

        Does this you will make a come back with New Zealand first Wayne?

        Note: Tongue firm in cheek on that question.

  11. TC 11

    Ditch the whole left/right meme and align policy to equality, social justice and concepts voters can identify with.

    Johnny and his DP brigade love to dumb it down to lefty communism when it suits so change that conversation to poverty, equality etc

    Stop boring the crap out of people with pointless philosophical positioning.

    • Tautoko Mangō Mata 11.1

      We need the enthusiasm AND IDEAS from those young people who participated in the road blocks on TPP signing day. We need to LISTEN to THEIR vision of what they want for THEIR future. Bernie Sanders makes sense to the youth of USA. Here in NZ we don’t need just a watered down version of the status quo, the “don’t frighten the horses” approach. We need boldness.-
      We will pull out of the TPP if elected.
      We will raise the top tax rate if elected.
      We will implement a financial transaction tax if elected.
      We will have zero fees for tertiary training/study, etc

  12. Ian H 12

    One great thing about NZ politics is that whereas the religious right dominates the republican party in the US, our right wing parties, including our most right wing party ACT, are all socially liberal.

    In the US the culture wars are about social issues. Their political axis divides social liberals from the social conservatives. Abortion and gay marriage form their political dividing line. NZ is almost completely on the liberal side of that political line. The political axis in NZ is drawn at right angles to theirs and is economic. Our division lines involve things like taxes and asset sales.

    There seems to be about 5% support in the electorate for socially conservative Christian type politics, which probably is just about enough to get a right wing Christian party off the ground here. But every time someone has tried to form such a party it has ended in kiddy fiddling or bad poetry. Wonderful! Although I must say probably bad for Labour.

    National has been fortunate not to be beholden to a moral conservative party for its majority. Whereas people look at Labour with suspicion because of fear of the Greens, National has not been saddled with such a scary coalition partner. ACT does scare people a bit, but as they are marginal and depend on a deal with National for their electoral survival it is clearly National who are in control.

    • Redbaiter 12.1

      Ian H-

      National have completely capitulated in the battle of ideas.

      NZers are left wing only because the National Party willingly submits to the left’s rule over discussion and comment and refuses to argue for any alternative ideas.

      National are gutless far left scum.

      Far worse than Labour who at least have the guts and integrity to allow a political ideology to underpin their party and their policies.

      • swordfish 12.1.1

        “National are gutless far left scum”

        OMG This ^^^^, Sooooo much This !!!
        (as some of the younger, more impulsive Wellington feminists on twitter might say)

  13. Colonial Viper 13

    One great thing about NZ politics is that whereas the religious right dominates the republican party in the US, our right wing parties, including our most right wing party ACT, are all socially liberal.

    Ahhh, that’s the “received wisdom.”

    Because even though Trump admits that he’s not much of a church goer, US Republican evangelists have been voting for him in droves, ahead of uber faithful Christian Cruz.

    • Ian H 13.1

      This US election is unusual and I don’t think left vs right is the best way to view it.

      We are seeing tremendous disillusionment with politics right across the political spectrum in the US. And fair enough too – the US government is a total mess in a way which really has nothing to do with left and right. It is perceived over there mainly as a problem with the influence of money on politics. From my point of view the main problem is that their constitution sucks and their system of government has broken down and simply isn’t working properly, but you’d never get an American to admit there was anything wrong with their “oh so perfect” constitution.

      Trump and Sanders are the big news in this election. Both lay claim to being mavericks independent of the usual party political money machines and they owe much of their popularity to that claim and not to how far left or right they are.

  14. srylands 14

    “Received political wisdom is that NZ is a conservative country, tending to the right. ”
    _____________

    Says who?

    New Zealanders generally want a significant role for government and a strong social welfare safety net. There is simply no way that a right party would win an election. We currently have a centre-left Government. That is not going to change any time in the next decade.

    • framu 14.1

      ” There is simply no way that a right party would win an election.”

      thats why they spend so much on PR and marketing – the fact that the rights policies are unpopular is known and admitted by the right all ready. Its why act poll so low and why national swallow all those dead rats in o4rder to gain power.

      ” We currently have a centre-left Government.”

      no, we dont (not by a local yardstick anyway)

      please tell me your smart enough to know theres a difference between the advertising and the reality – for everything

      • Expat 14.1.1

        ” We currently have a centre-left Government.”

        No, we have a Govt that masquerades as centre left, while introducing right wing policies.

        Your right about the PR, but not too many are smart enough to distinguish the difference, not with the reinforcement by most media outlets.

    • scotty 14.2

      “We currently have a centre-left Government.”?

      As evidenced by the current strength of ACT.

    • Redbaiter 14.3

      “That is not going to change any time in the next decade.”

      Not as long as the spineless progressive surrender monkey JK has anything to do with it that’s for sure.

      You can take the boy out of the state house, but you can’t take the state house out of the boy.

    • We currently have a liberal government. That isn’t a centre-left government, it’s a right-wing government that pivots away from its conservative base on the odd social issue for PR reasons.

  15. Magisterium 15

    (T)o go from America — amid the G.O.P. primaries — to Down Under is to experience both jet lag and a political shock. In New Zealand and Australia, you could almost fit their entire political spectrum — from conservatives to liberals — inside the U.S. Democratic Party.

    Or as Paul Quinn, a parliamentarian from New Zealand’s conservative National Party, once told a group of visiting American Fulbright scholars: “I will explain to you how our system works compared to yours: You have Democrats and Republicans. My Labor opponents would be Democrats. I am a member of the National Party, and we would be … Democrats” as well.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/28/opinion/friedman-elephants-down-under.html

    • Phil 15.1

      I prefer the old Two Ronnies view of US politics:

      In America they have the Republican Party, which is a lot like our Conservative Party. Then they have the Democrat Party… which is a lot like our Conservative Party.

      • Expat 15.1.1

        That’s actually a pretty accurate description, how ever, one is more extreme than the other.

        I just prefer the “Two Ronnies” to the comical Trump, he’s funny, but not in a laughable way.

      • Te Reo Putake 15.1.2

        As unionist Bill Andersen used to quip that American politics was “the evil of two lessers”. But the Democrat party currently has millions of supporters who are voting to be lead by a socialist, so lets not tar the whole party as being right of centre.

        • Ad 15.1.2.1

          If they are lucky, Sanders will turn into a genuine democratic renewal for the Democrats.

          That will take skilful leadership from Sanders during the Democratic Convention, and immediately afterwards. While he’s now left it far too late to get a good position in a future Clinton Cabinet, he could still have a very positive role to play for the Democratic Party.

          I would not wish another incoherent Occupy/Black Lives Matter charismatic glug glug upon the efforts of Sanders’ loyal followers.

        • That’s more revealing about democratic voters than democratic candidates, however.

          Sanders had to run as an independent to get into national politics because the Democratic Party institution is designed to weed out candidates like him.

  16. Delia 16

    I found that heartening, had just about given up on many New Zealand voters,nice to see somethings, are just to ‘out there’ for them.

  17. The Real Matthew 17

    The Herald may have a poor standard of journalism but it has nothing on this blog piece!

    The majority of the Democrats would be to the right of National let alone the Republican Party. Why are these results are being portrayed like they are? Who knows but it’s a good laugh.

  18. One Anonymous Bloke 18

    This government is “right wing” insofar as it is bought: not a government of ideas or, a government of self-interest, policy auctions and back-handers.

    The first rule of Cabinet Club is you do not talk about Cabinet Club.

    • Incognito 18.1

      The first rule of Cabinet Club is you do not talk about Cabinet Club.

      What’s said in the pub stays in the pub AKA mum’s the word.

      At the end of the day, when you wish to feel really relaxed and comfortable, unruffled, and downplay anything that might upset your peace of mind you can always bring up the excuse Ich habe es nicht gewusst.

  19. Michael 19

    If you look at Hillary Clinton’s record and policies, she’d be in the National Party here. She’s a socially liberal centre-to-centre-rightist. Pretty similar to the more centrist faction of National. Just shows how far to the right the US political system is. Bernie’s policies are probably somewhere inbetween Labour and the Greens, with a little bit of NZF thrown in.

  20. DS 20

    Pretty much everyone in New Zealand would fit within the US Democratic Party. The only sorts who’d fit with the Republicans would be the outer fringes of ACT, the Sensible Sentencing Trust, Destiny Church, and the National Front.

    Fun fact – since World War II, when the Democrats are in power in the US, National tends to be in power here, and when the Republicans are in power in the US, Labour tends to be in power here. This rule has held during 1949-1953, 1957-1960, 1961-1969, 1972-1975, 1977-1981, 1984-1990, 1993-1999, 2001-2008, and since 2009.

    • Colonial Viper 20.1

      “Pretty much everyone in New Zealand would fit within the US Democratic Party”

      Sure, because most Kiwis are bankster loving war mongering arms dealing foreign country Wall St deregulating destabilising bastards

      • DS 20.1.1

        I suppose it never occurred to you that if the Democrats encompass virtually the entire New Zealand political spectrum, that means the Democrats themselves have a pretty broad range of opinions.

        No doubt there are plenty of “bankster loving war mongering arms dealing foreign country Wall St deregulating destabilising bastards” in the party. There are plenty of people who are not.

        • Colonial Viper 20.1.1.1

          Dude who cares who is “in the party”; have you never noticed who runs the party, its establishment, its hierarchy and what kind of creepy corporate malfaesants donates to the leaders of the party FFS?

          BTW most NZers would be considered commie loving hippies in the Democratic Party, with our belief in free socialised healthcare and universal guaranteed pensions for all.

          • DS 20.1.1.1.1

            Ted Kennedy was as Establishment as they come. He was also a big supporter of free socialised healthcare.

            (Obamacare is itself an attempt to replicate universal healthcare via the private sector. Obama went with that because, you know, it was all that had a chance of actually passing).

            • Colonial Viper 20.1.1.1.1.1

              Ahhh yest the US system which is totally compromised by corporate bought politicians.

              Also this talk about Obama did the best he could…laughable.

              This is why AMericans are turning en masse away from the establishment.

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    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    1 day ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
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