No traffic jam on the high road

Written By: - Date published: 3:50 pm, June 22nd, 2013 - 34 comments
Categories: Unions, workers' rights - Tags:

I am reading a very interesting book on the role of Collective Bargaining in the Global Economy (Edited by Susan Hayter).

It confirms for me the importance of getting political support to change the labour laws in New Zealand to support industry level/sector wide bargaining, and that labour codes which primarily only provide for enterprise negotiations (like our current law) are ineffective in the long term for both workers and employers. They encourage short-termist behaviour by both workers and employers, leaving the resulting market and human failures for society to pick up (externalities).

As the book points out, without regulation of the labour market, the high road business development that many right wing economists and Governments refer to in their “pie on the sky” narrative, is not a viable business model for any group, and in economies with low levels of collective bargaining – the traffic on the high road is very light (I stole this rather nice expression from the book)!

There is an interesting chapter on working hours. New Zealand has no regulation of working hours. There is no regulation for maximum hours, for overtime, for predictability or for security of hours. The only regulation of total hours per year is the four weeks statutory leave for holidays and even then, a week can now be sold. For casual workers even this does not apply. The only “fetter” on working hours, unless collective agreements regulate them, are some regulations around things like driving time for driving jobs and the law on health and safety, but with no real power, understanding or consideration by the regulator (MBIE) about the impact of unregulated hours, this provides little protection. Hours of work were a core element of industrial awards. When they were scrapped nothing was put in their place.

The external costs and impacts of long and irregular hours are huge and the community meets the costs of them. They include not only high accident and injury rates but also poor health generally and probably have a casual link to a range of poor mental and physical health outcomes (I think there is a link with obesity – exercising takes time and energy as does shopping, cooking and sitting down to eat – I would be interested to know if the link has been studied). They also include family stress, kids with insufficient care and attention and a range of other social ills that impact on the whole community including the absence of communal or even guaranteed leisure time.

The other impact of no regulation of hours is that employers rely on it for increased profit rather than improved labour productivity. Long hours also reduce pressure on wages as low wages are compensated by more and more work. This impacts on the economy as a whole with reduced employment, less demand etc etc. As my interesting book points out – without regulation, individual firm initiatives to cut down hours incur penalties – loss of market share (retail for example), and higher labour costs. Basically without regulation everyone has to take the low road to stay competitive

So as the book makes clear the regulation of hours needs to be done outside of the market as the market provides incentives to do just the opposite even if it is in the best interests of everyone collectively. The “external” impacts have a lag time and the nature of them means they cannot be internalised. Regulating hours of work can be done at four different levels – by statute – some countries have law for a 40 hour week, legislated days of work, overtime etc etc. It can be done by collective bargaining – but this needs to be done at an industry/sector level to be effective and ensure no unfair advantage from long hours is obtained by firms outside the bargaining. It can be done at enterprise level by collective bargaining but the disadvantages of competition arise, or, and as it is with most NZ workers – it can be done unilaterally by employers at the individual level – effectively no regulation at all. Obviously a combination of some or all of these is possible if they are co-ordinated. Without strong industry bargaining – legislation is the only way it can be done and has to do the whole job often resulting in the lowest common denominator becoming the benchmark.

The Forestry industry is a classic case and point. Forestry workers all have individual employment agreements which appear to have few restrictions on hours and some require work any hours any days etc. The pay rate does not vary regardless of the total hours worked (no weekend, night, or overtime rates). Any contractor tendering for work wanting to reduce hours must incur the costs of that (more travel time per tree, more workers, more training etc etc). Forest owners operate a model on the lowest common denominator so they are unlikely to favour a contractor with higher costs. Wages are relatively low ($18 -$22 per hour with no pay for driving time or bad weather), so workers are incentivised to work long hours too and may not take work with employers individually wishing to reduce working time. And the outcome – well you have heard it before.

Forestry either needs legislative regulated hours, or an industry collective agreement that extends across the whole industry which includes the parameters for safe and fair working hours. Such and agreement would be negotiated, with employers and employees discussing what the standards should be across the board. This would require compromises from both sides but the process of bargaining allows issues such as safety and training to be incorporated along with the economic demands of the industry. Better still it should take place in an overall regulatory framework that sets minimum standards for all workers, including creating incentives to limit maximum working hours through things like overtime penalties. This may all sound radical – but actually it is the norm in many successful economies.

The labour share of income in Forestry has decreased from 74% in the 1980’s to 30% in 2004 and is falling. Is the country better off? Has the wealth trickled down because of this amazing change? New Zealand has the fastest growing rate of inequality in the OECD, and you can chuck into that – one of the most dangerous lowest paid forestry sectors. You and me are meeting the social and health costs that this model – dangerous by design – has created. In my view it is a model where profit projections (consciously or not) are dependent on this accident rate. We need legislation to support industry level bargaining to get this change.

The Government is making dramatic further cuts to deregulate the labour market – these are vigourously supported and lobbied for by NZ business organisations and their members. We on the other hand a lobbying for labour law changes that genuinely provide for collective bargaining and freedom of association for workers that want it. There will be screams and hysteria from business about this. They will say we can’t keep swinging the industrial relations pendulum one way then the other. But the pendulum is not swinging, it is stuck near the top on the deregulation side and they are now ratcheting it up to above the mechanism hoping it will break up there. For forestry workers – the Employment Relations Act is irrelevant – it can’t deliver to them fair working conditions, and forestry is not the only industry like this. For forestry workers the industrial relations system is a disaster creating dangerous and poorly paid work.

Business can provide no evidence that the changes they are promoting are in the countries interests. It is a grab of workers rights for short term business gain alone. It won’t benefit the small forest contractors, but it will benefit the forest owners in the short term, enabling other parts of the supply chain to become low wage enterprises (ports, wood processing etc). A better regulated and protected labour market is the only thing that will save business from itself but it will also save the rest of us too and let us all drive on the high road.

34 comments on “No traffic jam on the high road ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. ghostrider888 1
    22 June 2013 at 4:07 pm

    Yep.The stress placed on human systems is sky-rocketing under these extremes of neo-lib, growth, productivity agendas
    Somethings Must Break Now , just like Sister Ray said.
    Excellent reading and / an writing Helen.

  2. sid 2
    22 June 2013 at 5:22 pm

    But isn’t the real question for unions, whether they are just fidgeting to “improve” the system for the workers and are contempt with just that, or are they questioning the very system on which all the injustice and inequality is based? One union/workers may well be able to achieve a good contract in one country, but will it not be based on the demise of other unions/workers in another nation?
    Do unions today have an anti-capitalist agenda, yes or no? Do unions want to become an integral part of the system and therefore the growth industry, yes or no? Or do unions once again want to be the leading edge force of the working class that created them?
    It is about time unions show colour once again, and stop playing with the scrapings of the capitalist system’s table. Otherwise the zeitgeist and the working class will leave the unions behind.

    • Bill 2.1
      22 June 2013 at 5:32 pm

      Yes, that should be the question. And the answer lies in the response to the other questions you posed – which are…
      No – that doesn’t follow.
      No.
      Yes.
      No.

    • karol 2.2
      22 June 2013 at 5:33 pm

      sid: One union/workers may well be able to achieve a good contract in one country, but will it not be based on the demise of other unions/workers in another nation?

      In some industries, it’s an international labour force, as for instance with VFX workers.

      Scott Squires survey shows how exploited they are. VFX workers are unique in the movie industry in not being unionised, as they work for VFX companies, they are contracted by the movie companies. Subsidies in one country, result in work being taken from workers in another country. And they work long hours, doing insecure work, with little health insurance or vacations.

  3. Bill 3
    22 June 2013 at 5:27 pm

    If there is somewhere in the region of 3.5 million people of working age in NZ, and if all of those people have jobs, then no matter the working conditions those people are employed under, the cold hard scientific fact is that they will contribute directly to conditions that throw questions of our future viablity as a civilisation (best case)/ species (worst case) up in the air.

    Isn’t it time for the union movement to take the future into account and help empower and enable people to get out of the capitalist job market instead of seeking levels of comfort within it?

    • Colonial Viper 3.1
      22 June 2013 at 5:38 pm

      Yep.

      But what would a union be left doing if it was no longer a negotiator, facilitator of collective bargaining and intermediary between the worker providing labour, and the capitalist employer?

      The lack of political economic vision beyond that point is one place it sticks, IMO.

      • Bill 3.1.1
        22 June 2013 at 5:57 pm

        Educating, encouraging and empowering people in jobs to form democratic worker collectives that produced and distributed goods in lines with the democratic wishes and needs of society rather than in reaction to so-called market demands. And that would mean a lot of free time for people to pursue useful and diverse interests on both a collective and individual level.

        Said it before. Will say it again. In negotiations, unions should be looking to form the position medium term, whereby they can make demands deliberately intended to bankrupt the company in order for it to be reconfigured along democratic lines. Unlike others, I don’t see that as a precursor to danging bosses from lamp-posts. They too could opt to enjoy a life enriched by the presence of democracy.

        • Daveo 3.1.1.1
          22 June 2013 at 10:41 pm

          I think Bill’s ambitions are noble but I can’t see that getting shop floor support, nor is it realistic for unions in their current state to be able to transform social views on that scale by themselves. The recipe you’re promoting would lead to the unions sinking into irrelevance. I can assure you union officials are not sitting around trying to hold the workers back so they can maintain their jobs. More often than not they’re trying to drive consciousness among workers against the overwhelming weight of capitalist realism.

          • Bill 3.1.1.1.1
            23 June 2013 at 1:34 am

            What can I say Daveo, except point out that in one unionised workplace I was involved with, we came within a hairsbreath of collectivising it. The support was there from an apolitical workforce when they’d had the possibilities explained. The manager was on side too. So were two of the three bosses.

            And while I agree that some union officials are really good at what they do, I’m also fully aware that many are ‘time servers’. And instances of workers aspirations/demands being stymied by those ‘higher up’ who ‘know better’…well, we’ve all seen that happen, aye? And it’s not as if it’s always a ‘better call’ ….a tactical play based on ‘superior knowledge’.

            Finally, strange that you claim union officials are ‘more often than not’ driving conciousness among workers when that’s precisely what I advocated unions should do in my comment…a comment you judged as one containing ‘noble’ but ‘unrealistic’ expectations/aspirations.

            Anyway…

          • Bill 3.1.1.1.2
            23 June 2013 at 12:17 pm

            And then there’s the likes of this that unions could help facillitate…”A Cumbrian town shows how co-operatively owned businesses can keep remote areas alive and thriving” http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/special-report-how-community-spirit-pays-a-dividend-8669751.html

  4. Tamati 4
    22 June 2013 at 5:50 pm

    As with all regulation, it’s not about having more regulation or less regulation, it’s about having the right regulation.

    Does anyone know how IR regulations differ between Germany and France?

    My (very limited) understanding is that both have a reasonably highly regulated labour markets. The difference being that in Germany theirs is a much more collaborative approach between business and labour, whislt in France they are far more confrontational.

    The point being we’d be better to go down the German approach, rather than the French one. Especially taking into account the two countries recent economic performance.

  5. Yes 5
    22 June 2013 at 6:35 pm

    Why under labour for 9 years they did nothing! Union participation dropped dramatically. Helen with everything in your favor it never happen to put in those measures you discuss. Why? Why why?

    • Draco T Bastard 5.1
      22 June 2013 at 7:48 pm

      Why ask Helen?

      But the answer is that Labour has drunk the Kool-Aid and believes as much in capitalism and the free-market as National and Act.

    • Daveo 5.2
      22 June 2013 at 10:37 pm

      As Helen pointed out, Labour’s employment reforms did bugger all. Nothing in the ERA put in place the sort of mechanisms Helen is promoting.

      • Yes 5.2.1
        22 June 2013 at 11:46 pm

        Helen not promising anything…it’s a book review at best. Where’s the policy

        • One Anonymous Knucklehead 5.2.1.1
          23 June 2013 at 7:59 am

          I read the article as more of an invitation to discussion, rather than dictating a policy position. Perhaps if you look at it that way you might be capable of positive contribution.

    • asd 5.3
      23 June 2013 at 5:31 pm

      Helen Clarke was threatened with what some journalists described as “capital strike” when she was presenting the Employment Relations Act 2000 to business leaders at various conferences and meetings. It was allegedly ‘watered down’ on account of the aggression, bullying and the threats made to her incoming government by business leaders and their cohorts.I hope Darien Fenton’s Industry Standard Agreements Bill does not suffer the same fate.

  6. Will@Welly 6
    23 June 2013 at 2:05 am

    Since the Employment Contracts Act came in, most ‘unionised’ labour have seen their real wages decline massively. At the same time, most workers have upped their own game, by doing more with less. What has been consistently missing through most of this though, is the employers investment in plant and technology to improve their businesses. Many have simply ‘shut up shop’ and out-sourced to foreign suppliers without thinking long-term – those suppliers will eventually set up shop here and undermine the New Zealand business. While the ECA has gone, this Government is bringing it back, and more, by stealth.
    What is certain, the average wage and salary earner have subsidized many employers by working for pitiful wages.
    With regards to the forestry industry, it was never envisaged that New Zealand would be a supplier of bulk logs to the world – our forests were planted on the understanding that the trees would be processed here, and the goods then sent overseas. My how the foolish have flourished, and the people of New Zealand have been deceived.

  7. xtasy 7
    23 June 2013 at 2:25 am

    “There is an interesting chapter on working hours. New Zealand has no regulation of working hours. There is no regulation for maximum hours, for overtime, for predictability or for security of hours. The only regulation of total hours per year is the four weeks statutory leave for holidays and even then, a week can now be sold. For casual workers even this does not apply.”

    I watched Jami Lee Ross defend his new private members bill on The Nation yesterday morning.

    Unbelievable that man and his attempted spin. Repeatedly he went on about workers needing to be given a “free choice” to work, while there is a strike on. It was repeatedly his argument of “choice”, of “freedom” and “fairness”.

    His appearance betrays he must be enjoying corporate sponsorship of some kind, wearing the finest attire, clean cut hair, expensive watch and probably shoes that cost a thousand dollars a pair.

    Yes, indeed, New Zealand is a business operator’s paradise, compared to most of Europe, as I know from experience. If a business operator and owner cannot make it with the liberal labour laws that exist it here, and the comparatively low wages, with the ability to push workers to work more hours than in most places within the OECD, with almost non existent unions, with people so desperate for work, some stand at street intersections washing windscreens for a few coins in the hand, then business people in New Zealand must be the most incompetent and useless there are.

    But of course some can never get enough power and privilege, cannot get it easy enough to get their business run, they will push it to the extreme. The only other places they would be happy may be somewhere in South East Asia or the likes.

    Yes, indeed, some business people from here, and some will likely be the no-hopers that cannot make it here, have gone there to get people work in sweat shops.

    But I am not talking about all, as I admit there are also fair business people, giving their workers a reasonable deal. For them – like most ordinary folks – a Jami Lee Ross would be as redundant as an accident insurance salesperson in New Zealand, where ACC is supposed to look after that.

  8. RedLogix 8
    23 June 2013 at 10:45 am

    All I can say is that if I took my income in 1983 and applied the official CPI to that number since then, I would have hoped that I’d be earning at least the same for a role (same professional skill set only with 30yrs more experience) which I regard as far more onerous and responsible.

    But I’m not. There’s at least a NZ$50,000 pa shortfall.

    Oddly enough I got an unsolicited call from an Aussie based head-hunter two weeks ago, making an offer which closes that gap and more. Hell he was even apologetic that being a smallish company they couldn’t really offer more.

    Now I’ve resisted the call of higher wages over the Tasman for many years now. Family, business and the fact that the tramping over there is crap, have kept me firmly based here. But the cold hard truth is that no matter how loyal I am, no matter how hard I work, no matter how much I achieve for my employer … the pay here will remain the same. And I’ll still be routinely working 50 hr plus weeks.

    I’m NOT whinging. Hell I’m vividly aware how I’m actually one of the lucky ones here. Really. And the move is not without costs or drawbacks. But I’m thinking the scales have finally tipped.

    Thirty years of the neo-liberal experiment and the results are in. The executive and financial classes who’ve consistently championed the experiment, insisted that there was no alternative, have done very well thank you, while the rest of us have gone backwards. The experiment has been a massive success for them, and a massive failure for us.

    I’m not imagining for one instant that it’s any kind of nirvana over the ditch. But frankly I think the New Zealand I grew up in has been killed off. It’s gone and never coming back.

    • Yes 8.1
      23 June 2013 at 11:13 am

      1984 labour Government is a good starting point

    • xtasy 8.2
      23 June 2013 at 11:36 am

      RedLogix –

      While I suspect you work in a rather specialist area in a probably higher skilled professional capacity, your observation and realisation is one that many have had and still have, New Zealand born or migrants who settled here.

      There is only so much you can pump out of an economy, that is still depending on well over 60 per cent of primary production exports, to further, smaller percentages on catering for tourists, on teaching and training overseas students, and only still marginally on other production and service delivery. Too many other economies do the same, like even lower wage Chile and others.

      Local activity is restricted to producing essential services to feed, house, motorise, educate, support and equip locals with basic, essential goods and services. Training has been neglected for years, if not decades, many jobs are just low paid, low to medium skilled jobs, and while average or medium incomes have grown over decades, yes, living costs have grown even more.

      I came here in the 1980s, was as a new migrant also used and exploited by the odd employer, paying me pittance, with endless promises I would get a pay-rise eventually, I would have “opportunities” and getter promoted and more. No matter how hard I worked, no matter how much extra efforts I put in, it never happened. Pay increases were minimal, inflation swiftly ate them away, rental costs took away a huge chunk of income, it was for most the time just pure, basic survival.

      And looking around, nothing much has changed. Well, there are a few more products on supermarket shelves, of course we have more modern consumer products available (like everywhere), and some things improved here and there, but living costs are so much higher here than in most “developed” countries, there is a housing crisis in Auckland and Christchurch, rents are also extremely high in those places (where jobs may be found), and it is the same ones creaming it, those owning businesses, owning real estate, collecting high rent, pushing their workers to the edge, paying in comparison amongst the lowest taxes in the OECD, and they do ok, but so many others not.

      I totally understand your sentiment, and looking back myself, I often regret having put hope and expectations into coming “home” to this country, just to barely survive week to week, with no prospect to get anywhere while only so much time may be left in my life to ever have another chance.

      Go for it Red Logix, while you have the chance. Loyalties for what, while there is so much betrayal and division here, this place may never change in its core system, at least not for another generation? But such a change, in economic, fiscal and social direction, is needed, to really make a difference. It requires people to do it, but they are all too locked into dependencies AND self interest, and too scared and gutless to do it here.

      • RedLogix 8.2.1
        23 June 2013 at 8:14 pm

        It requires people to do it, but they are all too locked into dependencies AND self interest, and too scared and gutless to do it here.

        The sorry truth indeed. Thanks for your thoughts.

    • Colonial Viper 8.3
      23 June 2013 at 12:03 pm

      RL, head over and work there for 2 or 3 years, come back with a bit of spare capital, there are political projects to be done over here when you return.

      • xtasy 8.3.1
        23 June 2013 at 2:09 pm

        And after that “donate” a little bit for the “good cause” and “progressive policies”, perhaps, by supporting the “progressive forces” that could bring about a change here. Is that not what the rightist supporters do?

        Is of course all up to RL to decide, but it may just be a thought to help overcome any “guilt” feelings by leaving NZ for AUS (for a while).

      • rosy 8.3.2
        23 June 2013 at 8:29 pm

        +1

    • ghostrider888 8.4
      23 June 2013 at 2:31 pm

      Yes. it has gone too far now. Head wind from now on.

  9. Rosetinted 9
    23 June 2013 at 1:14 pm

    The working hours and conditions we have do not allow some people to have time to live and be a person. It has become so bad with so little respect for an individual’s humanity that NZs in many cases are being treated like serfs. Minimum standards must be in place in lieu of less union strength. It is unreasonable for government leaders to try to diminish unions and not replace their efforts with basic standards of treatment that show respect for their needs. Government has allowed bad treatment to the major population of low to middle income people to become brutalising in an ongoing way. It must be stopped.

    Having four weeks holiday isn’t everything though presumably one parent families could take their holidays to match their children’s school one, so that would be a practical advantage for them.

    The aristocrat desire to grind down the poor and villify them has reasserted itself – (Aren’t the peasants revolting! Can’t afford bread or potatoes? Let them eat grass.) Despite our forebears coming all this way from whatever country with the idea of making a new and better country where everyone would have a place and a chance for a happy and meaningful life we’ve got This.
    And a screwable democracy.

    There was an interview on Fiji’s turn away from democracy this morning Radionz. Quite revealing. We shouldn’t be too smug if we can’t imagine it here – there are parallells to see.

  10. locus 10
    23 June 2013 at 6:45 pm

    New Zealand has no regulation of working hours. There is no regulation for maximum hours, for overtime, for predictability or for security of hours. The only regulation of total hours per year is the four weeks statutory leave for holidays and even then, a week can now be sold. For casual workers even this does not apply

    I work in Austria. The productivity ranking is 16/144 compared to NZ’s ranking of 23/144. Labour productivity in Austria ranked 7th in OECD compared to NZ’s 23rd place. http://www.jpc-net.jp/eng/research/2012_02.html

    Labour regulations are strongly enforced in Austria. The main rules to protect employees are as follows:
    – 40 hour working week
    – 8 hours work per 24 hour period (additional hours must be paid overtime 50% uplift or receive 1.5x time off in lieu)
    – After 6 hours working time there must be a rest period of at least half an hour
    – 5 weeks annual leave
    – shift work must not be more than a 12 hour period in any 24 hours. Employees can only be asked to do overtime if this does not conflict with important personal interests (e.g. child care, urgent doctor’s appointment).
    – workers must have a minimum of 11 hours uninterruped rest between end of one work day and the next

    And THIS:
    All employees are entitled to an uninterrupted resting period of 36 hours, starting on Saturday 1 p.m. and including Sunday (weekend rest). With the only exception that an employee working during the weekend rest is entitled to an uninterrupted weekly rest of 36 hours beyond the weekend.

    Most workplaces, through collective agreements also have the following in place
    – working week of 38 hours
    – Only 6 hours at work required on a Friday if total hours add up to 38
    – You can take Friday off if you have already worked 38 hours Monday to Thursday
    – 10 hour working day maximum
    – maximum of 50 hours work per 5 day working week

    Employers are prosecuted for contravening collective agreements!

    Workplaces in Austria have compulsory elected Worker Councils (not unions, although 90% of people voluntarily belong to unions) that negotiate with the employers (who have to provide offices and normal pay to the Workers Council representatives while they are doing this work) to ensure a productive and protective working environment: health, safety, workplace physical conditions, pay negotiations, subsidised lunches, refunds on commuting costs etc.

    Part-time workers in Austria are protected by law in the same way. Part-time employees must not be disadvantaged in comparison to full-time employees. Pay for extra work above the agreed part-time hours must be uplifted by 25%, unless the extra hours are balanced within an agreed time-frame of three months.

    Austria’s productivity is still higher than NZ’s.

    Ensuring good worker conditions is not what’s holding NZ back.

    • xtasy 10.1
      23 June 2013 at 6:59 pm

      Yep – conditions, at least similar to that, could be the rule here, had some firm action by NZ unions been taken in 1991/92.

      Such conditions would even “motivate” workers to put in an effort.

      But hey, that is too “academic” a regime, so we get what we get, from a business friendly government, that wants to make it yet easier, for those applying the rules of pressure, intimidation, fear, neglect, withdrawal of pay and harassment.

      Once unity is broken, it all goes to shit!

      Economic and social experiment NZ-Aotearoa 1984 to 2013, or definitely 1991 to 2013.

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    One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    13 hours ago

  • A who’s who of New Zealand’s dodgiest companies
    Submissions on National's corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law are due today (have you submitted?), and just hours before they close, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop has been forced to release the list of companies he invited to apply. I've spent the last hour going through it in an epic thread of bleats, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    15 hours ago

  • On Lee’s watch, Economic Development seems to be stuck on scoring points from promoting sporting e...
    Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    16 hours ago

  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
    1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    16 hours ago

  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    Jack Vowles writes – 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’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    19 hours ago

  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    21 hours ago

  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    21 hours ago

  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    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
    21 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
    22 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
    22 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
    23 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 days 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
    15 hours 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
    17 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
    18 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
    19 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
    19 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
    19 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
    22 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
    1 day 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
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