NRT: Waihopaiology

Written By: - Date published: 5:17 pm, January 14th, 2015 - 45 comments
Categories: Spying - Tags: , , ,

no-right-turn-256Reposted from No Right Turn

We all got a bit of a shock yesterday when the government announced that GCSB Director Ian Fletcher was stepping down for “family reasons”. Becuse we all know that “family reasons” is code for “we don’t want to tell you what the real reason is”, there’s naturally been speculation about the real reason for his departure. Yesterday, Labour led this by suggesting that Fletcher didn’t like something proposed for the upcoming review. Today this has been expanded into a supposed objection to a proposal to merge the GCSB and SIS.

The problem? Fletcher has never come across as particularly principled or committed to privacy and human rights (lets face it: if he was, he would never have taken the job). And as an outsider, he’s unlikely to be so committed to the future of the organisation he heads that he’d fall on his sword rather than be part of a merger. And while pride – not wanting to work for SIS Director Rebecca Kitteridge, who would presumably head a merged agency – is potentially a reason, six months before the review has even taken place is a little early to be resigning for that.

Which brings us back to the other possible reason: another GCSB stuffup. Which of course someone has to fall on their sword for, but which must be kept secret for “security reasons” (aka “if the victims knew, they’d sue us and complain to the police”).

As for the merits of a speculated merger between SIS and GCSB, it’s a nightmare. The two agencies have completely different purposes. The SIS’s focus has always been domestic, hunting for reds under the bed (and because there aren’t any, focusing on greens, browns, basically anyone who isn’t “properly” blue instead). The GCSB’s focus is international, to Spy On All The Things (which through their “alliance” with the NSA and the nature of the modern internet, means collecting all our internet and phone traffic). The two are kept separate to ensure they stay on task, and to ensure that there’s a strong bureaucratic barrier between the SIS and the GCSB’s backdoor access to all our communications. Merging the two would destroy that barrier, and no matter how many internal “Chinese walls” they say they have, would inevitably result in leakage. In short, you’d have a highly politicised domestic spy agency looking for “enemies” to spy on (because it doesn’t have any real ones) with access to all our communications. The Stasi, in other words. It would be a disaster for our privacy and for our democracy. And any government which does it needs to be promptly de-elected, because they are a danger to us all.

45 comments on “NRT: Waihopaiology ”

  1. karol 1

    Fletcher’s sudden resignation does invite speculation.

    I/S does have a point about the timing leaving open the possibility of an about-to-be-disclosed GCSB stuff up.

    It’s also possible it’s something else, totally unexpected: eg something surfacing that relates to Fletcher’s past jobs – there were criticisms of his Queensland work, and he was in the loop with respect to the fictionalisation of the reasons for invading Iraq.

    • Tracey 1.1

      Given how few have had to resign for stuff ups under key’s rule, I would be surprised if Fletcher “had” to resign for a stuff up… apart from anything else wouldn’t key be keen to show what a tough and principled PM he is by making someone accountable?

  2. Truth Will Out 2

    Key compromised him in a very shoddy way, tainting him with the whole illegal spying thing. It was a form of betrayal. He will forever be associated with it now whether he was responsible or not. Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas. That’s the price he pays for being a mate of Key’s.

  3. Anne 3

    I think this hypothesis of Idiot Savant’s is right on the money.

    First, there’s a review into the GCSB which is due to be released within the next couple of months. I’m betting Fletcher knows what’s in it and he also knows that he will be the whipping boy when the shit hits the fan. This may not be entirely fair because I suspect some of the negative elements it may contain will have occurred prior to him taking over as the GCSB head.

    Second, this rumoured suspicion of a merger between the SIS and the GCSB stinks of arrogance, obsession with power by any means and the usual Nat. strait-jacketed thinking. It is supremely ironic coming from a government that spent eight years labelling the Clark regime as a big, bullying nanny state government determined to tread on all our rights and freedoms – Helengrad they said – and the sheeples believed it.

    Third, it is clear from Andrew Little’s meeting with Fletcher just before Xmas that he was not intending to resign from his position as the GCSB Director. In fact, he was enthusiastic and told Little something of his future plans for the GCSB. So, something has happened in the last couple of weeks. I’m picking he was told about the proposed “merger” and he was left with the impression he was going to be shafted in the process so he decided to go first.

    • mickysavage 3.1

      Agreed. I bet:

      1. There is a merger planned.
      2. The writing is on the wall for Fletcher. Mergers often have signposted which organisation is going to be the dominant one and the employees of the other organisation are expendable …
      3. Finlayson sees things different to Key. He will not protect Fletcher and Fletcher knows this.
      4. There may or may not be another operational snafu ready to be made public.
      5. Key may be thinking of ways to move on. Why hang around when you have $50 million in the bank and a golfing handicap to maintain.
      6. There will be a rebellion amongst elements of the public service at the thought of concentrating so much power. The merger of one entity designed to spy on us and another entity designed to collate intelligence but not spy on us will mean that local intelligence will be shared indiscriminately.

      The merger makes perfect sense. If the intent is to maximise the power of the state and to strip away the vestige of any privacy rights we may have.

      • politikiwi 3.1.1

        “If the intent is to maximise the power of the state and to strip away the vestige of any privacy rights we may have.”

        Based on the government’s actions to-date, it’s difficult to conclude that it’s anything else.

      • Sacha 3.1.2

        “when you have $50 million in the bank” – plus dividends and interest since then.

      • JanM 3.1.3

        “Why hang around when you have $50 million in the bank and a golfing handicap to maintain ”
        That has not changed since he came into our sights, so we need to reflect on what it is that drives him – it’s quite chilling, really

      • gsays 3.1.4

        hi mickey, when this regime is out of power, any chance of an unmerger coming from labour?

      • tc 3.1.5

        Yes all of that and the unresolved issues about how JK put him up for the job and ran his golf cart over due process, oh those lofty higher standards.

        Unresolved because the MSM is part of the scam by not chasing down Johnnys lies over his good mate fletch. Nothing new about that though.

      • Tracey 3.1.6

        Surely anything Fletcher did wrong would be under Key’s leadership, not Finlayson’s?

      • Anne 3.1.7

        There will be a rebellion amongst elements of the public service at the thought of concentrating so much power. The merger of one entity designed to spy on us and another entity designed to collate intelligence but not spy on us will mean that local intelligence will be shared indiscriminately.

        That is precisely the strait jacketed thinking I was referring to. And who is going to lead this monolithic version of East Germany’s Stasi eh? I suspect Kitteridge will be down graded to “Deputy CEO in charge of the Domestic Division. Fletcher isn’t going to be downgraded to anything so he’s getting out? So who has the Govt. got in mind for the top job?

        Perhaps we could conduct a sweepstake and the one who gets closest wins a chocolate fish.

    • Sacha 3.2

      “Helengrad they said – and the sheeples believed it” – because the left (and especially Labour) failed abysmally to craft a credible counter-narrative. Don’t go blaming voters.

      • JanM 3.2.1

        Do you mean their advertising wasn’t as slick and they didn’t tell as many lies?

      • mickysavage 3.2.2

        Hate to disagree with you but …

        Media reach is really important. On the right we had:

        Farrar/Slater/Henry/Hoskings/the Herald/Fairfax/Talk back radio/Gower/Corporate media …

        On the left we had …

        Bomber/the Standard/ …

        I am not sure what benefit there was in a credible counter narrative.

        • Sacha 3.2.2.1

          Media relay packaged comms. Labour and the broader left have generally been crap at that crafting for a long while now (though some aspects like Mana’s 2014 website and the Greens’ 2011 campaign were well done). If you can’t acknowledge that, the people of this nation owe you nothing – and certainly not their vote.

          • emergency mike 3.2.2.1.1

            While I think it’s fair to be critical of Labour’s media strategy, and they made too many blunders, the deck is rather stacked against them when the msm is full of bias. The bigger truth is that the blue machine has a lot of naturally talented manipulators and bullshit artists that the left just can’t match. Myself I think that says more about them than us.

            As Nicky Hager said in one his talks that I saw, a government that relies on dirty politics is a government with something to hide.

          • Tom Jackson 3.2.2.1.2

            I watched it. From the day he was elected leader, the media, almost to a man (and woman) went after Cunliffe in the most ridiculous way day after day without any let up. Cunliffe could have cured cancer and the media would still have dogsled on him. Anyone who denies this is just being dishonest.

            And the voters deserve plenty of stick. I don’t think most of them are sheeple. I suspect an awful lot of them are small-minded, morally deficient beings, and modern politics goes a long way to backing up that hypothesis.

          • Tracey 3.2.2.1.3

            Can you explain how you make the media publish something if they don’t want to, no matter how well drafted or presented it is?

            • Sacha 3.2.2.1.3.1

              You work hard to set the overall narrative and framing, regardless of individual stories, and you work the background relationships with editors and journos and opinion-shapers. That takes more skill and coherence than has been in evidence for about the last 7 years.

              • framu

                while i agree with you there i doubt it would have mattered – the MSM made their pick each time and were deaf to all else.

                The trick now is to find a way to put the MSM on notice, in public, without corkery-ing it

  4. Weepus beard 4

    What does Smile und Wave have to say about this? Any journalist brave enough to ask?

    • wyndham 4.1

      Smile und Wave in his usual slippery way will not be seen or heard to any marked degree ! He has already lumbered Findlayson with being the government “face’ of the GCSB. Findlayson will handle any crap that is likely to ensue from the enquiry whilst Key will continue as the friendly face of National Inc.

      • Weepus beard 4.1.1

        True, but I’d still like journalists to ask the questions:

        Why did your mate quit?

        Were you as surprised as everyone else, or did he tell you first?

        Will you shoulder tap another mate to fill the vacancy?

        • Tracey 4.1.1.1

          the timing makes me think Key knew and it was agreed to announce with his blessing while on holiday.

          same as Ede resigned the day before the election but Key didnt announce it til the Monday after.

          same as the BIG story of the day was those awful police issuing fines for people speeding over 100km, to be followed by Fletcher’s resignation. Nothing by accident folks

    • ghostwhowalksnz 4.2

      Hes on holiday. And so are most of the journalists.

  5. Skinny 5

    Fletcher would have had the wind from the get go after a series of sketchy abusive of the agencies powers. He would be use to structure and certainly not Key’s loose flippant style of management. If that wasn’t bad enough having to deal with a loose cannon megalomaniac Finlayson and the plans he has instore says exit stage left.

  6. Jim 6

    The whole saga of Fletcher’s appointment has been a embarrassment to John Key, amplified by the Prime Ministers office having been proven to be involved in the release of SIS false information to whale oil for political purposes. Key then distances himself by making Finlayson the Minister responsible for the spying agencies. Some months later Fletcher who is still a lingering embarrassment to Key resigns. A few months later a report comes out which sanitises the situation further. Hell by the end of the year the GCSB and the SIS will probably not exist in there current form and most people won’t even remember about John Key appointing a childhood friend to head the GCSB, and having been caught politicising the SIS. Infact most New Zealanders will be on planet Key quite happy with the situation.

    • Sacha 6.1

      “Hell by the end of the year the GCSB and the SIS will probably not exist in there current form”

      Renaming is a strong possibility. It worked for the DOL mines inspectorate and whatever that government department who oversaw leaky buildings was called.

      • Paul Campbell 6.1.1

        So renamed to “Stasi” it is then – makes sense – even if they don’t use that name we can

      • Tracey 6.1.2

        Department of Building and Housing oversaw the Weathertight Services Group which oversaw the Weathertight Homes resolution Services.

        • Sacha 6.1.2.1

          I mean the department which oversaw the weakening of building standards that *caused* leaky buildings – which Clark’s government slyly disestablished so there was nothing left to sue except Councils.

          • Tracey 6.1.2.1.1

            building industry authority? They dissolved and got replaced with no accountability as you point out… many went on to help write the 2004 building act…

  7. Colonial Rawshark 7

    Bill Binney, one of the highest ranking whistleblowers ever to come out of the NSA, and who worked on projects against the old Soviet Bloc, says that the surveillance capabilities that the NSA (and by extension the FVEY nations) employ are several orders of magnitude beyond anything the Stasi ever used on the East German population.

    The ability to follow hundreds of millions of people around 24/7 via their GPS enabled smartphone, for instance.

    • Sure, but people forget that the majority of East Germans didn’t really care all that much about the Stasi, because it didn’t affect them.

      • Tracey 7.1.1

        I know three east Germans who cared enough that their families helped them escape.

      • ghostwhowalksnz 7.1.2

        It was more like if you didnt care , it was because you were one of the stasi informers.

        “1989, the Stasi employed 91,015 persons full-time,”

        It was said 2.5% of the population were stasi informers.

        “Schools, universities, and hospitals were extensively infiltrated”

        “counting part-time informers, the Stasi had one informer per 6.5 people”

        “Didnt care” ? They were the most oppresive secret police in history!

      • RJL 7.1.3

        Which is why the majority of East Germans are still quite happy living safely behind the Berlin Wall.

    • Tracey 7.2

      and the STASI kept great hard copy records, cos you had to prove to superiors you achieved what they wanted. Made great research fodder when the wall came down… Now you have to hack.

  8. Treetop 8

    Some sort of ultimatium has forced Fletcher out or he is about to be exposed for landing Key in it.

    Key tends to tidy things up by saying the person is no longer employed by his office, this can be extended to Key being the minister in charge.

    Will Fletcher take a pay cut when he moves on?

  9. Treetop 9

    Possibly the family problem is between Rennie, Fletcher and Key. Fletcher is the one being sacrificed.

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    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
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    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
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    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
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    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.
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    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
    5 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    6 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
    6 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
    6 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 ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 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
    12 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
    13 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
    1 day 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
    6 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 ...
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    6 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
    6 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
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    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
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    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
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    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
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    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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