Op Ed: Press want to control political blogs?

Written By: - Date published: 3:02 pm, March 26th, 2014 - 41 comments
Categories: accountability, blogs, democratic participation, news, newspapers - Tags:

Blogs are about to be offered the possibility of being covered by Press Council rules and regulations.  I think it is totally wrongheaded.  Either the Press Council does not understand blogs, or they want to try to control them – at least to some extent.

media and democracy

John Drinnan on the move:

Blogs like WhaleOil and Kiwiblog may soon be subject to the same rules as newspapers under expansion at The Press Council.

The move is planned for May 1, but already the Council has set back the start date to late May, while it talks through changes with potential new blogger members.

[…]The good news is consumers will have a venue to complain about bloggers who join the Press Council – without resorting the costly process of legal action.

More at the link.

As someone who has severe misgivings about the state of our current mainstream media, I have no desire to be subjected to, or subjugated by, a council dominated by the mainstream media (MSM).

The positives for blogs, as stated by Drinnan:

*blogs would achieve legitimacy they currently lack (with whom?).  Drinnan seems to suggest blogs will then need to be explicit about whether they are being fed information by politicians;

*it may make it easier for blogs to make money out of the efforts of the bloggers.

The question of “balance” is raised in Drinnan’s article.  The problem is, while “balance” is expected of news reports, it isn’t expected of op eds.  And most political blog posts are more like op eds. Furthermore, balance is a contestable notion.  Generally it means deciding on a “centre” and providing at least 2 viewpoints on either side of the centre.    The problems with this can be seen on issues like climate change, where equal weight is given to climate skeptics and well researched evidence on climate change.  “Balance” should not trump accuracy and reliability of reports.  And the “centre” is a social construct that shifts over time.

The messages in the MSM can be skewed in may ways, especially these days when infotainment is rampant.  The headlines can be skewed towards one viewpoint, with the opposing viewpoint buried at the bottom of the page. Too often left wing views are buried on the back pages.  And entertainment and celebrity news gets way more attention than it deserves.

For me, a blog like The Standard has an important role in critiquing the MSM, and in providing viewpoints that rarely get much of a hearing.

Why would any of us want to be subjected to/subjugated by a body that represents a very imperfect system, dominated by media corporations, and commercial values?

A further concern, is to do with this point mentioned in Drinnan’s article.

Where an author’s link to a subject is deemed to be justified, the relationship of author to subject should be declared, “The Press Council declarations state.

This could work to undermine pseudonyms: a very important thing to protect in these days of invasive state surveillance.

Blogs are already subjected to laws like those of defamation and copyright.  I don’t see what the Press Council can offer left wing blogs.

The only bloggers that Drinnan mentions are WhaleOil, Kiwiblog and Peter Aranyi.

Drinnan says:

Kiwiblog and Whale Oil have indicated interest but the Press Council wants a sizeable number so that its newspaper members are not subsidising costs.

Press Council executive director Mary Major said the shape of the expanded body should be defined by the end of May after discussion with bloggers.

The Press Council already allowed robust opinion under its freedom of speech, but blogs created special issues. she said,

“How do expect whale Oil to meet requirements for balance?” Major asked .

Discussion has been held several months and moves follow a review of the Press Council by its main funder, the Newspaper Publishers’ Association.

Who has been involved in these discussions apart from the afore mentioned bloggers? I’ve not heard anything about it on most left wing blogs.

An alternative possibility is suggested in Drinnan’s piece:

Even among bloggers like Peter Aranyi there are concerns,

Some bloggers seeking legitimisation as ‘news media’through membership of the Press Council – should more properly be applying for membership of the Public Relations Institute, said Aranyi who has written a lot about a culture of attacks in some blogs.

Peter Aranyi has a post about the issue today, on The Paepae.  He says that in the Public Relations Institute,

members are required to be honest, ‘accurate and truthful’ in their endeavors on behalf of their clients [… “and in communicating with the public”].

To me, The standard is a well managed blog (h/t Lynn).  I don’t see how the Press Council would help to improve it.  This blog also works well, enabling a lot of discussion. Something the MSM generally doesn’t do as well, in my view.  In such a blog, commenters are quick to point out inaccuracies in posts.

Accuracy and good quality  evidence are important to me, but I don’t see the Press Council being the right body to administer standards in this area.

41 comments on “Op Ed: Press want to control political blogs? ”

  1. bad12 1

    Kaorl, although unintended as humor, i was highly amused when having a read of the Herald,(National Party disinformation service),piece on this subject earlier on today,

    Apparently the Press Council rules also require ‘Balance’ in what is printed, of course the irony of reading that in the Herald of all places was palpable,

    If the Press Council consider what Armstrong, Trevett, and O’Sullivan to name just three of the offenders who regularly produce copy for the Herald that might just have easily been carbon copies of Emails sent to them from the Beehive’s 9th floor,is ‘Balanced’ in any way then i would suggest that the Press Council is of as much use as a spoon when all you need is a knife, or breasts appearing on a bull…

  2. Puckish Rogue 2

    Fact of life is that someone always wants to control someone else…especially those uppity bloggers

    • McFlock 2.1

      not everyone is as loathsome as you are.

      • Puckish Rogue 2.1.1

        and its generally the left that want the control

        • Tracey 2.1.1.1

          which doesnt quite explain the queue of right wing golfers waiting to get in the ear of the pm

        • Draco T Bastard 2.1.1.2

          No, really it isn’t – it’s the right-wingers. Just look at how they’ve undermined democracy in this country since gaining the government benches in 2008.

        • lprent 2.1.1.3

          and its generally the left that want the control

          Or that the only two bloggers who appear to be interested in joining the press council are right wing bloggers. Indeed from the bloggers side they’re the only ones I know pushing for it.

          Perhaps you’re just too stupid to notice that it is usually the right who seem to want to control everything in reality?

    • fender 2.2

      It was easy for the rotten wood eating bug to get you wailing the same out of tune lines/lies. How does it feel to be controlled by that disaster……?

      Here’s a link

  3. Draco T Bastard 3

    Considering the fact that the Press Council fails to hold the MSM to any sort of standard worth mentioning I can’t see it doing anything for blogs.

    • lprent 3.1

      Exactly. It is also as slow as a wet year. About the only good thing you can say about the press council or BSA is that they are in fact slightly faster than the courts.

      The fastest way to get content changed around here is to simply email me or Mike giving me a good argument about why it is incorrect – with some backing evidence. I’d do some checking and see if it is an issue with facts. With the various ones that have come through, I’ve found that the few degrees of separation in NZ allow me to find out what is what.

      Or give me a guest post like Josie Pagani did (still don’t know why she didn’t just put it up on Pundit), and other others have done over the years. Of course I’ve had to turn down a few of those over the years or provide limits where it involves actions already in front of the courts.

  4. lprent 4

    As far as I can see this particular instance is largely being driven by Slaters desperate need to find a fig leaf to prevent himself being sued and dragged into court. It interferes with getting his lazy arse into gear and figuring out how to make money out of blogging. God knows that he doesn’t have any other useful skills to make a living from.

    I’ve been watching this “progress” over several areas over the last few years towards a attempted governance of the blogs for a number of years now. Seems to have been driven only by the MSM, Farrar, and Cameron Slater as far as I can tell. In other words National’s media outlets.

    Never had anyone contacting me. Mike hasn’t told me about anyone contacting him. Haven’t heard of any of the other blogs on the left being contacted. It is a bit like who amongst the blogs gets sued or even threatened to be sued. So far the only ones I have seen have been “legal” threats made by morons who haven’t bothered to understand the actual law. Bit of a pain in the arse. I’ve been wanting to play with the leverage of discovery motions since I read up on them 6 years ago.

    The reality is that we regulate ourselves already well within the NZ legal bounds on a purely voluntary basis – because those rules are looser than any competent site owner would allow anyway. I can’t see the point of this bullshit either

    It is rather boring. I’ve seen this happen in different forms many times over the last 3 decades with everything from BBS’es, usenet, through to facebook and twitter. Basically it is only the incompetent providers of forums who need to do this. Anyone competent has both their systems, posts and their comments effectively managed so there are no particular advantages if you don’t want to try to make a living out of blogging.

    Similarly the media are going to have to learn to live with the diminishing costs of publishing that the net and better base education levels provide, and the lowered costs of advertising that searchable and directed adverts provide. Quite simply they aren’t protected by the capital requirements of providing a news service any more.

    My only interest in it has been the traditional sysop role of simply figuring out how to make it impossible to regulate what we’re doing with server and legal locations etc. Basically the site runs with cold and warm backups on on several jurisdictions. The worst that could currently be done inside NZ is to replace the .org.nz off the domain name.

    • Anne 4.1

      Never had anyone contacting me. Mike hasn’t told me about anyone contacting him. Haven’t heard of any of the other blogs on the left being contacted.

      My first reaction. I bet no left of centre blogsites have been contacted. It’s a put up job between Slime Oil plus Kiwi Penguin and the right wing MSM who also feel a bit threatened by the left blogsites? Who does the MSM always go to when looking for a ‘balanced’ opinion from the blogosphere? Slime Oil and Kiwi Penguin. That says it all!

    • karol 4.2

      So, basically, WO wants to be able to claim journalistic privilege to protect his sources.

      Having been publicly outed as a branch of the Nat Party, with the ear of John Key, he wants to be able to continue to use his “sources” to launch his smear campaigns against those he sees as his political opponents.

      Just like the MSM journos do – eg the white anting of David Cunliffe,among other things.

      And it’s all basically dishonest and manipulative.

    • john Drinnan 4.3

      Some journalists also have deep reservations about any attempt to merge journalism with blogs. Surprising that you have not been approached.

      • lprent 4.3.1

        I view actual journalism as being something completely different to blogging which is something I do for pleasure. The same way that I have been involved in various online forums since the early 80’s.

        Sure there will be people who make the transition from one to the other in both directions. But they are two quite different modes. I despise the type of talkback style “jonolism” that we see out of the TV3 news room which has nothing to do with any thought but is purely done for ratings.

        Personally I have no wish to be regarded as being a journalist because I want to write about my understanding of issues. I have no wish to be constrained by the responsibilities that come with being a journalist. I’m a computer programmer and really don’t have time to cross-check everything in the way that I would if I was writing code. Blogging for me is a hobby, not a profession.

        But I don’t need the limited legal protections given to journalists because I usually stay well within the legal bounds anyway. The times where I do not are quite deliberate and are pretty much designed to give the target an opportunity to give me access to discovery motions. Sadly no-one seems to want to give me access to them.

        Cameron Slater takes no responsibility and doesn’t constrain himself. But he would like to have the legal cover because he is a stupid dickhead who can’t restrain himself. I doubt that the press council can constrain him either – I’d suggest that they don’t bother trying.

  5. Tracey 5

    Peter Aranyi has a post about the issue today, on The Paepae.  He says that in the Public Relations Institute,

    members are required to be honest, ‘accurate and truthful’ in their endeavors on behalf of their clients [… “and in communicating with the public”].

    oh how I laughed and laughed and laughed.

    • Peter A 5.1

      @Tracey “oh how I laughed and laughed and laughed.”

      Haha, yeah, I know, right? 🙂 Possibly observed more in the breach by some practitioners!

      As I explained (in the post Karol kindly linked to above) the Public Relations Institute would perhaps be a more honest umbrella for some PR bloggers to picnic under, rather than the Press Council …
      But even there, members are required to be honest, ‘accurate and truthful’ in their endeavours on behalf of their clients.
      Sooo … some higher profile political bloggers — with a penchant for bending reality — may be seen as disqualified there too?

      • Peter

      PS If you found the PRINZ Code of Ethics funny, you’ll love the ‘Rules of conduct and client care for lawyers’:
      12. A lawyer must, when acting in a professional capacity, conduct dealings with others, including self-represented persons, with integrity, respect, and courtesy.

      And of course they do …

      • Tracey 5.1.1

        Ah yes, the code of conduct for lawyers and former lawyers. I know it well these days, as a former lawyer.

        It does seem to me that Slater is trying to use such registration to get him viewed as legitimately a journalist to assist his legal case.

        I am sure there are PR people with integrity, unfortunately they dont have the prominence of those with questionable integrity.

    • rhinocrates 5.2

      I bet that Hoots laughs and laughs and laughs too – though for different reasons.

      The sure sign of a liar? Trying to assure you that they’re telling the truth.

      • Tracey 5.2.1

        I don’t think you realise HootOn doesn’t lie, he makes jokes. See the difference?

  6. During WWII being caught with what the Germans called illegal and terrorist information leaflets was a sure death often not only for yourself but also of people around you. Those leaflets where a lifeline for many of the resistance and often the only “real” news people could get their hands on. Those people would turn in their graves if they saw the propaganda we are being fed by the 5 New corporations which have control over the “news”. They died so that people could get some real information and the resistance could fight the Germans.

    Now we might not be under military control of an invading force but any force which wants control over the free exchange of information should be considered suspect. Is whaleoil a nice guy? No he is a piece of shit masquerading as a fat hysterical Robin Hood. He has a vile mind and an even viler body but I think that he has the right to say what he does and what’s more if he wants to be used by even viler characters such as Crusher Collins and our bankster scumbag Prime Minister so be it.

    I prefer it above the NZH shite pieces we are fed everyday. At least you know where it comes from.

    By the way in the US they just shut down a youtube website about “the illuminati” with 5 million views because the information czar of Obama because he is trying to sell the idea that “conspiracy theories” are a contagious disease so shutting them up as a disease prevention measure is fully justified. Needless to say that the site is back open again because unlike docile NZ at least there people actually really do fight for the right to speak their mind!

    • Populuxe1 6.1

      Wow, a Godwin, fat shaming AND an unironic reference to the Illuminati. Bravo.
      Now all you need is a to link John Key to the Seven Rich Jewish Bankers an the Builderberg
      and you’ll have the Quinella.

      • Tracey 6.1.1

        someone once said that sometimes it is legitimate to compare stuff to the nazis.

  7. A VOTER 7

    [deleted]

    [lprent: Fool. Banned for two weeks. Don’t advocate violence on our site and don’t try to start stupid flamewars. Read the policy. ]

  8. vto 8

    Go jump in the lake you silly Press Council.

    Sheesh.

  9. greywarbler 9

    This sounds as if someone thinks its a done deal. Surely you have to opt in if it is. Why would the newspapers etc through their Council want to have a say over the blogs? There are rules that provide a ceiling in general aren’t there – laws of defamation. And there are internal rules and safeguards to prevent anyone having legal recourse.

    No way should we be subjected to the trials that we have to put up with here going to the Head Prefect and saying we said nasty things about them. Called them ascargots even. Or something they don’t understand. And seeing there is so much they don’t understand they are likely to resort to lots of moaning unless they get the bum’s rush from the Council, as you would think would happen.

    The whole thing is ludicrous. If we can find out something that the public ought to know, good on us. We aren’t doing it for money that is one aspect and I don’t think there is any advantage to any of us if we hear some whispers, leaks, gossip. But for me, it would be less than the media content, they are the ones likely to blacken someone’s character over a misdemeanour, we are more likely to ridicule them and then scrutinise them to see if they are doing any good. And how can we find balance and where is that rare gem. Each person has a point of view. Are there to be holding pens, one for the ayes and one for the noes, and they to have the gates opened to be released one at a time from each pen. Baaah.

  10. tc 10

    Adding what little credibility being a member of this countrys MSM brings whilst hiding behind the old ‘source’ routine allows you to really go for the BS.

    This will make WO and KB even more useful tools now, just a few months for the sheeple may be enough.

    CT at work, bet they wish Oz was as easy.

  11. captain hook 11

    so if wail boil becomes a bonofeedy journalist then he can hide behind some sort of privilege when it comes to sources.
    so no.
    Wail boils rag is not news. Its just regurgitated pap and dried faesces.

  12. rhinocrates 12

    My God, if this was satire, I’d say “lame.”

    “‘Legitimacy’? We don’t need your stinking ‘legitimacy’!” (Substitution for ‘badges’/’badgers’)

    Thankfully, due to the nature of the Internet, it’s going to come to nothing.

    The pretentiousness is hilarious. Laugh at them, ignore them, refuse to take the bait and thereby expose it as the self-interested sham that it is.

    This phoney “legitimacy” is bait on a hook, and it isn’t attractive – it stinks.

  13. rhinocrates 13

    This could be a motto for The Standard: “NOT a branch of The Herald”.

  14. Tanz 14

    Free, unregulated speech on blogs forever. The MSM are incredibly biased, and /leftist. Utopia, Utopia…

  15. RedBaronCV 15

    Blogs must be hurting the MSM who only want to peddle their version of the truth. MSM must be looking at the truckload of negative comments that a lot of their articles attract and the negative comments deal with facts as much as anything.

    Still what happens if this is renamed “The standard knitting circle & romance novel discussion group” and we carry on as before with the odd Mills & Boon sideline thrown in.

    I hope this doesn’t get me banned

  16. Molly 16

    On reading the post re blogs and MSM and the quality thereof – been wondering how well a blog that simply allowed comments on Herald articles that are closed (or were never open) would do.

    Usually the most appallingly written articles seem to have no comments function. And some of my moderated (and moderate) comments never make it to print, eg. my response to Rodney Hide’s
    – A secret memo on secret trusts 9/3/2014

    “Memo to: Rodney Hide

    From: People who want to be (mildly) informed by opinion pieces

    As usual you say nothing, do nothing, think nothing. Well, not nothing literally, but very little unbiased consideration goes into your articles now does it?

    John Key? Fundraising dinners? Anonymous donations? Big business? US bagman?
    And you ignore them?

    How do you sleep straight in bed at night?

    No. Forget I even asked. I don’t want to know.

    Did you not notice passing laws stopping this carry-on? Can you not remember they were in part a result of the shenanigans undertaken by John Key and Don Brash detailed wonderfully in The Hollow Men?

    Of course you do. But you continue this one-sided feigned outrage regardless.

    You look sleazy. You look tricky. You look like a hypocrite.

    You should ask for names at those dinners. Or do your usual and speculate. Because John Key will never ‘fess up. He’s comfortable. He’s comfortable with incompetence, dodginess, lack of accountability. And when we call him a ‘man of the people’ – those at the dinner know that the unsaid addendum… “… the people who can pay”.

    You might think I’m harsh. This is nothing. Your obvious bias hurts you most.”

    Not one of my best but the only one saved on notepad because the comments section was playing up. And most of the personal comments on there are copied from the original article.

    At present Herald comments seem to be very negative towards the government. I know I would enjoy having an outlet for the frustration I feel when reading yet another badly written and biased article in the Herald – and then discovering that there is no comment section to counteract the spin. Am wondering if there is a large percentage of the Herald reading public that feels the same. I’m sure that there would be copyright infringement issues etc though and is unlikely to happen – but it is a thought that allows me to compose responses in my head regardless.

    (And no – not suggesting any of the Standardistas create one – just musing after reading this post)

  17. Tracey 17

    So why would th ePress Council want them? Is it because more and more journalists are running blogs themselves and want extra security, and their desire for protection will allow Slugslick to get in too?

  18. lefty 18

    Generally blogs do not report news, although occasionally they do break a new story or add some extra information to an existing one.

    Because they are not primarily news breakers bloggers are free to put a range of opinions about the news into the public arena.

    Bloggers are free to parade their bias and do not have to worry about protecting advertising revenue so are free to offend readers if they choose to.

    This is their strength.

    There is no role for any official body when it comes to regulating opinion or blogs.

    Having said that I get very annoyed the attitude of many who frequent blogs display towards mainstream reporting.

    Yes, much of the media is owned by capitalists who wish to promote capitalist values and ideas and are influenced by the power of big advertisers, but there is a greater plurality in this country than many of the left give them credit for.

    I have been a spokesperson, or the media worker, for a number of quite radical organisations and have found that any competent organisation or politician can have their voice heard, although sometimes not as widely as they would like.

    Too often left critics fail to understand that journalists are simply reflecting the attitudes and values of the society they live in and what is perceived as bias is quite simply accurate reporting in that context.

    Conservative publications like the NZ Herald have always been just that, and readers generally understand this. Such publications and broadcasters, and it includes most of the mainstream media, will always lag behind progressive opinion on an issue until it is widely accepted, then it will become the new norm that news on that issue is assessed against.

    There are many fine hardworking journalists doing a good job of trying to report what is going on in the world around us in the most accurate way they can. In recent weeks we have seen reports that show prominent politicians from most of the political parties in a bad light. Those politicians all respond to these reports with their particular brand of spin. The public choose to believe some and not others. That is not the fault of the reporter and people like Bomber get right up my nose when they put these journalist down.

    The Press Council provides a very useful watchdog for these journalist and they tend to take it very seriously.

    • karol 18.1

      lefty: I have been a spokesperson, or the media worker, for a number of quite radical organisations and have found that any competent organisation or politician can have their voice heard, although sometimes not as widely as they would like.

      Too often left critics fail to understand that journalists are simply reflecting the attitudes and values of the society they live in and what is perceived as bias is quite simply accurate reporting in that context.
      […]
      There are many fine hardworking journalists doing a good job of trying to report what is going on in the world around us in the most accurate way they can.

      My main complaint, as in the post above, is with the overall MO of the corporate media. It is very much ratings and/or advertising and sales diven – leads to sensationalism, drama, conflict, celebrity culture and personal politcs over in depth analysis of politcal issues.

      Thconservative political bias also has a lot to do with editorial policies and approaches eg my comments on headlines vs content and the positioning of less conservative views in articles or within publications.

      The journalists with more conservative leanings are more likely to get hired and promoted. Neverheless, I agree that, within this system, many journalists do their best to report accurately, while some others are just spin merchants, usually for the right wing paries..

  19. captain hook 19

    well the the best thing that the press council could do in respect of wailboil is to get him with a can of slug spray.

  20. Ecosse_Maidy 20

    If Whale Oil and Kiwi Blog fell under the expansion of the press council and came under the same rules..Do you not think that it would benefit The Standard to be included?I read that you perceive The Standard to already be fair and balanced however would it not give The Standard extra kudos?This showing it has no self interest to protect?

    [lprent: why would we need “kudos”? From whom would we get this ” kudos”. Why should we respect it?

    The Press Council is more notable for it’s failures to regulate the press than its lack of success at providing balance – read their pissant decisions. You pay them for absolution and partial immunity from legal responsibility. Which of course is why Cameron Slater and his minon like the idea.

    Read the about. ]

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-28T21:43:31+00:00