Open mike 09/02/2023

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 9th, 2023 - 60 comments
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60 comments on “Open mike 09/02/2023 ”

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  1. PsyclingLeft.Always 1
    9 February 2023 at 7:45 am

    Hello. this link was an Opinion in the ODT. On reading the first part…I was wondering..where is this going?

    But it is about the UBI. And the dollar numbers "wasted"..seem amazing.

    A UBI..seems to make real sense.

    I realise this has probably been talked before…but what think?

    (I am not an economist…FYI : )
    However ..Tim Hazledine is emeritus professor of economics at the University of Auckland.

    So how could we get that last $50 billion directly into the hands of the populace? We could cut income taxes or GST, but that would of course benefit most the people who earn and spend the most.

    Is there a way of redistributing it such that without necessarily favouring the poor, it at least treats them equally with everybody else?

    Yes there is and it is an excellent idea. It’s usually called a UBI — a universal basic income.

    https://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/hoping-bold-moves-welfare

    • SPC 1.1
      9 February 2023 at 8:38 am

      Maybe a Professor, but not very honest.

      The $50B total includes super (by far its largest component), not just welfare (and then there are WFF tax credits gone gone gone).

      And proposes doing so via UI of $250 in addition to wage income. And placing those not employed (including the sick and those on disability as well as those in old age) below the poverty level.

      To the right of Roger Douglas, while he would go for a flat rate of tax he would not end super or payments to the unemployed. It was originally proposed by TOP under Gareth Morgan – who would have financed it by land taxes.

      • Nic the NZer 1.1.1
        9 February 2023 at 1:13 pm

        Additionally the choice of framing against, what happens if the govt just allows us to spend for ourselves, does away with transfer payments. Hazledine seems content to assume that somebody will just gift income over to anybody who is short, so we need not worry about who does and doesn't have income.

        Hopefully he's graduated beyond any teaching roles at this stage in his career, because these assumptions should be made clear to the audience.

      • PsyclingLeft.Always 1.1.2
        9 February 2023 at 2:53 pm

        Thanks for that. Is exactly why I was asking what think. Def consensus seems to be : a RW/libertarian dream ! ..so Ill read up Weka's links : )

    • Nic the NZer 1.2
      9 February 2023 at 8:42 am

      Heres a description of a better policy, from an expert.

      JG vs UBI

      The issue with the UBI is its a universal payment. It faces a choice in its scale (the amount of UBI paid). One choice is low (about as big as a basic benefit) in which case the next step up from out of, to in work, could be around double income. This would be socially exclusionary on welfare recipients. Eventually cost of living would restructure to adjust to this leaving long term welfare recipients relatively poor. This has been the calibre of most proposals I've seen, in many countries.

      The other alternative is a generous one, but this likely needs a big tax adjustment. This is going to be at least as disruptive as the initial GST implementation, probably more so.

      At this point the proposals tend to focus on efficiencies of universal payments. This basically is like saying MSD should just employ fewer staff, and its really not the issue.

      All these things could be achieved much better by PAYE adjustments or simplifying the provision of welfare, without restructuring much of our economic framework.

    • mikesh 1.3
      9 February 2023 at 10:02 am

      Is there a way of redistributing it such that without necessarily favouring the poor, it at least treats them equally with everybody else?

      In a sense a UBI does favour the poor, unlike GST. A UBI would make a real difference to a low earner, but it would just be "pocket money" to a millionaire.

      • Sanctuary 1.3.1
        9 February 2023 at 10:49 am

        A UBI is a terrible idea. The right likes a UBI – Freidrich Hayek, Roger Douglas and Milton Friedman are amongst its fans – because it simplifies everything. We get to keep our own money, the state collects just enough tax to cover the UBI and some core functions. The UBI is then expected to cover the cost of health, unemployment, education etc etc. The virtuous save their UBI against those things; the indigent squander theirs and suffer the consequences – about which we, freed from the burden of being our brothers keeper, need not care a jot.

        Additionally, an UBI undercuts efforts to turn the minimum wage into a living wage. A right-wing party administering an UBI would say that workers who don’t need to work for basic needs don't need a minimum wage, much less a living one.

        Much better is the idea of "Universal basic Services." UBS offers instead free housing, food, transport, education, forms of communication, healthcare and legal aid for all.

        Aaron Bastani discusses it here:

        • arkie 1.3.1.1
          9 February 2023 at 2:13 pm

          The minimum wage was always intended to be a 'living' wage:

          It seems to me to be equally plain that no business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country. By "business" I mean the whole of commerce as well as the whole of industry; by workers I mean all workers, the white collar class as well as the men in overalls; and by living wages I mean more than a bare subsistence level-I mean the wages of decent living.
          – FDR on the National Industrial Recover Act, 1933

          We have let the definition slip, what is the minimum if it is not enough to live on?

        • PsyclingLeft.Always 1.3.1.2
          9 February 2023 at 2:48 pm

          Oh god..favoured by them Chicago libertarian fans ? Def dodgy !..

    • Siobhan 1.4
      9 February 2023 at 10:19 am

      "The idea of universal basic income, or distributing cash handouts regardless of employment status, had a moment in 2017.

      Billionaires and the tech elite talked about the idea publicly, with perhaps the crown jewel of UBI’s moment in the cultural zeitgeist being the push Mark Zuckerberg gave the idea in his commencement speech at Harvard in May."

      https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/27/what-billionaires-say-about-universal-basic-income-in-2017.html

      I'm no economist..but I know my internal alarm bells ring really loud when these guys say its a good idea…

    • weka 1.5
      9 February 2023 at 11:10 am

      I've written critically about UBI models from a left wing pov. The main points are this:

      1. any UBI has to have welfare bolted on rather than attempting to replace welfare. This is because people have different income needs and not everyone can work in order to top up a UBI. Too many lefties see a UBI as a replacement to WINZ and that's both ignorant and dangerous.
      2. a UBI should be designed by people who understand welfare, not economists. The economist designed models have serious flaws, see TOP's UBI as an example
      3. the biggest problem for the left is how to tory-proof a UBI. The right would love a UBI that opened the door to dismantling welfare.
      4. there are better models, maybe as a transition. See the Greens' Guaranteed Minimum Income policy.

      .https://thestandard.org.nz/ubi-what-is-it-good-for/

      .https://thestandard.org.nz/the-failure-of-tops-youth-ubi-policy/

      .https://thestandard.org.nz/green-party-rocks-their-new-guaranteed-minimum-income-policy/

      .https://thestandard.org.nz/tag/ubi/

      • PsyclingLeft.Always 1.5.1
        9 February 2023 at 2:45 pm

        Oh thanks Weka I will read up on those. And as I said, Im not an economist and was not sure the Profs full story cred…seemed somewhat legit on first take ?. But consensus here…he seemingly not that great ! Nor the UBI idea ! I will def take on the Opinions here..as I value them : )

        Cheers all !

        • Incognito 1.5.1.1
          9 February 2023 at 9:01 pm

          IMO, Tim Hazledine has tonnes of credit on UBI and ‘welfare economics’ through loads of articles and media interviews over many years. The ’consensus here’ is merely the counter-opinion of a couple of commenters without known credentials to one recent piece by Hazledine. One of those commenters is on record as having a bias against the Economics Department in which Prof. Hazledine held a position. Make of this what you will.

          • PsyclingLeft.Always 1.5.1.1.1
            9 February 2023 at 10:07 pm

            Oh well, there you go. Another perspective. Thankyou for your input Incognito. Just goes to show how different… peoples take can be on something ? And…I not knowing what you have previously seen. Have to say, at times…i feel baffled by some of the reasoning. But at least I now have some things to read up on .

            Thanks all.

          • SPC 1.5.1.1.2
            9 February 2023 at 10:27 pm

            The Herald also received the promotion of the once TOP idea (it is no longer policy).

            https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/tim-hazledine-how-about-a-grand-in-the-hand-each-month/3ZFRJVW6GZF4FLNGHI2AJNZYBA/

            The claim that we pay $50B in social welfare “benefits” is only true if one includes super – which is 2/3rd.

            His observation that “managerialism” is a constraint on academia and thus freedom of speech is based on his own experience of change during his career – it was however simply part of the (delegations in modern jargon) regime applied to public sector bureaucracy and even corporate governance in the wider world.

            https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2021/08/02/opinion-tim-hazledine-let-academics-run-courses.html

            • SPC 1.5.1.1.2.1
              9 February 2023 at 10:57 pm

              I should clarify my comment that UI is no longer TOP policy.

              TH says there is no party proposing to end the welfare state as he wants (and his $50B figure he mentions includes the 2/3rd "social welfare" component of super to those over 65).

              TOP still have a UI (for those not currently paid benefits and super), but it is no longer intended to end the welfare state (benefits and super would still be paid and some such as disability at more generous levels).

              https://www.top.org.nz/higher-incomes-policy

              • weka …
                10 February 2023 at 10:57 am

                TOP still have a UBI policy as core https://www.top.org.nz/universal-basic-income-policy.

                They've been making changes in recent years to Morgan's welfare replacement system, but it's still hugely problematic. They have finally acknowledged that disabled people will get top ups, but it's unclear from the website if everyone else not able to work would be on a UBI at the dole rate (that's the end of welfare).

                There are no plans in the public on what the changes for disabled people would look like. I've seen some shockingly bad ideas on this from many quarters, so until they have actual policy on the table that can be looked at I don't trust their plan.

                They also still want to tax people's land on an annual basis, including that of people in poverty. Yes, there are people who own homes who would be badly affected by this. Compare this to the GP who want to tax rich people's excess wealth.

                • SPC …
                  10 February 2023 at 4:21 pm

                  Remove unfair and unreasonable sanctions on benefits, such as your relationship status determining benefit allowances.

                  This could apply to all benefits, or just disability or just disability/sickness.

                  They do not mention continuance or otherwise of super.

                  I think they exclude all benefits and super, but they should make it clear.

                  They also still want to tax people's land on an annual basis

                  Sure an extra charge to that of rates, but to central government. But deferral of payment for those on low income (against the equity in the home).

            • Incognito 1.5.1.1.2.2
              10 February 2023 at 6:25 pm

              I didn’t see any mention of “managerialism” in Hazldine’s opinion piece on UBI!? What is your point?

              • SPC …
                10 February 2023 at 7:16 pm

                Which I guess was why I only mentioned it in my comment to you – as you raised his academic career at Auckland University (so I googled the guy to see what he said about it).

                • Incognito …
                  10 February 2023 at 7:27 pm

                  I raised that?? Hmmmm …

                  However ..Tim Hazledine is emeritus professor of economics at the University of Auckland.

                  First comment @ 1 that started this thread.

                  I don’t believe I raised Hazledine’s academic career as a discussion topic as such in this thread, which would see rather odd anyways.

          • Nic the NZer 1.5.1.1.3
            9 February 2023 at 11:07 pm

            Come on. 2/3 of his 50 billion figure is already pretty much administered as a UBI. He seems to be proposing restructuring WINZ over the other 15 billion and what department we call that in the budget. If he has a better argument he should write it, because so far its risibly weak.

            Note, the previous budget forecast error was 10 billion.

            • Incognito 1.5.1.1.3.1
              10 February 2023 at 6:26 pm

              Note, the previous budget forecast error was 10 billion.

              And the relevance of this is what? What is your point?

          • weka 1.5.1.1.4
            10 February 2023 at 10:48 am

            I was surprised to see Hazledine's take. The article isn't well explained. Either he is in Gareth Morgan's camp (get rid of welfare, replace it with $200/wk), or he has ideas about welfare add ons that he didn't explain. Neither are satisfactory in the UBI debate/

            • Incognito 1.5.1.1.4.1
              10 February 2023 at 6:15 pm

              AFAIK, Hazledine has never been affiliated with a political party. I thought he wrote the article as an academic (emeritus) doing what he and other academics have been doing which is stimulating public debate – he started and finished with his “little New Year’s wish” that clearly gave the piece a light and perhaps fluffy tone. After all, it is Election Year and ‘his’ headline certainly got attention. I did not see it as a comprehensive technical analysis (hardly!) ready for a policy proposal let alone for a complete overhaul of the welfare system in NZ.

              That said, I don’t know where Hazledine got the $50B from. From Tables 5.1 and 5.2 we spent $42.86B on Social security and welfare expenses in 2022 of which $39.187B was on Welfare benefits and this included $17.764B on New Zealand Superannuation.

              https://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/efu/half-year-economic-and-fiscal-update-2022

              In any case, the discussion shouldn’t focus on the messenger (Hazledine) and the question whether he has cred or not, as some seem prone to, but on the message.

              • SPC …
                10 February 2023 at 7:57 pm

                Total social security and welfare forecast for 2023 is $50B (admin and …).

                Core social security and welfare forecast for 2023 is $42B

                5.2 table shows

                $19.5B for super

                All other payment costs 18.5b

                Total for all benefits is under $10B half of this $18.5B

                The rest is made up of family and WFF tax credits, AS, paid parental leave and the Winter Energy Payment.

                • Incognito …
                  10 February 2023 at 9:04 pm

                  Thank you.

                  I don’t know where you get the additional $8B from for “(admin and …)” but it might be hidden column somewhere in the Excel file …

                  Why the distinction between “benefits” and the other Welfare benefit expenses? What is the relevance/importance?

                  • SPC …
                    10 February 2023 at 9:06 pm

                    Only guessing what the difference between total and core might be (payment entitlements are core …

                    The relevance is to what a proposed UI is replacing – AS, winter power, WFF tax credits either go to those in work or on super.

              • weka …
                10 February 2023 at 10:59 pm

                I wasn't suggesting TH was affiliated with a party. When I said in the GM camp, I meant that some people believe that welfare should be replaced with a UBI.

                Yes, the fluffy tone bothered me.

                In any case, the discussion shouldn’t focus on the messenger (Hazledine) and the question whether he has cred or not, as some seem prone to, but on the message.

                I've been focused on the problems with the argument (I don't have a problem with the man). Did someone object to TH?

  2. Adrian Thornton 2
    9 February 2023 at 8:01 am

    email to RNZ…

    Good morning.

    It is unclear why RNZ does not even mention once the ‘suffocating’ US led sanctions that are still being illegally leveled against the Syrian Government and civilian population even while facing the massive aftermath of this earth quake?

    "A U.N. envoy on Thursday urged Western and Arab countries to lift sanctions imposed on Syria years ago, warning that the measures are exacerbating “the destruction and trauma” Syrian civilians have been exposed to since the country’s civil war started 11 years ago."

    https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-business-syria-civil-wars-bashar-assad-00832f11322da5be4947df261fd4dd8e

    Even after all the enormous challenges we went through in New Zealand during the rebuilding of Christchurch just a few short years ago…that the producers and presenters are not outraged that these sanctions are STILL in place while the people of Syria face an even worse aftermath, can only led one to conclude that those producers and presenters only have empathy for some human lives..but not all.

    Adrian.

    US must remove sanctions and allow Syria to rebuild – UN expert

    "The conflict and violence have already had a dire impact on the ability of the Syrian people to realise their fundamental rights, having extensively damaged houses, medical units, schools, and other facilities," she said.

    https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2020/12/us-must-remove-sanctions-and-allow-syria-rebuild-un-expert

    And yet there are still many on the 'left' who actually support US sanctions..many of them on this very forum….that in itself is quite depressing really, if you stop and think about it.

    • Incognito 2.1
      9 February 2023 at 8:43 pm

      There you go again, FFS!

      And yet there are still many on the 'left' who actually support US sanctions..many of them on this very forum….that in itself is quite depressing really, if you stop and think about it.

      Really?? Did you conduct a poll or a survey here on TS? I have missed it. How many did respond and how many confirmed your fabricated nonsense? Oh, you’ve already answered my question @ 3.1:

      …describes quite nicely one or two people here and there.

      You can’t help yourself attacking others whose opinions you vehemently object to but whom you cannot convert to your thinking or silence, not matter how hard you try – and try you do in your idiosyncratic attacks on messengers & media. Why not put us out of your misery …?

  3. Francesca 3
    9 February 2023 at 9:48 am

    Adrian , we are loyal servants to our Big brothers in the

    5 eyes alliance .As such we don't embarrass our big brothers in the media.

    As well our media takes its cues from their big brothers, CNN,BBC,Reuters, etc which of course most often have a partisan anglophone view of the world

    A more even handed report from AP ; the reality of sanctions causing mass secondary deaths is undeniable.It would take extreme propagandist skill and a pathologically ignorant public to think otherwise

  4. roblogic 4
    9 February 2023 at 1:53 pm

    Fark man. I'm gonna go live in Stewart Island, probably less rain than Auckland

    https://twitter.com/WeatherWatchNZ/status/1623387930378248192?s=20

  5. Tony Veitch 5
    9 February 2023 at 2:31 pm

    As someone in the comments said, Cyclone Bola hit a low of 980. This one is shown as 968!

    Auckland could be in for one hell of a battering.

    All the very best for all in the upper north. And Mayor Brown, call a state of emergency now, in anticipation! Don't leave it until after your tennis match on Tuesday morning!

    Opps – meant to be a reply to 4 above.

    • weka 5.1
      9 February 2023 at 2:40 pm

      what was the one the other week?

      • Cricklewood 5.1.1
        9 February 2023 at 3:28 pm

        Around 1000… different sort of weather system. Happily we don't have big tides next week as the surge from a low that deep would be really problematic on a 3.6m tide.

        Big problem I suspect will be wind, big trees in very wet / soft ground have a bad habit of tipping over.

  6. joe90 6
    9 February 2023 at 2:37 pm

    A petrocorp army straight out of some dystopian future.

    • Russia's government is allowing energy giant Gazprom to start a private security outfit.
    • Ukraine's Ministry of Defence drew comparisons with the notorious private army the Wagner Group.
    • Experts said it's plausible that another Russian mercenary army is in the works.

    Russian majority state-owned energy company Gazprom has been authorized to create its own private security outfit, in a move that Ukrainian intelligence says is part of a war-fueled "arms race" to develop a mercenary army.

    Russia's government gave its go-ahead for the energy giant to create a private security organization on February 4, under the pretext of securing the country's energy sector.

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/russian-state-energy-giant-gazprom-161258156.html

    • bwaghorn 6.1
      9 February 2023 at 3:47 pm

      Increasingly unstable country with a growing number of semi independent militia,!!!

      What could possibly go wrong??

  7. observer 7
    9 February 2023 at 2:57 pm

    If anyone doesn't yet know how much worse Luxon would be than even Key or English, this detailed report of a public meeting in Rangiora says it all.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/131169079/christopher-luxon-hijacked-by-antivaxxers-conspiracists-at-packed-public-meeting

    He panders to the fringe, the conspiracy theorists, and shows himself to have the spine of a slippery eel. What a pathetic excuse for a human being.

    • Visubversa 7.1
      9 February 2023 at 3:14 pm

      Note in the media that when they attack Luxon, they are "anti vaxxers and conspiracy throrists". When they attacked Parliament and Jacinda they were "anti mandate protestors".

  8. bwaghorn 8
    9 February 2023 at 3:58 pm

    https://i.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/300802161/yeah-nah-should-russell-township-be-renamed-kororreka

    A little poll on a name cahnge.

    I prefer dual name signs for a while, boil the frog slowly, not an option though

  9. newsense 9
    9 February 2023 at 5:14 pm

    I thought initially that Wayne Brown didn’t represent the city.

    But really he does: a bunch of 70 year olds who’d rather be playing tennis than consider something from the perspective of anyone else in the city. People who banned intensification where it didn’t flood, then victim blamed. People who have no sense of the city as an entity outside their WhatsApp group. The people who built a dead end Britomart, eventually.

    Hayden Donnel on Fletcher et al blaming the floods on intensification

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    Buzz  from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example.  This shows National down ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago

  • Listening To The Traffic.
    It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 day ago

  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 day ago

  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 days ago

  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago

  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago

  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago

  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    5 days ago

  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
    Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago

  • Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...
    Buzz from the Beehive   Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago

  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago

  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago

  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago

  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Pharmac Chair appointed
    Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.  “Every day, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.    “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
    Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service.  It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
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