Open mike 10/10/2011

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 10th, 2011 - 52 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner).

Step right up to the mike…

52 comments on “Open mike 10/10/2011 ”

  1. tc 1

    With the MMP referrendum questions what happens if you vote to retain it in Part A and don’t vote in Part B because that’s simply ignoring my answer to Part A….don’t dick with it.

    counted or invalid? If I want it, why should I have to give them an option to play with.

  2. Can anyone tell me if the photo in this Herald article on Don Brash is one of him near the Speaker in Parliament?  Is the Herald pulling a sneaky one?  I presume this also breaches standing orders.
     
     

  3. aerobubble 3

    Norway govt. What’s Port Arthur Massacre? Could not happen in Norway!
    Ch.Ch Council. What’s Liquidifaction? Could not happen in ChCh!
    Pike River Coal Mine. Safety standards?
    Are public servants are not required to own the problem any more?

    • Campbell Larsen 3.1

      Bubble – I think laying the blame at the feet of the Govt in Norway for the massacre is unfair to say the least. The only way to prevent extremists entirely is to remove entirely the freedoms which are vital to a healthy society. Norway has courageously decided against allowing one mans horrendous actions to compromise the trust and liberty which are more precious still than even the many young lives that were lost.
      Christchurch City Council – why are you taking a stab at them? Assessments after the Feb 22nd quake found that they are by no means the only city that has buildings which are vulnerable to quake damage – has it got anything to do with greedy Gerrys possible bid to replace the christchurch city council with commissioners? Are you suggesting that the council is somehow responsible? I disagree – but note that this is possibly a line of reasoning that jabba brownlee will use go justify selling council assets to pay for the rebuild.
      Pike River Coal Mine – let’s not forget who reduced the number of inspectors ie the government – it’s a bit harsh to blame public servants isn’t it? Have you had a bad experience or are you just ideologically opposed? Or when you say public servants do you mean the government?

      • Campbell Larsen 3.1.1

        – EDIT –
        this is a line of reasoning that Nick Smith will use to justify wresting control of RMA out of the mouths of the Trout and Salmon who in a diabolical plot are forcing us to build in earthquake/ volcano/ tsunami/ flood prone areas [pretty much the whole country no?]

        http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/87859/govt-using-quakes-to-weaken-rma-eds
        http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/87731/consent-changes-needed-over-other-hazards-minster

      • aerobubble 3.1.2

        Port Arthur a lone gun man shot dozens? Globally governments should have
        instituted policies that allowed quick reaction squad to deploy. Like the fire
        department. The fact that the Norway government could not get a chopper
        into the air in time…

        Pike river safety was flawed. Government removed the regulations.

        A ship now spews oil into the Bay of plenty.

        Governments are there to provide fire fighters, police with guns, ensure
        safety in mines, and yes even stop developers building on liquidifiable
        sandy water logged soils.

        Less of course we just do away with government since that is
        what it is supposed to do with our taxes, connect the dots.

        I don’t blame Norway for a crazed man, i blame Norway for
        thinking it could not happen. Plan for the worse, hope for the best.
        Governments that don’t plan for the worse aren’t worth my vote,
        and have earnt my contempt. Norways police minister should have
        resigned.

        Thats how civil servents show leadership. Bennett should resign
        over child poverty.

        • Campbell Larsen 3.1.2.1

          “Globally governments should have instituted policies that allowed quick reaction squad to deploy”
          What like Team America World Police!!?
          Don’t worry Bubble after the last drone assassination of a US citizen abroad it looks like that plan already being put in place…
          “Governments are there to provide …. Police with guns..”
          WTF – yeah sure arming everyone up to the eyeballs is guaranteed to usher in a new era of peace /sarc
          How about we stop glorifying violence and war and actually try and create caring, just and equitable societies in which instances of mental illness and rebellion are less likely to occur instead of ‘preparing for the worst’ and attempting to crush problems with an iron boot.
          I struggle to connect your dots Bubble – you have once again confused ‘civil servant’ with ‘minister’
          It is an important distinction when there is an active campaign by some in NZ to discredit the public service – by all means hold the minister to account, but blaming the public service is just passing the buck.
          Maybe a little bit confused is just your style – but when your comments are littered with little innuendos like the above I start to feel like you are just using confusion to disguise an agenda.
          But hey, benefit of the doubt and all that…

  4. Arthur 4

    National. Now a cult.

  5. logie97 5

    This from the RNZ web site …

    “Afternoons with Jim Mora is a programme based on the daring proposition that people are capable of thinking in the afternoon as well as in the morning. This show aims to banish post-prandial torpor with lots of audience interactivity.”

    So while they are on the subject of balance, how have they allowed Farrar, Corbett, Gibson, Franks and Bishop to name but a few, and all with political axes to grind, to be heard occasionally on the show together?

  6. Lanthanide 6

    Here’s an interesting story:

    “Red-tape is good for businesses.

    It’s a notion that many businesses would heartily disagree with, but a Massey University researcher has challenged the prevailing belief that resource consent processes create hefty compliance costs.”

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/5759689/Red-tape-good-for-business

    As the story says, there’s a first-mover advantage. This makes sense, of course. Because the resource consent process takes so long and costs so much, smaller companies are effectively locked out of the process. This also helps to create artificial scarcity of whatever is being sought, making it all the more valuable once it’s actually granted.

  7. joe90 7

    Has Big Brother arrived?.

    Summary: A well-established group of German hackers has accused the German government of releasing a backdoor Trojan into the wild. Security firm F-Secure has confirmed that the program includes a keylogger and code that can take screenshots and record audio.

  8. randal 8

    none of this matters all that much.
    this is a bad luck government and they are about to disappear back into the oblivion from whence they came.

    • Treetop 8.1

      Yeah government is like a magnet when it comes to attracting natural disasters. I’ m just waiting for a tornado to hit the beehive.

  9. AAMC 10

    If you haven’t signed in solidarity yet, it’s almost at 500k signatures.

    http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_world_vs_wall_st/?cl=1314986537&v=10623

    Livestreams from all #occupy actions, consolidated into one page, amazing..

    http://occupymanifesto.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=chat

    Nice analysis of the horizontal democracy and 21st century social network fueled movement as expressed by #occupyeverywhere

    http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/05/opinion/rushkoff-occupy-wall-street/index.html

  10. Draco T Bastard 11

    The electoral commission has the referendum site up. It has a question on it:

    Which voting system is right for me?

    Which is completely the wrong question. It should be:

    Which voting system is right for the country?

    The first question orients upon the selfishness that has become endemic to our society over the last three decades and which has caused massive poverty and inequality both of which are bad for the country. We need to get away from thinking as pure individuals and back to thinking as individuals within a society.

  11. PJ 12

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10757576

    “Finance Minister Bill English said New Zealand would need to run sustained current account surpluses and spend less than it earned. It would have to stop borrowing overseas and selling assets to foreigners.”

    – Voting for Labour then are we Bill?

    • Lanthanide 12.1

      Nah, it’s a private debt problem. The government, being public, can sell off all the assets it wants overseas.

      Or, alternatively:
      The government is going to sell their public assets to private NZ citizens. If they then choose to sell the assets overseas, it’s a problem the private citizens have created and not the government’s fault.

  12. freedom 13

    As a small distraction to the lies of our Government we return to the lies of the real experts.

    A new and well organised resource for those wanting to understand the basic points of reality that so many have trouble coming to terms with. Originally conceived as a mechanism to assist the media in engaging on 9/11 issues, it is useful for all people. Don’t let fear destroy truth.
    http://www.consensus911.org/

  13. Occupy Movement Gains Momentum

    Being that the Mainstream media has done very little reporting on the topic, you’d be excused for not knowing that there’s a huge groundswell of free people around the world protesting against the current destructive system. People are simply fed up with the corporate agenda, and have started to organize en mass to express their wish for positive change…

    • Treetop 15.1

      Those marching against corporate fraud are going to be a group to be reckoned with (day of reckoning) by the time the next election is in the USA.

  14. randal 16

    Why are national using the same billboards they used last election? either they are cheapskate chisellers or they think Kiwis are so dumb that they wont remember. btw it says “building a better future”. Well they have had three years. Whats gone wrong?
    Oh I know. they meant building a better future for themselves after they sell the states assets and piss off to hawaii or somewhere.

    • Treetop 16.1

      “building a better future” Whats gone wrong?

      Nothings gone wrong if you are in the top 25% of income earners.

      • KJT 16.1.1

        Yes it has. Don’t like seeing friends, students and my kids wondering if they have a future here.

      • Colonial Viper 16.1.2

        Nothings gone wrong if you are in the top 25% of income earners.

        You don’t even need to be on $60K pa to hit the top 25% in this shitty tin pot little economy. And trust me $60K pa is not comfortable living by any means, in any of the big cities, raising a family. It is still a penny pinching week by week, bill by bill existence.

        A lot of people around that pay mark have had to leave NZ due to a lack of opportunities; and the public sector has had many workers around that pay grade laid off.

        We should understand something from the OCCUPY protests against Global Bankster Occupation.

        This is not about the top 25%, or even the top 10%.

        This is about the top 1% against the other 99%. And if I were being serious about it, we are probably talking about the top half of the top 1% who are the real pricks driving our country off the edge. Not all of them, but too many of them.

        • Treetop 16.1.2.1

          I know that 60 K is not a lot. To have said the top 10% may have been more reasonable. The ones I worry about are the families on 25 K.

        • Misanthropic Curmudgeon 16.1.2.2

          $60kpa was enough for the previous government to consider you a “rich prick” worthy of the top tax rate.

          • lprent 16.1.2.2.1

            $60kpa was enough for the previous government to consider you a “rich prick” worthy of the top tax rate.

            The current government seems to think that you deserve the top tax rate at what? 30k or so. How does that figure in your strange wee world of idiotic troll statements

            Not to mention of course the rich prick remark was made to a single person John Key (who in all likelihood is now paying more tax as PM than he ever has before) and not to generally people on the highest tax rate.

            I guess you never bother think through these idiotic statements before you make them? Perhaps you should shock yourself and do so. It will make you look a little less like a wanker boasting about the fingers you have known.

            • higherstandard 16.1.2.2.1.1

              Top personal tax rate kicks in at 70k

              • lprent

                Ummm I was robbed – the nasty National government hasn’t given me my tax cut they promised so I’d be like all of the other peasants (despite earning 5x as much).

                You’re right of course – they failed to do the second taxcut because there wasn’t enough money in the kitty after they gave it away to the wealthy (like John Key) in the first tax cuts.

                I was mostly pointing out that his statements were essentially meaningless.

                • higherstandard

                  Bad day at work ?

                  • Colonial Viper

                    typical Tory tactic of blaming the woman for being emotional and therefore irrelevant

                  • lprent

                    Nope. Work was good. Finally froze the feature set and switched from adding features to killing the list of 15 or so pretty easy bugs (and I have weeks to do it). Now I will have more time to concentrate on things outside of work.

                    Irritating lack of sleep last night – woke up, failed to get back to sleep, and so got up and spent 4 hours updating my plugin for this site with the multiple google analytics accounts (ours and several for advertisers) to run asynchronously. It has been overdue for a 4 months of so since google finally managed to stabilize that system (and produce usable docs).

                    Being short of 4 hours of sleep tends to bring out the sarcasm in me when I encounter blatant stupidity, as well as getting a bit vague on the memory access.

  15. Globs of thick black oil started washing up on beaches early this morning. Where are the clean up crews to ensure it doesn’t get washed back into the ocean?

    You can keep up to date by visiting this FB page: MV Rena Response Monitoring & Action Group

  16. freedom 18

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/columnists/dave-armstrong/5758653/Why-shouldn-t-John-Key-say-pricktuss

    only Dave Armstrong could equate a bribe to a media company whose pricipal business is the selling of advertising space with the building of affordable housing for families

  17. RENA riddled with problems and Maritime New Zealand knew about it in Sep 28

    The Maritime Union claims the Rena was riddled with problems, including issues with its charts, which could explain how it ended up getting stuck on a Tauranga reef.
    The union released a statement today, claiming Maritime New Zealand found multiple deficiencies with the cargo vessel when it carried out an inspection on the ship in Bluff on September 28.
    Prime Minister John Key is calling for answers on how the Liberian-flagged 235m vessel became stuck on the reef in the early hours of October 5.
    The Maritime Union says it has information that the Rena had many deficiencies, including problems with its charts, “a possible clue as to how the vessel may have ended up running into the Astrolabe Reef at top speed”……….
    Fleetwood said many of these deficiencies were similar to problems reported by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority during inspections of the Rena in Australia.

    • tc 19.1

      We have a monitored shipping lanes and Rena was going from Napier to Tauranga….what action was taken once she strayed out of the lane ?
      We don’t leave foreign ships to just wander up and down the country FFS…..take a look closer at perhaps a port authority, all to easy to blame the boat etc but don’t we have systems to mitigate for this.

  18. prism 20

    A radionz piece on passing laws under emergency has speech clip from someone saying “We’re here to do things, to get on with it.” Think it is Simon Power. Attempting another Roger Douglas spectacular by the sounds of it – keep things moving and don’t give people time to think and protest and don’t worry about democratic conventions and thinking through the problem.

  19. Just a heads up people. Please don’t touch the toxic oil that is washing up on Bay of Plenty Beaches with your bare skin.

    The Price of Oil

    Representatives from some of the biggest oil and gas companies in the world met in Wellington on the 3rd of October, to promote new deep sea oil exploration and drilling in New Zealand’s frontier basins…

    • Vicky32 21.1

      Just a heads up people. Please don’t touch the toxic oil that is washing up on Bay of Plenty Beaches with your bare skin.

      I heard that on Radio New Zealand this morning and didn’t believe my ears!

  20. FYI folks!

    (Lindsay Fergusson was a former NZ Business Round Table ‘heavyweight’.)

    http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/key-denies-throwing-act-epsom-lifeline-ne-102211#comment-208590

    Key denies throwing Act an Epsom lifeline
    Rob Hosking | Monday October 10, 2011 | 7 comments

    Comments and questions

    ACT are history …the two previous votes for Rodney were protest votes against the pathetic non existant offering of Richard whats his face useless..Epsom voters dont want a tired old ‘John’ ..so we will give the new kid a go as hes fresh faced with a bit of mojo!
    dukep | Monday, October 10, 2011 – 4:52pm
    ___________________________________________________________________________

    Well said dukep
    Yep thats my thoughts TOO
    Thats how we will be voting
    Fed up with the ongoing shananigins

    GO THE ALL BLACKS
    Willy Wonka | Monday, October 10, 2011 – 5:12pm
    __________________________________________________________________________

    In response to dukep | Monday, October 10, 2011 – 4:52pm

    Then I hope you are looking forward to a Labour lead coalition of losers as the next Government, with increased taxes, a capital gains tax, increased spending and increased borrowing – because that is the outcome if Epsom voters don’t vote tactically for John Banks.
    Lindsay Fergusson | Monday, October 10, 2011 – 5:17pm
    __________________________________________________________________________

    In response to Lindsay Fergusson | Monday, October 10, 2011 – 5:17pm

    don’t forget the land tax…and increased rates….oh…and double the emissions scam tax…
    Anonymous | Monday, October 10, 2011 – 5:48pm
    __________________________________________________________________________

    In response to Lindsay Fergusson | Monday, October 10, 2011 – 5:17pm

    And the fire and brimstone too, obviously.

    We much prefer spin to reality these days, especially where the economy and the lifeblood of businesses are concerned.
    Anonymous | Monday, October 10, 2011 – 6:04pm
    __________________________________________________________________________
    In response to Anonymous | Monday, October 10, 2011 – 5:48pm

    ….and the Maori party holding balance of power…..
    Ralph | Monday, October 10, 2011 – 8:04pm
    __________________________________________________________________________
    @ Lindsay Fergusson

    Do YOU think that John Banks and Don Brash should be charged as former Directors, for untrue statements in Registered Prospectuses for Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Ltd, (dated 22 August 2008, and 18 September 2009) , under s.58 (3) of the Securities Act 1978?

    How come only Peter Huljich was charged?

    Or are you ‘soft’ on ‘white collar’ crime Lindsay?

    Or do you think that the former leader of the National Party (Don Brash) and former National Government Minister of Police, Tourism and Local Government (John Banks) should be treated differently , arguably because of their political connections?

    Has it occurred to you that a number of the good people of Epsom might arguably feel sick of being treated with contempt by self-serving businesspeople who appear to be seeking public office in order to maximise business opportunities – not serve the interests of the public majority?

    Penny Bright
    Independent Public Watchdog
    Candidate for Epsom

  21. logie97 23

    Not quite the sort of all black headline the Bay of Plenty wanted.

    Surely, the moment a ship is stranded on a reef, the first action is to get the fuel oils off. History tells us that strandings almost always turn out for the worst. Ministerial directives should have been given to remove the fuel immediately. I thought I was watching a John Clark special when I saw the interviews with Joyce tonight. Where were our leaders? Probably at the Cake Tin or Eden Park.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSujCHfvTb0&feature=related
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=8-QNAwUdHUQ

    • Draco T Bastard 23.1

      Surely, the moment a ship is stranded on a reef, the first action is to get the fuel oils off.

      you would think so but not according to our government. It should have been off in the first day or two.

  22. Colonial Viper 24

    NZ SAS Prisoners may have been tortured

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10758412

    If the Govt is saying this much, they definitely know more.

    Get our boys out of there, now.

  23. Misanthropic Curmudgeon 25

    In saying “Globally governments should have instituted policies that allowed quick reaction squad to deploy” I think that you’ve shown you watch far too many adventure tele-movies.

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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    6 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
    7 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
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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 2024-03-29T12:31:03+00:00