Open mike 15/08/2022

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 15th, 2022 - 72 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 Policy).

Step up to the mike …

72 comments on “Open mike 15/08/2022 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. dv 1
    15 August 2022 at 8:15 am

    Geez

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/stuff-circuit/300660552/antivax-group-wanting-to-make-nz-ungovernable-targets-local-body-elections

    An anti-vaccination, anti-mandate group which says it wants to make the country “ungovernable” is standing candidates in local body elections to “sway the results (and) throw our weight around”.

    Voices For Freedom (VFF) openly campaigned to get supporters into decision-making positions but told candidates to hide their affiliations – prompting a warning to voters to thoroughly research candidates before voting.

  2. Peter 2
    15 August 2022 at 8:38 am

    I'm disappointed in the New Zealand 'sports media.' Rank amateurs.

    Can't understand why they haven't staked out the house of All Black coach Ian Foster and harassed anyone he lives with him about whether he's off to Argentina with the All Blacks. Surely there must be children or grand children they can hound.

    Or got some travel agent insider revealing whether his name's on the flight manifest for the trip.

    The carry on after the historic win over the World Cupholders in South Africa has all the signs of an unrequited lynch mob unhappy the coach hasn't been despatched. Elsewhere than to South America.

    A mass of rugby people are like King Canute on the shore trying to hold back the inevitable. As time travels, the days of winning the vast majority of matches against top opposition has gone. If arrogance won games the All Blacks would never lose.

    Unfortunately for them it's about resources and organising them. As the realities of the impact of money in sport, sorry I mean the sports entertainment business, bite, the rugged pioneer, embedded community spirit genesis is not enough when up against the new Big Boys.

    • Blazer 2.1
      15 August 2022 at 11:13 am

      How does the AB win at Ellis Park rate as a 'historic' win?

    • Descendant Of Smith 2.2
      15 August 2022 at 11:36 am

      It wasn't that they were losing. It is that they were playing badly and losing.

      Secondary to that from my point of view was the playing of players out of position in the starting line up – as opposed to injury. I've never been a big fan of that as it usually doesn't come off. The successes – Tana Umaga to centre for instance – are far far outdone by the failures e.g. Christian Cullen to centre.

      The playing badly was well reflected in the silly penalties given away, the poor passes – at times to no one and the poor taking of the high ball. None of those things have anything to do with the strength of the opposition really but about our own execution and skill sets. Our best All Black teams gave away few penalties.

      I don't know anyone who minds the All Blacks losing if they play well.

  3. weka 3
    15 August 2022 at 8:50 am

    If you’re using a phone to read TS (and you’re not logged in), can you please tell me if you are able to switch between Mobile and Desktop versions? Switching buttons at bottom of each page.

    • gsays 3.1
      15 August 2022 at 9:47 am

      On an Oppo, the option is there but when I hit Desktop it just relaods as a mobile version.

      • weka 3.1.1
        15 August 2022 at 10:02 am

        thanks (same for me on iphone). Have you been able to switch in the past?

        • lprent 3.1.1.1
          15 August 2022 at 10:55 am

          I think that is an issue with the infinite scroll feature. It picks up additional posts too fast. That is more of an issue now because I put a new processor in a couple of weeks ago to replace the one from 2017. It is a lot faster at pushing the infini scroll updates out.

          It should be possible to do it in a post with comments because that doesn’t have infinite scroll. It is limited by the number of comment in a post.

          Yeah that works.

          However the caching is then an issue (at least on firefox). It doesn’t update my page – even when I am logged in and there shouldn’t be caching.

          It seems to work correctly on Chrome on my android phone when logged in and when I am logged out.

          I'll have a look at putting the option into the menu

          • weka 3.1.1.1.1
            15 August 2022 at 12:41 pm

            I was on a Post page with minimal commenting so I can get to the bottom easily. It didn't work, trying to switch from Mobile to Desktop, kept loading Mobile when I pressed the Desktop button. Once I logged in, the Desktop version loaded.

            The option in the menu would be much easier.

        • gsays 3.1.1.2
          15 August 2022 at 7:50 pm

          Yes to switching in the past but it may have been a Huawei device then.

          Nothing like giving the benefit of my doubt.

    • Cricklewood 3.2
      15 August 2022 at 12:03 pm

      Nope, works some days not others. Unable to comment on my mobile when it's stuck in desktop.

    • bwaghorn 3.3
      15 August 2022 at 1:37 pm

      It's a bit like my sheep dogs, asking my ph to switch from mobile todesktop,occasionally it listens but mostly does what it wants

  4. Ad 4
    15 August 2022 at 11:02 am

    This local government election is shaping as a marked flashing siren for the 2023 General election.

    This is unusual.

    But here's why: 88,000 public submissions to the Water Services Entities Bill, and 10,000 seeking to be heard at Committee.

    That is a scorcher, during the local government election campaign. and a lot of furious people inacivated households

    • Sabine 4.1
      15 August 2022 at 11:09 am

      i read the 'pre-election' report on Rotorua yesterday – local government election.

      Nothing in it does the government – local or regional – any grace.

      11% local unemployment

      bottom ranking on about everything else

      a fucking shame to be honest.

      https://indd.adobe.com/view/f425f024-4679-4e72-a43c-514c60a1c482

      • Patricia Bremner 4.1.1
        15 August 2022 at 3:25 pm

        As mainly a tourist destination, Rotorua has been affected by the fall in Tourism caused by the Pandemic.

        I read that item and wondered why the increased amount of building was poorly covered, both Government and Private.

        As someone who saw Rotorua after the GFC, it appears far busier now, but we do have people struggling with health issues caused by smoking drinking substance abuse and rising costs.

        Rotorua has many things going for it, and is still a beautiful spot.

    • ianmac 4.2
      15 August 2022 at 12:02 pm

      Wonder if our District Council will declare which Candidates are Against 3 Waters? I won't vote for them.

      Note a farm poster now which says "National Will Cancel 3 Waters and Replace it."

      Curious. Not heard of any plan by National re 3 Waters.

      • Cricklewood 4.2.1
        15 August 2022 at 12:05 pm

        They've consistently said that they'll repeal it. Quite a few signs around semi rural Auckland.

      • weka 4.2.2
        15 August 2022 at 12:23 pm

        Wonder if our District Council will declare which Candidates are Against 3 Waters? I won't vote for them.

        Even if they're good on other policy? People object to 3 Waters for a range of different reasons. The impact of centralisation on local democracy seems entirely reasonable to me. If we were having a referendum on 3 Waters, I'd probably vote against it, not because I support the status quo but because I think the plan is not well worked through in terms of democracy or bringing people along.

        • Incognito 4.2.2.1
          15 August 2022 at 12:43 pm

          Referendums are never about operational detail. Three Waters is under construction, i.e., a dog that needs grooming (and obedience training), not one that needs to be shot on the spot, which is what some (aka the usual suspects) would want. The more (constructive) debate we have on this, the harder it will be for opponents to kill it off without at least some kind of argument that may vaguely resemble reason and being reasonable. Watch the narrative and framing coming from opponents and how it will have to change as things progress. Similarly, the language from proponents and Government is also evolving – this is only natural.

          • weka 4.2.2.1.1
            15 August 2022 at 12:49 pm

            I'm not suggesting a referendum, I'm saying that if I got a vote on the scheme I'd probably vote against it, for reasons given.

            One problem with the debate is that many on the left have taken a position of 'it's good, there's something wrong with you if you object'. I also wonder if support depends on where one lives. In the rural SI I expect the democracy issues (re local bodies) to be more of an issue than for people in Auckland who are looking at the pragmatics of three waters management because its more urgent.

            I don't even have a good grasp of what the proposal is, it's complex and already far enough in that it's hard to catch up. I looked at govt websites at one point and my eyes glazed over. So we can add the perception that Labour want to be the boss and we're supposed to trust them and if we don't well it will just happen anyway.

            The reasons against are complex. Some people object to the co-governance issues, and imo we should be having an open and very clear debate about this because there's a lot of misinformation mixed in with racism.

            • aj 4.2.2.1.1.1
              15 August 2022 at 1:43 pm

              This is the sort of stuff that circulates about 3 Waters, as forwarded to me by an acquaintance.

              The very subject line is misleading – Brigitte Morton offers a top legal opinion? as usual she offers a political attack – nothing more, nothing less.

              Subject: Three minutes worth a listen as top legal opinion and a
              Queen's counsel scuttles three waters to Davey Jones locker
              Date: 2022-08-14 14:27
              So you really have to wonder if this was played to councils NZ wide
              would they react accordingly and say stay away to the Govt grab of
              their assets — by dubious means at best. Hoodwink was a term I liked the lady principle lawyer used to describe advertising by this regime to trick the people.

              "Do you believe that Nanaia Mahuta lied to the NZ public about Three
              Waters?" – Tova – Omny.fm

              https://omny.fm/shows/today-breakfast/do-you-believe-that-nanaia-mahuta-lied-to-the-nz-p

            • Incognito 4.2.2.1.1.2
              15 August 2022 at 3:05 pm

              I agree, Three Waters is hugely complex. This is not helped by the fact that this Government appears to be aiming to kill more than one bird with one stone and is proposing some kind of co-governance, for want of a better and clearer term, as part of the implementation of 3Ws. On the one hand, I think this (overly?) complicates 3Ws, but on the other hand it might be the opportune time and even necessary (cf. recent comments by the Auditor-General about accountability issues with 3Ws).

              I feel uneasy about the confused (and binary/dualistic) messaging coming from Government re. co-governance and the many questions it has raised. Unfortunately, this apparent information vacuum has allowed opponents to hijack and control the narrative and polarise any debate from the outset.

              I think Government (Labour) has bitten off way more than it can chew and it either spits it out or it will choke on it – the people of NZ are just not quite ready for this, not while we’re in the middle of a few national and global ‘crises’ and a pandemic.

              • solkta …
                15 August 2022 at 3:16 pm

                How could Labour do this level of reform without taking Maori legal interests in water into consideration? Wouldn't they just end up in court? Even without the legal question i can't see how they could do it morally given their commitment to honouring Te Tiriti.

                • Belladonna …
                  15 August 2022 at 4:20 pm

                  Given that there is no co-governance over water ATM (when it's managed by local councils), I can't see that there is an overwhelming legal case that there must be co-governance when water is managed in broader regional groupings (cf the 4 bodies to be established under 3 Waters).

                  Yes, there might be a ToW case taken (there still might), but there are many examples of ToW findings which do not inform government legislation. The tribunal was deliberately (whether wisely or not) set up that way.

                  'Honouring Te Triti' means very different things to different people. It's really dangerous to assume that your interpretation is necessarily shared by others.

        • lprent 4.2.2.2
          15 August 2022 at 4:44 pm

          The basic problem is the inequities in local body capital infrastructure and water provision in all three waters.

          As a taxpayer and rate payer, I'd personally be happy with just going and providing a mandatory legal requirement for regional councils and local councils to achieve minimum standards.

          The requirement would be that if the councils were unable to achieve comparable provision standards across the whole country for water standards, waste water treatment, and storm water handling – then the councils would lose their local representation until they can.

          In other words rates, charges, levies get raised under management until they start approaching standards.

          Alternatively simply fine councils and their ratepayers until they hit basic standards. Or provide a personal criminal liability for local politicians for planning infractions that cause water deterioration.

          That is because almost all councils and regional councils have essentially been screwing up the water job for most of the last century. They haven't invested in it at anything approaching a required level..

          What I'm unhappy about with 3 waters is bailing out the self-interested and incompetent councils who have consistently (with a few exceptions) been allowing the water qualities to deteriorate.

          I'm not interested in subsidising via direct taxes the same pack of no-hoper self-interested ratepayers voting for councils that have caused the kind of water deterioration.

          For the last 30 years, the Auckland region has made a pretty concerted effort to improve water management, despite massive increase in migrant population imposed by the Key government, and the ridiculous governing arrangement imposed on us. This has meant that I've been paying for it for 3 decades.

          I'm uninterested in paying more taxes to bail out the incompetent councils in the Waikato (attempting to stop the worsening of the Waikato over the next 90 years), the exploding streets in Wellington, or ridiculous water draw rights in central Otago and Canterbury.

          Ratepayers there should have the local government removed or fines levied so that they actually find a reason to clean up their water systems and stop poisoning the land and citizens.

          Otherwise the three waters approach seems to me to be the only equitable way to achieve and improvement in fresh water. Which for NZ is a strategic resource at every level from economics to quality of life. It is also increasingly in short supply

      • Incognito 4.2.3
        15 August 2022 at 12:33 pm

        Curious. Not heard of any plan by National re 3 Waters.

        BAU (aka status quo) and/or contracting it out to the private sector.

      • Mac1 4.2.4
        15 August 2022 at 12:34 pm

        ianmac, it would be possible to ask the local candidates themselves at public meetings, such as those held by Grey Power…… Apart from the issue of privatisation, Grey Power has no policy on Three Waters, so a question of support or otherwise would need to come from the floor.

        • ianmac 4.2.4.1
          15 August 2022 at 7:14 pm

          But Mac1, the Marlborough Council has declared us to be against 3 Waters. I have written to the Council of my belief that we must act now. Delay, delay delay is too late.

    • Ad 5.1
      15 August 2022 at 12:18 pm

      Ours will look more like Welcome to Westport: 5th flood event in 2 months.

    • Descendant Of Smith 5.2
      15 August 2022 at 12:21 pm

      I support three waters and would point out that councils have been not a useful stop to privatisation any more than a National government has particularly in the use of hydo for electricity production.

      Where does privatisation lead?

      IN 1980, the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet replaced Chile’s constitution with a new charter employing the principles of famed American free-market economist Milton Friedman. Forty years later the dictatorship is gone, but the constitution — and a key provision called the National Water Code that privatized Chile’s vast natural water supply — is still in effect.

      https://theintercept.com/2022/08/12/chile-drought-water-constitution/

    • weka 5.3
      15 August 2022 at 12:30 pm

      A glimpse in to our Three Waters future when water gets centralised and/or privatised.

      https://twitter.com/MadwifeBella/status/1558314090963308544

      Someone needs to convince me that management bods in Chch can make good decisions about hose bans in Winton or Ranfurly.

      • Cricklewood 5.3.1
        15 August 2022 at 12:45 pm

        I think it's fair to say they wont, most of the time. Take Auckland as an example even though the dams were getting low due to prolonged drought and heavy usage Watercare waited and waited until the point of desperation before bringing in any form of restriction and when they did it was drastic.

        Asking what will be a fairly large bureaucracy (that will no doubt be focused on large populations centres and subject to political pressure) to make good informed decisions on a very local level is a stretch. More likely they go with a one size fits all broad brush approach.

        I can also see a day where in order to raise funds the laws are changed to allow the new entities to partially sell the infrastructure that delivers the water. Not dissimilar to what happened with the electricity reforms.

        • weka 5.3.1.1
          15 August 2022 at 12:57 pm

          How to prevent future privatisation would be top of my concerns.

          I don't understand Ak water very well. Was part of the problem a conflict between the need to have water restrictions and Watercare's need for income from usage?

          • Cricklewood 5.3.1.1.1
            16 August 2022 at 6:29 am

            I think it actually came down to incompetence, comments at the time basically said they were sure that we wouldnt have two years of low rainfall in a row.

        • Visubversa 5.3.1.2
          15 August 2022 at 3:52 pm

          Auckland water restrictions were not that drastic – you could not hose your garden or use a sprinkler. Nothing stopped you bucketing water from the shower every day as we did, or redirecting your rinse water onto the lawn. I can remember when Auckland City Council neglected the underground infrastructure so badly that people had fountains of turds, tampax and toilet paper in their front yard as the sewers collapsed, and masses of raw sewage ran into the harbour regularly during rain events. It has taken decades and a lot of $$$$$ to separate the WW and SW and to put in the big Central Interceptor to keep the poo out of the harbour. Auckland has the advantage of Watercare and a big ratepayer base. Smaller local Councils will have real problems funding the necessary remediations and should be grateful that the Government is proposing to help with the costs.

          • Belladonna 5.3.1.2.1
            15 August 2022 at 4:40 pm

            " the Government is proposing to help with the costs."

            I haven't seen any commitment by the government, either in the legislation or in the discussion document, to assist with the cost of water infrastructure, long-term in any way. The initial payments to councils – seem to be all around financing the switch, rather than a long-term committment to co-fund. These payments are perceived, by those opposed, as bribes.

            https://www.dia.govt.nz/three-waters-reform-programme-frequently-asked-questions

            Those payments actually aren't tied to water infrastructure or to pay down debt – it's just a short-term lolly scramble. As we see from Wellington (which has got major water infrastructure issues), proposing to spend it on supporting council-owned tenants.

            https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/wellington-proposal-to-use-three-waters-fund-to-help-council-tenants-pay-rent/HPIKK6IDPCAUOVNY2YIO6D6WDI/

            The assumption is that the larger regional groupings will be able to leverage their greater borrowing power (that level of financial manoeuvre is way above my financial pay grade, so I don't know if it's likely to be true or not). And there will be cost-benefits associated with operating at a wider level (this one, I'm pretty sure is untrue – the next service amalgamation which results in reduced costs will be the first one I've ever seen)

            The element concerning many ratepayers, especially those in areas where water is not currently in crisis, is that they will end up paying for the rest of the regional grouping to reach their current standard, before any further investment is made locally.

            I don't see anything in the legislation to prevent this happening. And, it actually seems to be a desired outcome (the Government *wants* the lowest performing infrastructure to be reformed first). Generally that form of investment is paid for out of taxes (rather than rates) or, at least co-funded by the Government (cf national roading infrastructure)

            Airy assertions (by our local MP, for example) that 3 waters would immediately fix the sewerage overflow issues after rain (no-swimming beaches in Auckland) are, in the absence of any funding mechanism for this, quite frankly, unbelievable.

        • ianmac 5.3.1.3
          15 August 2022 at 7:19 pm

          It is said that the ulterior motive behind 3 Waters is for the State to by-pass the 30/30 limits which has for decades limited the Councils' borrowing.

          And hopefully the anti-privatisation plan will be established.

      • Poission 5.3.2
        15 August 2022 at 12:51 pm

        Or the Chatham Islands

      • Graeme 5.3.3
        15 August 2022 at 1:19 pm

        The local delivery / operations won’t change much, the same people, just different logo on the truck. Big change will be policy decisions will be made outside the local political environment.

        Not that much different to local roading. Mostly Waka Kotahi funded and managed

        • Ad 5.3.3.1
          15 August 2022 at 1:37 pm

          Yes in transport there are plenty of Network Operator Contracts, Alliances and other long term (ie 5 years or more) arrangements that are pretty similar to the proposed water operator environment.

        • ianmac 5.3.3.2
          15 August 2022 at 7:21 pm

          Good point Graeme. Would be like Waka Kotahi only better.

  6. Sanctuary 6
    15 August 2022 at 12:26 pm

    This is a gigantic ideological moment from the only real leftie in the Labour cabinet – Michael Wood. In a gigantic injection of common sense, Wood is driving a stake through one of the the madder things done in the name of Rogernomics and is ending the failed neoliberal experiment of forbidding local councils owning public transport. Richard Prebble’s reaction will be deliciously choleric.

    Soon the people who pay for the service, administer the service, provide the service and maintain the service could all be in the same organisation.

    • Descendant Of Smith 6.1
      15 August 2022 at 12:31 pm

      Now if only they would allow councils to access accommodation assistance for housing instead of helping everyone else but them – or if not give them an annual stipend for each council house they provide and is inhabited.

    • Stephen D 6.2
      15 August 2022 at 1:11 pm

      Love to see Megan Woods totally nationalise the entire electricity sector.

      • gsays 6.2.1
        15 August 2022 at 7:57 pm

        I have a far humbler wish (I would like to see Woods take back control of our energy assets too). that is for Minister Little to bring some of the hospital support roles in-house.

        Food, security, grounds upkeep and laundry for a start.

    • Ad 6.3
      15 August 2022 at 1:41 pm

      Can PTOM be unwound and re-aggregated in time for the 2023 election?

      The origins of PTOM go back to Shipley gutting ARC and ARTA. National will seek to reverse Wood's move if they can.

      This commercial proposal in transport is the opposite of what they are doing to local government in water.

      It would help if one could detect an actual regulatory+commercial underlying sense to this government. Pretty hard to defend without one.

    • Tiger Mountain 6.4
      15 August 2022 at 4:01 pm

      Yep, a significant change to the Labour Caucus usual terror of tinkering with any aspect of Roger’n’Ruth’s legacy of monetarist and neo liberal legislation.

      This win was assisted by unions whose members took direct action over many years, and pointed out the iniquity of the legislation that was stopping them getting decent pay increases, due to clauses that lowest tenders must be accepted by Local Authorities!
      So the worst employers tended to get the routes, and kept a lid on industry rates and conditions.

  7. Poission 7
    15 August 2022 at 12:57 pm

    RBNZ set to continue with ratchet clause in interest rates,as it continues with first out of the block rate curve.

    Until there is a significant decrease in non tradeable (core) inflation,the hikes will persist.Here central and local government are substantive drivers with debt driven capital programs.

    https://twitter.com/business/status/1558872904376401920?cxt=HHwWgICytbapnaIrAAAA

    • Ad 7.1
      15 August 2022 at 1:31 pm

      Since you are such an avid electricity trade watcher, what generator mode switches are you observing between NZ wind, NZ geothermal, and NZ thermal given the rapid rise in the price of coal that is keeping Huntly and hence Auckland alive?

      • Poission 7.1.1
        15 August 2022 at 2:10 pm

        Indonesian coal (thermal low cal) is sub 90 mt,most would still be on forward contract.China has not come back into the market there so much.

        Still maintenance season here with Taranaki TCC out for a month,Geothermal stable,wind intermittent,excess hydro (spilling).

        The colder frost days have good solar outputs for distributed generation (balancing the decrease in wind) such as 1000 mw offline now due to low wind.

        September will be tight as primary manufacturing starts and NI outages.(if wind insufficient)

        https://www.transpower.co.nz/sites/default/files/interfaces/can/CAN%20NZGB%20Assessment%20for%20Potential%20Negative%20Generation%204421561112.pdf

        Lots of talk trying to up the ante on future stranded assets (getting thermal off balance sheets) and rent seeking for future capital works (read price hiking)

        What is needed is more renewable in upper NI,Nelson and Westcoast to reduce transmission waste.

        • Ad 7.1.1.1
          15 August 2022 at 2:58 pm

          For this season, then, it sounds like the supply pressure is off.

          Presumably that means more stable spot prices and a little bit of consumer pressure off as well.

          • Poission 7.1.1.1.1
            15 August 2022 at 3:14 pm

            The over capacity for two peaks requires baseline stability.With good hydro storage at present (little requirement for irrigation) lots of distributed solar installed over winter ( reducing late am demand and early pm demand) and spring winds coming into our peak manufacturing season should reduce risk.

            As an aside there is anecdotes of staff returning from working at home to office in OZ and UK as prices increase,be interesting to watch their CBD stats and PT.

        • roblogic 7.1.1.2
          15 August 2022 at 6:38 pm

          "What is needed is more renewable in upper NI,Nelson and Westcoast to reduce transmission waste."

          Or nuclear. FFS. The lies and fearmongering are something to behold.

          https://twitter.com/MadiHilly/status/1557399822600216577?s=20&t=RVaxam8b6MWeA8gRLabdLQ

          • Poission 7.1.1.2.1
            15 August 2022 at 7:12 pm

            Too expensive,and the ROI would make it uneconomic.

            By small builds we keep the capital employed to manageable returns (without high ramp up pricing to consumers) the profits are sufficient for good investments,and diversification.

  8. adam 8
    15 August 2022 at 1:58 pm

    3 bags of groceries for $200, and it was just the basics.

    rent $500 and it's totally basic.

    New cloths when old ones die – nope

    Dental work that needs done – nope

    Going out for dinner – yeah right

    Gotta love this new NZ

    Only bright side, at least we don't have a Tory government to take it totally down the shitter for working people.

    • Belladonna 8.1
      15 August 2022 at 5:05 pm

      Agree. An average increase of between $50-$60 on each grocery shop, since the beginning of the year. Petrol costs have come down (temporarily) – but still anything but cheap (and no, to the broken records out there, public transport just isn't an option for much of the diving I need to do – where we can use it, we do).
      And, while I can (sometimes) buy clothes from the Sallies, you can't really do the same for dental work. Wincing coming out, for more than one reason.

      Not optimistic about not having a Tory government either – both at the local and national level – left (or TBH centre-left) government is looking pretty shaky in the forthcoming elections.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Brainwashed People Think Everyone Else is Brainwashed
    Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 hours ago

  • Peters’ real foreign policy threat is Helen Clark
    Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 hours ago

  • NZ’s trans lobby is fighting a rearguard action
    Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    11 hours ago

  • Your mandate is imaginary
    This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    16 hours ago

  • 14,000 unemployed under National
    The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    18 hours ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Discontent and gloom dominate NZ’s political mood
    Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    18 hours ago

  • Taking Tea with 42 & 38.
    National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    19 hours ago

  • Beware political propaganda: statistics are pointing to Grant Robertson never protecting “Lives an...
    Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”. As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    20 hours ago

  • Winding back the hands of history’s clock
    Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    20 hours ago

  • Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
     Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    20 hours ago

  • Business confidence sliding into winter of discontent
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    22 hours ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the coalition’s awful, not good, very bad poll results
    Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    23 hours ago

  • New HOP readers for future payment options
    Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    1 day ago

  • 2024 Reading Summary: April (+ Writing Update)
    Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    2 days ago

  • At a glance – Clearing up misconceptions regarding 'hide the decline'
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Road photos
    Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
    The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago

  • NZDF is still hostile to oversight
    Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Winding Back The Hands Of History’s Clock.
    Holding On To The Present: The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Sweet Moderation? What Christopher Luxon Could Learn From The Germans.
    Stuck In The Middle With You: As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • A clear warning
    The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...
    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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 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
    6 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
    7 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

  • 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
    14 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
    14 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
    17 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
    22 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
    22 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
    1 day 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
    Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia.   Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-05-01T20:07:37+00:00