Open mike 23/10/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 23rd, 2012 - 61 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

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

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Step right up to the mike…

61 comments on “Open mike 23/10/2012 ”

  1. just saying 1

    http://bat-bean-beam.blogspot.co.nz/

    Taonga Giovanni Tiso’s latest blog – enjoy.

    • karol 1.1

      Thanks, js.  Another consquence of the surveillance society.  Young conservatives attempts to emmorialise themselves results in lasting images of sychophancy and dubious ambitions.  Who amongst them will try to bury the images of themselves with ShonKey in years to come?

    • ianmac 1.2

      Now I know what is meant by a Roman Salute. Fascist-nating.

  2. tc 2

    More sloppy errors on RNZ oz section this morning in a piece on their trillion $ super funds.
    Stated it was architected by PM Keating 20 years ago, err no it was Keating as finance minister Hawke was PM and it was 25 years ago in 87.

    • prism 2.1

      I noticed on Radionz news a foreign reporter covering the Italian convictions of scientists was saying that they had been charged with not preventing an earthquake. I thought surely this is put wrongly? But this report from The Washington Post details.
      The defendants were accused of giving “inexact, incomplete and contradictory information” about whether small tremors felt by L’Aquila residents in the weeks and months before the April 6, 2009, quake should have been grounds for a warning.
      The 6.3-magnitude temblor killed 308 people in and around the medieval town and forced survivors to live in tent camps for months….

      Prosecutors had sought convictions and four-year sentences during the trial. They argued that the L’Aquila disaster was tantamount to “monumental negligence,” and cited the devastation wrought in 2005 when levees failed to protect New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.

      It’s hard to believe that in an educated society, a trial was brought at all and then for the courts, where the highest intelligence should be found, to seriously demonstrate their embarrassing ignorance with this decision is unbelievable. It’s only a step away from blaming the scientists for witchcraft. Italy must be the laughing stock of the educated world.

      • Dv 2.1.1

        They have been jailed

        http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/7849949/Scientists-jailed-over-quake-warning-failure

        An Italian court has convicted six scientists and a government official of manslaughter and sentenced them to six years in prison for failing to give adequate warning of a deadly quake which destroyed the central city of L’Aquila and killed more than 300 people in 2009.

      • Vicky32 2.1.2

        The defendants were accused of giving “inexact, incomplete and contradictory information” about whether small tremors felt by L’Aquila residents in the weeks and months before the April 6, 2009, quake should have been grounds for a warning.

        Grounds for a warning. Instead they gave reasssurance that everything was fine. So, no, not as bad as it seems.

    • alwyn 2.2

      I think that the date of 1992 is a fair one.
      It was in that year, and with Paul Keating as Prime Minister, that the compulsory scheme was first introduced and every employee and employer had to contribute to such a scheme. (There were exceptions based on age and hours worked but it is reasonable to say it became compulsory then).
      Prior to that there was no compulsory system and one’s super money was pretty readily available with no need to preserve it until retirement.

      • tc 2.2.1

        yeah my bad, it’d been around since 87 but Keating made it compulsory in 92 in lieu of unions forgoing a national wage rise so employers had to contribute.

  3. karol 4

    For those who still believe in the impartiality of the BBC.  Apart from the Jimmy Savile disgrace,

    Had the Newsnight film run, the BBC2 programme would have been the first to reveal that Savile was linked to sexual abuse. Instead, earlier this month, an ITV documentary was first to expose Savile – whose teenage victims, the Met police said earlier this week, may number in excess of 200.

    there’s this report on how the BBC distorted and censored evidence to the contrary, and followed the UK government line on destroying the NHS.
     

    In the two years building up to the government’s NHS reform bill, the BBC appears to have categorically failed to uphold its remit of impartiality, parroting government spin as uncontested fact, whilst reporting only a narrow, shallow view of opposition to the bill. In addition, key news appears to have been censored. The following in-depth investigation provides a shocking testimony of the extent to which the BBC abandoned the NHS.

    • Te Reo Putake 4.1

      Amazing how good the BBC still is, despite years of chronic underfunding. And great that its own internal mechanisms exposed their own failings in the Savile affair. The second report you link to is pretty weak evidence for ‘impartiality’, Karol, given that its just an opinion piece about a perceived weakness in the (online only) coverage of a hardly gripping debate about the NHS.

      Despite all the attacks from the right, either via the privately owned media or via the method of deliberate financial straightjacketing by the last 30 years of UK government, the BBC remains the model for impartial and objective reporting. It’s remarkeable that it is still able to be best practice in the worst decade of media dumbing down the world has ever endured.

      • karol 4.1.1

        Is this what you call “just an opinion piece”, TRP?

        To avoid receiving a stock BBC response – ‘we covered the issue thoroughly with 146 articles including both critics and those in favour’ – considerable time has been spent researching the BBC’s coverage from 1 May 2010, just before the Coalition took office, to 1 April 2012, shortly after the bill was passed. Due to the difficulties of searching within radio and broadcast material without substantial time and resources, the focus has been primarily, but not exclusively, the output of BBC Online, both news and analysis (blogs have been excluded, though their material appears similarly limited).

         
        An in my experience, BBC radio and TV have similar kinds of pro-government bias.

        • Te Reo Putake 4.1.1.1

          Yes, that’s an opinion piece, Karol, backed up by what the author indicates, in your quote, is understandably limited reseach. In order to prove that the BBC lacks impartiality, they’d have to find proof positive of partiality toward the other position, not merely a lack of BBC coverage of the NHS debate in a style the author approves of.

          The BBC is huge, it employs thousands of reporters and researchers and the vast majority do amazing work in line with the BBC’s commitment to journalistic excellence. The occasional awful mistake, such as the Savile case, does not indicate impartiality. Bear in mind that most other British media don’t give a flying one about impartiality and, in fact, are proud of their partizan politics. It’s The Sun Wot Won It!, remember.

          • karol 4.1.1.1.1

            TRP, all research of media will have it’s limitations.  But the amount of articles looked at, take this beyond and “opinion” piece.  In your characterisation there’s very little, including a lot of peer reviewd articles, that would not be “opinion” pieces.
             
            Total objectivity is never achievable – a mirage.  And I prefer an author indicates the positions they are coming from.  While UK newspapers all do that, the Beeb particularly aims for impartiality. And a lot of people accpet that it s. But, particularly in recent years it has become far more partisan, following the government line.  And there is enough evidence in the linked report to show that.

          • Urban Rascal 4.1.1.1.2

            You don’t have to look far through medialens archives to find references and articles on the fall of the BBC’s impartiality going back to the early days of the Iraq war. There is enough evidence on that site alone that should shake the confidence of anyone who thinks they are always impartial. Their part in the NHS situation is pretty well covered over there also.

      • Colonial Viper 4.1.2

        TRP said:

        Amazing how good the BBC still is, despite years of chronic underfunding. And great that its own internal mechanisms exposed their own failings in the Savile affair.

        Hey TRP, can you please give us your defence of the Catholic Church’s treatment and cover up of sexual abuse cases next.

    • AsleepWhileWalking 4.2

      The Jimmy Savile case is an example of how sexual abuse by people who are “popular” is systemically covered up. 200 victims….all unavenged because he is now dead. At least they FINALLY get some acknowledgement and his name is dragged through public mud.

      Rapist scum.

      • uke 4.2.1

        Such celebrity rape cases are indeed disturbing. But the Savile case would be par for the course in a country like NZ, where there is an appallingly low conviction rate for sexual crimes generally. As this 2009 article notes:
         
        “Only 13 per cent of sexual violation cases reported to police end in a conviction, the first study of its kind in New Zealand has found…. [while] a separate survey in 2006 found that only 9 per cent of all sexual offences were reported to the police, making the conviction rate even lower.
         
        If there was only a 13% conviction rate with any other category of serious criminal cases, there would a public outcry and commission of inquiry.

    • Rogue Trooper 5.1

      it is all most “monomythical”; la la la la

    • karol 5.2

      And a more detailed report on it:

      The Chicago Plan was suggested in the early 1930s by leading US economists as a means of escaping the Great Depression. It is named after the university of its chief proponent, Henry Simons, but was best summarised by Irving Fisher, a Yale economist, in 1936. …

      The key features of the plan are the requirement of banks to put up 100 per cent reserve backing for deposits, at the same time stripping the banks of their ability to create money out of thin air.

      And this:

      Solon, the Athenian leader implemented the original Chicago Plan/New Deal in 599 BC to relieve farmers in hock to oligarchs enjoying private coinage. He forgave debts, returned lands seized by creditors, and set floor-prices for commodities (like Franklin Roosevelt), and fuelled the money supply with state-issued “debt-free” coinage.
      The ancient Romans studied Solon’s reforms and 150 years later copied his ideas and created their own fiat money system under Lex Aternia in 454 BC.
      Fiat currencies have been around since man began trading.  The Spartans banned gold coins and replaced them with iron disks with little intrinsic value.  In early Rome bronze tablets were favoured.  Their worth was determined by law, much like the dollar, euro or pound today.

       

       

    • Draco T Bastard 5.3

      Yep, even the big guys are starting to realise that the present method is bunk and that we need a new system.

    • Draco T Bastard 5.4

      Quoting article:

      To do this on a permanent basis in peace-time would be to change in the nature of western capitalism. “People wouldn’t be able to get money from banks. There would be huge damage to the efficiency of the economy,” he said.

      Bollocks. There’d be an increase in efficiency as the cost of interest (est. at 50% of all costs) would pretty much disappear over night.

      Arguably, it would smother freedom and enthrone a Leviathan state. It might be even more irksome in the long run than rule by bankers.

      Done properly it would increase democracy and thus freedom.

      • Colonial Viper 5.4.1

        Watch out for the introduction of a new global currency – IMF drawing rights, or a variation thereof. The powers that be are preparing for the possibility that their currently USD denominated wealth might not be worth very much in a few years time.

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_drawing_rights

        • Draco T Bastard 5.4.1.1

          Global currency won’t work as the Euro is presently proving.

          • Colonial Viper 5.4.1.1.1

            Sure, but do you see any signs that a small problem like “not working” is stopping them from trying it on anyways? 😈

        • Rogue Trooper 5.4.1.2

          Yet, that is something my fellows and I were just discussing last night actually, and, I have been reading signs of it today (o.k; it was in the real world media) 🙂

  4. BLiP 6

    .

    First they came for . . .

    . . . Leah-Lynn Plante, a thin, tattooed woman who volunteers at a bookstore that specializes in anarchist literature, shivered in her underwear in the backyard as a SWAT team hauled out computers, clothing, books and artwork — looking, the agents said, for evidence of who participated in this year’s May Day demonstrations in Seattle that saw smashed windows at banks and clashes with the police.

    What bothered Plante was that they weren’t just looking for sticks and black masks. The FBI search warrant also listed “anarchist” and “anti-government” literature and material among items to be seized.

    “It was like something out of George Orwell’s ‘1984.’ It was absolutely horrendous,” Plante, 24, said shortly before she was taken into custody Oct. 10 for failing to testify before a federal grand jury in Seattle about her friends in the anarchist movement . . .

    • Rogue Trooper 6.1

      Now that is Interesting; the thought of greater dissemination had crossed my mind ( maybe u read it)
      however,
      monastics have always played a role in the preservation of the written thought (The Name of The Rose) and nowadays I prefer that type of cell (gonna be a caravan actual-factual) ala Sister Wendy.
      There sure have been some great comments on these threads over the labour weekend.
      Bless You All

  5. ianmac 7

    At the end of Bryan Gould’s piece today was a bit rather interesting to me :

    …….a little-noticed remark made by the Prime Minister in a television interview earlier this year in which he said that “any tax sucks money out of the economy. There’s a limited amount of money in the economy. So when you put up a new tax, or you tax people more, then it sucks that money out”. Let us put to one side the dubious assertion that “there’s a limited amount of money in the economy”; the really interesting part of Mr Key’s brief foray into economic theory is his apparent belief that money raised through taxation and spent on public purposes is somehow no longer part of, or of any value to, the economy.

    If it is “sucked out” of the economy, where does he think it goes – into the stratosphere? And are all those elements that are critical to our living standards and that are paid for out of taxation of no economic value? If that is his belief, perhaps his emphasis on cutting public spending becomes easier to comprehend, if not to support.

    So the superior Economist PM uses this reasoning? Really!!
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10842195

    • muzza 7.1

      ian, the tax (paye) we pay mostly services the foreign (unaudited) debt, so that sucking out Key refers, is in fact true.

      Reads like a rare moment of honesty from key!

      • Lanthanide 7.1.1

        Interest costs made up $4.3B or 4.6% of total government expenses in the year to 30th June 2012. So the tax we pay does not “mostly service the foreign debt”.

        http://www.treasury.govt.nz/government/financialstatements/yearend/jun12/017.htm

        • muzza 7.1.1.1

          I’ve posted previously comments which prove your comment to be incorrect. Treasury don’t know, or don’t pretend to know squat, and are continually wrong in their forecasting, so the figures produced, are to be considered the same low quality!

          Ill put it up again later!

          • muzza 7.1.1.1.1

            International assets and liabilities New Zealand’s international assets ($m) New Zealand’s international liabilities ($m) New Zealand’s net international investment position ($m)
            International equity 65,127 65,072 55
            International debt 113,667 253,882 -140,215
            Total assets/Total liabilities/Net IIP 178,794 – 318,954 -140,160

            Source: Statistics New Zealand, Balance of Payments and International Investment Position: June 2011 quarter

            http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/ParlSupport/ResearchPapers/3/4/6/00PlibCIP121-New-Zealand-s-International-Investment-Position.htm

            “New Zealand government official stats show $318 billion NZ originated private institution credit money. They then treat as assets and deduct what has been invested overseas and come up with what they call Net International Investment Position which appears much less alarming despite that money competting to find profit in an international financial system where the international debt is also unrepayable from the day its born.
            Even if the foreign investments from NZ where able to be repatriated in quick time they would come back to only the wealthiest few who control them and not benefit wider society as implied. Just more smoke and mirrors;

            $318 billion debt based money supply at annual interest rate of 7% equals $22 odd billion interest repayment that is essentially rent upon a revolving line of credit that circulates as our money supply.
            Given most of that interest finds its way back to the same largest owners of larger international banks who own largest stake holdings in Australian banks who own NZ banks, it puts to shame the 1.3 billion they give back in tax and shout from the roof tops as being so beneficial to the prosperity of the nation”

    • Lanthanide 7.2

      The angle Key is coming from is that the government is, on average, ‘less efficient’ at spending money than private individuals are. For example, the government may give tax money to beneficiaries who don’t need it (eg, rich people scamming the system with trusts), or build white elephant motorways that aren’t needed. Obviously private individuals make bad decisions too, like buying McDonald’s for tea 5 days in a row, but on average, governments are supposed to spend money ‘less efficiently’ than private individuals.

      • muzza 7.2.1

        There’s a limited amount of money in the economy.

        Why there is a limited amount of money? – Because 97% enters the economy as debt controlled by banking cartel, so the more money that comes into the system, the more goes back out in interest payments, mostly to the same players.

        Raising taxes which, will end up paying back ever higher amounts of interest (for more monetary supply), sucks money from the economy, and will not come back in by govt spending, because they borrow/tax to cover that spending, which means more/higher interest next year = higher taxes and/or less spending, or yet more borrowing, either way = more money sucked out the economy, one way or another!

        The "sovereign" government can produce interest free money to build schools, hospitals etc and fund them, while tweaking the tax system to control inflation – NO need for foreign borrowing, and the taxes including any inefficient spending, can loop right back into NZ inc!

        Key was being honest, as under the current borrowing (funding) methods, taxes suck money out!

        Govt inefficiency should by your explanation, put more money into the economy, but currently thats not how it works!

      • Colonial Viper 7.2.2

        but on average, governments are supposed to spend money ‘less efficiently’ than private individuals.

        Thanks for repeating meaningless neolib bullshit transplanted into NZ from the US elections.

    • Draco T Bastard 7.3

      Actually, what sucks money out of the economy is profit. Profit accumulates and, as it accumulates, it attracts interest which exponentially increases the rate of accumulation. The present method of off-setting that accumulation is by the private banks printing ever more debt based money which also bears interest. The natural result of this exponential accumulation is an economy that is frozen by debt and a society with ever increasing amounts of poverty.

      Exactly as we seen in every recession throughout all recorded history.

  6. Red Rosa 8

    This from yesterday’s Open Mike. Good questions. Can we expect answers?

    ” Are all police allowed to lie under oath in any hearing?

    And are they allowed indemnity from investigation and prosecution if they are caught out?

    Or is the power to lie under oath with indemnity only permitted for senior police in exceptional, or politically charged cases?

    In a thinly veiled threat, the Police Association have backed Chief Inspector Grant Wormald, demanding that he must not be investigated for committing perjury in the Kim Dotcom hearing.

    With this sort of open (and secret) support, it is little wonder that Chief Inspector Grant Wormald has now been proven to be no stranger to giving false testimony under oath in another hearing.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/7845990/Dotcom-raid-officer-headed-bike-gang-probe

    • ianmac 8.1

      It does appear RR that “they think” that the means is justified if it does good. But what a slippery slope that is! Perhaps CI Wormald will retire and therefore be beyond reach, but then will reappear in some well paid sinecure.

      • Red Rosa 8.1.1

        A well considered forensic question to the Minister of Police would seem to be overdue on this one.

    • vto 8.2

      Well it just proves what most people already know – in these sorts of circumstances (being in the target range of the police) you just cannot trust them. They will lie and cheat to get what they want.

    • muzza 8.3

      What does under oath, actually mean in legal speak, that will assist in understanding selective consequence such as possible “purgery charges”

      Whats a courtroom represent anyway, and why would being under oath, carry any more or less of a difference for someone to lie, than outside a court room….someone, anyone, as it should be pretty straight forward to explain, but its not is it!

  7. muzza 10

    Syria rebels pessimistic on ceasefire plan

    Syrian rebels cast doubt on Monday on prospects for a temporary truce aimed at stemming bloodshed in the 19-month-old conflict, saying it was not clear how an informal ceasefire this week could be implemented.

    Notice how the article title ensures that anyone who only reads headlines, or the first paragraph, gets the impression that the rebels are the “trusted entity”, because they get to cast the judgement, as they are “righteous”

    But neither Syria’s army nor the rebels have shown signs of easing off as Eid nears. More than 200 people were killed on Sunday in fighting and bombardments including 60 soldiers, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

    Then a little further down you get the above, which tell the reader neither side are “easing off”

    Yet more propaganda from Reuters, who are owned by AP – Never an explantion in the NZ press on who the rebels really are, even though, abroad in the UK, and even US media articles attempt to clarify some of the complexities..

    No such effort in NZ though, keep em nice and dumb, eh bro!

    • Colonial Viper 10.1

      Maybe Jenny can shed some light on all the different countries that the Syrian rebel fighters and assorted anti-Assad jihadists come from.

    • Rogue Trooper 10.2

      into Jordan and Lebanon now

    • Pascal's bookie 10.3

      Syrian rebels cast doubt on Monday on prospects for a temporary truce aimed at stemming bloodshed in the 19-month-old conflict, saying it was not clear how an informal ceasefire this week could be implemented

      Notice how the article title ensures that anyone who only reads headlines, or the first paragraph, gets the impression that the rebels are the “trusted entity”, because they get to cast the judgement, as they are “righteous”

      Didn’t notice that at all. Didn’t get that impression either, frankly, it’s a fucking stretch muzz.

      That is straight reporting. There was a proposed ceasefire. One of the parties to the conflict (the rebels) said they can’t see how it would work. That statement by the rebels casts doubt on the prospects for the ceasefire.

      It sure as shit doesn’t give the rebels a righteous tinge, they are saying a ceasefire can fuck right off, that’s not normally the way you propagandise in favour of someone. And it’s just a falt out fact that the rebels get to cast judgement on the ceasefire. They are a party to the conflict, ffs. their judgement on it, stands. the media, you, the UN, nor anybody else gets to gainsay a party to a cinflict on whether or not they are going to keep fighting.

      That passage is just straight reporting, every word of it justifiable. The piece is not a feature, which is why it doesn;t give you a whole bunch of background on who the players are. That is not what it is for. Reuters is a wire service, they report updates to ongoing stories for dailies.

      And the theory is usually that they are owned by the Rothschilds, not AP. Is this AP idea new less jewy meme the shadow people have come up with, or is it just something your gut told you?

  8. karol 11

    This looks like a worthwhile meeting to attend in the Auckland area:
     

    What:  Public meeting as part of the 26 for Babies campaign, supporting Sue Moroney’s bill to extend paid parental leave to 26 weeks.

     
    Tonight 7pm – interesting line-up.

    Michele A’Court in the chair
    Jacquie Brown – famous from such things as Keep Calm and Carry On
    Sue Moroney MP – Labour
    Jan Logie MP – Greens
    Marama Davidson – Te Wharepora Hou
    Professor Tim Hazeldine – Economist

     

  9. Te Reo Putake 12

    Headline of the Day: Whale makes human-like sounds.
     
    Now, if only they could teach him to stop making shit up…

  10. Rogue Trooper 13

    To The powers that be,
    a psalm ( cameron has proverbs, Now Thats Ironic ! )

    “God presides in the great assembly;
    he gives judgement among the “gods”:

    How long will you defend the unjust
    and show partiality to the wicked?

    Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;
    maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.

    Rescue the weak and needy;
    deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

    They know nothing, they understand nothing.
    They walk about in darkness;

    all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

    I said, You are “gods”
    you are all sons of the Most High.

    But you will die like mere men;
    you will fall like every other ruler.”

    Rise up O God, judge the earth,
    for all the nations are your inheritance.

    # 82

    on a lighter note,

    Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But,
    their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

    2 Cor 3: 12-

    God Bless The Unions and their Members

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    1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    16 hours ago
  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    19 hours ago
  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    20 hours ago
  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    20 hours ago
  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    21 hours ago
  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    21 hours ago
  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    22 hours ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    23 hours ago
  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago
  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A StepbyStep Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and thirdparty applications. So, lets dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. Thats why they introduced the Recently Deleted folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Heres how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the Recents tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on Edit. Select Show Recently Deleted. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose Recover to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Heres how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose Erase All Content and Settings. Follow the onscreen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose Restore from iCloud Backup during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore ThirdParty Apps (with Caution): ...
    1 day ago
  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    1 day ago
  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    1 day ago
  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    1 day ago
  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    1 day ago
  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    1 day ago
  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    1 day ago
  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    1 day ago
  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    2 days ago
  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    2 days ago
  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    2 days ago
  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    2 days ago
  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago
  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    2 days ago
  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    2 days ago
  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    2 days ago
  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    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 ...
    4 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    4 days ago
  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    4 days ago
  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
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