Open mike 24/07/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, July 24th, 2015 - 131 comments
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131 comments on “Open mike 24/07/2015 ”

  1. Paul 1

    Same old story. First Christchurch, now Auckland.
    The lack of financial support by government for key public transport infrastructure, then all of a sudden ‘cash strapped’ councils.
    The fire sale of New Zealand continues.
    Neo-liberalism knows only one way.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11485922

  2. cricklewood 2

    I just wanted to draw attention to the closure today of submissions regarding the proposed land swap relating to the redevelopment of the Three Kings quarry.
    I attended earlier in the week my first public meeting organized and driven by the local community, it was clear after the presentation and proper explanation of the proposal that the swap in its current form represents windfall gain for Fletchers and a significant loss to the Three Kings community not to mention a further degeneration of the maunga.
    Anyway if you have the time please write an opposing submission and get it sent to threekingsreserve@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz by 4pm today.

  3. Sacha 3

    Report produced as part of Auckland Unitary Plan process disagrees a lot about future trends, and questions population projections and housing supply options: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/279554/report-questions-auckland-population-forecasts

    Have not read it yet, but worth recalling that Auckland’s actual population growth over recent decades has always been higher that the official Stats NZ ‘High” projection (which to 2040 is about another million residents). Some discussion and presentations from the 2013 council-hosted event that focused on the issue: http://voakl.net/2013/06/15/population-trends/

  4. Skinny 4

    The Hearld plays the ratings game in this .ornings edition. John Key rates a 8 out 10. “The Teflon is peeling, but only at the margins…his rating would be higher but for the gou know what.”

    Oh you mean that creepy habit of his!

  5. Rodel 5

    Espiner this morning interviews Pagani (former failed Labour party candidate) and somebody called Nick Legget . Both couldn’t wait to diss (criticize disrespectfully) Andrew Little and Labour. In the end Espiner had to shut them up and curb their enthusiasm to disparage Labour
    What is their agenda?

    • Legget is mayor of Porirua. Both of them are involved in setting up a conservative pressure group within Labour. The whining non-entity Phil Quin was involved as well, but I guess he can’t troll Labour as effectively since he flounced out of the party a couple of weeks ago.

      • Reality 5.1.1

        Nick Leggett is a very self-important person who really thinks he is going places. He was very keen on council amalgamation in the greater Wellington region. I attended a meeting where he spoke and he absolutely failed to convince the large audience on the merits of his viewpoint.

    • Rosemary McDonald 5.2

      I was listening peripherally to Natrad earlier…I thought one of the household had broke ranks and tuned into Radio Live. A real commercial tone to the talk, and a disturbing lack of the expected gravitas.

      Thank god their website is more navigable so we can go back and listen to the way things were.

      Radio New Zealand, National.

      Rest In Peace.

    • maui 5.3

      Can they remove their Labour Party membership? That may be helpful. It’s interesting they climb into Little, then at the end they’re gushing about Kelvin Davis.
      Interview: http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201763678/our-panel-looks-back-at-a-%27hell%27-week-for-labour

    • Draco T Bastard 5.4

      Pagani’s agenda seems to be to support National into power. Dunno Legget but he sounds the same as Pagani.

  6. Lynda Brown 6

    Rodel
    Never mind. They quickly moved on to the far more important matter of a rich man’s sports trophy and how we, the great unwashed, can pat it reverentially with a glove on.

  7. Skinny 7

    With Auckland’s road traffic congestion problems, in particular from the North across the harbour you would think a fast track option that would be less disruptive to road users would be a Rail tunnel. Far cheaper than what the Nats are proposing.

    http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11485304

    • maui 7.1

      When it comes to transport they don’t care if it’s much more expensive, has far less benefit to the community and the wider city, drains the economy by holding people up in traffic jams, and puts the climate more at risk. It’s roads or nothing.

    • Draco T Bastard 7.2

      If National propose it you can be fairly certain that there’s a cheaper option that’s far better. The reason for that is that National look for maximum profit for their donors rather than what’s best for the country.

  8. JanMeyer 8

    Another useful instalment from the Guardian on the challenges facing UK Labour.

    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/23/labour-back-from-brink-unity

  9. Ed 9

    I read the following article this morning:
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11485784

    It refers to the Government’s “financial veto” – what is that? Does this really mean that parliament is not supreme – that they are subservient to a cabinet selected by the governing political party? What law contains that right to over-ride parliament?

    If the government does not like a bill on financial grounds, shouldn’t they be regarding it as a “confidence and supply” issue – and thus “encouraging” support partners like Peter Dunne to vote the way they want rather than with his conscience?

    I recall an article on No Right Turn some time ago, which didn’t invoke much discussion – isn’t it time we had this issue clarified?

    • Sabine 9.1

      more importantly can Labour do it too?

      or does it only apply to National let Governments?

      • Draco T Bastard 9.1.1

        Any government can do it but we’ve only had National do it when things don’t go their way. They’re like a bunch of spoiled children.

      • Ed 9.1.2

        But what legislation allows the government of the day to do this? Why can the opposition not force them to defeat it in the house?

  10. Puckish Rogue 10

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/279285/nzei-drops-opposition-to-school-plan

    A teachers union is dropping its opposition to the Government’s $155 million a year plan to pay teachers more to improve schools after negotiating changes to the scheme.

    Nice to see the union laying on its back with its belly exposed 😉

    • You need to read beyond the headline, schmuck. The union negotiated the changes it wanted, then signed up. It was the Education Ministry that rolled over.

    • Skinny 10.2

      It is a touchy subject for Stephen ‘snake oil’ Joyce and the National spin department. Buoyed by the $155 million dollar bribe to keep the teachers on side during last years election, they decided to employ the same tactic in this year’s Northland ‘Buy election’ with the Bridges they plucked out of their arse. The whole country laughed at that spectacular fail. And I don’t think it will end there as Shane Jones is likely to stand for NZF in Whangarei and clean out the hapless Nat’s Shane Reti, both local opposition partys will probably work together and vote stratically and push National completely out of the North 🙂

  11. Chooky 11

    Australian farmers go activist to oppose Chinese coal mining company:

    ‘Liverpool Plains farmers threaten legal action to stop Shenhua Watermark mine’s ‘agricultural genocide’

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-13/liverpool-plains-farmers-vow-legal-action-to-stop-shenhua-mine/6616940

    “Farmers on the Liverpool Plains in northern New South Wales are vowing to launch legal action and resort to civil disobedience if they have to, to stop a Chinese coal mining company being granted a mining licence….

    Farmer and Caroona Coal Action Group head Tim Duddy said the project was “agricultural genocide”.

    “We are not talking about a coexistence model, we are talking about mining coming and farming going and it’s as simple as that,” he said.

    Mr Duddy and a group of other Liverpool Plains farmers have met to discuss how they will proceed.
    “We’re looking at our legal options, we’re looking at our other options, certainly the community is prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure a mine does not occur here,” Mr Duddy said.

    Farmer Andrew Pursehouse, who owns more than 4,000 hectares of prime agricultural land on the Liverpool Plains, said the group would resort to civil disobedience if it had to.

    “”We’ve got to act like French farmers and stop this, this is just not right.”

    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/chinese-mine-giant-snaps-up-43-nsw-farms/story-e6frg6nf-1226082387428

  12. Ffloyd 12

    Has anyone read the Opinion (?) piece in the compost? (trying to write dom post but TNT came up instead, seemed appropriate!) Hatchet job on Little, absolutely spitting venom. Wonder who wrote it?

  13. Ffloyd 13

    Has anyone read the Opinion (?) piece in the compost? (trying to write dom post but this came up instead, seemed appropriate!) Hatchet job on Little, absolutely spitting venom. Wonder who wrote it?

  14. wyndham 14

    Anyone that may remain unsure as to whether or not the New Zealand Listener has been taken over by the extreme political right need go no further than read the editorial in the latest issue (August 1 to August 7 2015).
    There is only one word in my vocabulary for this writing and that is ‘scurrilous’. It may also verge on being defamatory but then I’m no legal eagle.
    The writer (identity not acknowledged) likens Phil Twyfords attempt at initiating a discussion on just who is purchasing Auckland homes to “Nazi Germany, where mass extermination was justified on the premise that Jews were subversive, disloyal and a threat to ‘true’ Germans.” Next comes an emotive linking of the recent Diana Wichtel interview with an elderly Auschwitz survivor and links how Twyford is suggesting that “Chinese speculators are to blame – – – “.
    Further on, the writer dredges up how Chinese were subjected to vilification and discrimination in the 19th. and early 20th. centuries. This leads on to how an elderly Chinese was shot dead in a Wellington street!
    The final extraordinary flight of fancy in this article links the median income of Chinese N.Z’ers (2013) as being a “modest $16,000” and that this somehow runs counter to the theory that N.Z. is being overrun by wealthy Chinese seeking a haven for their money as China’s economy contracts.
    There is much other dubious content in this editorial and IMO the Listener richly deserves extreme condemnation. I’m going to the Press Council.

    • Anne 14.1

      Here is the link:

      http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/editorial/call-helen/

      In due course, I would like to see Labour take action against these shallow, politically motivated attacks designed to play on the emotions of readers and without any attempt at providing objective analysis.

      And hiding behind anonymity in a mainstream public journal. Makes you wonder who the source was…. Quin, Pagani, Leggott where are you?

      • wyndham 14.1.1

        Thanks for the link Anne. I don’t subscribe to them online.

        I’ve cooled down a bit now but – – – really! A vicious piece of writing.

      • Westiechick 14.1.2

        I just read it with dismay. The writer pretends that Twyford has criticised NZ residents of Chinese origin investing in the house market. It is overseas investors with no connection to NZ that are the target becasue they are distorting the market. It would be better if there was a problem with Scandanvian investment in the Auckland housing market. This would allow for more accurate surname analysis and get the race card (actually played by Labours critics, not Labour) right out of it.

        • Anne 14.1.2.1

          I just read it with dismay.

          Dismay quickly turned to a deep seated anger at the lying, twisting and vituperate tone of the editorial. So much so, I didn’t dare respond to the content.

          Somebody correct me if I’m wrong, but I have a faint recollection Phil Quin was associated with the Listener at some point in the past. I may well have the wrong person, but if not… then I’m picking he had a hand in it’s composition.

          • In Vino 14.1.2.1.1

            Fully agree. I do not know about Quin, but I do not want to try to write a critical letter of that rancid piece of politicking in my current mood.
            It is the ownership of the Listener that is the cause: in the days of Monte Holcroft, Ian Cross, etc, the magazine maintained a Lord Reith style of independence. It is now, no doubt, set up commercially, and thereby corrupted. If there are shareholders and a Board of Directors (Parent owner is actually a German company, is it not?) you can bet that Editors and policies will thereby be skewered to the right. Commercialism and marketing are a pox upon the face of our modern society, seen most clearly in our deteriorating MSM. Listener- from clarion to carrion.

            • Anne 14.1.2.1.1.1

              Yes, I stopped buying the Listener years ago. Once it was the top magazine in the country – a must read. No more…

    • Chooky 14.2

      i try to avoid buying the Listener these days…it is hopelessly compromised as a New Zealand public watch dog and investigative journalism is out the window …it is full of PR merchants for Nact imo

      ….Joanne Black their former star opinion feature writer ( may still write for them as far as I know ) went to work for Bill English and is now the PR person for selling Kiwi Rail …her husband I think works in jonkey’s office

      …..Interesting that Bill English did not front sale of Kiwi Rail on Nine-to- noon recently but used instead Joanne Black to front jonkey Nact government policy of financially gutting NZ rail, in an era when all other countries are looking to expand rail services….GUTLESS!

      http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201761880/kiwirail-on-notice-what-is-its-future

      “The government has put KiwiRail on notice, giving it two years to identify savings and reduce Crown funding required. What is the future of the rail network and what is its importance to regional New Zealand? The Hawkes Bay Regional Council. Regional leaders are fighting to retain rail links, and in Hawkes Bay to re-open its rail service. The Napier – Gisborne line was mothballed back in 2012 after it was washed out by a major storm. The Hawkes Bay Regional Council is fighting for its resurrection and has put up five-and-a-half million dollars to part fund the line. Liz Lambert is the Chief Executive of the Hawkes Bay Regional Council. Lawrence Yule is the mayor of Napier and chairman of Local Govenrment New Zealand. Joanne Black is the spokesperson for Kiwi Rail.”

      • Olwyn 14.2.1

        …i try to avoid buying the Listener these days…it is hopelessly compromised…

        I have not bothered with it since Pamela Stirling replaced Findlay MacDonald as editor. I could see straight away that it was over, and was very sad as it was a beloved piece of NZ for me up until then. When I glance at the headlines in the supermarket it now looks to be a cross between a National Party newsletter and a social climber’s handbook.

  15. b waghorn 15

    http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/education/70505123/Decision-on-troubled-charter-school-Te-Pumanawa-o-te-Wairua-to-be-announced
    So Seymour admits these are some of our most vulnerable kids and yet sees fit to experiment with them . how fucking stupid are these fools?

  16. maui 16

    Time for a Neetflux perspective 🙂
    http://neetflux.tumblr.com/post/124455759522

    • arkie 16.1

      They are really good at these, really surprised to not see them shared around the social medias more often!

  17. Draco T Bastard 17

    The Four Biggest Right-Wing Lies About Inequality

    The truth is, America’s lurch toward widening inequality can be reversed. But doing so will require bold political steps.

    At the least, the rich must pay higher taxes in order to pay for better-quality education for kids from poor and middle-class families. Labor unions must be strengthened, especially in lower-wage occupations, in order to give workers the bargaining power they need to get better pay. And the minimum wage must be raised.

    Don’t listen to the right-wing lies about inequality. Know the truth, and act on it.

    Considering NZ’s lurch down the same ideological path over the last 30 years the same can be said of NZ.

  18. Enough 18

    Child Poverty – More of the same from Key and his insufferable cabal: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/279597/thousands-of-children-hit-by-benefit-sanctions

  19. Clean_power 19

    Labour’s yellow peril is a myth and fabrication according to Auckland City Council, which says “Auckland Council has revealed how many of its rates bills are sent overseas. Of the 535,057 rates bills sent out, 5617 or 1.05% are sent overseas – 2885 to Australia and 2732 to the rest of the world.” http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/few-council-rates-bills-going-overseas-sl-p-175906

    Will Mr Twyford clarify the “confusion”?

    • I can. The bills are sent to the local agent who arranged the house purchase. Next question …

      • dv 19.1.1

        Or the local property manager.

      • Clean_power 19.1.2

        This is pretty solid evidence that the whole “foreigners are pushing up prices” idea is nothing but xenophobic scapegoating. For that to be true but only 1.1% of rates bills going overseas would require virtually every foreign buyer to be using a local agent. Occam’s Razor applies, the simpler explanation is that foreign ownership is just not that high.

        Not that mere logic is going to convince those who really want this to be true, of course.

        • lprent 19.1.2.1

          …would require virtually every foreign buyer to be using a local agent.

          What is so surprising about that? I knew a number of local landlords in my apartment building (60 apartments – 10 owners occupier) when I was active in the body corporate less than 10 years ago. Less than 10% of the landlords did not use an agent. All the ones from off-shore did. Using agents like Crockers or Barfoots or Quinovic is the norm rather than the exception.

          When I moved out for 4 years to get more room for a film to be produced, we used Quinovic, even though the apartment was only 4 blocks away. Who has the time or inclination to run a rental property. Same with almost everyone else that I know of who rents out properties in Auckland.

          Your argument is completely stupid.

        • Draco T Bastard 19.1.2.2

          This is pretty solid evidence that the whole “foreigners are pushing up prices” idea is nothing but xenophobic scapegoating.

          No it’s not as the ACC obviously don’t know who the bills are going to. The data that they have is far less worthy than what Labour used.

          For that to be true but only 1.1% of rates bills going overseas would require virtually every foreign buyer to be using a local agent.

          Which would be simpler than the foreign based owner doing it themselves as it would save them having to set up their own property management service.

          Not that mere logic is going to convince those who really want this to be true, of course.

          You wouldn’t know what logic was if you tripped over it but that’s normal for ignorant RWNJs such as yourself.

        • Paul 19.1.2.3

          Answer trp’s point

      • Draco T Bastard 19.1.3

        +1

        That was exactly what I was thinking.

      • Anne 19.1.4

        Yep. House next door to me is owned by a Honk Kong businessman who resides in Hong Kong. He has a “friend” in NZ who manages the property for him. She currently rents it out to tenants (3 bedroomed house) at around $900 per week. When she gets the word from the overseas owner she will sell it for him.

    • Chooky 19.2

      @ Clean_power ….it is up to the government…Nactional …to get the real and true statistics on who is buying Auckland houses …every single one of them ….as you well know…thus far they have been avoiding this like the plague

      ….and if someone overseas buys 40 houses …do they get 40 rates bills or just one?

      • northshoredoc 19.2.1

        “….and if someone overseas buys 40 houses …do they get 40 rates bills or just one?”

        40

        • Chooky 19.2.1.1

          most likely sent to their local agent in NZ…which gives no indication whether the houses are overseas owned or not

          again I repeat …the nactional government need to give New Zealanders the real and true statistics on who is buying up NZ houses and property …every single one of them ….thus far they have been avoiding this like the plague

          • northshoredoc 19.2.1.1.1

            I suspect most of the owners of multiple homes are locals.

            NZ is well overdue for a capital gains tax.

            • b waghorn 19.2.1.1.1.1

              Yes nz is long overdue for a cgt. and I couldn’t care less if a cgt didn’t slow price rises its about the tax system being fare.

            • Chooky 19.2.1.1.1.2

              “I suspect most of the owners of multiple homes are locals”…actually given the scale of the problem overseas and in Auckland I doubt it

              ….and why is the jonkey nact government so coy on getting the statistics?…this is an important political issue now…do they have something to hide?

              ..i think so

              • northshoredoc

                Why do you doubt it ?

                  • northshoredoc

                    err. neither of those links suggest that the majority of multiple homes owners are non residents.

                    • Macro

                      Did I say they did? They show that even where there are many more restrictions on the purchase of homes by foreign buyers than here in NZ – foreign buyers (and the majority seem to be coming from the one area – which is not surprising – there being around $21 trillion NZ dollars sitting in private bank accounts in China alone at low rates of interest) are distorting the market to such an extent that they are causing concern. In Vancouver it is possible to walk down many streets with many well built houses empty and boarded up. Simply investments in property with prices escalating many tens of thousands a year – why go through the hassle of renting – and with a projected 22,000 similarly owned in Auckland, one has to wonder at, who could be the owners? Just how much foreign owned and by how many is difficult to assess but the house price bubbles in Sydney and Auckland and Vancouver are real concerns, and will have devastating effects on their respective economies when they burst as burst they will.
                      So I would not be surprised to find if many overseas investors did have a substantial portfolio of housing stock in the NZ market. They have after all been in the game for at least the last 5 years. This is nothing new, it has only just been made prominent in the last week or so, and many NZers – such as yourself – are only coming to terms with it now.

                    • Colonial Viper

                      Macro – you have no clue as to whether or not the majority of foreign investment in NZ houses comes from China. How wou;ld you know for instance, whether or not billion dollar US hedge funds like Blackstone have been buying up NZ real estate via locally listed companies or trusts..

                    • Draco T Bastard

                      Actually CV, the problem is that you’re in denial about the figures that were released.

                  • Chooky

                    +100 Macro …here is the scale of the problem…anyone who denies this is ignorant or disingenuous

                    http://www.smh.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/wall-of-chinese-capital-buying-up-australian-properties-20150628-ghztdf.html#ixzz3gVPV2Oew

                    ….”That’s roughly $32 billion,” says Tee. “The Canadian government said: ‘We don’t want your money anymore’ and that capital is now hitting the Sydney market.”
                    “There is a mountain of liquidity. China is bursting with flight capital. They can’t go to the US, they can’t get it into Singapore anymore, or Hong Kong.”
                    Tee’s comments come at a time of increasing concern that a generation of young Australians have been locked out of the property markets of Melbourne and Sydney due to spiralling house prices….

                    Tee says recent figures in the media which put Chinese investment in the Sydney property market at 25 per cent of total sales were too low. He says it might be twice this level but it is hard to tell because of the lack of transparency on ownership.
                    Most Chinese purchases hide behind trustees and proxies. Third parties such as friends and relatives were often used.
                    “Chinese students are being paid 2 per cent of the purchase price of the property to purchase property on behalf of relatives,” says Tee.

                    Another person au fait with Chinese property transactions in Australia told Fairfax Media it was simple for Chinese investors to get around the foreign capital restrictions.
                    “The money never really moves. In a simple example, Kunlun is a forex trading and money exchange company. It has bank accounts in many countries with significant cash balances. So if someone wants $40 million in Australia they put the money in a Kunlun China account and Kunlun transfers the money from their Australian accounts to the person’s friend’s Australian account.
                    “Kunlun is just one example – any large trading multinational will hold large reserves of cash in each country so they can effect a transfer with an internal paper transaction. No banks or government scrutiny involved. And given that they don’t do effective reporting in this country, who will ever trace it?…”Kunlun is just one example – any large trading multinational will hold large reserves of cash in each country so they can effect a transfer with an internal paper transaction. No banks or government scrutiny involved. And given that they don’t do effective reporting in this country, who will ever trace it?
                    “The current situation is that one of the best assets a local Chinese can have is a permanent Australian residence. They will have ‘friends’ lining up to ‘loan’ them money to buy properties in Australia.
                    All the government needs to do is follow the cash.”
                    Sadly, for a generation of young homebuyers it seems the government is not interested in following the cash. Otherwise our politicians, of both major parties, would have introduced the second tranche of AML legislation by now and real estate agents would have to prove that their clients’ funds were legitimate.

            • Draco T Bastard 19.2.1.1.1.3

              I suspect most of the owners of multiple homes are locals.

              For now but the rate of foreign buying will soon change that.

            • Facetious 19.2.1.1.1.4

              Why the Left’s obsession with higher taxes? CGT, carbon, PAYE, etc. Is the Left afraid of people keeping more of their own money in the pocket? Why?

  20. adam 20

    You know sometimes events speak truth to power. Like this weekend National will be having their 79th party conference at the Sky Tower.

    This is an event, in a place that just say’s – we are corporate lackeys. I think Key and Co. are desperate to be noticed by their lords and masters. How truly funny.

  21. freedom 21

    from the ‘guess these things don’t matter anymore‘ file

    Aren’t there a whole lot of rules about not using the image of the PM or members of his Cabinet in commercial promotions?
    Here we have an image of the PM and Bill English headlining a “paid content” Fisher Funds article in the NZH Brand Insight section.
    The image is also thumbnailed under the Brand Insight header on the Herald’s homepage.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/fisher-funds/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503733&objectid=11485147

  22. McFlock 23

    Breaking news: government taking back management of Mt Eden prison as of Monday.

    They’re refusing to say whether the contract will be cancelled, but for things to get this bad after only a few years it shows that the best tenderer was woefully inadequate. Privatisation fail.

    • Macro 23.1

      But Sam assured the House that it “is the top prison performer on the prison performance table, which measures core security, internal procedures, and rehabilitation”.

      • McFlock 23.1.1

        That was before he realised that if he didn’t throw serco under the bus quicksharp, key would throw him under that very same bus 🙂

        • Macro 23.1.1.1

          Or drop him from the 9th floor balcony 😉
          Well we know his career is more important to him than serco

          • Anne 23.1.1.1.1

            Nah… drop him over the Debating Chamber balcony immediately above Kelvin Davis next Tuesday during Question Time.

            • Macro 23.1.1.1.1.1

              That’s evil! 🙂

              • weka

                Well it’s all Labour’s fault anyway.

                • Macro

                  I can see the Headlines now “Minister tripped or stumbled from 9th Floor says PM” Duncan will assure us all there is nothing to see not even tv footage of any carnage, and suddenly a mystery MP will be admitted to Middlemore Hospital so “it couldn’t have happened on our patch”.

                  • McFlock

                    Witnesses are like water quality scientists – tugger can find a dozen mps who’ll swear that L-L was only found to be injured after he had been transferred to the Labour Party headquarters…

                • Anne

                  Well it’s all Labour’s fault anyway.

                  You mean Kelvin Davis for being underneath him when he dropped….?

  23. greywarshark 24

    Dairy farmers are doing it tough, and the sector is important, but it makes up only about 5 per cent of our economy,
    From yek’s newsletter.
    Can someone explain briefly what the 5% refers to.?
    Is it volume of exports? Is it money earned?
    Where is the 95% coming from then?

    If we are so well off can we start having a decent system of national works to ensure the base line of employment and work is kept alive? Also can we have prescription charges dropped back to $3, and heating subsidies. And an renewal of firm but fair prison warden training for that group heavy on humanity also for social welfare department workers.

    Just for a start, rest later.

    • b waghorn 24.1

      Dairy is5% of GDP I believe ,its there way of glossing over the fact that its 20% of export earnings . Most owners will get through but I’ve already noticed a few comments on social media sights about hours being cut for workers. Shit roles down hill and its always the little guy at the bottom .

      • Draco T Bastard 24.1.1

        Dairy is5% of GDP I believe

        Which is absolutely disgusting considering that it uses up ~7% of the working population. Shows how uneconomic farming actually is.

        • b waghorn 24.1.1.1

          I’m afraid you’ll have to explain why that’s disgusting!?

          • McFlock 24.1.1.1.1

            7% of the labour force to returning 5% of the total productivity.

            Although you might argue that primary production might be less efficient viewed alone, but it produces essential raw materials that subsequently add value to other sectors in the economy. It’s probably something that I’d want to look through a bit more closely than simply assuming efficiency based on share of labour vs share of gdp.

            • Draco T Bastard 24.1.1.1.1.1

              Even taking into account the fact that producing food supports everything else we do it shows poor economics as that extra 2% of the working population, ~100,000 people*, could be used to produce better returns.

              * About the same number of people that Samsung uses to produce 25% of our GDP

              • McFlock

                unless the GDP average is artificially inflated by forex traders, derivatives gamblers, and other high-income leeches on the economy. Average vs median, sort of thing.

                I’d definitely want to look at a few of the different sectors to see whether dairy is particulalry wasteful of labour compared to other areas of primary production.

                • Draco T Bastard

                  Check my edit.

                  • McFlock

                    Samsung isn’t a primary industry, but it would be fucked without primary industry.

                    That’s the thing about value-adding: mining rare earths might not be as profitable as turning those materials into chips and batteries, but you can’t do one without the other.

                    Many of the basics in our supermarkets and restaurants would not be produced without milk products. They might well produce more revenue per employee, as well. But they’d be equally fucked without dairy products.

                    • Colonial Viper

                      Or we’d be fucked importing those dairy ingredients instead of exporting them, as our balance of trade worsens accordingly.

                    • Draco T Bastard

                      That’s actually my point. That we’d be better off if we only produced enough food for NZ and use the freed up people to produce higher quality goods.

              • b waghorn

                Me and the cocky next door were talking about the limiting factors to nzs production yesterday and its all distance to market isn’t it ? We could turn every flat price of ground into intensive crop growing but were would we sell it.?

                • Colonial Viper

                  What kind of weird discussion is this?

                  Just ask yourself – where is Tip Top ice cream and Anchor butter sold now? That’s right: all around the world. Just like we used to sell butter and milk powder to Russia (USSR) and the UK.

                  • b waghorn

                    There still low tech ,low input products were as fruit ,nuts, veges and the like would be higher in $ha returns require more labour but are harder to shift.

                    • Colonial Viper

                      I seem to get my almonds, prunes, raisins, sauerkraut and bananas from places very far away

                    • weka

                      Food miles are some of the biggest contributers to GHG emissions.

                  • b waghorn

                    Sauerkraut really!! That’s some nasty stuff.
                    So grow and they’ll buy it you reckon

                • Draco T Bastard

                  We could turn every flat price of ground into intensive crop growing but were would we sell it.?

                  We already have turned every flat piece of ground into farms and a hell of a lot of the not so flat. As to where would we sell it – well, every country can produce all the food that they need so the chances are there wouldn’t be anywhere.

                  • b waghorn

                    The start of the discussion was the under production of nz farm land vs labour input .I’ve tried to point out the limiting factors as to why that is . I never argued that we weren’t farming most of the available land.

            • weka 24.1.1.1.1.2

              “7% of the labour force to returning 5% of the total productivity.”

              Is that inherently a problem? I can see it is for an export driven economy, but what if farming in NZ was primarily for growing food for NZers? Would it matter then?

              • b waghorn

                Unless you were going to retire vast parts of the country side you would need to import another 15 million people .

                • weka

                  why?

                  • b waghorn

                    Because we produce far more than 4 .5 million can consume.

                    • weka

                      When Europeans arrived in NZ, they thought the land wasn’t in use because it hadn’t been cleared and farmed. But the native ecosystems provided food and other resources for the people that lived here (and a smaller population made that possible), and Māori were active in the maintenance of those ecosystems, just in ways that the Europeans didn’t understand.

                      When we transition to local food and susatinable land management, we will need more land to produce the food we eat and to replace the food we currently import. We will need to grow more resources to replace fossil fuels (eg timber, hemp, bamboo, biofuels etc), as well as restore a great number of ecosystems whether that be to native or otherwise, because they won’t sustain themselves once the fossil fuel inputs are gone. Myself, I don’t have a problem with some land being left to its own devices, but in the interim I can’t see that being the most of it.

                      Whatever we do, I can’t see us stepping aside from existing land management for a very long time, if ever.

                      In some ways that might all seem like semantics. Farmland will not be like it was before, so could be described as ‘retired’. But I think it’s important that we can see productive options beyond the current economic paradigm. That’s why the conversation about GDP and labour was interesting. If we change what we value and how we measure that, then I think things look quite different.

                    • Draco T Bastard

                      and Māori were active in the maintenance of those ecosystems,

                      Not really:

                      Māori also changed the landscape by burning large areas of forest, probably to make hunting easier.

                      I read somewhere else that Māori had cleared about 50% of the native ecosystems before the Europeans arrived. The idea that the Māori were eco-friendly is pretty much a lie.

                      If we change what we value and how we measure that, then I think things look quite different.

                      Yep. Once we consider what the economy is, what it’s for and look at it in it’s real physical limits we come back with far different values than mere profit.

              • McFlock

                DTB seems to think it’s a problem.

                Off the top of my head one could argue that such a disparity within a closed system would actually be more indicative of a problem, because producers of an essential commodity are rewarded at below average rates.

                Alternatively, one could tautologically argue that it’s a good think because the value added by a primary industry is less than more advanced precessing.

                But that’s the problem with economics in general – any observation can be cut in any way to be seen as either good or bad depending on the observer’s bias.

            • Colonial Viper 24.1.1.1.1.3

              7% of the labour force to returning 5% of the total productivity.

              Sheeezus you guys have fucking lost the plot

              That 7% figure includes hunting, forestry and fishing; probably horticulture as well as sheep, beef, etc.

              The 5% GDP figure you match it up against is just dairy FFS

        • greywarshark 24.1.1.2

          In DTB graph the agricultural employment stats have gone down majorly since being about 10.5% circa 1986 and 1991.
          Then took a steep dive to 1997 8.5%, rose over years ending at 2001 9%. then its been downward to 6.6% for the last reported year of 2009. So down while we have been hearing how wonderful a sector it is.

  24. ianmac 25

    Amazing! And the High Court roasting of the Health Department over the not Awarding of the funding for the Problem Gambling Foundation is amazing! Andrew runs it across the rule of law. Andrew writes:

    “As Peter Dunne, the then Associate Health Minister, said in response to claims that the PGF had been punished for its vocal opposition to the gambling industry:

    There’s just not one shred of truth in this allegation. It’s shameful, it reflects on the integrity of the people making these allegations and it detracts from a process which has been robust, independent, it’s been peer reviewed and it’s probably one of the better processes that has been undertaken in this area for a very long time.

    And Andrew’ summary of the Court decision:
    So, to summarise, the High Court has just told us that the PGF lost its government contract after being very vocally critical of government policy through a process that;

    1. Changed the ground-rules as to how the contracts would be awarded after organisations had bid for them;
    2. So wrongly assessed the PGF’s application that the apparent result couldn’t be trusted; and
    3. Used people to assess who should get the contract who were at least apparently biased in favour of some applicants over others.

    http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/the-governments-problem-with-problem-gambling

    • weka 25.1

      Thanks for the synopsis ianmac. Another example of loss of democracy.

    • Rosemary McDonald 25.2

      Another example of the Misery of Health getting it SO wrong.

      And another example of Government punishing an advocacy organisation for….. advocating.

  25. Rodel 26

    $erco $acked!…. more or less. Great news!
    Now about charter schools.
    Oh no! Because they’re failing HekiaP is giving them thousands more money.
    In New Zealand we reward the inept and incompetent – and that’s not just the politicians or sailors.

    • b waghorn 26.1

      I doubt serco will roll over and bugger off I’m sure trader john will of let them put all sorts of fish hooks intro the contract.

      • Rodel 26.1.1

        And the poor incarcerated bastards will continue to suffer as subjects in a ghastly political experiment. Hey they might be incarcerated bastards but they’re still human beings, not fiscal digits in a corporate enterprise like the kids in charter schools.

        • Colonial Viper 26.1.1.1

          Human beings 95% of whom will be back living in a street near you within a couple if years.

  26. Chooky 27

    ‘Earth is halfway to being inhospitable to life, scientist says’

    http://www.rt.com/news/242441-earth-facing-human-extinction/

    “A Swedish scientist claims in a new theory that humanity has exceeded four of the nine limits for keeping the planet hospitable to modern life, while another professor told RT Earth may be seeing an impending human-made extinction of various species.

    Environmental science professor Johan Rockstrom, the executive director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre in Sweden, argues that there are nine “planetary boundaries” in a new paper published in Science – and human beings have already crossed four of them.

    Those nine include carbon dioxide concentrations, maintaining biodiversity at 90 percent, the use of nitrogen and phosphorous, maintaining 75 percent of original forests, aerosol emissions, stratospheric ozone depletion, ocean acidification, fresh water use and the dumping of pollutants…

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    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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