Period. End. Done.

Written By: - Date published: 12:12 pm, August 26th, 2018 - 42 comments
Categories: business, class, class war, cost of living, feminism, gender, health, International, leadership, Left, poverty, quality of life, Social issues, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, workers' rights - Tags: , , ,

Given the similarities in population between here and Scotland, it would seem that for the want of about $10 million, the government could put a massive dent in the scourge of period poverty in New Zealand. Class meets gender – what more could we ask for?!  And what with a Prime Minister and a Party keen to promote themselves as somehow progressive…

As reported in The Guardian, according to a study by Women for Independence (WFI) nearly 1 in 5 women in Scotland have experienced period poverty and  –

the most common alternative to expensive sanitary products was toilet roll, with women also reporting they used rags, old clothes, T-shirts, socks and newspapers. Twenty-two per cent of respondents reported they were not able to change their products as often as they would like, with 11% of those describing a significant health impact as a result, such as a urinary tract infection or thrush. Women described their feelings of shame and isolation, worrying about smell, feeling uncomfortable, and missing out on days of education, work and social events because they felt unable to go out.

It would seem that’s all going to be in the past. As from last Friday, North Ayrshire Council was providing sanitary products for all, for free, at libraries, community centres and other public buildings. This follows on from already providing free products through all secondary schools since last August.

Back in February it was reported that,

First minister Nicola Sturgeon announced in her programme for government last September that free sanitary products would be provided in schools, colleges and universities from the autumn, while a pilot scheme offering free products to low-income households in Aberdeen will report back to Holyrood shortly.

Well, it would seem that report came back and action was taken.

Hey Girls, an East Lothian-based social enterprise company set up to tackle period poverty, will be a major provider in the initiative. The company, which launched in January this year, is supplying sanitary products directly to a number of local authorities including the City of Edinburgh council, Glasgow city council, South Lanarkshire council, West Lothian counci and Stirling council, as well as Glasgow Caledonian University.

and just to “seal the deal”

The Scottish Labour MSP Monica Lennon, who is bringing forward a member’s bill to create a statutory duty for free provision of period products, added: “This is another great step forward in the campaign against period poverty. Access to period products should be a right, regardless of your income, which is why I am moving ahead with plans for legislation to introduce a universal system of free access to period products for everyone in Scotland.

So, c’mon Jacinda!

42 comments on “Period. End. Done. ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Incognito 1
    26 August 2018 at 12:24 pm

    Let’s do this!

    How should this regulated? Through PHARMAC?

    • Bill 1.1
      26 August 2018 at 12:30 pm

      Regulated? The products are for sale on supermarket shelves and dairies! The only change is in making them freely available in (say) vending machines in libraries and such like, as is being done in Scotland.

      The SNP has thrown £5 million at it (roughly NZ$10 million) and they operate within the constraints of strict austerity imposed from London. Now, given this government’s “fiscal responsibility” has been self imposed because of stupid adherence to a discredited economic idea….

      • Incognito 1.1.1
        26 August 2018 at 12:49 pm

        O.k. Maybe I should have used “implemented”.

        I think it’s a very good idea but how it’s put into practice will be important. Who’s going to manage those vending machines? Where and how are the products sourced, and which products?

        To give supermarkets a cheque for $10 million or so without some ‘rules & expectations’ is asking for trouble and missing the target IMHO. It probably is a nice little profit maker for supermarkets currently …

        As always, the devil is in the detail.

        On a side note, libraries appear to be no longer quiet reading they once used to be: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/106291861/Police-respond-to-incidents-of-violence-abuse-and-inappropriate-behaviour-in-libraries

        • Bill 1.1.1.1
          26 August 2018 at 1:15 pm

          Who manages vending machines in any given location at present? You imagine a problem with a library or a council office or a school or a community centre managing them?

          If sourcing is a problem, then why not follow the example of “Hey Girls” that was provided in the post and have government promote and support a social enterprise to provide and/or manufacture products?

          Actually, isn’t there something similar to Hey Girls already existing in NZ distributing sanitary cups?

          • Venezia 1.1.1.1.1
            27 August 2018 at 10:35 am

            Menstrual cups are expensive. There is at least one so called “social enterprise” giving one free for every one purchased. There has also been toxic shock syndrome diagnosed through using these cups.

            • Ch_Ch Chiquita 1.1.1.1.1.1
              27 August 2018 at 4:43 pm

              “There has also been toxic shock syndrome diagnosed through using these cups.”
              Only if not washed and cleaned properly as instructed (boil it once a month and good wash between uses). It is also worth mentioning that using disposable products is just as dangerous if not replaced timely enough.

      • Siobhan 1.1.2
        27 August 2018 at 11:28 am

        Funny they should be distributing through libraries..dozens of libraries across Scotland have been closed in the past 12 months – and the figure has doubled in the space of a year, though closures have been happening enmasse since at least 2015. And they sure don’t have the staff numbers they used to have, so I’m not sure who will be keeping an eye on the machines.
        It would be interesting to know how well the poorest areas of Scotland are served with Libraries and Community Services.

        Living in a decile 1 area, I have to say even NZ communities are not well served with safe distribution choices.

        https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/dec/15/tories-libraries-social-mobility-conservative

  2. Herodotus 2
    26 August 2018 at 12:32 pm

    Yet another example of a govt “fixing up” a problem with giveaways, instead of addressing the real problem (IMO) We have here accomodation supplements , WFF etc. For me it is inadequate incomes for families being the issue, how does such actions address that ?
    If govts continual to act in such a way, it allows industry to continual to pay below what is an adequate income, as the govt will just top up payments.

    • Chris 2.1
      26 August 2018 at 2:14 pm

      The answer is making the thing free for everyone. So if it’s food in schools then food in every school not just low deciles. Income distribution means a UBI etc etc.

      • corodale 2.1.1
        27 August 2018 at 12:14 am

        Yeah, If bugs me to agree with feminist views, but super good idea.
        Goes well with UBI thinking.
        Like power subsidies for elderly, if this is a fair adjustment to UBI simplicity.
        Then, if we raise the price of food, and women eat less, (due to a lower birth rate 😉
        Nah, at the price we pay for food in NZ, it should be organic.

        • Chris 2.1.1.1
          27 August 2018 at 10:04 am

          Power subsidies for the elderly would be met with nationalising the power industry and charging people the cost of producing electricity.

  3. Herodotus 3
    26 August 2018 at 12:33 pm

    Yet another example of a govt “fixing up” a problem with giveaways, instead of addressing the real problem (IMO) We have here accomodation supplements,power subsidies for the elderly, WFF etc. For me it is inadequate incomes for families being the issue, how does such actions address that ?
    If govts continual to act in such a way, it allows industry to continual to pay below what is an adequate income, as the govt will just top up payments.

    • mac1 3.1
      26 August 2018 at 12:59 pm

      It’s a difficulty in that it’s not clear how a government can extricate itself from the top-up payment system. It does not have the power to force employers to employ workers or to regulate rates of pay outside of the minimum rate. Perhaps this is a time for Universal Basic Income? It is clear that universal payments means that some don’t rort the system nor is there a need for inspectors and supervisors of schemes to ensure compliance. Universal schemes also mean that those well enough off not to need it still get it and as a result don’t begrudge it being paid at all as they too are recipients. It’s like universal health care. The wealthy don’t begrudge taxation for this as they, being also susceptible to ill health, get to have excellent health care, like education and Superannuation.

      These are in a sense top up payments, whereby the state provides all of most of the cost. If the state provides top up payments, then this is one form of wealth redistribution from taxpayers, and income earners therefore, according to the size of their taxable income.

      Employers who pay lower wages and therefore make more profit end up paying more taxation, in an ideal tax-evasion free world, to go towards the top-up system.

      Herodotus, do you have a way to encourage reluctant employers to pay a decent living wage to all families needing an adequate income?

      • KJT 3.1.1
        26 August 2018 at 1:02 pm

        Bring back trade Unions, and the absolute right to withdraw your labour.

        • mac1 3.1.1.1
          26 August 2018 at 1:06 pm

          We already have trade unions, KJT. Are you advocating compulsory unionism? We also have currently unions striking exactly over wage issues.

          • KJT 3.1.1.1.1
            26 August 2018 at 1:35 pm

            Compulsory unionism, yes, especially for the traditionally lower paid, who are totally disadvantaged in negotiation with employers, such as retail and hospitality workers. With legislation, to ensure they are democratically run by members.

            The most powerful Unions, like the Medical association, the Law Society and Chartered accountants, along with the old waterfront Unions, have always been those who could limit their membership. That should not be within their power. Anyone in that industry should be in the appropriate Union.
            Farm workers, retail workers and hospitality workers are in even more need of collective power. Labour has sort of acknowledged this with the proposed, “Fair pay agreements”, but they are too gutless to take on employer exploitation head on, by the method that worked in the past. Unions!

            The “freedom of association” red herring, was bought in by the right wing, who have never been concerned about any other human rights, apart from their own “freedom” to rip off their communities. I would like the “freedom” to have nothing to do with National. But short of leaving the country…………..

            The right to strike, is extremely limited in New Zealand. Which has been commented on by the UN, and other organisations.
            The “right to withdraw capital” is unlimited, as the Collapse of Dick Smiths, Hanover finance and many building companies, and the taking of dividends, and indebting companies, for share buybacks has shown.

            Mind you, the right wing has always been extremely selective about whose, and what “human rights” they support.

            • KJT 3.1.1.1.1.1
              26 August 2018 at 2:00 pm

              Decent pay, for jobs that are mostly done by women, helps with many types of poverty.

              Unions have proven to be the only really effective driver of decent rates of pay.

              Government legislated minimums, just ensures an ever increasing number on the minimum, without worker power.

    • Bill 3.2
      26 August 2018 at 1:24 pm

      Well, you could look at it through the lens of inadequate income. Or then again, you could look at it through the lens of it being “a right”.

      Would you argue that condoms shouldn’t be subsidised because that subsidy doesn’t address inadequate incomes?

      In terms of health, sanitary products are arguably more of a necessity than a condom. Not having a condom, beyond maybe not fucking or whatever, doesn’t routinely result in infection, doesn’t affect what you do, or how you feel about yourself, or how you might think others are perceiving you.

      • Herodotus 3.2.1
        26 August 2018 at 1:38 pm

        I understand the point you have raised, and it’s validity. Re condoms is that not family planning that also encompasses other forms of education and conception ?
        20-40 years ago this and many other needs that have arisen, were not then an issue, housing costs and incomes were more in balance, and there was less stress placed on other areas of life.
        Do we want to progress down the road that there will be other valid needs as this that will need addressing, and should the govt intervene in those cases ?
        I prefer(if possible) to address the underlying issue and not the symptoms.

        • Bill 3.2.1.1
          26 August 2018 at 2:10 pm

          I prefer(if possible) to address the underlying issue and not the symptoms.

          Then address capitalism in the head or nuts, given its patriarchal nature, with the steel toe of your size ten boot.

  4. Stunned Mullet 4
    26 August 2018 at 12:42 pm

    🙄

  5. Brigid 5
    26 August 2018 at 2:57 pm

    Have any of you had to pay for toilet paper in public toilets? For the soap you use to wash your hands? For the paper towels you use to dry then?
    No
    Then neither should females have to pay for sanitary products which are as necessary as toilet paper, soap, paper towels.
    Sanitary products should be available free in public toilets just as all the afore mentioned are.

    • halfcrown 5.1
      26 August 2018 at 3:53 pm

      Well said Brigid, Agree 200%

    • Bewildered 5.2
      26 August 2018 at 4:18 pm

      Of course you pay indirectly, nothing is free, what next tooth paste I have sympathy for subsidy here but where does it end The government simply taxing the fk out of everything and redistribution is not the answer either I can’t see how infantising half the country to be reliant on the state can be good in the long term

      • Sabine 5.2.1
        26 August 2018 at 9:19 pm

        Aren’t the blokes lucky that they will never have to use a tampon or a pad every month for about thirty years or more.

        Yeah, lets pamper the women by providing them with free bandages to manage their monthly bleeding.

      • KJT 5.2.2
        27 August 2018 at 8:10 am

        Where were you when farmers are infantilised into dependence on the State, by drought/flood relief? To name but one of the many forms of State assistance.
        Shouldn’t they be required to get private insurance, for something which is an entirely predictable business risk, after all? Unlike periods, which are not a choice, for half of us.

        Women should have equal access to jobs, opportunities and education.
        The cost of period products prevents that for many.
        Fairness dictates they should be as freely available as toilet paper.

    • Sabine 5.3
      26 August 2018 at 9:17 pm

      this.

      so much this

      we can have condom vending machines in bathrooms, we can have tampon dispensing machines in bathrooms. And pads.

      Effectively it is not only an income issue, it is also a discrimination issue as clearly only one gender needs these things.

    • KJT 5.4
      27 August 2018 at 8:02 am

      Yes. And in schools.

  6. Rosemary McDonald 6
    26 August 2018 at 3:15 pm

    Feeling a rush of Nationalist pride at the moment…even more so since I hail from East Lothian.

    Great post Bill.

    And seriously, while the debate rages over cause of period poverty, the women still bleed.

  7. Goodshepherd 7
    26 August 2018 at 3:41 pm

    I have known women and girls whose period products were doled out to them or withdrawn as a way of controlling, rewarding or punishing them.

    While I accept other ways to control women would be found, I believe the only way to guarantee access to all menstruating women and girls is to make them free and freely available in all public rest rooms and in schools.

    • AsleepWhileWalking 7.1
      26 August 2018 at 4:39 pm

      I went to boarding school and their was one in our class who’s father refused to buy her any sanitary products. It appeared to be an ongoing attempt to humiliate his daughter for being female.

      • Roy cartland 7.1.1
        26 August 2018 at 4:47 pm

        I remember this debate a couple or more decades ago. When the yobbos of the student common room demanded to know why they should be free, my girlfriend at the time simply said, looking perplexed: because men *need* women to have periods. Like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which it clearly is.

  8. Roy cartland 8
    26 August 2018 at 4:40 pm

    First things first obviously, make them free and available. Once that’s done, we can look at taxing the un-needy to contribute, and even setting up production in nz so we aren’t just lining the pockets of glaxo-pfizer-johnson.

  9. AsleepWhileWalking 9
    26 August 2018 at 4:48 pm

    Countdown reduced the price of the store branded pads and tampons to do their best at addressing this problem. Its not free but its pretty good.

    Regular tampons, 20 pack is $3
    Select Protect, 16 pads + wings $3.50 (not the cheapest as Home brand super 18 for $2 but who feels comfortable with those nappy like ones? I’d rather toilet paper)

    • AsleepWhileWalking 9.1
      26 August 2018 at 4:51 pm

      And…Countdown! That’s the third time this year I’ve commented about them (sensory reduced hour once a week for autistic, and plastic bag phase out)

    • AsleepWhileWalking 9.2
      26 August 2018 at 4:56 pm

      Another issue is the growing number who can’t even afford $5 – $10 give or take once a month.

  10. Jum 10
    27 August 2018 at 12:11 pm

    Roy cartland 7.1.1
    26 August 2018 at 4:47 pm
    ‘ men *need* women to have periods.’
    excellent girlfriend comment.

    and ‘comments about price’.

    I couldn’t help wondering if women did not have periods it would solve all the issues of this planet…

    Half the population of this country are being discriminated against by the other half, because governments (for so long majority male) have done nothing in the past to make these products free. Now we have more women in Parliament and it’s not a banned subject any more, why do women have to wait so long. Get on to it Labour/NZ First/Greens. Clock is ticking.

    Those who can afford it, pay for it, if they want; those who need help to access them should get them free from any chemist, public toilet, school, office block, etc., without any difficulty over poor-shaming.

    Perhaps when women get equal pay it will have to be increased by $10 to $30 bucks per month to really be equal.

    The elephant though is the criminally low wages and income and all attempts to raise to living wages/income is met with national/act/misogynistic outcries.

    That is the real crime and the reason these healthy period products are beyond some purses. Any bad health outcomes caused by bad substitutes are the fault of any business/government that refuses to end this poverty of health outcome – increased hospital costs, bad educational outcomes, bad employment outcomes…

  11. Koreropono 11
    28 August 2018 at 10:22 am

    Great post Bill! But the cost of sanitary products is just one part of the overall problem that women experience during menstruation. Pain management is often problematic for women who can’t afford to fork out money for over the counter pain relief. Some women and girls need to take unpaid time off work or school and then are forced to explain their reasons to ignorant teachers and bosses.

    There needs to be a huge societal shift in thinking around periods and the far reaching impact that these have.

    Am I wrong to assume that many of those blasting the idea that women should have ‘free’ period products are men?

    Men who will never know what it’s like to:

    Stay at home because one doesn’t have the appropriate products to manage blood flow.

    Use cheap and nasty products that chaffe in areas that shouldn’t be chaffed.

    Using toilet paper or other not fit for purpose item that may or may not stay in place.

    Made to feel shame because they are menstruating and forced to find their own means of managing the problem because of the shame.

    Living in a society where some men and women still maintain the myth that menstruation is something dirty and should be hidden and not spoken about lest it offends some patriarchal outdated mode of thinking .

    Suffering significant social and emotional isolation because one bleeds.

    Suffering serious health consequences and avoiding medical attention because people impose their backward views about menstruation onto often young and frightened girls.

    Women who often have to make the choice between feeding their children or purchasing suitable period products.

    Men don’t have to make these choices but women do.

    While I agree that the problem is predominately period poverty, it is also the stigma and shame imposed on girls and women that forces them to hide their periods or seek other means to manage them. That is why having vending machines and/or free products available would provide those more vulnerable women some freedom and choices outside of their home enviornments.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

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

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

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

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

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

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Trade relationship with China remains strong
    “China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.   Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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 weeks 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 weeks 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 weeks 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
    2 weeks ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-28T11:21:41+00:00