Pike River Mine can be safely re-entered – but the Government says no

Written By: - Date published: 6:08 pm, November 17th, 2016 - 63 comments
Categories: disaster, health and safety - Tags: , , ,

Damien O’Connor has taken it to Nick Smith on the re-entry of Pike River mine this Question Time:

O’Connor then tabled an email from a former Mines Inspector, Tony Forster, who told the families in an email yesterday that there was already a “suitable scheme” to re-enter the mine, and he would “be honoured to take part in or lead a drift recovery”.

Nick Smith is covering for John Key, who made a promise to the Pike River families that he was “absolutely committed to getting the boys out.”

Denise Roche of the Greens also took Smith on in the House.

The government is trying to fling mud about the families “being cavalier”. But the experts agree the mine can be re-entered safely.

Keep your promise, John.

63 comments on “Pike River Mine can be safely re-entered – but the Government says no ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. rob 1
    17 November 2016 at 8:02 pm

    Something is not right here, a failed company has an expert that the govt is listening to about the drift? seems like more b.s. and arse covering to me.
    And about, more covering going on right this minute I reckon, sorry not about Pike but all the comments about the unstable buildings in Wellington on stuff have been closed and the article about water going into the bunker under the beehive disappeared pronto!
    Something is up and alot of people were out in danger it seems, that thank God didn’t come to anything at this stage.be careful people working in and around welly something seems fishy.

    • pat 1.1
      17 November 2016 at 8:40 pm

      this government have had 6 years to refine their control of the narrative re response to adverse events….absolutely nothing would surprise.

    • John r 1.2
      17 November 2016 at 8:51 pm

      Couldn’t agree more. Once again we mushrooms are being fed compost. I’m of the opinion that anybody who takes the kings shilling is not to be trusted.
      Are we setting ourselves up for a Trump like election next year. Where an outsider with no political connections can decide our future

    • Cinny 1.3
      17 November 2016 at 9:13 pm

      I’m wondering if the reason they won’t go into the drift is to avoid any more prosecution against solid energy if more potential damning evidence is revealed upon re-entry.

      Much love and respect to all those whom are supporting the Pike River Families. And to those blocking the road, so proud of you all, so proud, wish I was able to come and help.

      • Sam C 1.3.1
        18 November 2016 at 2:11 am

        “Any more prosecution against Solid Energy”? I think you’ll find that it was Pike River Mine Ltd that was prosecuted.

        Solid Energy bought the assets (the mine) and presumably not the liabilities (residual litigation, etc, etc).

        • Cinny 1.3.1.1
          18 November 2016 at 6:12 am

          Thanks for clearing that up for me, appreciate it. So I wonder if Pike Rive Mine Ltd are worried that any entering the mine would find evidence that would lead to bigger prosecutions.

          • WILD KATIPO 1.3.1.1.1
            18 November 2016 at 6:59 am

            Cinny

            Yes,… there is such a thing as retrospective prosecutions. Happens all the time in cold cases , criminal and industrial.

            The problem is for Key and his supporters like Sam C , it would open up a lot of embarrassing issues in the coming election year regarding the preeminence that corporate’s and foreign and local shareholders have over the health and safety of New Zealand workers.

            And that might even lead on to other side issues such as the abysmal low wage economy in Keys ‘ Brighter Future’ ,and the 300,000 children living in poverty , the family’s who have to sleep in their cars because of the Key govts irresponsible immigration policy’s and turning a blind eye to the speculation that caused the housing bubble,… and on and on it goes…

            All in all ,… not a good look for this govt if coroners were to be able to do an in depth assessment of the exact cause of deaths of those workers and the conditions found in the mine,… it just might lead on to a few people in high places being seen before the courts.

            • Cinny 1.3.1.1.1.1
              18 November 2016 at 7:06 am

              Thanks WK, well said and explained, that’s the line of thought I was thinking, well worded, much appreciated.

              Because there are experts that say it is not safe, and even more experienced experts that say it is safe. Which makes me think it comes down to money, not wanting to go in incase more prosecutions follow $$$ Outgoing government have proven on so many occasions that money is their priority over people.

              • WILD KATIPO …
                18 November 2016 at 7:18 am

                Cinny

                Your on the money , mate,… your right on the money in your assumptions there for sure.

                And that’s all it is.

                That and political reputations.

              • WILD KATIPO …
                18 November 2016 at 7:22 am

                Cinny

                Your on the money there, mate, … your right on the money with your wondering’s.

                And that’s all its about.

                Money.

                That and political reputations.

  2. save nz 2
    17 November 2016 at 8:40 pm

    Sounds like John Key and the Natz are too scared to enter the mine in case they find out that the Pike River victims could have been saved.

    The families want and deserve to know.

    Don’t cover it up!

  3. Rosemary McDonald 3
    17 November 2016 at 9:11 pm

    Disgusting, but not surprising that the Honourable (sic) Member repeatedly trotted out the usual scripted lines that perpetuate the narrative that they are doing the right thing by following the (much debated ) Health and Safety laws and putting the lives of potential rescuers first. Repeatedly. Ad nauseum.

    Slightly tangential…did y’all notice how full the House was today? I mean, more often than not, the benches, fore and aft, are barely occupied. MPs seem to like to spend as little time as possible actually sitting in the house….much better things to do. Not today.

    Why?

    Maybe because Parliament enjoys the privilege of occupying one of the most efficiently earthquake strengthened buildings in the country.

    https://www.parliament.nz/en/visit-and-learn/how-parliament-works/fact-sheets/earth-move/

    “Safe as Houses” takes on a whole new meaning.

    It would have to be a Very Big One to bury that lot under a pile of rubble.

    My heart goes out to the Pike River Families…

  4. Ed 4
    17 November 2016 at 9:34 pm

    I do not understand why a reporter has not asked when expert advice was last provided to the government, and who by. Key has gone from not being aware of advice to now saying that it is unsafe, and then we hear talk of legal advice. I hope someone asks the appropriate questions through FOI – undoubtedly things will have moved before all avenues have been exhausted there, but we deserve to know what advice the government is replying on

  5. Muttonbird 5
    17 November 2016 at 10:35 pm

    A bit rich for Dr Smith to start banging on about health and safety when it was his government which stripped the mining industry of its safety monitors, and it is his government which reduces the ability of unions to access work sites in order to listen to workers’ concerns on safety conditions, and it is his government which has overseen a sharp increase in workplace deaths, particularly on farms, and shall we say it – mines.

    • save nz 5.1
      18 November 2016 at 7:12 am

      +1 Muttonbird – the unsafe mine was safe to work in, but too unsafe to rescue people? This is one Fucked up government that doesn’t have an inch of decency left.

      • WILD KATIPO 5.1.1
        18 November 2016 at 7:29 am

        SAVE NZ

        Decent ?… decent ?… of course they are decent !!!

        Decent enough to create a tax haven for all those corporate’s and shareholders needing a safe place to let their dollars come to rest. Incredibly decent of them , I’d have to say…

    • SomeName 5.2
      18 November 2016 at 10:10 am

      They (the gnats) were also responsible for the leaky homes debacle and changing the building codes and substandard materials were used

  6. Dale 6
    17 November 2016 at 11:02 pm

    Don’t you think that if it was safe to renter the mine they would have?
    Does anyone really think that Jon Key is doing this to be a areshole?
    Health and safety must come first.
    If people die in the recovery of the 29 then what would you all be saying?
    The laws governing health and safety prevents any adverse risk.
    If the mine was built properly without the influence of the greenies then none of this would have happened in the first place. For any Green Party member to criticise now is truly hypocritical.
    Do know that every tree that was cut down during the building of the mine incurred a $20,000 levee?
    The way the government at the time built this disaster should reflect and take a long hard look at themselves.
    Yes I’m passionate about this because I lost.
    Live strong the rest.

    • ropata 6.1
      17 November 2016 at 11:14 pm

      Health and safety must come first.

      If only…

    • Muttonbird 6.2
      17 November 2016 at 11:27 pm

      Are you saying the Pike River disaster was the fault of the Green Party?

      • save nz 6.2.1
        18 November 2016 at 7:22 am

        Maybe Labour did it too.

        So the logic is that Pike River corp had to spend money on the trees so they saved shareholders profit by not bothering to have any working safety features in the mine???

        With the RMA they managed to build an unsafe mine illegal mine with only one working exit and didn’t bother maintaining it with the few safety features not working and ditched the independent inspectors. After killing the workers they did not allow a rescue and did not prosecute anyone, now refusing to let anyone in to find out what really happened.

        • Muttonbird 6.2.1.1
          18 November 2016 at 7:29 am

          Excellent summation there.

          Horrible incompetence, and the dangers of industry deregulation laid bare.

    • WILD KATIPO 6.3
      17 November 2016 at 11:30 pm

      @Dale

      I dont give a flying fuck which party gets its toes stomped on .

      But this disaster happened under this govts watch. Key said they would enter. Now he backpeddles on spurious so -called advice.

      I call bullshit.

      1) Victims of carbon monoxide/methane poisoning cannot be ascertained unless there is flesh samples. It would behoove any participants in this skulduggery to have those bodies in that mine for as long as possible – preferably forever- lest an autopsy declares the men were still alive and there was a chance to rescue them.

      2) The state of that air / methane extractor main vent that continually broke down and was frequently not even in use.

      3) Unacceptably high methane levels that would have shut that mine down had adequate mines inspection been allowed to take place. Methane levels that were frequently mentioned of by the workers themselves and known by the Management.

      4) Only one access road in – or out. Which contravenes basic safety from the get go. And was commented incredulously on as such by the Australian mining officials .

      5) This and other previous neo liberal governments deliberate destruction of unions and thus the absolute lack of , – and impossible workload of available mines inspectors- to which on last count there was around only 4 for a nation the size of New Zealand. If union mines inspectors had still been in sufficient numbers today as they were 35 years ago that mine would have been shut down so fast it would have made its foreign investors heads spin.

      6) Investor /Corporate culpability and possible negative litigation against them. If that mine was to be entered and it indeed it was found that both negligence by management in creating the conditions for that deadly event , – and that those men actually were alive after the initial blast and that they could have been rescued – that would be a major setback if these corporate’s were then able to have proceedings brought against them , and also set a precedent in this country that would be adverse to this govts emphasis on foreign investors , – foreign investment in dangerous industry’s that more often than not have the bare minimum of Health and Safety regulations to protect NZ workers and often scant regard for our environment as well..

      • Sam C 6.3.1
        18 November 2016 at 2:16 am

        Another armchair expert…

        • Cinny 6.3.1.1
          18 November 2016 at 6:15 am

          Another assumption that some people are armchair experts, Sam you assume much, considering you really have no idea how much mining experience any commenting on this thread actually has.

        • WILD KATIPO 6.3.1.2
          18 November 2016 at 6:16 am

          Really ,….

          Sooooooo,… now were going to refute the findings of the inquiry that was conducted regarding the failed safety standards at the mine, now are we?

          And the bonuses that were paid to get em working – and shut up about the high methane levels… yeah , right .

          Tell me, were you , or some of your colleagues in any way involved in the shareholders market regarding those mining operations, – or are you just another union hating Key sycophant ?

        • save nz 6.3.1.3
          18 November 2016 at 10:14 am

          You don’t need to be an expert Sam C, a five year old could work this one out. There are people dead it’s not a hypothetical discussion.

          There has been extensive reviews, promises but zero justice.

          • Sam C 6.3.1.3.1
            18 November 2016 at 10:31 am

            Justice? So the recovery of the bodies is about “justice”, is it? Good grief.

            • Clump_AKA Sam 6.3.1.3.1.1
              18 November 2016 at 10:38 am

              We need to figure out what went wrong in order to make adjustments to procedure other wise mining in New Zealand becomes a complete farce. We might be using the wrong drill bit, and what over those light fixtures were all about, pretty kills just as well as ugly under ground

      • geoff 6.3.2
        18 November 2016 at 12:04 pm

        All politicians feed crap to the public, be they John Key, Andrew Little, Donald Trump or Hilary Clinton etc ‘ad nauseum’. It goes with the territory. Therefore, though I am agreeing here that it appears that National are ducking this one, some blowback reaches the previous Labour lot as well. Remember that it was that previous government that reduced the number of mine inspectors in the first place. In fact, I think it was on the watch of our current Auckland mayor, Might have to check that. Self preservation is rule 101 for politicians. As they say ‘if you want to govern first gain power then hold on to it’.

        • WILD KATIPO 6.3.2.1
          18 November 2016 at 4:56 pm

          GEOFF

          Id go along with what you say , it doesn’t matter who had a hand in bringing that deadly event about , justice IS , SHOULD be blind.

          It always strikes me as hypocritical that we can have a Police sting that nets 30 or more gang members and their associates in a drug ring , but for some peculiar reason when it comes to politicians in this country they are immune to prosecution when it comes to negligence causing death ,… ie : to deliberately downplay mines inspectors and reducing their numbers ( done deliberately – as was legislation designed to weaken unions to an almost non existent level ) … and along with that , the arse saving that’s been going on with protecting a corporate , their managers and their foreign investors .

    • rob 6.4
      17 November 2016 at 11:47 pm

      Sorry but time has overcome you. Lead down the path of they can’t possibly be fooling me!
      Hmmm unfortunately.

    • Cinny 6.5
      18 November 2016 at 6:34 am

      Dale, you sound a bit like Smith when questioned on the subject in Parliament. Health and Safety come first, Smith assures us that health and safety are paramount and if we have any lessons to learn from Pike River it is health and safety lessons.
      However it was Smiths national government that ensured there were absolutely no mining regulations in place for seven years.

      “In December 2012, Prime Minister John Key said he would apologise in person to the families of the deceased, for the Government’s weak regulations and inadequate inspection regime.”

      The Minister of Labour Kate Wilkinson (National Party) resigned her portfolio on 5 November 2012 following the Royal Commission’s criticism of her department (re Pike River)

      “In February 2013, a panel of experts, including representatives from Solid Energy, the Government and families of the deceased, met to discuss whether retrieval of the bodies would be possible if they had the necessary funding. They came to the conclusion it could be done, and the Government promised to fund the effort if its High Hazards Unit agreed”

      “in November 2014, Solid Energy made the decision to not re-enter the Pike River due to safety reasons. They made the decision not to enter the mine after a long risk assessment, saying that if rescuers re-entered the mine there was a high chance more people would die.
      Later it was revealed that Worksafe had deemed re-entry safe for a year”

    • SomeName 6.6
      18 November 2016 at 10:12 am

      Wake up Dale your information is stale just like our government

  7. infused 7
    17 November 2016 at 11:15 pm

    Umm, that’s not sticking it to him… get a grip.

    • Muttonbird 7.1
      17 November 2016 at 11:34 pm

      You can see the trepidation with which Dr Smith offers his answers. He knows he’s on the wrong side of decency on this. There is none of the Key bravado and I think the rest of the cabinet are keeping Key away from the chamber because he’ll likely screw it up with clumsy school-yard tactics.

  8. Dale 8
    17 November 2016 at 11:31 pm

    For this to be politicised in such a way is desperate and disgusting. All parties involved need to stand up. But I doubt that will ever happen.

  9. Muttonbird 9
    17 November 2016 at 11:42 pm

    This is what heroes do in dangerous situations.

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/318308/ctv-rescuer-defied-tsunami-warning-to-help-at-homestead

    Rescuers rescue and put themselves in harms way for others.

    A pike River re-entry is not some ordinary job situation – it’s a rescue effort which should have happened six years ago almost to the day.

    Think of true heroes, then think of John Key’s morally corrupt government.

    • weka 9.1
      18 November 2016 at 12:44 am

      Quite. Key calling it lunacy to send more people in misses the point that he wouldn’t be sending anyone in, they’d be going in off their own initiative voluntarily.

    • Sam C 9.2
      18 November 2016 at 2:17 am

      Jesus. Talk about rewriting history.

  10. Chris 10
    18 November 2016 at 12:23 am

    Damien O’Connor is one of the few Labour MPs who knows how to ask questions in the House. I’m sick to death of Labour MPs squandering valuable oral question time with idiotic attempts at point scoring attacks, and then opening themselves as easy targets.

    Stupid stuff like “does the prime minister agree that his government has failed abysmally to stick to its promise of reducing CO2 emissions to levels…blah blah blah…” What’s that going to achieve? Nothing but a “no, we haven’t failed, and we’ve done a heck of a lot more than the previous Labour government…blah blah blah…”

    Total waste of valuable opportunities, and Labour just keeps on doing it. Fuckwits.

    It was refreshing to see Damien O’Connor’s carefully worded questions that were designed to elicit proper responses, and not just a whole bunch of nonsense including opportunities for the government to attack the opposition. Damien’s colleagues need to take a leaf out of his book and start doing their jobs properly.

    • Cinny 10.1
      18 November 2016 at 6:39 am

      He’s awesome, switched on and wide awake. Our region knows how wonderful he is, how much he cares about the people and NZ, which is why they keep voting him into Parliament, even National voters prefer to vote for Damien as their MP, and that’s a fact.

      Thanks Damien you’ve massive support in our region.

  11. mauī 11
    18 November 2016 at 12:23 am

    If it was 29 SAS or Police down there you can bet we would be moving mountains to get in there. The media writing up stories of different methods of possible retrieval, publishing international experts thoughts on how it can be achieved.

    It’s 29 workers though, so yeah.. na. The country shifts into a can’t really be stuffed mode.

    Thanks for this series of pike posts. Inspiring.

    • Sam C 11.1
      18 November 2016 at 2:25 am

      What a load of horseshit. 6 years on, you are disrespecting the memories of those 29 brave men with comments like that.

      A Government’s job is to take the best advice possible at the time and act on that advice. They did that and decided at the time that the mine was catastrophically compromised and that to send people in would have been an unacceptable risk. Just as a fire chief wouldn’t send firefighters into a burning, collapsing building when, on the balance of probabilities, any occupants would have already perished.

      But yeah, you have had access to the full flow of information and advice at the time and would still send people in… Good on ya.

      • Clump_AKA Sam 11.1.1
        18 November 2016 at 5:15 am

        What the fuck are you on about. There is no more honourable act than to clear the tag baord

      • Cinny 11.1.2
        18 November 2016 at 6:42 am

        Disrespecting a memory by not wanting to carry on fighting? Say what… dang Sam you are clutching at straws by writing comments like that.

      • WILD KATIPO 11.1.3
        18 November 2016 at 6:43 am

        Sam C
        ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
        ” What a load of horseshit. 6 years on, you are disrespecting the memories of those 29 brave men with comments like that.”
        ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

        You don’t give a shit about those men with your fake concern for the working class hero , you total hypocrite.

        Why ?

        Because if you did you wouldn’t be in such a desperate hurry to close down comments adverse to your precious little pony tail pulling Prime Minister, now would you ?

        Aside from the fact that your condescending defense ( towards other posters ) of the ‘authority’s’ stance on this matter belies the fact that if you really did give a bloody shit you wouldn’t have supported conditions in that mine to begin with and would have given full support to union mines inspectors demanding operations cease until those conditions were rectified.

        But of course, … people like you hate unions and lend full support to neo liberal govts like the one Key leads that actively passes legislation designed to dismantle unionism and empower employers and their shareholders.

        The exception to that rule was the dangerous industry of worm farming which of course needed urgent upgrading of its Health and Safety regulations.

        As for Forestry , Mining and Farming, – hey – there’s always another expendable worker down Queen Street who desperately needs a job in our low wage economy now,… isn’t there.

      • SomeName 11.1.4
        18 November 2016 at 10:15 am

        Sam a policeman was in charge what is his expertise ? I rest my case

  12. SomeName 12
    18 November 2016 at 10:17 am

    Yes poor buggars they were promised by JK he would do everything he could to get them out and once again he hasn’t delivered on his promise. He has given these people false hope, shame on him. We should have one last look before we seal that mine permanently. The government and the power company don’t want anyone to go in that mine, why is that, they say it is too dangerous how do they know this they are not mine experts. Also I don’t believe the Pike River Mine will be sealed permanently it will be sold later and mined with our men lying in there. Our government thinks people are stupid they think the interest or the people will wavier and they will forget over time. But they won’t and neither would I if one of my loved ones was in that mine. No one has been held responsible this is not good enough when our men lying in the mine they worked in and who got of killing these men.

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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Verrall to Levy: “Health NZ NDAs are North Korean – Get rid of it.”

    Open article. Note the video of the Health Select Committee excerpts starts at 1:22 In watching the Health Select Committee yesterday, it became clear to me why Margie Apa remains Health NZ CEO.During Levy’s testimony, Apa sat like a rock next to her boss. She nodded supportively, scribbled notes to ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • The Show Must Go On

    Empty spaces, what are we living for?Abandoned places, I guess we know the score, on and onDoes anybody know what we are looking for?Another hero, another mindless crimeBehind the curtain, in the pantomimeHold the lineDoes anybody want to take it anymore?The show must go onSongwriters: Brian May / Freddie Mercury ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Managing on-street parking for local benefit

    This guest post by Malcolm McCracken originally appeared on his blog Better Things Are Possible, and is republished here by kind permission. The case for Parking Benefit Districts: managing on-street parking for local benefit Parking is often the centre of debate in our cities; particularly on-street car parks, who gets ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago
  • Doubling down?

    This is a re-post from And Then There's Physics I wrote a post a little while ago commenting on a Sabine Hossenfelder video suggesting that she was now worried about climate change because the Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity (ECS) could be much higher than most estimates have suggested. I wasn’t too taken with Sabine’s arguments, and there were others ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Too much haste & waste in Simeon Brown’s need for speed

    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong story short, the Government’s myopia of only choosing transport policies that reduce travel times means we’re missing out on the health benefits of more cycling and walking, along with the health cost savings from fewer accidents, less pollution and mentally healthier ways of getting ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • What seemed so simple is now so complex

    The Health NZ rescue that seemed so simple back in July was presented to a Select Committee yesterday as a complex challenge that could take some years to sort out. In July, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Health NZ was on track to record a deficit of $1.4 billion for ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • The utterances of Shane Jones

    Let us consider the utterances of Shane Jones.Let us consider the derogatory terms of abuseNow is not the time for Green Wombles, it's black and white decision making.We will stand with the energy industry and ensure they are not monstered by Green Termites nibbling away at our economic capital.The Green ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Ukrainian militia receives defective shipment of pagers that just send and receive messages

    There’s been a major setback for one Ukrainian-backed militia on the Russian border, after the group ordered a large shipment of pagers to use as improvised explosive devices. The plan was to litter the pagers throughout abandoned homes and buildings in hopes of wounding Russian soldiers. But upon arrival of ...
    The CivilianBy Ben Uffindell
    3 days ago
  • A constitutional shitshow

    Last month, we learned that the government was half-arsing its anti-gang legislation, adding a significant, pre-planned, BORA-abusing amendment at the committee stage, avoiding all the usual scrutiny processes. But it gets worse. Because having done it once, they're now planning to recall the bill in order to add another such ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Political Round Up

    Note: An earlier version of this article noted Levy was a “party time Health NZ commissioner” - this has been updated - forgive my Freudian slip.Dr Lester Levy is charging $320,000 a year to be a part time Health NZ commissioner. Rachel Thomas reports that Levy is still teaching 2 ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Postcard from Sydney: Southwest and City Metro extension

    This is a guest post from Sydney reader Nik Clement After 2 years in Auckland I moved back to Sydney just over a year ago. While in Auckland, I went to the opening of Puhinui station and used it a fair bit, living in Manukau Central and being able ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago
  • Tolling revolt brewing in National heartland

    Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, September 18:Locals gathered in Woodville last night to protest at the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s decision to toll the new road linking the Manawatu and Hawkes Bay, saying ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • The doom spiral

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In his last post, Zeke discussed incredible warmth of 2023 and 2024 and its implications for future warming. A few readers looked at it and freaked out: This is terrifying and This update really put me in a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Government directs Te Puni Kōkiri to conduct Māori Language Week in English

    The coalition government has issued a directive to Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry of Māori Development, instructing them that – in the interests of clear communication – they are to conduct this year’s Māori Language Week primarily or exclusively in English. The directive is in line with the Government’s policy ...
    The CivilianBy Ben Uffindell
    4 days ago
  • Government celebrates fact that New Zealand’s healthcare is so good people are queuing up for it a...

    At yesterday’s post-cabinet press conference, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, flanked by his Health Minister Shane Reti and someone we can’t independently verify was a real sign language interpreter, announced that he had some positive news for the country. “Alright team, I’m just going to hand over to uh, Dr. Shane, ...
    The CivilianBy Ben Uffindell
    4 days ago
  • Heartwarming: Thoughtful driver uses indicator to tell you what they’ve just done

    It’s 4:10pm in the morning, and you’re in the middle lane heading north on the great southern motorway of our nation’s capital, Auckland. There are no cars directly in front of you, but quite a few in the lane to your left. Suddenly, without warning, a black ute enters your ...
    The CivilianBy Ben Uffindell
    4 days ago
  • NPC teams will now be allowed to actually use the Ranfurly Shield in play

    Following decades of controversy, the governing body of New Zealand rugby, New Zealand Rugby, has ruled that the team currently holding the Ranfurly Shield may once again use it in play during the National Provincial Championship (NPC). The ruling restores the utility of a prize that for many years was ...
    The CivilianBy Ben Uffindell
    4 days ago
  • Climbing out of the hamster wheel

    I arrived home with a head full of fresh ideas about mindfulness and curbing impulsive aspects in my character.On the second night home I grabbed a piece of ginger and began swiftly slicing it on our industrial strength mandolin, the one I have learned through painful experience to treat with ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • More Notes From Stinky Town

    Good morning, folks. Another wee note from a chilly Rotorua morning that looks much clearer than yesterday. As I write, the pink glow in the east is slowly growing, and soon, the palest of blue skies should become a bit more royal.A couple of people mentioned yesterday that I should ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Make it make sense: why axe valuable local projects?

    Last week, Matt looked at how the government wants to pour a huge chunk of civic infrastructure funding for a generation  into one mega-road up North, at huge cost and huge opportunity cost. A smaller but no less important feature of the National Land Transport Plan devised by Minister of Transport ...
    Greater AucklandBy Jolisa
    4 days ago
  • Driving blind at higher speeds

    An open letter by experts about plans to raise speed limits warns the “tragic consequence will be more New Zealanders losing their lives or suffering severe injury, along with a substantial burden on the nation's healthcare and rehabilitation services”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • 2024’s unusually persistent warmth

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink My inaugural post on The Climate Brink 18 months ago looked at the year 2024, and found that it was likely to be the warmest year on record on the back of a (than forecast) El Nino event. I suggested “there is a real chance ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • National plan for 2000 more Kiwis a year in prison

    Open for allYesterday, Luxon congratulated his government on a job well done with emergency housing numbers, but advocates have been saying it‘s likely many are on the streets and sleeping in cars.Q&A featured some of the folks this weekend - homeless and in cars. Yes.The government’s also confirmed they stopped ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • I Found a Note in a Tree

    Hi,On most days I try to go on a walk through nature to clear my head from the horrors of life. Because as much as I like people, I also think it’s incredibly important to get very far away from them. To be reminded that there are also birds, lizards, ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Politicians need to lift their game

    Declining trust in New Zealand politicians should be a warning to them to lift their game. Results from the New Zealand Election Study for the 2023 election show that the level of trust in politicians has once again declined. Perhaps it is not surprising that the results, shared as part ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago
  • Police say they won’t respond to bomb threats anymore as ‘it’s never anything’

    Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says that New Zealand’s police force will no longer respond to bomb threats, in an attempt to cut costs and redirect police resources to less boring activities. Coster said that threat response and bomb disposal was a “fairly obvious” area for downsizing, as bomb threats are ...
    The CivilianBy Ben Uffindell
    5 days ago
  • A dysfunctional watchdog

    The reality of any right depends on how well it is enforced. But as The Post points out this morning, our right to official information isn't being enforced very well at all: More than a quarter of complaints about access to official information languish for more than a year, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change: The threat of a good example

    Since taking office, the climate-denier National government has gutted agricultural emissions pricing, ended the clean car discount, repealed water quality standards which would have reduced agricultural emissions, gutted the clean car standard, killed the GIDI scheme, and reversed efforts to reduce pollution subsidies in the ETS - basically every significant ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vegas Baby

    Good morning, lovely people. Don’t worry. This isn’t really a newsletter, just a quick note. I’m sitting in our lounge, looking out over a gloomy sky. Although being Rotorua, the view is periodically interrupted by steam bursting from pipes and dispersing—like an Eastern European industrial hellscape during the Cold War.Drinking ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Why Entrust Needs New Leadership

    I am part of a new team running in the Entrust election in October. Entrust is a community electricity trust representing a significant part of Auckland, set up to serve the community. It is governed by five trustees are elected every three years in an election the trust itself oversees. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • London Bridge is falling down

    In the UK, London is the latest of council groups to signal potential bankruptcy.That’s after Birmingham, Britain’s second largest city, went bankrupt in June, resulting in reduced sanitation services, libraries cut, and dimmed streetlights.Some in the city described things as “Dickens” like.Please, Sir, Can I have some more?For families with ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Govt may kick elderly out of hospitals

    The Government is considering how to shunt elderly people out of hospitals, and also how to cut their access to other support. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Getting the nephs off the couch

    The so-called “Prince of the Provinces”, Shane Jones, went home last Friday. Perhaps not quite literally home, more like 20 kilometres down the road from his house on the outskirts of Kerikeri. With its airport, its rapidly growing (mostly retired) population, and a commercial centre with all the big retail ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • De moralibus orcorum: Sargon of Akkad, Rings of Power, Evil, and George R.R. Martin

    I have noted before that The Rings of Power has attracted its unfortunate share of culture war obsessives. Essentially, for a certain type of individual, railing on about the Wokery of Modern Media is a means of making themselves a online livelihood. Clicks and views and advertising revenue, and all ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #37

    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 8, 2024 thru Sat, September 14, 2024. Story of the week From time to time we like to make our Story of the Week all about us— and ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • Salvation For Us All

    Yesterday, I ruminated about the effects of being a political follower.And, within politics, David Seymour was smart enough on Friday to divert attention from “race blind” policies [what about gender blind I thought - thinking of maternity wards] and cutting school lunches by throwing meat to the media. Teachers were ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A warm embrace

    Far, far away from here lives our King. Some of his subjects can be quite the forelock tuggers, but plenty of us are not like that, and why don't I wheel out my favourite old story once more about Kiwi soldiers in the North African desert?Field Marshal Montgomery takes offence ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Literal clowns are running the place, we must put a timeout on this stupidity… right Aotearoa?

    These people are inept on every level. They’re inept to the detriment of our internal politics, cohesion and increasingly our international reputation. And they are reveling in the fact they are getting away with it. We cannot even have “respectful debate” with a government that clearly rejects the very ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    7 days ago
  • Fact brief – Does manmade CO2 have any detectable fingerprint?

    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Does manmade CO2 have any ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago
  • Judge Not.

    Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Matthew 7:1-2FOUR HUNDRED AND FORTY men and women professing the Christian faith would appear to have imperilled their immortal souls. ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago
  • Managed Democracy: Letting The People Decide, But Only When They Can Be Relied Upon To Give the Righ...

    Uh-uh! Not So Fast, Citizens! The power to initiate systemic change remains where it has always been in New Zealand’s representative democracy – in Parliament. To order a binding referendum, the House of Representatives must first to be persuaded that, on the question proposed, sharing its decision-making power with the people ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago
  • Looking For Labour’s Vital Signs.

    Flatlining: With no evidence of a genuine policy disruptor at work in Labour’s ranks, New Zealand’s wealthiest citizens can sleep easy.PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN has walked a picket-line. Presidential candidate Kamala Harris has threatened “price-gauging” grocery retailers with price control. The Democratic Party’s 2024 platform situates it well to the left of Sir ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago
  • Forty Years Of Remembering To Forget.

    The Beginning of the End: Rogernomics became the short-hand descriptor for all the radical changes that swept away New Zealand’s social-democratic economy and society between 1984 and 1990. In the bitterest of ironies, those changes were introduced by the very same party which had entrenched New Zealand social-democracy 50 years earlier. ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago
  • Kōrero Mai – Speak to Me.

    Good morning all you lovely people. 🙂I woke up this morning, and it felt a bit like the last day of school. You might recall from earlier in the week that I’m heading home to Rotorua to see an old friend who doesn’t have much time. A sad journey, but ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Winning ways

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Street architecture adjustment, KolkataShare Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • 48 seconds on a plan that would reverberate for a million years

    Despite fears that Trump presidency would be disastrous for progress on climate change, the topic barely rated a mention in the Presidential debate. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Using blunt instruments and magical thinking to ignore evidence of harm

    The abrupt cancellations and suspensions of Government spending also caused private sector hiring, spending, and investment to freeze up for the first six months of the year. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāThis week we learned:The new National/ACT/NZ First Coalition Government ignored advice from Treasury that it didn’t have to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Is This A Dagger Which I See Before Me: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power Episode 5 (Seaso...

    Another week of The Rings of Power, season two, and another confirmation that things are definitely coming together for the show. The fifth Episode of season one represented the nadir of the series. Now? Amid the firmer footing of 2024, Episode Five represents further a further step towards excellent Tolkien ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • In Open Seas; A Book

    The background to In Open Seas: How the New Zealand Labour Government Went Wrong:2017-2023Not in Narrow Seas: The Economic History of Aotearoa New Zealand, published in 2020, proved more successful than either I or the publisher (VUP, now Te Herenga Waka University Press) expected. I had expected that it would ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 13

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the climate implications of the US Presidential elections; and special guests Janet ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Do or do not. There is no try

    1. Upon receiving evidence that school lunches were doing a marvellous job of improving outcomes for students, David Seymour did what?a. Declared we need much more of this sort of good news and poured extra resources and funding into them b. Emailed Atlas network to ask what to do next c. Cut ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Dangerous ground

    The Waitangi Tribunal has reported back on National's proposed changes to gut the Marine and Coastal Area Act and steal the foreshore and seabed for its greedy fishing-industry donors, and declared it to be another huge violation of ti Tiriti: The Waitangi Tribunal has found government changes to the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: National wants to cheat on Paris

    In 2016, the then-National government signed the Paris Agreement, committing Aotearoa to a 30 (later 50) percent reduction in emissions by 2030. When questioned about how they intended to meet that target with their complete absence of effective climate policy, they made a lot of noise about how it was ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Treasury warned Govt lower debt limits meant less ‘productivity-enhancing investment’

    Treasury’s advice to Cabinet was that the new Government could actually prudently carry net core Crown debt of up to 50% of GDP. But Luxon and Willis instead chose to portray the Government’s finances as in such a mess they had no choice but to carve 6.5% to 7.5% off ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Tourism on the table for Pacific Ministers’ meet-up

    Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey will meet with Trade and Tourism Minister of Australia Don Farrell and Fiji Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica in Rotorua this weekend for a trilateral tourism discussion. “Like in New Zealand, tourism plays a significant role in Australia and Fiji’s economy, contributing massively to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Young people report on family and sexual violence

    The Te Puna Aonui Expert Advisory Group for Children and Young People has presented its report today on improving family and sexual violence outcomes for young people, to the Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour.  The presentation at the Auckland event was an opportunity for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • $18 million being invested in the victims of crime

    The Government is putting more than $18 million towards improving the experience of the criminal justice system for victims, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Minister for Children Karen Chhour say. “No one should experience crime, but for those who through no fault of their own become victims, they need to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Landmark phonics check in te reo Māori

    For the first time, schools can use a purpose-built tool to check how a child is progressing in reading through te reo Māori. “Around 45 schools are trialling a New Zealand first te reo Māori phonics check, known as Hihira Weteoro. It will help kaiako (teachers) focus on what ākonga ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • New sea walls safeguard Ōpōtiki’s transformation

    Two new breakwater walls at Pākihikura (Ōpōtiki) Harbour will provide boats with safe harbour access to support the continued growth of aquaculture in Bay of Plenty, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones say. The Ministers and leaders from Tē Tāwharau o Te Whakatōhea and other ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kitmap to improve access to science infrastructure

    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced an online platform to optimise the use of New Zealand’s science and technology research infrastructure and to link the public and private sector. “This country is home to world-class science, technology, and engineering expertise. Kitmap is set to empower Kiwi innovators, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Driving the uptake of low emission heavy vehicles

    The Government has launched the Low Emissions Heavy Vehicle Fund (LEHVF) to promote innovation and offset the cost of hundreds of heavy vehicles powered by clean technologies, Energy Minister Simeon Brown and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts say. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech on replacing the Resource Management Act

    Replacing the RMA Hon Chris Bishop: Good morning, it is great to be with you. Can I first acknowledge the Resource Management Law Association for hosting us here today. Can I also acknowledge my Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Simon Court, who is on stage with me. He has assisted me in establishing the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Replacement for the Resource Management Act takes shape

    Two new laws will be developed to replace the Resource Management Act (RMA), with the enjoyment of property rights as their guiding principle, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Parliamentary Under-Secretary Simon Court say. “The RMA was passed with good intentions in 1991 but has proved a failure in practice. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Tough laws pass to make gang life uncomfortable

    Legislation passed through Parliament today will provide police and the courts with additional tools to crack down on gangs that peddle misery and intimidation throughout New Zealand, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “From November 21, gang insignia will be banned in all public places, courts will be able to issue non-consorting orders, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New levy rates set to ensure continued funding of FENZ

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the rates for the redesigned levy that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) from July 2026.  “Earlier this year FENZ consulted publicly on a 5.2 percent increase to the levy. I was not convinced that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Police allocate Officers to Beat and Gang Units

    The Coalition Government welcomes Police’s announcement today to deploy more police on the beat and staff to Gang Disruption Units.  An additional 70 officers will be allocated to Community Beat Teams across towns and regional centres.  This builds on the deployment of beat officers in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch CBDs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Consultation begins on significant updates to the biosecurity system

    Proposals to strengthen the country’s vital biosecurity system, including higher fines for passengers bringing in undeclared high-risk goods, greater flexibility around importing requirements, and fairer cost sharing for biosecurity responses have been released today for public consultation. Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says “The future is about resilience and the 30-year-old ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Wānaka community to benefit from new overnight health service

    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says an Overnight Acute Care Service opening in October will provide people in Wānaka and the surrounding area with the assurance of quality overnight care closer to home.  “When I was in Wānaka earlier this year, I announced funding for an overnight health service – ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Preventing potholes with data-driven technology

    The Government is rolling out data collection vans across the country to better understand the condition of our road network to prevent potholes from forming in the first place, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is a key priority for the Government and increasing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • GDP data shows effect of high interest rates

    Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data for the quarter to June 2024 reinforces how an extended period of high interest rates has meant tough times for families, businesses, and communities, but recent indications show the economy is starting to bounce back, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ data released today ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • NZ to host first Fiji, Australia trilateral trade Ministers’ meeting in Rotorua

    Trade Minister Todd McClay will host Fijian Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica and Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell for trilateral trade talks in Rotorua this weekend. “Fiji is one of the largest economies in the Pacific and is a respected partner for Australia and New Zealand,” Mr McClay says. Australia and New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • NZ hosts Annual CER Trade Ministers’ meeting in Rotorua

    Trade Minister Todd McClay will meet with Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting in Rotorua this weekend.  “CER is our most comprehensive agreement covering trade, labour mobility, harmonisation of standards and political cooperation. It underpins an important trading relationship worth $32 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government proposing changes to jury trials

    The Government is seeking the public’s feedback on two major changes to jury trials in order to improve court timeliness, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “The first proposal would increase the offence threshold at which a defendant can decide to have their case heard by a jury. “The second is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Business key to regional economic dialogue

    Local businesses and industries need to be front and centre in conversations about how regions plan to grow their economies, Regional Development Shane Jones says. The nationwide series of summits aims to facilitate conversations about regional economic growth and opportunities to drive productivity, prosperity and resilience through the Coalition Government’s Regional ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • More funding for Growing Up in New Zealand study

    The Government is investing $16.8 million over the next four years to extend the Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) Longitudinal Study. GUiNZ is New Zealand’s largest longitudinal study of child health and wellbeing and has followed the lives of more than 6000 children born in 2009 and 2010, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Tough targets for charter schools will raise achievement

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says that Charter Schools will face a combination of minimum performance thresholds and stretch targets for achievement, attendance and financial sustainability. “Charter schools will be given greater freedom to respond to diverse student needs in innovative ways, but they will be held to a much ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • NZ votes for Middle East resolution at UN

    New Zealand has voted for a United Nations resolution on Israel’s presence in occupied Palestinian Territory with some caveats, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand’s yes vote is fundamentally a signal of our strong support for international law and the need for a two-state solution,” Mr Peters says.    “The Israel-Palestine ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Honouring the legacy of New Zealand’s suffragists

    Suffrage Day is an opportunity to reaffirm New Zealand’s commitment to ensuring we continue to be a world leader in gender equality, Minister for Women Nicola Grigg says. “On 19 September, 131 years ago, New Zealand became the first nation in the world where women gained the right to vote. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Foreign Minister to travel to New York, French Polynesia

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